We know you love your grandmother and think she’s the world. And perhaps she is. But you haven’t met the devil’s grandmother yet.
The saying “þegar skrattinn hittir ömmu sína” or “when the devil met his grandmother” describes that relatable situation when a tough mother$#er meets their equal or even a more formidable character. In other words: shit’s gonna hit the fan.
It’s quite an old saying and to be honest, we have no idea where it originated or who the devil’s grandmother even is! (If only we had gotten the Milton cut of ‘Paradise Lost’, right?) But we must conclude that she was probably a badass or just pure evil. Either way, this is something that Icelanders often use when telling a crazy story about someone they know. And if someone uses it to describe you? Wow. Call us.
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