It's not quite the same (less action for one), but if the "humans have crazy ideas" aspect is interesting, then the Starfleet Corps of Engineers (aka Star Trek: SCE) novels might be worth a look. Haven't read many of them myself, but "make things work any way you can" is basically how they function.
This quote sums up my Italian experience. The language is so full of phrases which - like everything - are regional, that Google Translate often just gives up.
My favourite is "in bocca al lupo", which roughly translates to "break a leg" - note the lack of verb.
Also that's the current meaning, which changed over the last century.
On top of that I remember three commonly used gestures two of which look the same to the uninitiated eye on photos.