31 Swedish idioms in English, with examples

The short answer

Swedish idioms are famous for sounding absurd when translated word for word. Det är ingen ko på isen ("there's no cow on the ice") means there is no need to worry. Glida in på en räkmacka ("slide in on a shrimp sandwich") means to get something without effort. Ha en räv bakom örat ("have a fox behind the ear") means to be sly. Below are 31 idioms that Swedes really use today, each with a literal translation, its meaning and a natural example sentence.

Idioms are fixed: you cannot swap words or change the order and still be understood. So learn them as whole chunks, and notice which verb each one takes. If you are unsure about a single word, look it up in the Swedish dictionary.

Quick reference

The rest of this guide explains each one.

Worry, calm and no problem

Det är ingen ko på isen

Literally: there is no cow on the ice. Meaning: relax, there is no hurry and nothing to worry about. A cow on thin ice is an emergency; no cow means no emergency.

Vi hinner äta först, det är ingen ko på isen. (We've got time to eat first, there's no rush.)

The phrase is sometimes extended to ingen ko på isen så länge rumpan är i land (no cow on the ice as long as its rear is on land), meaning things are still under control.

Det är ingen fara på taket

Literally: there is no danger on the roof. Meaning: it's fine, nothing to worry about. Very common and a little more casual than det är ingen fara.

Glömde du kakan? Ingen fara på taket, vi köper en. (Forgot the cake? No problem, we'll buy one.)

Ha is i magen

Literally: have ice in the stomach. Meaning: stay calm under pressure, keep a cool head. Used a lot about sport and negotiations.

Nu gäller det att ha is i magen och inte sälja aktierna. (Now you have to keep your nerve and not sell the shares.)

Nu ska du få se på andra bullar

Literally: now you'll get to see other buns. Meaning: things are about to change, usually for the better or stricter. Said by someone taking charge.

Ny chef? Nu ska ni få se på andra bullar. (A new boss? Things are going to be different around here.)

Effort, luck and getting things done

Glida in på en räkmacka

Literally: slide in on a shrimp sandwich. Meaning: get somewhere without effort, usually thanks to luck or connections. A räkmacka is a luxurious open sandwich piled with prawns, so sliding in on one is the opposite of struggling.

Han har aldrig behövt kämpa, han har glidit in på en räkmacka hela livet. (He's never had to fight for anything; he's had it easy all his life.)

Slå två flugor i en smäll

Literally: hit two flies with one swat. Meaning: kill two birds with one stone.

Jag cyklar till jobbet, så slår jag två flugor i en smäll: motion och ingen bilkö. (I cycle to work, so I kill two birds with one stone: exercise and no traffic.)

Fatta galoppen

Literally: catch the gallop. Meaning: get the hang of something, catch on.

Det tog ett tag, men nu har jag fattat galoppen. (It took a while, but now I've got the hang of it.)

Gå över ån efter vatten

Literally: cross the stream to fetch water. Meaning: make things unnecessarily complicated, look far away for something close at hand.

Varför ringa supporten? Fråga Sara, hon vet. Gå inte över ån efter vatten. (Why call support? Ask Sara, she knows. Don't make it harder than it is.)

Ta sig vatten över huvudet

Literally: take water over your head. Meaning: take on more than you can manage.

Med tre jobb och en renovering har hon tagit sig vatten över huvudet. (With three jobs and a renovation, she's bitten off more than she can chew.)

Kasta yxan i sjön

Literally: throw the axe into the lake. Meaning: give up, throw in the towel. Mostly used in the negative.

Kasta inte yxan i sjön, du är nästan klar! (Don't give up, you're almost done!)

Mitt i smeten

Literally: right in the batter. Meaning: in the middle of things, where it all happens.

Lägenheten ligger mitt i smeten, nära allt. (The flat is right in the thick of things, close to everything.)

Dra det kortaste strået

Literally: draw the shortest straw. Meaning: lose out, come off worst. Dra det längsta strået means the opposite: win.

Det är alltid barnen som drar det kortaste strået. (It's always the children who lose out.)

Suspicion and cunning

Ha en räv bakom örat

Literally: have a fox behind the ear. Meaning: be sly, have hidden intentions. Often said affectionately about someone clever.

Lita inte på hans oskyldiga min, han har en räv bakom örat. (Don't trust his innocent face, he's a sly one.)

Det ligger en hund begraven

Literally: there is a dog buried here. Meaning: something is not right, there is a hidden explanation. German has the same idiom, da liegt der Hund begraben.

Så billigt? Här ligger det en hund begraven. (That cheap? Something's not right here.)

Ana ugglor i mossen

Literally: sense owls in the bog. Meaning: suspect that something is wrong, smell a rat.

När ingen svarade i telefonen anade hon ugglor i mossen. (When nobody answered the phone, she sensed something was wrong.)

Köpa grisen i säcken

Literally: buy the pig in the sack. Meaning: buy something without checking it first. English has the same old image: a pig in a poke.

Provkör bilen, du vill inte köpa grisen i säcken. (Test-drive the car; you don't want to buy it blind.)

Lägga rabarber på

Literally: put rhubarb on something. Meaning: grab, lay claim to, take over, sometimes without asking.

Grannen har lagt rabarber på vår parkeringsplats. (The neighbour has commandeered our parking space.)

Getting it wrong

Vara ute och cykla

Literally: be out cycling. Meaning: be completely wrong, not know what you are talking about.

Om du tror att det blir billigare är du ute och cyklar. (If you think it'll be cheaper, you're way off.)

Hoppa i galen tunna

Literally: jump into the wrong barrel. Meaning: make a wrong decision, get the wrong end of the stick.

Jag hoppade i galen tunna och tog fel tåg. (I got it wrong and took the wrong train.)

Svära i kyrkan

Literally: swear in church. Meaning: say something that is taboo or out of place in the setting.

Att kritisera fika på det här jobbet är som att svära i kyrkan. (Criticising the coffee break at this job is like swearing in church.)

Göra någon en björntjänst

Literally: do someone a bear's service. Meaning: try to help but make things worse. From a fable in which a bear swats a fly on its sleeping friend's face with a rock.

Att göra läxan åt honom är en björntjänst. (Doing his homework for him does him no favours.)

Dra alla över en kam

Literally: pull everyone over one comb. Meaning: treat everyone the same, generalise unfairly.

Alla politiker är inte likadana, man kan inte dra alla över en kam. (Not all politicians are the same; you can't lump them all together.)

Exaggeration, nonsense and refusals

Göra en höna av en fjäder

Literally: make a hen out of a feather. Meaning: make a big deal out of something small.

Det var bara en liten repa, gör inte en höna av en fjäder. (It was just a small scratch, don't make a fuss.)

Inte för allt smör i Småland

Literally: not for all the butter in Småland. Meaning: not for anything in the world. Småland is a province in southern Sweden, and butter was once a sign of wealth.

Jag skulle inte hoppa fallskärm för allt smör i Småland. (I wouldn't go skydiving for anything in the world.)

Lova guld och gröna skogar

Literally: promise gold and green forests. Meaning: make big promises, often ones that will not be kept.

Före valet lovade de guld och gröna skogar. (Before the election they promised the earth.)

Prata i nattmössan

Literally: talk in your nightcap. Meaning: talk nonsense, ramble.

Lyssna inte på honom, han pratar i nattmössan. (Don't listen to him, he's talking rubbish.)

Tomtar på loftet

Literally: gnomes in the attic. Meaning: a bit crazy, not quite right in the head. Usually ha tomtar på loftet. A tomte is the gnome from Swedish folklore who lives on farms.

Hon badar i havet i januari, hon måste ha tomtar på loftet. (She swims in the sea in January, she must be a bit nuts.)

Sätta myror i huvudet på någon

Literally: put ants in someone's head. Meaning: give someone something to puzzle or worry about.

Hans konstiga mejl satte myror i huvudet på mig. (His odd email got me puzzling.)

Personality and taste

Gå som katten kring het gröt

Literally: walk like the cat around hot porridge. Meaning: avoid the point, beat around the bush. The cat wants the porridge but it is too hot to touch.

Sluta gå som katten kring het gröt och säg vad du menar! (Stop beating around the bush and say what you mean!)

Ha ben i näsan

Literally: have bone in your nose. Meaning: be tough, assertive and hard to push around.

Den nya projektledaren har ben i näsan. (The new project manager is nobody's pushover.)

Sitta i klistret

Literally: sit in the glue. Meaning: be stuck in a difficult situation.

Jag har missat sista bussen, nu sitter jag i klistret. (I've missed the last bus, now I'm in a fix.)

How to learn idioms without sounding odd

1. Learn the whole chunk. Say det är ingen ko på isen, not "no cow". Swedes notice when one word is off.
2. Get the verb right. You glider in på en räkmacka, you har en räv bakom örat, you slår två flugor i en smäll.
3. Start with the common ones. Ingen ko på isen, ute och cyklar, slå två flugor i en smäll and ingen fara på taket come up constantly. Others, like prata i nattmössan, are heard less.
4. Hear them in context. Idioms stick when you meet them in real conversations. The words in them often have their own entries, such as ko, is and smör.

If you like colourful language, also read our guides to Swedish slang and Swedish words with no English translation.

FAQ

What is the most famous Swedish idiom?

Probably det är ingen ko på isen, "there's no cow on the ice", meaning there is nothing to worry about. Glida in på en räkmacka (slide in on a shrimp sandwich) is a close second among foreigners because it sounds so odd.

What does "glida in på en räkmacka" mean?

It means getting something without having to work for it, usually because of luck, money or connections. A räkmacka is an expensive prawn sandwich, a symbol of an easy, comfortable ride.

What does "ha en räv bakom örat" mean?

It means being sly or having a hidden plan. It can be a warning or a compliment to someone clever.

Are Swedish idioms similar to English ones?

Some are almost identical, like köpa grisen i säcken (buy a pig in a poke) and ta det med en nypa salt (take it with a pinch of salt). Others share the idea but use different images: Swedes kill two flies, not two birds.

Sources

• Idiom meanings checked against Svensk ordbok (Swedish Academy) at svenska.se. Last checked 7 October 2026.

Keep going

Idioms come alive when you hear them in a real conversation. Our free Season 1 course is built on real spoken Swedish with synced transcripts, so you can pause on a phrase and look up every word. Start the free course.