Literal meaning: “Break your neck and your leg!”

Meaning in conversation: Good luck (In English, ‘break a leg’)

Example:“I didn’t know you were playing Romeo! Break your neck and your leg!”

Literal meaning: “It’s raining young cobblers”

Meaning in conversation: It’s raining very heavily (In English, ‘It’s raining cats and dogs’)

Example:“Hey Noah, it’s raining young cobblers out there. Think we should get to the ark?”

Literal meaning: “Taking owls to Athens”

Meaning in conversation: Comment referring to a remarkable display of skill or salesmanship, usually when odds of success appear to be very low (In English, ‘He could sell ice to Eskimos’)

Example:“Can you believe he got that supermodel’s phone number?” “Are you kidding? He’s done it a thousand times. He could take owls to Athens.”

Literal meaning: “I know it like my waistcoat pocket”

Meaning in conversation: To know something very well (In English, “I know it like the back of my hand”)

Example:“You don’t need a map. I’ll give you directions. I’ve lived here all my life, and I know this city like my waistcoat pocket.”

Literal meaning: “Don’t praise the day before the evening”

Meaning in conversation: Don’t make assumptions about the end result (In English, “Don’t count your chickens before they have hatched”)

Example:“If we keep playing like this, we’ll win the match!” “I don’t know, they’re really good, and there’s still a whole half left. Don’t praise the day before the evening.”