Originally Posted by
henry999
Again: the question is not about the wish; the wish is understood. The question is how to translate this German phrase into natural English. If you're in the pub with your mates and someone leaves (and you know he lives across the road and 100 metres down), you're not going to say 'have a safe trip home' unless you're taking the p!ss. Does the German Heimweg carry any sense of irony here? I didn't think so.
No irony.
Still donīt understand your probelm. Itīs like: How to translate "How are you today?" Common greeting in the US, not so in Germany. Nearly no one in Germany would say it if you enter a shop. Simply a cultural difference.
Originally Posted by
LondonElite
That's exactly what I would (and do) say!
+1. Donīt say it all the time but itīs absolutely common. So you are not a Freak or taking some whatever if you say it to someone who leaves. Even if itīs only a few meters.