Happy National Day, Romania!
On 1st of December it was Romania National Day. In 1918, so 98 year ago the 3 big provinces: Moldova, Transylvania and Muntenia decided to unite under the name of Romania.
Back home, officials are taking this celebration really serious and they are preparing all kind of events: military parades, cooking competition, dancing and singing concerts. For us is an important day, and I was very surprised when some other colleagues of mine, from other Balkan countries, did not knew when their National Day is, or that of them is not of such a big importance and not learning about it in school. But, because I don’t want this to be a historic post, I will translate for you a couple of know expressions that we have, and maybe I will be able to put a smile on your face.
Romanian best known expressions:
- A Romanian doesn’t have “unusual ideas”… he has “a curly mind” (Minte creață).
- A Romanian will not look at you “confused”… he will “stare like the crow at the bone” (Ca cioara la ciolan).
- A Romanian is not “a drunkard”… he’s “a blotting paper” (Sugativă).
- A Romanian hasn’t been “scammed”… he “took a spike” (A luat țeapă).
- A Romanian won’t “call it quits”… he’ll “stick his feet in” (Își bagă picioarele).
- A Romanian is not “stupid”… he’s “a Venice bush” (Tufă de Veneția).
- As a Romanian you don’t “fool yourself”… you “get drunk with cold water” (Te îmbeți cu apă rece).
- A Romanian doesn’t just “keep quiet”… he “keeps quiet like the pig in a corn field” (Tace ca porcu-n păpușoi).
- A Romanian is not “nervous”… he “has a carrot (in the ass)” (Are un morcov în fund).
- A Romanian won’t say that something is “cool”… he’ll say it’s “concrete” (Beton).
- A Romanian won’t tell you to stop “wasting time”… he’ll tell you to stop “rubbing the mint” (Freca menta).
- A Romanian is not “crazy”…he’s “gone on a raft” (Dus cu pluta).
- In Romania, things are not “far away”… they’re “at the devil’s mother” (La mama naibii).
- A Romanian will not have “the impostor syndrome”… he will “feel with the fly on his cap” (Se simte cu musca pe căciulă).
- You don’t “drive a Romanian nuts”… you “take him out of his watermelons” (Îl scoți din pepeni).
- A Romanian doesn’t simply deem an effort “useless”… he says it’s “a rub on a wooden leg” (Frecție la picior de lemn).
- A Romanian is not “extremely tired”…he’s “cabbage.” His life is not “chaotic”… it’s “cabbage.” And his room is not “a complete mess”…it’s also “cabbage” (Varză).
- A Romanian doesn’t “suddenly get it”… his “coin drops” (Îi pică fisa).
- Nor will he “lie to you”… he’ll “sell you doughnuts” (Vinde gogoși).
- A Romanian won’t “try to fool you”…he’ll “throw vapours at you” (Te aburește).
- A Romanian hasn’t just “screwed up”…he “threw his boogers in the beans” (A dat cu mucii-n fasole).
- A Romanian won’t “lose temper”…his “mustard will jump off” (Îi sare muștarul).
- A Romanian is not “surprised”… his “face has fallen off” (I-a picat fața).