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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 701 - 750    

Idioms No. 701 - 750
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
701.   jemandem (←dative) den Marsch blasen to give somebody a rocket
    ['je:mandəm de:n marʃ 'blazən]  
    Literally: to blow somebody the march  
       
702.   Mach dich auf die Socken! Rattle your hocks!
    [max dɪç auf di: 'zɔkən]  
    Literally: Make yourself on the socks!  
       
703.   Eulen nach Athen tragen to carry coals to Newcastle
    [ˈɔylən na:x a'te:n 'tra:gən]  
    Literally: to carry owls to Athens  
       
704.   Jung gefreit, nie gereut. If you marry young you won't regret it.
    [jʊŋ gə'frait ni: gə'rɔyt]  
    Literally: Young married, never regretted.  
       
705.   Das hält ja kein Pferd aus! That's more than anyone would put up with!
    [das hɛlt ja: kain pfe:ɐt aus]  
    Literally: No horse stands that!  
       
706.   Trübsal blasen to sing the blues
    ['try:pza:l 'bla:zən]  
    Literally: to blow gloominess  
       
707.   es nicht übers (=über das) Herz bringen, etwas zu tun to not have the heart to do something
    [ɛs nɪçt 'y:bɐs hɛrts 'brɪŋən 'ɛtvas tsu: tu:n]  
    Literally: to not bring it over the heart to do something  
       
708.   Jetzt geht es um die Wurst! It's crunch-time!
    [jɛtst ge:t ɛs ʊm di: vʊrst]  
    Literally: Now it is about the sausage!  
       
709.   Das waren noch Zeiten. Those were the days.
    [das 'va:rən nɔx 'tsaitən]  
    Literally: That were still times.  
       
710.   nur so zum Spaß just for the fun of it
    [nu:ə zo: tsʊm ʃpa:s]  
    Literally: only just for the fun  
       
711.   jemandem (←dative) den Hahn zudrehen to cut off somebody's money supply
    ['je:mandəm de:n ha:n 'tsu:dre:ən]  
    Literally: to turn somebody the tap off  
       
712.   Das dicke Ende kommt noch. The worst is yet to come.
    [das 'dɪkə 'ɛndə kɔmt nɔx]  
    Literally: The thick end comes still.  
       
713.   Er hält sich für einen tollen Hecht He thinks he's hot shit.
    [e:ɐ hɛlt zɪç fy:ə 'ainən 'tɔlən hɛçt]  
    Literally: He considers himself a great pike.  
       
714.   Man ist, was man isst. You are what you eat.
    [man ɪst vas man ɪst]  
    Literally: One is what one eats.  
       
715.   Man wird so alt wie eine Kuh und lernt immer noch dazu. You live and learn.
    [man vɪrt zo: alt vi: 'ainə ku: ʊnt lɛrnt 'ɪmɐ nɔx da'tsu:]  
    Literally: One gets as old as a cow and still learns something new.  
       
716.   jemandem (←dative) bleibt das Lachen im Hals stecken the laughter sticks in somebody's throat
    ['je:mandəm blaipt das 'laxən ɪm hals 'ʃtɛkən]  
    Literally: the laughter gets stuck in somebody's throat  
       
717.   die Brötchen verdienen to bring home the bacon
    [di: 'brø:tçən fɛɐ'di:nən]  
    Literally: to earn the rolls  
       
718.   zwischen zwei Stühlen sitzen to be caught between two stools
    ['tsvɪʃən tsvai 'ʃty:lən 'zɪtsən]  
    Literally: to sit between two chairs  
       
719.   unter die Räder kommen to fall into bad ways
    ['ʊntɐ di: 'rɛ:dɐ 'kɔmən]  
    Literally: to get under the wheels  
       
720.   Unser Herrgott hat einen großen Tiergarten. There are many peculiar people.
    ['ʊnzɐ 'hɛrgɔt hat 'ainən 'gro:sən 'ti:əgartən]  
    Literally: Our Lord has a big animals' garden.  
       
721.   den Vogel abschießen to take the cake
    [de:n 'fo:gəl 'apʃi:sən]  
    Literally: to shoot off the bird  
       
722.   Hunde, die bellen, beißen nicht. Barking dogs do not bite.
    ['hʊndə di: 'bɛlən 'baisən nɪçt]  
    Literally: Dogs who bark do not bite.  
       
723.   eine Schnapsidee sein to be a dead duck
    ['aine 'ʃnapsʔi'de: zain]  
    Literally: to be a schnapps idea  
       
724.   Bäume ausreißen können to feel on top of the world
    ['bɔymə 'ausraisən 'kœnən]  
    Literally: to be able to tear out trees  
       
725.   Dann ist die Kacke am Dampfen. Then the shit will really hit the fan.
    [dan ɪst di: 'kakə am 'dampfən]  
    Literally: Then the cack is steaming.  
       
726.   Was soll's! What the heck!
    [vas zɔls]  
    Literally: What shall it!  
       
727.   ganz klein mit Hut sein to be cut down to size
    [gants klain mɪt hu:t zain]  
    Literally: to be quite small with hat  
       
728.   Junge, Junge! Boy, oh boy!
    ['jʊŋə 'jʊŋə]  
    Literally: Boy, boy!  
       
729.   ein Tag mit Goldrand a day edged in gold
    [ain ta:k mɪt 'gɔltrant]  
    Literally: a day with gold rim  
       
730.   zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen to kill two birds with one stone
    [tsvai 'fli:gən mɪt 'ainɐ 'klapə 'ʃla:gən]  
    Literally: to beat two flies with one flap  
       
731.   jemandem (←dative) das Wort im Munde herumdrehen to twist somebody's words
    ['je:mandəm das vɔrt ɪm 'mʊndə hɛˈrʊmdre:ən]  
    Literally: to turn the word around in somebody's mouth  
       
732.   jemanden (←accusative) in den April schicken to make an April fool of somebody
    ['je:mandən ɪn de:n a'prɪl 'ʃɪkən]  
    Literally: to send somebody in the April  
       
733.   Wo Rauch ist, da ist auch Feuer. Where there's smoke, there's fire.
    [vo: raux ɪst da: ɪst aux 'fɔyɐ]  
    Literally: Where smoke is, there is also fire.  
       
734.   der Hecht im Karpfenteich sein to be a big fish in a small pond
    [de:ɐ hɛçt ɪm 'karpfəntaiç zain]  
    Literally: to be the pike in a carp pond  
       
735.   den Braten riechen to smell a rat
    [de:n 'bra:tən 'ri:çən]  
    Literally: to smell the roast  
       
736.   bei etwas ein Auge zudrücken to turn a blind eye to something
    [bai 'ɛtvas ain 'augə 'tsu:drʏkən]  
    Literally: to press one eye shut at something  
       
737.   wie die Vandalen hausen to act like vandals
    [vi: di: van'da:lən 'hauzən]  
    Literally: to house like the vandals  
       
738.   Da ist der Wurm drin. There is something very wrong with it.
    [da: ɪst de:ɐ vʊrm drɪn]  
    Literally: There is the worm inside.  
       
739.   mit dem Kopf durch die Wand wollen to be determined to get one's way
    [mɪt de:m kɔpf dʊrç di: vant 'vɔlən]  
    Literally: to want with the head through the wall  
       
740.   Wer den Pfennig nicht ehrt, ist des Talers nicht wert. Take care of the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves.
    [ve:ɐ de:n 'pfɛnɪç nɪçt e:ɐt ɪst dɛs 'ta:lɐs nɪçt ve:ɐt]  
    Literally: Who does not honour the penny, is not worth the thaler.  
       
741.   Ein Scheißladen ist das hier! What a bloody place to work in!
    [ain 'ʃaisladən ɪst das hi:ə]  
    Literally: A shitty shop is that here!  
       
742.   den Mund zu voll nehmen to bite off more than one can chew
    [de:n mʊnt tsu: fɔl 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: to take the mouth too full  
       
743.   Das ist völlig daneben! That's bang out of order!
    [das ɪst 'fœlɪç da'ne:bən]  
    Literally: That is completely next to it!  
       
744.   blendend aussehen to look extremely attractive
    ['blɛndənt 'ausze:ən]  
    Literally: to look blinding  
       
745.   mit Pauken und Trompeten durchfallen to fail spectacularly
    [mɪt 'paukən ʊnt trɔm'pe:tən 'dʊrçfalən]  
    Literally: to fall through with kettledrums and trumpets  
       
746.   Nobel geht die Welt zugrunde. There's nothing like going out with a bang.
    ['no:bəl ge:t di: vɛlt tsu'grʊndə]  
    Literally: Nobly the world is destroyed.  
       
747.   etwas fürchten wie der Teufel das Weihwasser to avoid something like the plague
    ['ɛtvas 'fʏrçtən vi: de:ɐ 'tɔyfəl das 'vaivasɐ]  
    Literally: to fear something like the devil the holy water  
       
748.   bei etwas rot sehen to see red as a result of something
    [bai 'ɛtvas ro:t 'ze:ən]  
    Literally: to see red with something  
       
749.   Kohldampf haben to have the munchies
    ['ko:ldampf 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have cabbage steam  
       
750.   nicht ganz bei Trost sein to be off one's head
    [nɪçt gants bai tro:st zain]  
    Literally: to not quite be with comfort  
 
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