hoppa i galen tunna
Swedish
Etymology
From hoppa (“jump”) + i (“into”) + galen (“crazy (perhaps "crazily wrong")”) + tunna (“barrel”). A widely reported (perhaps folk) etymology derives the expression from a supposed story of a man accidentally jumping into a barrel of tar instead of a hot tub after a taking a sauna. Attested at least since 1807.
Verb
hoppa i galen tunna (present hoppar i galen tunna, preterite hoppade i galen tunna, supine hoppat i galen tunna, imperative hoppa i galen tunna)
- (idiomatic) to make a (terribly) wrong decision
- De brukar ta kloka beslut, men här har de definitivt hoppat i galen tunna
- They usually make wise decision, but in this case they've definitely made the wrong decision
References
- tunna in Svensk ordbok (SO)
- tunna in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)