kuin nalli kalliolle
Finnish
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Explained in two ways:
- that nalli is used in a dialectal sense meaning "(female) dog", itself derived from naaras (compare kolli < koiras).
- that the development is an eggcorn from an original kuin alli kalliolle, in reference to a bird that, according to the theory, migrates later than many other birds.
Phrase
[edit]- (simile, informal) (utterly) behind, (completely) alone (with jäädä (“to be left”) or jättää (“to leave”))
Usage notes
[edit]Implies that something or someone is e.g. picked last and left alone as the last option.