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German Idioms | |
No. 551 - 600 |
Idioms No. 551 - 600 |
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| No. | Listen | German Idiom | English Translation | ||
| 551. | jemanden (←accusative) beim Wort nehmen | to take somebody at his/her word | |||
| ['je:mandən baim vɔrt 'ne:mən] | |||||
| Literally: to take somebody at the word | |||||
| 552. | auf dem Teppich bleiben | to keep one's feet on the ground | |||
| [auf de:m 'tɛpɪç 'blaibən] | |||||
| Literally: to stay on the carpet | |||||
| 553. | jemanden (←accusative) ausnehmen wie eine Weihnachtsgans | to take somebody to the cleaners | |||
| ['je:mandən 'ausne:mən vi: 'ainə 'vainaxtsgans] | |||||
| Literally: to take somebody out like a Christmas goose | |||||
| 554. | sich etwas vormachen | to fool oneself | |||
| [zɪç 'ɛtvas 'fɔɐmaxən] | |||||
| Literally: to show something to oneself | |||||
| 555. | die Hände in den Schoß legen | to sit back and do nothing | |||
| [di: 'hɛndə ɪn de:n ʃo:s 'le:gən] | |||||
| Literally: to lay the hands in the lap | |||||
| 556. | sauer sein | to be cross | |||
| ['zauɐ zain] | |||||
| Literally: to be sour | |||||
| 557. | Was glaubst du eigentlich, wer du bist? | Who do you think you are? | |||
| [vas glaupst du: 'aigəntlɪç ve:ɐ du: bɪst] | |||||
| Literally: What do you actually believe you are? | |||||
| 558. | auf eigenen Füßen stehen | to stand on one's own feet | |||
| [auf 'aigənən 'fy:sən 'ʃte:ən] | |||||
| Literally: to stand on own feet | |||||
| 559. | Jetzt ist aber Feierabend! | That's enough now! | |||
| [jɛtst ɪst 'a:bɐ 'faiɐʔa:bənt] | |||||
| Literally: Now it is really closing time (celebratory evening)! | |||||
| 560. | Das reicht gerade für den hohlen Zahn. | That wouldn't keep a sparrow alive. | |||
| [das raiçt gəˈra:də fy:ə de:n 'ho:lən tsa:n] | |||||
| Literally: That is just sufficient for the hollow tooth. | |||||
| 561. | ein Ass im Ärmel haben | to have an ace up one's sleeve | |||
| [ain as ɪm 'ɛrməl 'ha:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to have an ace in the sleeve | |||||
| 562. | Was geht hier vor? | What's going on here? | |||
| [vas ge:t hi:ə fɔɐ] | |||||
| Literally: What goes here ahead? | |||||
| 563. | Ich glaub', mich tritt ein Pferd! | Well, I'll be blowed! | |||
| [ɪç glaup mɪç trɪt ain pfe:ɐt] | |||||
| Literally: I believe a horse kicks me! | |||||
| 564. | bis zum Anschlag | as far as it will go | |||
| [bɪs tsʊm 'anʃla:k] | |||||
| Literally: up to the stop | |||||
| 565. | in höheren Regionen schweben | to have one's head in the clouds | |||
| [ɪn 'hø:ərən re'gio:nən 'ʃve:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to hover in higher regions | |||||
| 566. | die oberen Zehntausend | high society | |||
| [di: 'o:bərən tse:n'tauzənt] | |||||
| Literally: the upper ten thousand | |||||
| 567. | Wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so schallt es heraus. | You are treated as you treat others. | |||
| [vi: man ɪn de:n valt hɪ'nainru:ft zo: ʃalt ɛs hɛ'raus] | |||||
| Literally: How you shout into the forest, so it echoes out. | |||||
| 568. | am Ball bleiben | to stay on the ball | |||
| [am bal 'blaibən] | |||||
| Literally: to stay at the ball | |||||
| 569. | blaumachen | to chuck a sickie | |||
| ['blaumaxən] | |||||
| Literally: to make blue | |||||
| 570. | Du hast gut reden. | It's all very well for you to talk. | |||
| [du: hast gu:t 're:dən] | |||||
| Literally: You have good talking. | |||||
| 571. | Jedem Tierchen sein Pläsierchen. | Each to his/their own. | |||
| ['je:dəm 'ti:əçən zain plɛ:'zi:əçən] | |||||
| Literally: To each little animal its own little pleasure. | |||||
| 572. | Es liegt mir auf der Zunge. | It's on the tip of my tongue. | |||
| ['ɛs li:kt mi:ə auf de:ɐ 'tsʊŋə] | |||||
| Literally: It lies me on the tongue. | |||||
| 573. | auf Gegenseitigkeit beruhen | to be mutual | |||
| [auf 'ge:gənzaitɪçkait bə'ru:ən] | |||||
| Literally: to be based on mutuality | |||||
| 574. | sich in den Haaren liegen | to be at each other's throats | |||
| [zɪç ɪn de:n 'ha:rən 'li:gən] | |||||
| Literally: to lie each other in the hairs | |||||
| 575. | mit jemandem (←dative) auf Kriegsfuß stehen | to be at loggerheads with somebody | |||
| [mɪt 'je:mandəm auf 'kri:ksfu:s 'ʃte:ən] | |||||
| Literally: to be on war foot with somebody | |||||
| 576. | Immer mit der Ruhe! | Take it easy! | |||
| ['ɪmɐ mɪt de:ɐ 'ru:ə] | |||||
| Literally: Always with the peace! | |||||
| 577. | Der Schein trügt. | Appearances are deceptive. | |||
| [de:ɐ ʃain try:kt] | |||||
| Literally: The appearance deceives. | |||||
| 578. | jemanden (←accusative) fertigmachen | to wipe the floor with somebody | |||
| ['je:mandən ˈfɛrtɪçmaxən] | |||||
| Literally: to make somebody finished | |||||
| 579. | Bei Geld hört die Freundschaft auf. | Don't mix money and friendship. | |||
| [bai gɛlt hørt di: 'frɔyntʃaft auf] | |||||
| Literally: With money the friendship stops. | |||||
| 580. | jemanden (←accusative) an der Nase herumführen | to draw a red herring across the track | |||
| ['je:mandən an de:ɐ 'na:zə hɛ'rʊmfy:rən] | |||||
| Literally: to lead somebody around by the nose | |||||
| 581. | den Löffel abgeben | to kick the bucket | |||
| [de:n 'lœfəl 'apge:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to give away the spoon | |||||
| 582. | jemanden (←accusative) auf dem Kieker* haben | to have a down on somebody | |||
| ['je:mandən auf de:m 'ki:kɐ 'ha:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to have somebody on the looker | |||||
| *kieken (North German) = gucken = to look | |||||
| 583. | jemandem (←dative) das Leben zur Hölle machen | to make life miserable for somebody | |||
| ['je:mandəm das 'le:bən tsʊə 'hœlə 'maxən] | |||||
| Literally: to make somebody the life to the hell | |||||
| 584. | Ich werd' nicht mehr! | Well, blow me! | |||
| [ɪç ve:ɐt nɪçt me:ɐ] | |||||
| Literally: I don't become anymore! | |||||
| 585. | für die Katz sein | to be for the birds | |||
| [fy:ə di: kats zain] | |||||
| Literally: to be for the cat | |||||
| 586. | jemanden (←accusative) hinters Licht führen | to pull the wool over somebody's eyes | |||
| ['je:mandən 'hɪntɐs lɪçt 'fy:rən] | |||||
| Literally: to lead somebody behind the light | |||||
| 587. | eine Pechsträhne haben | to have a streak of bad luck | |||
| ['ainə 'pɛçʃtrɛ:nə 'ha:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to have a pitch streak | |||||
| 588. | mit Kanonen auf Spatzen schießen | to take a sledgehammer to crack a nut | |||
| [mɪt ka'no:nən auf 'ʃpatsən 'ʃi:sən] | |||||
| Literally: to shoot on sparrows with canons | |||||
| 589. | sich an etwas die Zähne ausbeißen | to have a tough time of it with something | |||
| [zɪç an 'ɛtvas di: 'tsɛ:nə 'ausbaisən] | |||||
| Literally: to bite out one's teeth at something | |||||
| 590. | Fisimatenten machen | to make a fuss | |||
| [fizima'tɛntən 'maxən] | |||||
| Literally: to make silly things | |||||
| 591. | Stille Wasser gründen tief. | Still waters run deep. | |||
| ['ʃtɪlə 'vasɐ ˈgrʏndən ti:f] | |||||
| Literally: Still waters ground deep. | |||||
| 592. | Ach du lieber Gott! | Oh Lord! | |||
| [ax du: 'li:bɐ gɔt] | |||||
| Literally: Oh you dear God! | |||||
| 593. | etwas durch die rosarote Brille sehen | to see something through rose-coloured glasses | |||
| ['ɛtvas dʊrç di: 'ro:zaro:tə 'brɪlə 'ze:ən] | |||||
| Literally: to see something through the rose pink glasses | |||||
| 594. | das Ei unterm Huhn verkaufen | to sell one's goods as soon as they are produced | |||
| [das ai 'ʊntɐm hu:n fɛɐ'kaufən] | |||||
| Literally: to sell the egg under the chicken | |||||
| 595. | eine große Klappe haben | to have a big mouth | |||
| ['ainə 'gro:sə 'klapə 'habən] | |||||
| Literally: to have a big flap | |||||
| 596. | nah am Wasser gebaut haben | to be prone to tears | |||
| [na: am 'vasɐ gə'baut 'habən] | |||||
| Literally: to have built close to the water | |||||
| 597. | ein dummes Gesicht machen | to make a silly face | |||
| [ain 'dʊməs gə'zɪçt 'maxən] | |||||
| Literally: to make a stupid face | |||||
| 598. | einen Sprung in der Schüssel haben | to be crackers | |||
| ['ainən ʃprʊŋ ɪn de:ɐ 'ʃʏsel 'ha:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to have a crack in the bowl | |||||
| 599. | sich einen Klops leisten | to make a real howler | |||
| [zɪç 'ainən klɔps 'laistən] | |||||
| Literally: to afford oneself a meatball | |||||
| 600. | So weit, so gut. | So far, so good. | |||
| [zo: vait zo: gu:t] | |||||
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