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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 601 - 650    

Idioms No. 601 - 650
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
601.   Immer langsam mit den jungen Pferden! Hold your horses!
    ['ɪmɐ 'laŋza:m mɪt de:n 'jʊŋən 'pfe:ɐdən]  
    Literally: Always slowly with the young horses!  
       
602.   Spare in der Zeit, dann hast du in der Not. Waste not, want not.
    ['ʃpa:rə ɪn de:ɐ tsait dan hast du: ɪn de:ɐ no:t]  
    Literally: Save in the time, then you have in the need.  
       
603.   an die Decke gehen to hit the ceiling
    [an di: 'dɛkə 'ge:ən]  
    Literally: to go to the ceiling  
       
604.   Kapier ich nicht! No savvy!
    [ka'pi:ə ɪç nɪçt]  
    Literally: I don't understand!  
       
605.   Darauf kannst du wetten! You bet!
    ['da:rauf kanst du: 'vɛtən]  
    Literally: On that you can bet!  
       
606.   auf das falsche Pferd setzen to back the wrong horse
    [auf das 'falʃə pfe:ɐt 'zɛtsən]  
    Literally: to set on the wrong horse  
       
607.   nicht gerade das Gelbe vom Ei sein to not be the greatest thing since sliced bread
    [nɪçt gə'ra:də das 'gɛlbə fɔm ai zain]  
    Literally: to not quite be the yellow of the egg  
       
608.   sich mit fremden Federn schmücken to adorn oneself with borrowed plumes
    [zɪç mɪt 'frɛmdən 'fe:dɐn 'ʃmʏkən]  
       
609.   nach etwas kräht kein Hahn mehr no one cares two hoots about something anymore
    [na:x 'ɛtvas krɛ:t kain ha:n me:ɐ]  
    Literally: no cock crows after something anymore  
       
610.   etwas auf dem Kerbholz haben to have blotted one's copybook
    ['ɛtvas auf de:m 'kɛrphɔlts 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have something on the carved wood  
       
611.   auf Gedeih und Verderb for better or for worse
    [auf gə'dai ʊnt vɛɐ'dɛrp]  
    Literally: on flourishing and spoilage  
       
612.   Was halten Sie davon? How does it strike you?
    [vas 'haltən zi: da'fɔn]  
    Literally: What do you hold of it?  
       
613.   Das war ja eine schöne Bescherung! That was a fine how-do-you-do!
    [das wa:ɐ ja: 'ainə 'ʃø:nə bə'ʃe:rʊŋ]  
    Literally: That was really a fine giving of Christmas presents!  
       
614.   Jetzt haben wir den Salat! Now we're in a fine mess!
    [jɛtst 'ha:bən vi:ə de:n za'la:t]  
    Literally: Now we have the salad!  
       
615.   Stein und Bein schwören to swear by all the gods
    [ʃtain ʊnt bain 'ʃvø:rən]  
    Literally: to swear stone and bone  
       
616.   Auf in den Kampf! Go in and win!
    [auf ɪn de:n kampf]  
    Literally: (Get) Up in the fight!  
       
617.   Jetzt geht das schon wieder los! Here we go again!
    [jɛtst ge:t das ʃo:n 'vi:dɐ lo:s]  
    Literally: Now it goes off already again!  
       
618.   jemandem (←dative) zeigen, wo's langgeht to give somebody the low-down
    ['je:mandəm 'tsaigən vo:s 'laŋge:t]  
    Literally: to show somebody where is goes along  
       
619.   immer nur das Eine im Kopf haben to have a one-track mind
    ['ɪmɐ nu:ə das 'ainə ɪm kɔpf 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to always only have the one (thing) in the head  
       
620.   sich keinen Zacken aus der Krone brechen to not tarnish somebody's glory
    [zɪç 'kainən 'tsakən aus de:ɐ 'kro:nə 'brɛçən]  
    Literally: to not break oneself a spike out of the crown  
       
621.   jemandem (←dative) etwas unterjubeln to palm something off to somebody
    ['je:mandəm 'ɛtvas 'ʊntɐju:bəln]  
    Literally: to cheer something under to somebody  
       
622.   Na, dann prost Mahlzeit! (ironic) Well, that's just brilliant!
    [na dan pro:st 'ma:ltsait]  
    Literally: Well, then cheers meal time!  
       
623.   Wenn zwei sich streiten, freut sich der Dritte. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
    [vɛn tsvai zɪç 'ʃtraitən frɔyt zɪç de:ɐ 'drɪtə]  
    Literally: If two argue, the third is pleased.  
       
624.   Sie ist eine ganz heiße Braut. She's a real hottie.
    [zi: ɪst 'ainə gants 'haisə braut]  
    Literally: She is a quite hot bride.  
       
625.   Was sich liebt, das neckt sich. Lovers like to tease each other.
    [vas zɪç li:pt das nɛkt zɪç]  
    Literally: What loves each other, teases each other.  
       
626.   Himmel, Arsch und Zwirn! Christ Almighty!
    ['hɪməl arʃ ʊnt tsvɪrn]  
    Literally: Heaven, arse and yarn!  
       
627.   Klappe zu, Affe tot! End of story!
    ['klapə tsu: 'afə to:t]  
    Literally: Flap shut, monkey dead!  
       
628.   Soll das ein Scherz sein? Do you call that a joke?
    [zɔl das ain ʃɛrts zain]  
    Literally: Is that supposed to be a joke?  
       
629.   eine Brillenschlange sein to be a four-eyes
    ['ainə 'brɪlənʃlaŋə zain]  
    Literally: to be a spectacled snake  
       
630.   alles, was recht ist by all that is right and fair
    ['aləs vas rɛçt ɪst]  
    Literally: all what is right  
       
631.   Ja und Amen zu etwas sagen to say amen to something
    [ja: ʊnt 'amən tsu: 'ɛtvas 'zagən]  
    Literally: to say yes and amen to something  
       
632.   Ich hörte die Engel im Himmel singen. It hurt like mad.
    [ɪç 'hø:rtə di: 'ɛŋəl ɪm 'hɪməl 'zɪŋən]  
    Literally: I heard the angels in the heaven sing.  
       
633.   Na und? So what?
    [na ʊnt]  
    Literally: Well, and?  
       
634.   Fröhliche Weihnachten! Merry Christmas!
    ['frø:lɪçə 'vainaxtən]  
       
635.   Der Mensch denkt, Gott lenkt. Man proposes, God disposes.
    [de:ɐ mɛnʃ dɛŋkt gɔt lɛŋkt]  
    Literally: The man thinks, God directs.  
       
636.   Ein Mann, ein Wort. An honest man's word is as good as his bond.
    [ain man ain vɔrt]  
    Literally: A man, a word.  
       
637.   Es schüttet wie aus Kübeln. It is tipping it down.
    [ɛs 'ʃʏtət vi: aus 'ky:bəln]  
    Literally: It tips like out of buckets.  
       
638.   Schlafende Hunde soll man nicht wecken. Let sleeping dogs lie.
    ['ʃla:fəndə 'hʊndə zɔl man nɪçt 'vɛkən]  
    Literally: One shall not wake sleeping dogs.  
       
639.   ins Auge gehen to blow up in somebody's face
    [ɪns 'augə 'ge:ən]  
    Literally: to go in the eye  
       
640.   im Stress sein to be frantically busy
    [ɪm ʃtrɛs zain]  
    Literally: to be in the stress  
       
641.   Guten Rutsch! Happy New Year!
    ['gu:tən rʊtʃ]  
    Literally: Good slide!  
       
642.   Gutes neues Jahr! Happy new year!
    ['gu:təs 'nɔyəs ja:ɐ]  
    Literally: Good new year!  
       
643.   zusammenhalten wie Pech und Schwefel to be as thick as thieves
    [tsu'zamənhaltən vi: pɛç ʊnt 'ʃve:fəl]  
    Literally: to hold together like pitch and sulphur  
       
644.   ohne Hand und Fuß without rhyme or reason
    ['o:nə hant ʊnt fu:s]  
    Literally: without hand and foot  
       
645.   Du machst wohl Witze! You must be joking!
    [du: maxst vo:l 'vɪtsə]  
    Literally: You make well jokes!  
       
646.   Das ist ganz mein Fall. That's right down my alley.
    [das ɪst gants main fal]  
    Literally: That is quite my case.  
       
647.   dem lieben Herrgott den Tag stehlen to dally away the day
    [de:m 'li:bən 'hɛrgɔt de:n ta:k 'ʃte:lən]  
    Literally: to steal away the day from the dear Lord  
       
648.   Was du nicht willst, das man dir tu', das füg' auch keinem andern zu. Don't do unto others what you would not have done unto you.
    [vas du: nɪçt vɪlst das man di:ə tu: das fy:k aux 'kainəm 'andɐn tsu:]  
    Literally: What you not want that one does to you that do not inflict on anyone else.  
       
649.   in die Schusslinie geraten to come into the firing line
    [ɪn di: 'ʃʊsli:niə gə'ra:tən]  
    Literally: to get into the shooting line  
       
650.   Andere kochen auch nur mit Wasser. They are no different from anybody else.
    ['andərə 'kɔxən aux nu:ə mɪt 'vasɐ]  
    Literally: Others also cook only with water.  
 
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