A1 Idiom Informell

Saba liputama

To wag the tail

Bedeutung

Trying to please someone submissively.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

Estonians generally dislike overt flattery. If you 'liputad saba' too much, people will trust you less because you seem insincere. In Estonian offices, hierarchy is often flat. 'Saba liputamine' is seen as an old-fashioned and pathetic way to climb the ladder. The phrase is still used literally for farm dogs, and the transition to the figurative meaning is very clear to anyone who has owned a dog.

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Context Matters

Be careful using 'liputama' alone, as it can mean 'to flash' (indecent exposure). Always include 'saba' to be clear.

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Use the Noun

Calling someone a 'sabaliputaja' is a very efficient way to describe a sycophant in one word.

Bedeutung

Trying to please someone submissively.

⚠️

Context Matters

Be careful using 'liputama' alone, as it can mean 'to flash' (indecent exposure). Always include 'saba' to be clear.

🎯

Use the Noun

Calling someone a 'sabaliputaja' is a very efficient way to describe a sycophant in one word.

Teste dich selbst

Täida lünk õige sõnaga.

Ta ______ direktori ees saba.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: liputab

The idiom is 'saba liputama'.

Vali lause, mis tähendab 'He is fawning'.

Mida tähendab 'Ta liputab saba'?

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Ta püüab meeldida.

The idiom means trying to please someone submissively.

Millises olukorras kasutatakse seda väljendit?

Jüri kiidab ülemuse koledat lipsu, et saada vabaks päevaks luba.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Saba liputamine

Jüri is being insincere to get a favor.

🎉 Ergebnis: /3

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Aufgabensammlung

3 Aufgaben
Täida lünk õige sõnaga. Fill Blank A1

Ta ______ direktori ees saba.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: liputab

The idiom is 'saba liputama'.

Vali lause, mis tähendab 'He is fawning'. Choose A2

Mida tähendab 'Ta liputab saba'?

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Ta püüab meeldida.

The idiom means trying to please someone submissively.

Millises olukorras kasutatakse seda väljendit? situation_matching B1

Jüri kiidab ülemuse koledat lipsu, et saada vabaks päevaks luba.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Saba liputamine

Jüri is being insincere to get a favor.

🎉 Ergebnis: /3

Häufig gestellte Fragen

2 Fragen

It is informal and critical, but not a swear word. It's similar to calling someone a 'suck-up'.

Literally, yes, but figuratively it doesn't work because cats don't wag tails to show submission.

Verwandte Redewendungen

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pugema

synonym

to crawl/brown-nose

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lipitsema

similar

to fawn

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meelitama

similar

Can be positive or negative flattery.

🔗

pugeja

builds on

a brown-noser

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