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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 451 - 500    

Idioms No. 451 - 500
     
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No. Listen German Idiom English Translation  
       
451.   kalte Füße kriegen to get cold feet
    ['kaltə 'fy:sə 'kri:gən]  
       
452.   sich den Schneid abkaufen lassen to lose one's bottle
    [zɪç de:n ʃnait 'apkaufən 'lasən]  
    Literally: to let oneself buy off the guts  
       
453.   jemandem (←dative) in die Suppe spucken to piss on somebody's parade
    ['je:mandəm ɪn di: 'zʊpə 'ʃpʊkən]  
    Literally: to spit somebody in the soup  
       
454.   jemandem (←dative) das Wasser abgraben to take the bread out of somebody's mouth
    ['je:mandəm das 'vasɐ 'apgra:bən]  
    Literally: to dig off somebody's water  
       
455.   Da ist Holland in Not. Things are looking grim.
    [da: ɪst 'hɔlant ɪn no:t]  
    Literally: There is Holland in need.  
       
456.   Schluss mit lustig! The party is over!
    [ʃlʊs mɪt 'lʊstɪç]  
    Literally: End with funny!  
       
457.   zu Tode erschrocken sein to be dead scared
    [tsu: 'to:də ɛɐ'ʃrɔkən zain]  
    Literally: to be scared to death  
       
458.   jemandem (←dative) die Leviten lesen to read somebody the riot act
    ['je:mandəm di: le'vi:tən 'le:zən]  
    Literally: to read somebody the levites  
       
459.   aus der Reihe fallen to be the odd one out
    [aus de:ɐ 'raiə 'falən]  
    Literally: to fall out of the row  
       
460.   zu jemandem (←dative) kurz angebunden sein to be curt with somebody
    [tsu: 'je:mandəm kʊrts 'angəbʊndən zain]  
    Literally: to be shortly tied down to somebody  
       
461.   jemanden (←accusative) um den kleinen Finger wickeln to twist somebody around one's little finger
    ['je:mandən ʊm de:n 'klainən 'fɪŋɐ 'vɪkəln]  
    Literally: to wrap somebody around the little finger  
       
462.   die Katze aus dem Sack lassen to let the cat out of the bag
    [di: 'katsə aus de:m zak 'lasən]  
    Literally: to let the cat out of the sack  
       
463.   jemandem (←dative) ein Schnippchen schlagen to put one over on somebody
    ['je:mandəm ain 'ʃnɪpçən 'ʃla:gən]  
    Literally: to beat someone a snap  
       
464.   Bring mich nicht auf die Palme! Don't get me started!
    [brɪŋ mɪç nɪçt auf di: 'palmə]  
    Literally: Don't bring me on the palm!  
       
465.   jemanden (←accusative) ins Bockshorn jagen to buffalo somebody
    ['je:mandən ɪns 'bɔkshɔrn 'ja:gən]  
    Literally: to chase somebody into the bockhorn  
       
466.   jemanden (←accusative) mit etwas (←dative) abspeisen to fob off somebody with something
    ['je:mandən mɪt 'ɛtvas 'apʃpaizən]  
       
467.   Geschwindigkeit ist keine Hexerei! Speed is no sorcery!
    [gə'ʃvɪndɪçkait ɪst 'kainə hɛkse'rai]  
       
468.   über das Ziel hinausschießen to overshoot the mark
    ['y:bɐ das tsi:l hɪ'nausʃi:sən]  
    Literally: to shoot well over the target  
       
469.   Wir werden das Kind schon schaukeln. We'll work it out somehow.
    [vi:ə 've:ɐdən das kɪnt ʃo:n 'ʃaukəln]  
    Literally: We will already rock the baby.  
       
470.   Das wollen wir doch erst mal sehen! We'll see about that!
    [das 'vɔlən vi:ə dɔx e:ɐst ma:l 'ze:ən]  
    Literally: That we really want to see first!  
       
471.   Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
    ['ʃø:nhait li:kt ɪm 'augə dɛs bə'traxtɐs]  
    Literally: Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.  
       
472.   Frisch gewagt ist halb gewonnen. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
    [frɪʃ gə'va:kt ɪst halp gə'vɔnən]  
    Literally: Freshly ventured is half-won.  
       
473.   alle Hebel in Bewegung setzen to pull all the strings
    ['alə 'he:bəl ɪn bə've:gʊŋ 'zɛtsən]  
    Literally: to set all levers in motion  
       
474.   den Kopf in den Sand stecken to bury one's head in the sand
    [de:n kɔpf ɪn de:n zant 'ʃtɛkən]  
    Literally: to stick the head in the sand  
       
475.   mit jemandem (←dative) ist nicht gut Kirschen essen it's best not to tangle with somebody
    [mɪt 'je:mandəm ɪst nɪçt gu:t 'kɪrʃən 'ɛsən]  
    Literally: somebody is not good to eat cherries with  
       
476.   etwas ist mit Vorsicht zu genießen something should be taken with a pinch of salt
    ['ɛtvas ɪst mɪt 'fo:ɐzɪçt tsu: gə'ni:sən]  
    Literally: something is to be enjoyed with caution  
       
477.   auf dem falschen Dampfer sein to be barking up the wrong tree
    [auf de:m 'falʃən 'dampfɐ zain]  
    Literally: to be on the wrong steamer  
       
478.   gar nicht ohne sein to be not that easy
    [gaɐ nɪçt 'o:nə zain]  
    Literally: to not be without at all  
       
479.   Schluss für heute! Let's call it a day!
    [ʃlʊs fy:ə 'hɔytə]  
    Literally: End for today!  
       
480.   im Dreieck springen to go off the deep end
    [ɪm 'draiʔɛk 'ʃprɪŋən]  
    Literally: to jump in the triangle  
       
481.   Man kommt nicht darum herum. There's no getting around it.
    [man kɔmt nɪçt da'rʊm hɛ'rʊm]  
    Literally: You don't come around it.  
       
482.   sich wie geschnitten Brot verkaufen to be sold like hotcakes
    [zɪç vi: gə'ʃnɪtən bro:t fɛɐ'kaufən]  
    Literally: to sell itself like cut bread  
       
483.   Dumm ist der, der Dummes tut. Stupid is as stupid does.
    [dʊm ɪst de:ɐ de:ɐ 'dʊməs tu:t]  
    Literally: Stupid is who does stupid.  
       
484.   hart im Nehmen sein to be as tough as old boots
    [hart ɪm 'ne:mən zain]  
    Literally: to be hard in the taking  
       
485.   sich kaputtlachen to split one's sides laughing
    [zɪç ka'pʊtlaxən]  
    Literally: to laugh oneself damaged  
       
486.   in die gleiche Kerbe hauen to take the same line
    [ɪn di: 'glaiçə 'kɛrbə 'hauən]  
    Literally: to hit in the same notch  
       
487.   die goldene Arschkarte ziehen to get the shit end of the stick
    [di: 'gɔldənə 'arʃkartə 'tsi:ən]  
    Literally: to draw the golden arse card  
       
488.   Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt. Hope dies last.
    [di: 'hɔfnʊŋ ʃtɪrpt tsuˈlɛtst]  
    Literally: The hope dies last.  
       
489.   etwas für schlechte Zeiten zurücklegen to put something by for a rainy day
    ['ɛtvas fy:ə 'ʃlɛçtə 'tsaitən tsuˈrʏkle:gən]  
    Literally: to put something back for bad times  
       
490.   am Rad drehen to crack up
    [am ra:t 'dre:ən]  
    Literally: to turn at the wheel  
       
491.   Holz in den Wald tragen to burn daylight
    [hɔlts ɪn de:n valt 'tra:gən]  
    Literally: to carry wood into the forest  
       
492.   den Tatsachen ins Auge sehen to face the facts
    [de:n 'ta:tzaxən ɪns 'augə 'ze:ən]  
    Literally: to look the facts into the eye  
       
493.   Saftladen! Dinky joint!
    ['zaftla:dən]  
    Literally: Juice shop!  
       
494.   jemandem (←dative) die Ohren lang ziehen to give somebody a good talking to
    ['je:mandəm di: 'o:rən laŋ 'tsi:ən]  
    Literally: to pull somebody the ears long  
       
495.   in der Klemme sein to be in a fix
    [ɪn de:ɐ 'klɛmə zain]  
    Literally: to be in the scrape  
       
496.   jemanden (←accusative) für etwas zum Sündenbock machen to make somebody the scapegoat for something
    ['je:mandən fy:ə 'ɛtvas tsʊm 'zʏndənbɔk 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make somebody to the scapegoat for something  
       
497.   vor jemandem (←dative) auf der Hut sein to be on one's guard against somebody
    [fɔ:ɐ 'je:mandəm auf de:ɐ hu:t zain]  
    Literally: to be on the guard before somebody  
       
498.   jemandem (←dative) ins Netz gehen to fall into somebody's clutches
    ['je:mandəm ɪns nɛts 'ge:ən]  
    Literally: to go in somebody's net  
       
499.   auf dem absteigenden Ast sein to be going downhill
    [auf de:m 'apʃtaigəndən ast zain]  
    Literally: to be on the descending branch  
       
500.   Kleine Ursache, große Wirkung. Great oaks from little acorns grow.
    ['klainə 'u:əzaxə 'gro:sə 'vɪrkʊŋ]  
    Literally: Little cause, great effect.  
 
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