132
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English equivalent of the Malayalam saying "don't stab/poke the dead body"?
Perhaps
Kick someone when they are down
Cause further misfortune to someone who is already in a difficult situation.
From Oxford.
"Don't kick a man when he's down."
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English equivalent of the Persian proverb "When there's fire, wet and dry burn together"
I really like the Persian proverb and see no reason why you couldn't use it in English conversation, although it may require some explanation. However, you could also use a phrase such as the Biblical ...
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115
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Is there a common saying in English that means "It's just business, I don't feel any shame"
"Nothing personal, it's just business."
Coined by Otto "Abbadabba" Berman an accountant for the Mafia in early 1900’s in New York. See Wikipedia
In The Godfather movie, Michael ...
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92
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How can I say I can't guarantee information I'm about to give is correct?
I would suggest don't quote me on this as the phrase you seek. The literal meaning of course, is to ask that responsibility for a statement not be ascribed to the person making it, such as an insider ...
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91
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Why Third 'Reich'? Why is 'reich' not translated when 'third' is? What is the English synonym of reich?
Although English historians have defined Reich as being a strictly German concept of sovereign rule, in the German language itself it means "Empire". In English, we speak of the Holy Roman Empire; in ...
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86
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Are there terms for the Dutch 'meewind' and 'tegenwind'?
The terms are most often heard in connection with aviation (flying), but it would not be incorrect to say that one is riding “with a tailwind” (meewind) or “into a headwind” (...
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Would there be a way to make the joke "Ella es mi amiga vieja, disculpe, mi vieja amiga" work in English?
In British English, I think one would actually double down on the joke, thus making it absurd and therefore more obviously a joke:
She is my old friend, and I've known her for ages as well.
An "...
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78
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Is there an English equivalent for "Les carottes sont cuites", while keeping the vegetable reference?
Although this isn't about vegetables specifically, I'm going to add it anyway—just so it doesn't get lost if comments are removed:
His goose is cooked.
From Wiktionary's entry for goose is cooked:
(...
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77
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Is there an English equivalent for the Persian proverb "to play with the tail of a lion"?
Playing with fire is similar. However, it implies only that the activity is highly dangerous (or foolish), but not necessary lethal.
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/play_with_fire
...
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66
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Does 'moonlighting' mean 'illegal work'?
While there used to be a criminal meaning for the word, that connotation is long gone:
Moonlight is the reflection of the sun off the moon's surface — a clear sky and a full moon provide brilliant ...
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65
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Is there an English equivalent for the Persian proverb "to play with the tail of a lion"?
Don't poke the bear / Poking the bear
Urban Dictionary : A phrase of warning used to prevent oneself or others from asking or doing something that might provoke a negative response from someone or ...
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62
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English equivalent of the Persian proverb "When there's fire, wet and dry burn together"
One expression, which conveys the sense of consequences applying to everyone regardless of whether or not you feel they deserve it, is
A rising tide lifts all boats
This is often used in US ...
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62
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How can I express the time between late 80s and beginning of 90s (somewhere around 1988-1992)?
"Establishment of Political Parties in Georgia (1988–1992)"
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Is there a common saying in English that means "It's just business, I don't feel any shame"
business is business
In The Free Dictionary:
A phrase that emphasizes business decisions as completely separate from emotions or personal issues.
In Merriam-Webster:
used to say that in order ...
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61
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You have no, but can try for yes
"There's no harm in asking" is a very common phrase
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/there-s-no-harm-in-doing-something
Also, perhaps when encouraging a timid person, "Go and ...
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61
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English equivalent for 'hungry of eyes', which describes someone who takes more food than they can eat
You could say his eyes are bigger than his stomach.
Somebody's eyes are bigger than their belly/stomach:
something that you say when someone has taken more food than they can eat.
[Cambridge English ...
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56
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English equivalent of the Malayalam saying "don't stab/poke the dead body"?
How about -
Rub salt into the wound
To make something that is already difficult, unpleasant, or painful
even worse; to accentuate, aggravate, or intensify a negative
situation, emotion, or experience ...
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54
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How can I say I can't guarantee information I'm about to give is correct?
"Don't hold me to that!"
to hold Vocabulary.com
keep in a certain state, position, or activity
maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
And your suggestion is nice too:
'Don't pin me ...
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53
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Equivalent of the Dutch phrase "take it down a notch"
In the context of singing, one can certainly ask someone to "take it down a notch" to reduce their prominence in an ensemble. It wouldn't be particularly polite, so how that request was delivered ...
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53
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What is an English equivalent of the Chinese noun 心眼?
To me it sounds you're describing guile:
clever but sometimes dishonest behaviour that you use to deceive someone:
The president will need to use all her political guile to stay in power.
He is ...
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52
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How can the Chinglish expression "you can you up" be translated?
Consider If you talk the talk, then walk the walk. It means, essentially, if you brag that you can do something, then do it.
It is a variant of the more general scheme talk the talk... walk the walk, ...
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50
votes
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English equivalent of the Portuguese phrase: "this person's mood changes according to the moon"
Such a person is said to be mercurial or capricious.
mercurial: likely to change your mood or opinion unexpectedly
capricious: suddenly and unexpectedly changing your opinion or behaviour ...
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50
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A term for a woman complaining about things/begging in a cute/childish way
Not an exact translation but very close is the word coquettish from the noun coquette. This definition says that a coquettish woman is one who
acts in a playful way that is intended to make men ...
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48
votes
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Better alternatives to "Save me!" - meaning to save electricity
I suppose conserve would be a more correct (or at least less ambiguous) term for what's meant.
But as I said in the comment, "Save me!" is a bit funnier and draws your attention as it personifies the ...
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English equivalent of the Persian proverb "When there's fire, wet and dry burn together"
Mr Shiny and New already offered one nautical idiom, but I might suggest
"We're all in the same boat"
as a closer match to your proverb.
The meaning is that whatever happens to the "boat" will ...
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Is there an English equivalent for the Persian proverb "to play with the tail of a lion"?
I honestly think that playing with a lion's tail is perfectly acceptable. Colorful, descriptive English is rife with fun similes like that.
Skating on thin ice is like what you are looking for, but ...
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Is there a common saying in English that means "It's just business, I don't feel any shame"
"All is fair in love and war."
Like the Gujarati phrase as described in the question, this makes the specific claim that ethics don't apply when certain vital interests are at stake for the speaker.
...
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46
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Why Third 'Reich'? Why is 'reich' not translated when 'third' is? What is the English synonym of reich?
To complement R Mac's answer, Reich entered the English lexicon in this use in the 18th and 19th centuries, so by the time the Third Reich rose in the 1930s, the word would have needed no translation. ...
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46
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What do we call a price that is chosen by a customer?
The phrase "Pay what you can" is used.
Pay what you can (PWYC) is a non-profit or for-profit business model which does not depend on set prices for its goods, but instead asks customers to ...
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45
votes
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What is an informal term for a person who can't do anything right?
"All thumbs", according to Wiktionary "clumsy, awkward, not dextrous."
"Klutz", according to Wiktionary "a clumsy or stupid person."
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