27 Hilarious Swedish Idioms

Swedish idioms are packed with dry humor—how many can you figure out before reading their translations?

“You just shat in the blue cabinet.”

What it means: You've royally messed up, and the consequences will be severe.

The widely accepted origin story is that in the early 1800s, furniture in rural Swedish homes was painted with cheap, earthy tones like red, maroon, and ochre, as blue pigment—specifically Prussian blue—was expensive and rare. Families began painting their finest furniture, particularly cabinets used to store prized possessions like porcelain, silverware, and linens, in this exclusive blue. At the same time, chamber pots were stored in less fancy cupboards, painted in cheaper colors. The act of mistakenly placing a used chamber pot—or worse, defecating directly—in the blue cabinet would have been a catastrophic social faux pas.

“I smell owls in the swamp.”

Something's fishy, and with a little digging, the truth might come to light.

“They must be lagging behind the parade float.”

A not-so-subtle way of saying someone isn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

“Yanking someone's nose.”

Teasing or pulling someone's leg, but with a facial focus that sounds odd in English.

“It fell between two stools.”

What it means: Something got ignored because no one took responsibility for it.

This idiom stems from early 20th-century Swedish bureaucracy. The phrase gained traction during Sweden's expansion of its welfare state in the mid-20th century, when complex administrative systems led to tasks slipping through the cracks. A 1930s bureaucratic reform is often cited, when government offices were restructured, leaving gaps in responsibility.

“Gliding in on a shrimp sandwich.”

What it means: Achieving something without much effort, like success handed to you on a seafood platter.

A 1980s phrase tied to Sweden's yuppie culture and seafood's luxury status, it's mainly a cultural jab.

“I've got an unplucked goose to settle with them.”

Holding a grudge or having unfinished business with someone, ready to confront them.

“Sticking to the carpet.”

Exercising self-control, staying grounded even when you're tempted to act out.

“You look like you sold the butter and lost the coins.”

What it means: You appear both miserable and guilty, as if you've botched a simple deal and can't face the fallout.

Appeared in Swedish literature from the 1800s, notably in Emilie Flygare-Carlén's novels. It comes from 19th-century Swedish rural life. Butter was a valuable commodity, often sold at markets. Losing the money from such a sale — perhaps on the way home - was a devastating blunder, combining financial loss with personal shame.

“Everyone knows the monkey, but the monkey knows nobody.”

You might stand out for being different, but that doesn't mean people want to connect with you — fame isn't friendship.

“I'll have to carry the dog's head for this.”

Taking the fall for a mistake, even if it's not entirely your fault - someone's got to be the scapegoat.

“Lighting bonfires for the crows.”

Wasting effort on something utterly pointless, like hosting a party for birds that won't show up.

“They must've been born in the hallway.”

 What it means: Implying someone's not very bright, as if they were left out of the main room of intelligence.

“Brewing soup on a nail.”

What it means: Creating something impressive out of almost nothing, a nod to resourcefulness.

This idiom, koka soppa på en spik, comes from a 19th-century Swedish folktale, “The Nail Soup,” rooted in European trickster tales. In the story, a clever traveler tricks a stingy host into providing ingredients for a hearty soup, starting with just a nail. The tale, recorded in Swedish collections like those by Gunnar Olof Hyltén-Cavallius (1840s), celebrates ingenuity in times of scarcity.

“Buying the pig in the bag.”

Making a decision without doing your homework, like purchasing livestock sight unseen.

“The matter is beef.”

Something is completely finished, done to a crisp, with a meaty metaphor that sounds odd in English.

“Doing magic with your knees.”

Being resourceful with nothing, even if it means faking it - like pulling off a trick with an absurd body part.

“He's out riding a bicycle.”

Making wild, incorrect assumptions, as if someone's pedaling off into a fantasy land.

“No cow on the ice here.”

It looks risky, but there's no real danger — like a frozen lake with no livestock in peril.

“Caught with your beard in the mailbox.”

What it means: Getting nabbed doing something shady.

A 1920s Swedish newspaper anecdote mentioned a man's beard stuck in a mailbox while stealing letters, popularizing the phrase.

“He's got a screw in the jam jar.”

Someone's a bit unhinged or eccentric, with a metaphor that sounds like a kitchen mishap.

“He's got a potato in his throat.”

Speaking unclearly or mumbling, as if a root vegetable is lodged in there.

“He's got his thumb in the middle of his hand.”

Being clumsy or awkward, with an anatomical oddity that sounds downright bizarre.

“There's a dog buried somewhere around here.”

What it means: Something feels off, and you're suspicious there's more to the story than meets the eye.

An idiom with roots in 17th-century Swedish folklore. It derives from rural life, where a buried dog (an unusual act, as dogs weren't typically buried with ceremony) implied something hidden or suspicious, like a secret or crime.