The phrase "drunk as a skunk" is unique to English

[Reverend Conehead]

If you literally translate "He's as drunk as a skunk" into other languages, it doesn't rhyme like it does in English. So they don't say it that way. If you literally translated it into French, it would be:
"Il est aussi saoul comme une moufette." Or: "Il est aussi ivre comme une moufette."
In German it would be:
"Er ist so besoffen wie ein Stinktier."

The German word for "skunk" is "Stinktier," which literally means "stink animal." So literally translate it back and you've got:
"He's as drunk as a stink animal."

French does have a rhyming expressing to mean really drunk. You could say:
"Il est saoul comme un trou."
"Saoul", which means drunk, sounds like "soo", and "trou", which means "hole", sounds like "troo."
So it's like "He is as soo as a troo," which literally means, "He's as drunk as a hole."

German can say "Er ist blau" to mean he is drunk. "Blau" means blue. So literally it's, "He is blue" to mean he's drunk. They don't use "blue" to mean depressed like we do.

But I think English's "drunk as a skunk" is funnier than anything offered by German or French. My French teacher and I were laughing at how silly it sounds translated directly into French. I found these images for her:

She would have never understood any of them if I hadn't explained the English idiom. Who knows? Maybe skunks really are bad about over-consuming alcoholic beverages.

 

[Reality]

Americans do like their rhyming sayings!

"Pedal to the metal"
"Shop to you drop"
"Made in the shade"
"Loose lips sink ships"

 

[lukin2006]

Americans do like their rhyming sayings!

"Pedal to the metal"
"Shop to you drop"
"Made in the shade"
"Loose lips sink ships"

Snitches get stitches…

 

[Runwildboys]

Americans do like their rhyming sayings!

"Pedal to the metal"
"Shop to you drop"
"Made in the shade"
"Loose lips sink ships"

Do any other languages use rhymes?

 

[JoeKing]

Later alligator

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Do any other languages use rhymes?

German has this expression:
"Kinder, die was wollen, kriegen was auf die Bollen."

What they're referring to is that it's considered rude to ask for something by saying, "I want" and that you should say "I would like" instead. Roughly translated, the expression means:
"Children who say they want something get a good whipping to their bottoms."

 

[Roadtrip635]

I had a Finnish girlfriend and found out a lot of sayings don't really translate, which made it difficult at times. I didn't realize how often I use colorful expressions or sayings. One time we were talking about something, couldn't remember what, something really small, minor thing and I said that's enough of this it's "like beating a dead horse" and she starts to freak out. She starts asking why would you beat a horse, what's wrong with you, why would you want to kill the horse......... I tried to explain it was a just a saying, she got madder....... are you calling me a horse, why would you want to beat me, is that what you think of me........ it became a big thing all of a sudden.

It took a while but finally calmed her down enough to try explain the saying, it still didn't make any sense to her, but at least I got her to understand it wasn't a bad thing. I got her to try and teach me a couple Finnish sayings and they didn't make any sense to me either.....lol

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I had a Finnish girlfriend and found out a lot of sayings don't really translate, which made it difficult at times. I didn't realize how often I use colorful expressions or sayings. One time we were talking about something, couldn't remember what, something really small, minor thing and I said that's enough of this it's "like beating a dead horse" and she starts to freak out. She starts asking why would you beat a horse, what's wrong with you, why would you want to kill the horse......... I tried to explain it was a just a saying, she got madder....... are you calling me a horse, why would you want to beat me, is that what you think of me........ it became a big thing all of a sudden.

It took a while but finally calmed her down enough to try explain the saying, it still didn't make any sense to her, but at least I got her to understand it wasn't a bad thing. I got her to try and teach me a couple Finnish sayings and they didn't make any sense to me either.....lol

One of my college friends had some visitors from Sweden. He was driving them to one of our national parks when someone totally cut him off. He yelled out "#$%$ you," and kept on driving. His guests were really quiet for a moment and then one of them asked, "Why would you want do do that with someone you don't like?"

 

[Streifenkarl]

German has this expression:
"Kinder, die was wollen, kriegen was auf die Bollen."

What they're referring to is that it's considered rude to ask for something by saying, "I want" and that you should say "I would like" instead. Roughly translated, the expression means:
"Children who say they want something get a good whipping to their bottoms."

Are you from Germany by any chance? That bollen thing is not known by anyone outside this country lol. Actually not even outside the region I come from.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Are you from Germany by any chance? That bollen thing is not known by anyone outside this country lol. Actually not even outside the region I come from.

I was not born in Germany, no. However, I lived there and had a girlfriend there whom I almost married. I got that expression from my girlfriend. It definitely wasn't from any language text book. I speak German at an advanced level, though not quite like a native speaker.

 

[Streifenkarl]

I was not born in Germany, no. However, I lived there and had a girlfriend there whom I almost married. I got that expression from my girlfriend. It definitely wasn't from any language text book. I speak German at an advanced level, though not quite like a native speaker.

Na dann, gute Arbeit.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Na dann, gute Arbeit.

Mein Schwager ist Deutscher. Er kommt aus Köln. Er lebt in Nevada und ist leider Bucaneers-Fan. Er weiß noch nicht, dass alle NFL-Fans, die nicht für die Cowboys sind, sind Kommunisten.

 

[Streifenkarl]

Mein Schwager ist Deutscher. Er kommt aus Köln. Er lebt in Nevada und ist leider Bucaneers-Fan. Er weiß noch nicht, dass alle NFL-Fans, die nicht für die Cowboys sind, sind Kommunisten.

 

[CouchCoach]

Must be an inside joke.

 

[Streifenkarl]

Must be an inside joke.

Well he said everyone following the NFL who's not a Cowboys Fan must be a communist. That's what I'm telling all those pesky GB fans around here too. So I guess that goes worldwide then.

 

[Cowpolk]

Three Sheets Into The Wind. Where did that one come from? And no it does not rhyme.