Cows on ice & owls in the bog

Scandinavians are cooler, sexier and more stylish than the rest of us. They have a higher standard of living, greater economic opportunity and equality, the world's best restaurants, and moody TV dramas involving murders and jumpers.

But did you know, amidst the obsession withhygge andIKEA, that Scandinavian sayings are absolutely BIZARRE?!

Take the Swedish 'Skita i det bl skpet', which roughly translates as: 'You've done a crap in the blue cupboard' ('You've messed things up now'). And in Norway, if you're slow on the uptake, the locals would suspect you were 'born behind a brown cheese' (' vre fdt bak en brunost').

This witty, enlightening book will give you 50 phrases you never knew you needed in your life, explaining their origin and literal translations, with gorgeous colour illustrations throughout.