Meaning
To have a guilty conscience.
Cultural Background
In Slovenia, butter was historically a luxury. Wasting it or stealing it was a serious moral offense in rural communities. This idiom is a 'Sprachbund' feature, shared across German, Czech, Slovak, and Slovenian cultures due to the Austro-Hungarian influence. Journalists use this phrase to avoid libel laws; instead of calling a politician a 'criminal,' they say they have 'maslo na glavi.' Many Slovenian folk tales involve characters trying to hide food, reflecting a history where food security was a major concern.
Use it for small things too
You don't need to be a criminal to use this. You can use it if you ate the last cookie!
Check the case
Always use 'glavi' (locative), never 'glavo' (accusative).
Meaning
To have a guilty conscience.
Use it for small things too
You don't need to be a criminal to use this. You can use it if you ate the last cookie!
Check the case
Always use 'glavi' (locative), never 'glavo' (accusative).
The 'Politician' trick
If you want to sound like a native speaker discussing news, use this phrase instead of 'kriv' (guilty).
Don't be too aggressive
Calling someone out with this can be seen as a direct confrontation. Use it carefully in friendships.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'imeti'.
Ti ______ maslo na glavi, ker si ukradel jabolko.
The subject is 'Ti' (you), so the verb must be 'imaš'.
Which situation best fits the idiom?
Marko told his boss he was sick, but he was actually at the beach. Now he is nervous at work.
Marko is acting nervous because he lied and is guilty, which is the perfect use for this idiom.
Match the Slovenian phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
All pairs are correctly matched to help build vocabulary around the idiom.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Zakaj me tako čudno gledaš? B: Ker vem, kaj si naredil. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______.
The context of 'knowing what you did' leads to the accusation of having a guilty conscience.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Butter Idioms
Practice Bank
4 exercisesTi ______ maslo na glavi, ker si ukradel jabolko.
The subject is 'Ti' (you), so the verb must be 'imaš'.
Marko told his boss he was sick, but he was actually at the beach. Now he is nervous at work.
Marko is acting nervous because he lied and is guilty, which is the perfect use for this idiom.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
All pairs are correctly matched to help build vocabulary around the idiom.
A: Zakaj me tako čudno gledaš? B: Ker vem, kaj si naredil. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______.
The context of 'knowing what you did' leads to the accusation of having a guilty conscience.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsIt's not a swear word, but it is accusatory. Use it with people you know well or when discussing public figures.
No, the idiom only works with butter (maslo). Margarine doesn't have the same cultural history!
You say 'Nimam masla na glavi' (I don't have butter on my head).
Yes, it's common in Czech (mít máslo na hlavě) and Slovak, but not in Russian or Bulgarian.
Using the wrong case for 'glava'—remember, it's 'na glavi'!
Only if you are being self-deprecating and honest about a past mistake. Otherwise, it's too informal.
Not exactly. 'Red-handed' is the moment of being caught. 'Maslo na glavi' is the state of being guilty, whether caught yet or not.
Not really, but you can just say 'On ima maslo' in very specific contexts, though it's less clear.
Because it melts in the sun, making a hidden theft visible. It's a perfect metaphor for guilt coming to light.
Yes, it's very common for parents to say this to children who are acting suspicious.
Related Phrases
imeti umazano vest
synonymTo have a dirty conscience
imeti prste v marmeladi
similarTo have fingers in the jam
biti čist kot solza
contrastTo be clean as a tear
pometati pred svojim pragom
builds onTo sweep in front of one's own doorstep
