stick i stäv

Swedish

Etymology

stick (“straight (in this idiom)”) +‎ i (“in”) +‎ stäv (“stem (of a ship)”)

Adverb

stick i stäv (not comparable)

1. (of wind) straight against (the bow of a ship)
2. (idiomatic, figuratively) straight against, contrary

   Att avrätta krigsfångar går stick i stäv med våra principer

   To execute prisoners of war is contrary to our principles

   Hans idéer gick stick i stäv med dåtidens

   His ideas ran counter to those of the day

Usage notes

The origin of the figurative sense is likely to be unknown to most native speakers, so only strictly figurative.

References

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