idioms of the world
Anyone who's busted out a 'bonza!' or 'she'll be apples' overseas knows that our Aussie sayings don't always translate cross-culturally. And ours aren't the only ones.
Phrases like 'flat out like a lizard drinking' and 'hit the frog and toad' may make total sense to us, but anyone who's busted out a 'bonza!' or 'she'll be apples' overseas knows that our Aussie sayings don't always translate cross-culturally. And the puzzlement isn't just one-way, either. If you heard someone Japanese say that you 'had a wide face', would you feel a little bit self-conscious, or realise they think you had loads of mates? Would you know that 'feeding the donkey sponge cake' has nothing to do with a sugar-craving ass?
Illustrator Marcus Oakley and Hotel Club have scoured the globe, transforming some of the more obscure phrases they've found into a series of quirky illustrations, and it's helping to break down language barriers (as well as prompting a giggle or two). More bizarre sayings are only a cat's jump away, here.
