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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 1 - 50    

Idioms No. 1 - 50
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
1.   für einen Appel und ein Ei for peanuts
    [fy:ə 'ainən 'apəl ʊnt ain ai]  
    Literally: for an apple and an egg  
       
2.   Darauf kannst Du Gift nehmen! You can bet your life on it!
    ['darauf kanst du: gɪft 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: On that you can take poison!  
       
3.   mit Kind und Kegel the whole kit and caboodle
    [mɪt kɪnt ʊnt 'kegəl]  
    Literally: with child and skittle  
       
4.   den Laden schmeißen to run the show
    [de:n 'la:dən 'ʃmaisən]  
    Literally: to hurl the shop  
       
5.   große Töne spucken to talk big
    ['gro:sə 'tø:nə 'ʃpʊkən]  
    Literally: to spit big sounds  
       
6.   die Spreu vom Weizen trennen to separate the wheat from the chaff
    [di: ʃprɔy fɔm 'vaitsən 'trɛnən]  
    Literally: to separate the chaff from the wheat  
       
7.   im Geld schwimmen to be rolling in money
    [ɪm gɛlt 'ʃvɪmən]  
    Literally: to swim in the money  
       
8.   Was nicht ist, kann noch werden. What is not yet may well still be.
    [vas nɪçt ɪst, kan nɔx 've:ɐdən]  
    Literally: What not is, can still become.  
       
9.   mit allen Wassern gewaschen sein to be up to every trick
    [mɪt 'alən 'vasɐn gə'vaʃən zain]  
    Literally: to be washed with all waters  
       
10.   Jetzt schlägt's dreizehn! That's the last straw!
    [jɛtst ʃlɛ:kts 'draitse:n]  
    Literally: Now it strikes thirteen!  
       
11.   sich im Zaum halten to keep oneself in check
    [zɪç ɪm tsaum 'haltən]  
    Literally: to hold oneself in the bridle  
       
12.   um den heißen Brei herumreden to pussyfoot around
    [ʊm de:n 'haisən brai hɛ'rʊmre:dən]  
    Literally: to talk around the hot pap  
       
13.   mit jemandem (←dative) gemeinsame Sache machen to make common cause with somebody
    [mɪt 'je:mandəm gə'mainza:mə 'zaxə 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make common matter with somebody  
       
14.   darauf brennen, etwas zu tun to be dying to do something
    [da'rauf 'brɛnən, 'ɛtvas tsu: tu:n]  
    Literally: to burn on doing something  
       
15.   Der Lauscher an der Wand hört seine eig'ne Schand'. Listeners never hear any good of themselves.
    [de:ɐ 'lauʃɐ an de:ɐ vant hørt 'zainə 'aignə ʃant]  
    Literally: The eavesdropper at the wall hears his own disgrace.  
       
16.   sich (←dative) etwas leicht machen to take the easy way out
    [zɪç 'ɛtvas laiçt 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make something easy for oneself  
       
17.   ins Gras beißen to bite the dust
    [ɪns gra:s 'baisən]  
    Literally: to bite into the grass  
       
18.   einen Vogel haben to have bats in the belfry
    ['ainən 'fo:gəl 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a bird  
       
19.   Nichts für ungut! No offence meant!
    [nɪçts fy:ə 'ʊngu:t]  
    Literally: Nothing for not good!  
       
20.   Rache ist süß! Revenge is sweet!
    ['raxə ɪst zy:s]  
       
21.   wie ein Blitz aus heiterem Himmel like a bolt from the blue
    [vi: ain blɪts aus 'haitərəm 'hɪməl]  
    Literally: like a bolt from the bright sky  
       
22.   sein Geld zum Fenster hinauswerfen to make ducks and drakes of one's money
    [zain gɛlt tsʊm 'fɛnstɐ hɪ'nausvɛrfən]  
    Literally: to throw one's money out of the window  
       
23.   Frohe Ostern! Happy Easter!
    ['fro:ə 'o:stɐn]  
       
24.   ein Schuss in den Ofen a shot in the dark
    [ain ʃʊs ɪn de:n 'o:fən]  
    Literally: a shot in the oven  
       
25.   unter dem Pantoffel stehen to be henpecked
    ['ʊntɐ de:m pan'tɔfəl 'ʃte:ən]  
    Literally: to stand under the indoor slipper  
       
26.   kurzen Prozess mit jemandem (←dative) machen to make short shrift of somebody
    ['kʊrtsən pro'tsɛs mɪt 'je:mandəm 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make short process with somebody  
       
27.   jemanden (←accusative) loswerden to get rid of somebody
    ['je:mandən 'lo:sve:ɐdən]  
    Literally: to get somebody loose  
       
28.   frei und ungebunden sein to be footloose and fancy-free
    [frai ʊnt 'ʊngəbʊndən zain]  
    Literally: to be free and unbound  
       
29.   sehen, wie der Hase läuft to see how the wind blows
    ['ze:ən, vi: de:ɐ 'ha:zə lɔyft]  
    Literally: to see how the hare runs  
       
30.   sich aus dem Staub machen to fly the coop
    [zɪç aus de:m ʃtaup 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make oneself out of the dust  
       
31.   einen Handel unter Dach und Fach bringen to nail a deal
    ['ainən 'handəl 'ʊntɐ dax ʊnt fax 'brɪŋən]  
    Literally: to bring a deal under roof and case  
       
32.   Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
    [man zɔl de:n ta:k nɪçt fɔɐ de:m 'a:bənt 'lo:bən]  
    Literally: You should not praise the day before the evening.  
       
33.   jemandem (←dative) die Daumen drücken to keep one's fingers crossed for somebody
    ['je:mandəm di: 'daumən 'drʏkən]  
    Literally: to press the thumbs for somebody  
       
34.   jemanden (←accusative) auf den Arm nehmen to pull somebody's leg
    ['je:mandən auf de:n arm 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: to take somebody on the arm  
       
35.   kein unbeschriebenes Blatt sein to have a criminal record
    [kain 'ʊnbəʃri:bənəs blat zain]  
    Literally: to not be a blank sheet of paper  
       
36.   auf Wolke sieben schweben to be on cloud nine
    [auf 'vɔlkə 'zi:bən 'ʃve:bən]  
    Literally: to float on cloud seven  
       
37.   sein Licht unter den Scheffel stellen to hide one's light under a bushel
    [zain lɪçt 'ʊntɐ de:n 'ʃɛfəl 'ʃtɛlən]  
    Literally: to put one's light under the bushel  
       
38.   Kleinvieh macht auch Mist. Many a little makes a mickle.
    ['klainfi: maxt aux mɪst]  
    Literally: A small livestock also makes muck.  
       
39.   jemandem (←dative) den Tag versüßen to make someone's day
    ['je:mandəm de:n ta:k fɛɐ'zy:sən]  
    Literally: to sweeten someone's day  
       
40.   sich wie ein Schneekönig freuen to be as happy as a sandboy
    [zɪç vi: ain 'ʃne:kø:nɪç 'frɔyən]  
    Literally: to be as pleased as a snow king  
       
41.   die Suppe auslöffeln to face the music
    [di: 'zʊpə 'auslœfəln]  
    Literally: to spoon out the soup  
       
42.   Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
    [vas hɛnsçən nɪçt lɛrnt, lɛrnt hans 'nɪmɐme:ɐ]  
    Literally: What little Hans does not learn, Hans does never learn.  
       
43.   treulose Tomate fair-weather friend
    ['trɔylo:zə to'ma:tə]  
    Literally: faithless tomato  
       
44.   Das sieht doch ein Blinder mit dem Krückstock! It's as plain as the nose on your face!
    [das zi:t dɔx ain 'blɪndɐ mɪt de:m 'krʏkʃtɔk]  
    Literally: This sees even a blind man with a crooked stick!  
       
45.   jemanden (←accusative) wahnsinning machen to drive somebody out of his/her mind
    ['je:mandən 'va:nzɪnɪç 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make somebody insane  
       
46.   Lampenfieber haben to have stage fright
    ['lampənfi:bɐ 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have lamp fever  
       
47.   vom Regen in die Traufe kommen to jump out of the frying pan into the fire
    [fɔm 're:gən ɪn di: 'traufə 'kɔmən]  
    Literally: to come from the rain into the eave  
       
48.   die Flinte ins Korn werfen to throw in the towel
    [di: 'flɪntə ɪns kɔrn 'vɛrfən]  
    Literally: to throw the shotgun into the corn  
       
49.   ins Schwarze treffen to hit the bull's eye
    [ɪns 'ʃvartsə 'trɛfən]  
    Literally: to hit into the black  
       
50.   auf dem Trockenen sitzen to be left stranded
    [auf de:m 'trɔkənən 'zɪtsən]  
    Literally: to sit on the dry  
   
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