Idioms

Sometimes you want an idiom to have a Star Wars flavour but you're having trouble working out what it should be. Why reinvent the wheel when other people have you covered? More examples, including fanon examples, are also welcome. See Swears for more!

This article is a list. It will always need expanding!

Idioms and sayings galore

Idiom	Star Wars equivalent	Use in canon
(Missed it) by a hair	(Missed it) by a tauntaun's hair	"She slammed the stick hard to the right and floored the starboard rudder pedal, avoiding the collision by a tauntaun's hair."
(Noun) isn't going to (verb) itself (adjust as needed for plural)	(Same structure)	Lula Talisola: "All right, everyone, these lightsaber drills aren't going to drill themselves."
(X) way or the highway	(X) way or the hyperway	"It's always the same with you people, isn't it? Always your way or the hyperway."
(You can't) make an omelette without breaking (a few) eggs	(You can't) make nine-egg stew without breaking nine eggs	The Scourge: "The nine eggs broken to make the nine-egg stew, you might say."
(You say) tomayto, (I say) tomahto	(You say) Palpateen, (I say) Palpatyne	0-0-0: "When one takes an enlightened attitude to making others do things, the things themselves become functionally limitless." Doctor Aphra: "'Enlightened attitude.' You mean—not feeling bad about causing pain or death." 0-0-0: "You say Palpateen, I say Palpatyne. And really, Doctor, which is worse: inflicting terrible things upon those you you care nothing for? Or upon those you love?"
A few (X) short of a (Y) (to mean stupid)	A few bolts short of a droid	"Wolk is a few bolts short of a droid."
A leopard doesn't change its spots	A blaxorn doesn't change its spots	"A blaxorn doesn't change its spots, Archivist. Sirrek could never resist a sob story."
And the horse you rode in on	And the TIE they flew in on	"There was nothing much that could be said in regard to this, except what was so vehemently put by TK-848: 'Honestly [automatically redacted] the ISB, and [automatically redacted] the TIE they flew in on' (direct quote)."
Bang for your buck	Clang for your credits	"But you get more clang for the credits with me than lesser hunters."
Bet your ass	Bet your bantha	"You bet your bantha I am!"
Brain in overdrive	Brain in hyperdrive	"Dash woke up in the middle of the night with his brain in hyperdrive."
Bringing a knife to a gun fight	Bringing a hydrospanner to a blaster fight	"Fool. Bringing a hydrospanner to a blaster fight."
(Looking like) the cat that's got the cream	(Looking like) the tooka that's got the canakal	"Don't let Counselor Fry hear you say that. She looks like the tooka that's got the canakal."
Curl the hair on (hairy or hairless thing)	Curl the hair on a bantha	"The look his husband sent him would curl the hair on a bantha."
Don't count your chickens before they hatch	Don't count your chutniks before they hatch	(Spoilers for The High Republic (2023) #1) "What was that you were saying about the abilities of your forces, Skarabda?" "Don't count your chutniks just yet, Affanar."
Earth to [person] (to get someone's attention)	Docking bay to pilot	"Hey, docking bay to pilot, are you listening to me?"
Finger quotes/bunny ears	Lepi-ear quotes	"You mean when you"—Reath made little Lepi-ear quotes with his fingers—"hired us?"
Get blood from a stone	Get blood from a Vintian	"For pity's sake, it's like trying to get blood from a Vintian with you."
Get this show on the road	Get this show into the space lane	"“Let’s get this show into the space lane."
Give a shit	Give a flying bantha turd Give a rancor polyp	"So it was unlikely he gave a flying bantha turd..." "But I'm not sure he gave a tiniest rancor polyp about it."
The grass is always greener on the other side	The other starship always flies smoother	"The other starship always flies smoother."
Green (to mean inexperienced)	As green as bantha butter	"Ten days out of training and green as bantha butter."
Have a horse in the race	Have a fathier in the race	"The Hutts obviously had a fathier in the race."
Have other fish to fry	Have other mynocks to slice	"I've gone a little too far to be worried about such niceties," he said. "We have other mynocks to slice."
Have the balls (to (verb))	Have the bolyatze	"...Anyone with the bolyatze to run the blockade is facing a captive and now desperate market"
Hung the moon	Hung the third arm of the galaxy	"Xylan Graf smiled at her as if she'd hung the third arm of the galaxy."
Knee-high to a grasshopper	Knee-high to a flurrg	"Last time we saw you, you were knee-high to a flurrg!"
More than one way to skin a cat	More than one way to skin a mekle	"Well, there's more than one way to skin a mekle."
Move mountains (i.e., make a big effort)	Move stars	"Even if Viess didn't expect the Jedi and the Republic to be desperate enough to move stars..."
Not enough room to swing a cat	Not enough room to swing a norg	"Made all the puppets herself, as well as a booth with a small stage for us to perform side by side, barely large enough to swing a norg."
Not worth (something worthless)	Not worth a bucket of reek sweat	"Richer than the Emperor himself, and not worth a bucket of reek sweat."
Penny for your thoughts	Ingot for your thoughts	"Kip had never been happier, but that couldn't be said for Elzar Mann, who had found a balcony that was perfect for brooding. That's where Samara Ra-oon found him, approaching with two long wine flutes in hand and a smile on her lips. 'Ingot for your thoughts?' she asked, offering a glass."
Piggyback ride	Bantha-back ride	"He's been wound up ever since the Jedi's ship landed. Santo's been giving him bantha-back rides for the last hour to keep him occupied."
Piece of cake (to mean easy)	Piece of ryshcate	"It's a simple job. A piece of ryshcate, as they say."
Rome wasn't built in a day	Alderaan wasn't built in a day	TK-848: "Alderaan wasn't built in a day, but it sure was destroyed in one."
Shit hits the fan	Poodoo hits the intake manifold	"I don't know anything about Mandalorian Force traditions, but whenever Ben said he had a bad feeling we all knew to get prepared for the poodoo to hit the intake manifold…"
Son of a bitch	Son of a grok Son of a mud-brawler	"Yaaarghh... my hand! You ssssson of a grok!" "Son of a mud-brawler. I knew this would happen."
Spitting tacks (i.e., angry)	Spitting transparisteel screws	"He'd absolutely spit transparisteel screws if someone tried again to convince Elzar..."
Straw that broke the camel's back	Straw that broke the bantha's back	"Spinning around, Dex saw the recently toppled statue of Palpatine, the straw that broke the bantha's back."
That's the way the cookie crumbles	That's the way the Krumbli cooks	"The little T'sarki hasn't played a big hand all night, but now he's won the big pay-off, including Tann's ship. Oh, well. That's the way the Krumbli cooks."
The devil makes work for idle hands	The dark side makes work for idle hands	"The dark side makes work for idle hands. Patch them through to the workshop, will you, Kayel?"
The pot calling the kettle black	The quacta calling the stifling slimy	"If that isn't the quacta calling the stifling slimy."
This isn't my first rodeo	This isn't my first podrace This isn't my first rathtar derby	"Of course I can. This isn't my first podrace." "Trust me. This isn't exactly my first rathtar derby."
Throw someone under the bus	Throw someone under the landcrawler	"[...] Elecia had casually thrown the Herald under the landcrawler."
To hell with everyone else	To the center of a red sun with everyone else	"She wanted her Graf-funded ship and a line of credit. To the center of a red sun with everyone else."
Wild goose chase	Wild bantha chase Wild caranak chase Wild convor chase Wild goota chase Wild mynock chase	"However, it may turn out just to be a wild bantha chase." "I wonder if we're on a wild caranak chase." T'onga: "I... I don't understand. There's nothing out there but a remote moon that's not even on the star charts." Khel Tanna: "Oh, I understand, all right. Boba Fett sent us on a wild-convor chase!" "I've told you; this is a wild goota chase." "You abandoned your post, defying the Council, and for what? A wild mynock chase."
With the grace of a spooked (deer, horse, other animal)	With the grace of a spooked tauntaun	"Janson took the compliment with all the grace of a spooked tauntaun."
You made your bed, now lie in it	You laid in your course, now fly it	"Nope. I laid in my course, now I'll fly it."
Let sleeping dogs lie	Let sleeping Hutts snore	"Best to let sleeping Hutts snore."
Piss poor	Charhound-piss poor	"Watch out for those new transponder buoys, I heard they did a charhound-piss poor job of setting them up."
Dime a dozen	Credit a dozen	"Flyboys like us are a credit a dozen, heroes like you get special treatment."

Metaphors and similes

What's the Star Wars equivalent of "healthy as a horse"? Are your characters arguing like cats and dogs? Do you need to compare something to something really big? Don't worry, we've got you. Unlike the first section, where we haven't worked out how to order things, this is alphabetical.

Idiom	Star Wars equivalent	Use in canon
Argue like (X)	Argue like a pod of gaja birds	"Well, we cannot stand here on the walkway and argue like a pod of gaja birds."
Bigger than (X)	Bigger than a rancor raised on bronto steaks	"This dianoga is bigger than a rancor raised on bronto steaks!"
Bland as (X)	Bland as apioc pudding	"Chancellor Palpatine watched Senator Amidala circulate through the crowd, his expression as blandly polite as apioc pudding."
Clueless as (X)	Clueless as a happabore on spice	Still as clueless as a happabore on spice.
Colder than a witch's tit	Colder than a wampa's back passage Colder than a Ninth Corellian Hell Colder than a B'omarr's bed	[She's] colder than a wampa's back passage. "It's colder than a Ninth Corellian Hell down here." "A fiend with eyes like red glass and a conscience as cold as a B'omarr's bed!"
Dark as (X)	Dark as the inside of a bantha	"It’s as dark as the inside of a bantha out there. Can’t see a blasted thing below us."
Dead as a doornail	Dead as a dicario	"We're going to end up like you, aren't we? Dead as a dicario."
Deeper than (X)	Deeper than your mum's best ghoatmeal cauldron	"Practically an inland sea, isn't it? And deeper than your mum's best ghoatmeal cauldron."
Happy as a clam Happy as a pig in mud	Happy as a happabore in the brown stuff	"Well, we've given Lourna weapons, so she's happy as a happabore in the brown stuff."
Healthy as a horse	Healthy as a happabore	"Healthy as a happabore, him."
Light up like a Christmas tree	Light up like a Solstice tree	"The Coruscant Dawn's comm board had lit up like a Solstice tree..."
Like a bull in a china shop	Like a wild reek in an antique shop	(Spoilers for Beware the Nameless) "But we must move with carefully. With strategy." And Zeen moved like a wild reek in an antique shop.
Like a dog with a bone	Like a Solubrian jungler with a bone Like a nek with a bone	"You're more tenacious with a grudge than a Solubrian jungler with a bone." "That was John D. again, like a nek with a bone."
Like looking for a needle in a haystack	Like looking for a discharge coupling in a scrapyard	(Spoilers for The High Republic (2023) #4) "Finding your precious master will be like looking for a discharge coupling in a scrapyard."
Like pulling teeth	Like pulling fur off a Wookiee	"Asking this trio questions was like pulling the fur off a Wookiee one hair at a time."
Like white on rice All over (X) like a cheap suit	Like rashnold on a kalak Like a gingleson's pelt	Han Solo: "Are they on us?" Tobias Beckett: "Like rashnold on a kalak." Han Solo: "I don't know what that means." Tobias Beckett: "Like a gingleson's pelt." Han Solo: "What? Are they or aren't they?" Tobias Beckett: "Yes, they're still on us!"
Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs	Edgy as a Trandoshan in a wallet factory	"Hey, slow down, boy! Those guards are as edgy as a Trandoshan in a wallet factory."
Purr like a cat	Purr like a nuzzle shrew	"Hear that? [The ship's] purring like a nuzzle shrew!"
Richer than (God; the pope; a rich person) More money than (God; the pope; a rich person)	Richer than the Emperor	"Richer than the Emperor himself, and not worth a bucket of reek sweat."
Running around like a headless chicken	Running around like a headless lemock	"She was exceptionally good at her job, always managing to keep her cool when everyone else was running around like a headless lemock."
Safe as houses	Safe as kitlings	"Some of it's safe as kitlings. Some of it... isn't."
Sharper than (X)	Sharper than the edge of a vibro-blade	"Bandomeer was almost destroyed," SonTag said, her voice as sharp as the edge of a vibro-blade.
Sing like a bird (to mean divulge secrets with little coercion)	Sing like a Yuzzum	"Oh, he’s singing like a Yuzzum, but still no sign of the mayor."
Sleek as (X)	Sleek as a Hutt's backside	"You swore up and down you weren't going to do a Corellian wedding, and now you come in here sleek as a Hutt’s backside and radiating self-satisfaction, wearing this?"
Swarm around like flies	Swarm around like bloat-bottles Swarm around like soka flies	"Elzar seemed to have less of an issue with the cam droids that swarmed around them like bloat-bottles." "Since then everyone had been buzzing around him like soka flies."
Sweat like a pig	Sweat like an Alderaanian pine boar	"They’d both stripped down to undershirts and trousers, but unlike Kevmo, who sweated like an Alderaanian pine boar, Master Zallah didn’t even look flushed."
Sweet as honey	Sweet as joganfruit pie	"Tauntauns are known to be as sweet as joganfruit pie, so this will be pretty easy!"
Tough as (X) (to mean hardy)	Tougher than a tick on a bantha's ass	"We'll be fine. We're tougher than a tick on a bantha's ass out here, and not worth the effort, neither. We can handle what they throw our way."
Tricky as (X)	Tricky as a shade eel	"Xylan was tricky as a shade eel"

Rhetorical questions

Idiom	Star Wars equivalent	Use in canon
Cat got your tongue?	Tooka got your tongue?	"He's awfully quiet, that's what he is. What's the matter, Kiffar? Took [sic] got your tongue?"
Does a bear shit in the woods?	Does a wipplebog snort when it's sleepy?	"Does a wipplebog snort when it's sleepy?"
What am I, chopped liver?	What am I, chopped convor liver?	"What about the honor of the famous pirate Hondo Ohnaka?" I [Hondo] asked. "Do I look like chopped convor liver?"

Proverbs

Proverb	Meaning	Culture
Gamorr can put a boar on Pzob, but we can't...	Used when someone is frustrated that they can't complete a seemingly simple task	"Galactic society" (everyone)
Hapans are beautiful, but they can't see in the dark	Applied to expensive things that aren't useful	People who aren't Hapan, presumably
People often mistakenly judge a tree by its branches, but a wise Wookiee knows its strength is in its roots	Don't judge a book by its cover	Wookiee (in Shyriiwook: Grroooogrrraaaawrrrrrrrrmph)
The tides of power ebb and flow as the wheel of fate turns.	"Nothing much" according to Luke Skywalker	Sith
War will teach your soldiers to be sensible and your generals to be fools		Balmorran
What matters isn’t the size of the nek in the fight but the size of the fight in the nek	Determination matters more than size	Cyborrean
Whenever the heart smiles, the lonely traveler is home	Home is where the heart is	Aloxian
Whoever has two hands can hold a gaderffii	Anyone can be a warrior, regardless of gender	Tusken