ligga en hund begraven

Swedish

Etymology

From ligga (“lie”) +‎ en (“a”) +‎ hund (“dog”) +‎ begraven (“buried”), a calque of German da liegt der Hund begraben, of uncertain origin. Compare French y avoir anguille sous roche and Spanish haber gato encerrado.

Verb

ligga en hund begraven (present ligger en hund begraven, preterite låg en hund begraven, supine legat en hund begraven)

1. (idiomatic) for there to be something fishy and suspicious at hand

   Företaget de säger sig driva verkar inte existera. Här ligger en hund begraven.

   The company they claim to run doesn't seem to exist. There's something fishy going on here. [A dog lies buried here.]

See also

• ana ugglor i mossen

References

• hund in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• hund in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)