B2 — upper-intermediategrammar35 words
Idioms: everyday
| Serbian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ni pȇt ni šȇst | without a second thought, without further ado, on the spot |
| ìći nȅkome na žívce | to get on someone’s nerves, to annoy |
| prȁviti od mȕve slòna | to make a mountain out of a molehill, to blow things out of proportion |
| ne pȁdā mi na pȁmēt | I wouldn’t dream of it, no way, it wouldn’t even occur to me |
| prȁviti se lȗd | to play dumb, pretend not to understand |
| ìmati pȕne rȗke pòsla | to have one’s hands full, to be snowed under (with work) |
| bòlī me ȕvo | I couldn’t care less, I don’t give a damn (literally ‘my ear hurts’) |
| vúći nȅkoga za nȏs | to string someone along, to lead someone up the garden path |
| dȉći rȗke od nȅčega | to give up on something, to throw in the towel |
| razbíjati glávu | to rack one’s brains |
| pȕna mi je kȁpa | I’ve had it up to here, I’m fed up (literally ‘my cap is full’) |
| u čètiri ȍka | in private, face to face, one-to-one (literally ‘in four eyes’) |
| dŕžati jèzik za zùbima | to keep one’s mouth shut, to hold one’s tongue |
| bez dlȁke na jezìku | bluntly, without mincing words (literally ‘no hair on the tongue’) |
| bácati prȁšinu u ȍči | to show off, to put on a false show, to throw dust in someone’s eyes |
| glȅdati kroz pȑste | to turn a blind eye, to let something slide |
| jȅdva sàstavljati krȃj s krȁjem | to barely make ends meet |
| báciti páre u vȅtar | to throw money down the drain, to throw money away |
| prȅko vȅze | through connections, by pulling strings |
| pȁsti u vòdu | to fall through, to come to nothing (of a plan) |
| mȕva bez gláve | like a headless chicken, aimlessly (literally ‘a headless fly’) |
| pȕkla tȉkva | the friendship is over; they’ve fallen out (literally ‘the gourd burst’) |
| dŕžī vòdu | it holds water, it stands up to scrutiny (usually negated) |
| mȇd i mléko | milk and honey, a bed of roses (usually negated) |
| tȑla bȁba lȁn | a waste of time, pointless busywork (just to pass the day) |
| s nȅba pa u rȅbra | out of the blue, with no warning |
| nȉje šȉja nȅgo vrȃt | same difference, it’s all the same (literally ‘not the nape but the neck’) |
| ni lȕk jȅo ni lȕk mìrisao | to have had nothing to do with it, to be in no way at fault |
| sȑce mi je sȉšlo u péte | my heart sank into my boots, my heart was in my mouth |
| pȁo mi je kȁmēn sa sȑca | a weight off my mind (literally ‘a stone fell from my heart’) |
| ìmati zȗb na nȅkoga | to have it in for someone, to bear a grudge |
| ùbiti dvȇ mȕve jèdnīm ȕdārcem | to kill two birds with one stone (literally ‘two flies with one blow’) |
| kúpiti mȁčku u džáku | to buy a pig in a poke (literally ‘a cat in a sack’) |
| dŕžati nȅkome fȉge | to keep one’s fingers crossed (for someone), to wish someone luck |
| mȁčjī kȁšalj | a piece of cake, a doddle (literally ‘a cat’s cough’) |
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