• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Upright

If you get to your feet it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re on the move:

pratyutthā n (Hindi) rising from a seat as a mark of respect

hó’kôhtôheóó’e (Cheyenne, USA) to stand leaning on a cane

suka-a.-moni (Yamana, Chile) to stand dreaming

hangama (Tsonga, South Africa) to stand with one’s feet wide apart (like a man taking up all the space before a fire)

távoeóó’e (Cheyenne, USA) to stand looking goofy

Pedestrian

But once you’ve put one foot in front of the other there’s really no going back:

semeioton (Greek) walking on the spot

diváviharana (Sinhala, Sri Lanka) walking about in the day time

hanyauka (Rukwangali, Namibia) to walk on tiptoe on warm sand

ha shtatin (Albanian) to walk backwards in a bowed position

Tip-tip-toe

Although this simple action comes in many different styles:

vukurukuru (Tsonga, South Africa) the noisy walk of a person in a bad temper

endal (Malay) to walk with the head and shoulders held back and the breast and stomach thrust forward

bikrang (Bikol, Philippines) to walk with the legs apart as if there was some injury to the area of the crotch

onya (Setswana, Botswana) to walk at a slow pace nodding one’s head

lonjak (Malay) to walk affectedly on tiptoe

vydelyvat krendelya (Russian) to stagger, to walk crookedly (literally, to do the pretzel)

uluka (Mambwe, Zambia) a person who walks as if he were carried by the wind

The trees are blazed

Be sure you know where you’re going…

gembelengan (Indonesian) moving around without any certain direction

sakgasakgile (Setswana, Botswana) to wander about like a homeless orphan

… that the way ahead is clear:

jimbulwila (Luvale, Zambia) to walk in an unknown place, where there is no clear path

tlhotlhomela (Tsonga, South Africa) to wriggle one’s way through thick bush

… that you’ve decided whether to cover your tracks:

kodhola (Oshindonga, Namibia) to leave marks in the sand when walking

kikinawadakwaidade (Ojibway, North America) marks on the trees for the traveller to find the trail through the wood (literally, the trees are blazed)

tuuna-gamata (Yamana, Chile) to walk over where others have walked before and thus make the tracks indistinct

… and that the conditions are suitable:

hanmani (Dakota, USA) to walk in the night

tidiwitidiwi (Kerewe, Tanzania) dragging one’s steps through sand or mud

pfumbura (Shona, Zimbabwe) to walk raising dust

splerg (Scots) to walk splashing in mud

shatoka (Lozi, Niger-Congo) to jump from one stone or log to another

False friends

lost (Cornish) tail, queue

halt (Swedish) lame, limping

loop (Dutch) walk, gait

murmur (Persian) to creep

silk (Bashgali, India) to be slippery

That sinking feeling

As what could be worse than losing your footing …

anamni (Dakota, USA) to give way under the foot (as snow does, when there is water under it)

bawela (Tsonga, South Africa) to sink away in deep mud

kawan (Manobo, Philippines) to walk on air above the ground (for example, when walking in the dark and groping for footing, to step and not find footing where you expected it)

… mistaking the ground:

péese’ov (Cheyenne, USA) to step on someone’s fingers

trapu psa (Sranan Tongo, Surinam) to step on someone’s feet in passing

gobray (Boro, India) to fall into a well unknowingly

… or otherwise getting into difficulties:

dungkal (Bikol, Philippines) to trip and fall head first

gadngád (Tagalog, Philippines) falling on one’s nose

kaiyotan (Dakota, USA) to fall in attempting to sit down

ra (Tsonga, South Africa) to fall backwards on something hard

platzen (German) to fall over and burst

af-vegar (Old Icelandic) fallen on one’s back and unable to rise

pipilili (Tsonga, South Africa) to fall and roll a few times before stopping

Beard in the postbox

Oh dear, you’re back where you started:

nu sitter du med skagget i brevladan (Swedish) now you are stuck (literally, now you are sitting with your beard in the postbox)

IDIOMS OF THE WORLD

To carry coals to Newcastle

Eulen nach Athen tragen (German) taking owls to Athens

yezdit’ b