کلنجار رفتن
Persian
Etymology
From Persian کلنجار (kelenjâr, “crab”).
Noun
کلنجار رفتن • (kalanjâr raftan)
- to fumble with your hands, just like how a crab tries to hold things with its claws
- از شدّت اضطراب کل مدّت مصاحبه رو فقط داشت با دکمههاش کلنجار میرفت!
- az šeddate ezterâb kolle moddate mosâhebe ro faqat dâšt bâ dokmehâš kalanjâr miraft!
- Due to severe stress, he/she was just fumbling at his/her buttons during the whole interview!
- (informal) to struggle, to grapple with, or to squabble
- 1962, Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh, The Dictionary of Persian Colloquialism
- کلنجار رفتن با یک مشت بنا و عمله کار حضرت فیل است!
- kalanjâr raftan' ba yek mošt amale o bannâ kâre hazrate fil ast!
- Dealing with a bunch of construction workers is a total burnout!
- 1962, Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh, The Dictionary of Persian Colloquialism
- to make great effort and make little progress
- Synonym: درگیر بودن (dargir budan), سر و کله زدن (saro kalle zadan), وَر رفتن (var raften)
References
- Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–), “کلنجار”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press
- 1962, Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh, The Dictionary of Persian Colloquialism - "کلنجار رفتن"