Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Norwegian term or phrase:
svare/gi igjen med samme mynt
English translation:
give a taste of one's own medicine/reply in kind/give tit for tat
Added to glossary by
Lars Finsen
May 1, 2002 14:40
22 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Norwegian term
Komzan brezhoneg.
Native in: Norwegian 
Works in: English to Norwegian, French to Norwegian, German to Norwegian, and 17 more.
svare/gi igjen med samme mynt
Non-PRO
Norwegian to English
Other
metaphors
Do we have an English equivalent for this Norwegian colloquialism?
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
1 hr
Selected
give (him) a taste (his) own medicine
This is assuming you are giving a negative reply. For example, you would not give someone a taste of their own medicine if you wanted to return a favor.
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Note added at 2002-05-01 16:22:02 (GMT)
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give him a taste OF his own medicine
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Note added at 2002-05-01 16:22:02 (GMT)
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give him a taste OF his own medicine
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, all the suggestions are good, but this one suits my context the best. "
+1
2 mins
Mats Wiman
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
DEU / ENG / FRA / SPA > SWE since 1982
Native in: Swedish (Variant: Stockholm)
Works in: German to Swedish, English to Swedish, Swedish
Related KudoZ points
:
176
1 hr
give tit for tat
another option:
give tit for tat
Regards
katica
give tit for tat
Regards
katica
7 hrs
Hege Jakobsen Lepri
Norway
Norway
Native in Norwegian
Norway
Great Linguistic Experiences
Native in: Norwegian (Variants: Bokmål, Nynorsk)
Works in: English to Norwegian, Italian to Norwegian, Norwegian, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
97
an eye for an eye ( a tooth for a tooth)
the Biblical idiom that frequently translates into "gi igjen med samme mynt"
+1
7 hrs
pay (someone) back with the same coin
I think this can be translated more or less literally; don't we have a similar expression in English?
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Elaine Scholpp
: I've never heard of this in English
4 hrs
|
| agree |
Richard Lawson
: 'pay one in his own coin' is listed in Webster's Revised Unabridged. It is given by Gerda Erichsen in 500 uttrykk og vendinger and is also given by both Kirkeby (Store N-E) and by the new Kunnskapsforlagets Store N-E. The other suggestions are good too.
10 hrs
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Thanks!
|
18 hrs
pay one in his own coin
This idiom is listed in several major English dictionaries, including the Oxford (with numerous examples), Websters Unabridged and Brewer's. Strangely enough, it is not listed by some of the major dictionaries of idioms, such as Cowie & Mackin, Courtney and the Oxford Dictionary of Phrase, Saying & Quotation.
Bevingede Ord cites an English source in Robert Greenes (1560-92) 'Tullies Loue'. Bartlett cites Jonathan Swift 'Polite Conversation. Dialogue iii'. I have also found a number of examples of use in both literature and journalism.
The following are modern:
They also provided an opportunity to pay the Soviets back in their own coin (Foreign Affairs Magazine)
America is now being repaid in the same coin (USIA)
Despite these modern examples, I suspect that the expression does not have the same currency that it once had, and the other suggestions that have been supplied here are all good, depending on the context.
Bevingede Ord cites an English source in Robert Greenes (1560-92) 'Tullies Loue'. Bartlett cites Jonathan Swift 'Polite Conversation. Dialogue iii'. I have also found a number of examples of use in both literature and journalism.
The following are modern:
They also provided an opportunity to pay the Soviets back in their own coin (Foreign Affairs Magazine)
America is now being repaid in the same coin (USIA)
Despite these modern examples, I suspect that the expression does not have the same currency that it once had, and the other suggestions that have been supplied here are all good, depending on the context.
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