10 Hungarian sayings you may not know — Part 3

The list of Hungarian sayings is inexhaustible. In this compilation, you will find 10 Hungarian sayings which include words such as stacking, eating pudding, straw, the Danube, fishing and even buttocks. But how do you turn these words into good advice? We will show you the way!

1. He does not even bother to lay a straw stalk crosswise— Egy szalmaszálat sem tesz keresztbe

It refers to a very lazy person. It really does not take any effort to move a straw.

2. The magpie wants too much, but her tail cannot carry it — Sokat akar a szarka, nem bírja a farka

It refers to a person who wants too much, but cannot handle it. It is also used when someone puts more on his plate than he could handle. For example, when someone takes on more work than he has the time for. Somebody overestimates his power/capacity/strength.

3. He who digs a pit for others, falls into it himself — Aki másnak vermet ás, maga esik bele

He who seeks to dig a pit for others gets himself into trouble. This biblical saying teaches us not to wish harm to others.

4. Till then a lot of water will flow down the Danube — Sok víz lefolyik még addig a Dunán

It refers to a particular event that is still far away in time. For Hungarians, the Danube has always played an important role in their lives. It is no wonder that the river occurs in some sayings too.

5. Fishing in troubled waters — Zavaros vízben halászik

In troubled waters, it is not obvious what we are doing. We can exploit the potential of uncertainty, but we may not get what we expect.

• Read both the first and second parts of our Hungarian sayings compilation!

6. The sack has found its patch — Megtalálta a zsák a foltját

It means that they fit together. When one finds a friend, an ally, a life partner worthy of him.

7. He puts the dot on the i — Felteszi az i-re a pontot

The cherry on top of the cake. He makes the last move in the completion of something. When you write the letter i, you write the dot last. It is the last step of the process.

8. You can’t ride two saddles with one butt — Egy fenékkel két nyerget nem lehet megülni

It is similar to the previous magpie saying. Someone takes on more than he can handle. He wants to do two time or energy-consuming things at once.

9. Good work takes time — Jó munkához idő kell

If you want something to be done properly, you have to invest time in it. Take the act of painting a room, for example. If you want to apply the next coat, first, you have to wait for the previous one to dry.

10. He acts as a spoon in all liquids — Minden lében kanál

He has a finger in every pie. It refers to a person who is nosy, loquacious and gossipy.

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Source: DailyNewsHungary