A collection of idiomatic expressions and sayings in Manx, with English equivalents and translations.
Idioms | English versions |
---|---|
Cha beayn as lomman arree | As constant as the dry east wind ("As constant as the dry wind of spring") |
Cha bennin rish son airh ny argid | I wouldn't touch it with a barge-pole ("I wouldn't touch it for gold or silver") |
Cha bog as eeym | As soft as butter |
Cha boght as lugh killagh | As poor as a church mouse |
Cha bouyr as clagh | As deaf as a doorpost ("As deaf as a stone") |
Cha buigh as airh | As yellow as gold |
Cha dullyr as vaik oo rieau | As clear as ditch water ("As gloomy/fuzzy as you ever see") |
Cha feayr as clagh | As cold as a stone |
Cha follan as breck | As fit as a fiddle, As sound as a bell ("As healthy as a trout") |
Cha follan as mwaagh | As fit as a fiddle, Brimful of health ("As healthy as a hare") |
Cha gial as sniaghtey | As white as snow, snow-white |
Cha jeean as shellan | As keen as mustard ("As keen as a bee") |
Cha marroo as skeddan | As dead as a dodo, stone dead ("As dead as a herring") |
Cha meenearagh as muc | As bold as brass ("As bold as a pig") |
Cha tarroogh as shellan | As busy as a bee |
Cha mial as ainle | As gentle as a lamb ("As gentle as an angel") |
Cha shickyr as ta'n Chaist er yn Doonaght | As sure as eggs is eggs ("As sure as Easter is on Sunday") |
Cha skeoigh as lugh 'sy chreeagh | As snug as a bug in a rug ("As snug as a mouse at the border") |
Cho ard rish Toor Vabel | As high as the Tower of Babel |
Cho creoi rish y darragh | As hard as oak |
Cho bouyr as clagh | Stone cold ("As cold as a stone") |
Custhey skeddan marroo | Flogging a dead horse ("Flogging a dead herring") |
Jeeragh tessen çheerey | As the crow flies ("Straight across the land") |
Information about Manx | Phrases | Numbers | Colours | Family words | Colours | Time | Idioms | Proverbs | Terms of endearment | Comparison of Celtic languages | Celtic cognates | Celtiadur | Songs | Tower of Babel | The decline and revival of Manx | My podcast about Manx | Links | Learning materials
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
It's all Greek to me | It's raining cats and dogs | As easy as falling off a log | A sandwich short of a picnic | It's small world | When pigs fly | Out of sight, out of mind | Crystal-clear | Penny Pinching | Practice makes perfect | The grass is always greener | As Snug as a Bug in a Rug
Czech | French | Greek | Icelandic | Lithuanian | Manx | Russian | Slovak | Spanish | Swedish | Welsh
Useful phrases | Silly phrases | Numbers | Numerals | Colours | Telling the time | Dates | Weather words | Family words | Terms of endearment | Language names | Country names | Idioms | Proverbs | Tongue twisters | Signs | Compass directions | UDHR | Tower of Babel | Songs | Omniglot | Seven dwarfs | Zodiac signs | Computer parts | Compass directions | Animal sounds
[top]
Why not share this page:
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.
Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
and Amazon.fr
are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site.
Get a 30-day Free Trial of Amazon Prime (UK)
If you're looking for home or car insurance in the UK, why not try Policy Expert?
[top]