fbpx
Little Fires Co.
Party of Animals Collection
Bites of the World Collection

Ingen ko på isen

There is no cow on ice
Origin: Sweden / Denmark

“Ingen ko på isen” (There is no cow on ice”) is a common Swedish (and Danish) expression that means “there is no need to worry” or “everything is alright.”

While its exact origin is unknown, this expression can be traced back to the old days when Scandinavia relied on farming and agriculture. Back then, there was no running water in the barns so farmers had to lead their cows to the lake to drink.

In the winter, this posed a threat because cows could slip on lakes that have frozen over or, worse, fall through and drown. Either of these scenarios would be devastating for the farmer.

So if no cow is on the ice, one can breathe a sigh of relief and know that everything is alright.

The expression is an abbreviation of the longer saying “there’s no cow on the ice as long as their rear end is on land”(Det är ingen ko på isen så länge stjärten är i land).

 

Image