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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 751 - 800    

Idioms No. 751 - 800
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
751.   Kleider von der Stange kaufen to buy clothes off the peg
    ['klaidɐ fɔn de:ɐ 'ʃtaŋə 'kaufən]  
    Literally: to buy clothes from the bar  
       
752.   mit dem falschen Fuß aufstehen to get out on the wrong side of the bed
    [mɪt de:m 'falʃən fu:s 'aufʃte:ən]  
    Literally: to get up with the wrong foot  
       
753.   Finger weg! Hands off!
    ['fɪŋɐ vɛk]  
    Literally: Fingers away!  
       
754.   Ein Küsschen in Ehren kann niemand verwehren. A friendly kiss can do no harm.
    [ain 'kʏsçən ɪn 'e:rən kan 'ni:mant fɛɐ've:rən]  
    Literally: A little kiss in honour nobody can deny.  
       
755.   Hut ab! Hats off!
    [hu:t ap]  
    Literally: Hat off!  
       
756.   erhobenen Hauptes (←genitive) dastehen to hold one's head high
    [ɛɐ'ho:bənən 'hauptəs 'da:ʃte:ən]  
    Literally: to stand there with raised head  
       
757.   Nicht weitersagen! Mum's the word!
    [nɪçt 'vaitɐza:gən]  
    Literally: (Do) Not say further!  
       
758.   wenn es hart auf hart kommt if the worst comes to the worst
    [vɛn ɛs hart auf hart kɔmt]  
    Literally: if it comes hard on hard  
       
759.   über alle Berge sein to be long gone/to be miles away
    ['y:bɐ 'alə 'bɛrgə zain]  
    Literally: to be over all mountains  
       
760.   Auweia! Geez!
    [au'vaia]  
       
       
761.   April, April, er macht, was er will. April weather: rain and sunshine both together.
    [a'prɪl a'prɪl e:ɐ maxt vas e:ɐ vɪl]  
    Literally: April, April, he does what he wants.  
       
762.   Alles neu macht der Mai. April showers bring May flowers.
    ['aləs nɔy maxt de:ɐ mai]  
    Literally: Everything new makes the May.  
       
763.   jemandem (←dative) die Daumenschrauben anlegen to put the thumbscrews on somebody
    ['je:mandəm di: 'daumənʃraubən 'anlegən]  
       
764.   Feuer und Flamme für etwas (←accusative) sein to be as keen as mustard on something
    ['fɔyɐ ʊnt 'flamə fy:ə 'ɛtvas zain]  
    Literally: to be fire and flame for something  
       
765.   kein Blatt vor den Mund nehmen to not mince one's words
    [kain blat fɔɐ de:n mʊnt 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: to not take a leaf before the mouth  
       
766.   die Karten offen auf den Tisch legen to lay it on the line
    [di: 'kartən 'ɔfən auf de:n tɪʃ 'le:gən]  
    Literally: to lay the cards open on the table  
       
767.   einen Zwergenaufstand machen to make an unnecessary fuss
    ['ainən 'tsvɛrgənaufʃtant 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make a dwarf's uprising  
       
768.   Probieren geht über Studieren. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
    [pro'bi:rən ge:t 'y:bɐ ʃtu'di:rən]  
    Literally: Trying goes over studying.  
       
769.   Mit Harren und Hoffen hat's mancher getroffen. Good things come to those who wait.
    [mɪt 'harən ʊnt 'hɔfən hats 'mançɐ gə'trɔfən]  
    Literally: With waiting and hoping some hit it.  
       
770.   die Pferde scheu machen to upset the apple cart
    [di: 'pfe:ɐdə ʃɔy 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make the horses shy  
       
771.   Es ist einen Versuch wert. It's worth a try.
    [ɛs ɪst 'ainən fɛɐ'zu:x ve:ɐt]  
       
772.   eine Schraube locker haben to have a slate loose
    ['ainə 'ʃraubə 'lɔkɐ 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a screw loose  
       
773.   ein Haufen Scheiße a load of bullshit
    [ain 'haufən 'ʃaisə]  
    Literally: a heap shit  
       
774.   auf keinen grünen Zweig kommen to get nowhere
    [auf 'kainən 'gry:nən tsvaik 'kɔmən]  
    Literally: to not come on any green branch  
       
775.   der springende Punkt bei der Sache the crucial point of the matter
    [de:ɐ 'ʃprɪŋəndə pʊŋkt bai de:ɐ 'zaxə]  
    Literally: the jumping point with the matter  
       
776.   jemandem (←dative) ein X für ein U vormachen wollen to pull one over on somebody
    ['je:mandəm ain ɪks fy:ə ain u: 'fɔɐmaxən 'vɔlən]  
    Literally: to want to show somebody an X as a U  
       
777.   mit jemandem (←dative) Pferde stehlen können somebody is game for anything
    [mɪt 'je:mandəm 'pfe:ɐdə 'ʃte:lən 'kœnən]  
    Literally: to be able to steal horses with somebody  
       
778.   für den Hausgebrauch for average requirements
    [fy:ə de:n 'hausgəbraux]  
    Literally: for the house's use  
       
779.   Schönwetter machen to smooth things over
    [ʃø:n'vɛtɐ 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make nice weather  
       
780.   Alle Achtung! Well done!
    ['alə 'axtʊŋ]  
    Literally: All attention!  
       
781.   ein Griff ins Klo an unsuccessful attempt
    [ain grɪf ɪns klo:]  
    Literally: a grip in the loo  
       
782.   Schwein haben to have a stroke of luck
    [ʃvain 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have pig  
       
783.   Das ist nicht mein Bier. That's not my business.
    [das ɪst nɪçt main bi:ə]  
    Literally: That is not my beer.  
       
784.   die Hände über dem Kopf zusammenschlagen to throw one's hands up in horror
    [di: 'hɛndə 'y:bɐ de:m kɔpf tsu'zamənʃla:gən]  
    Literally: to beat the hands together above the head  
       
785.   Verliebt, verlobt, verheiratet. In love, engaged, married.
    [fɛɐ'li:pt fɛɐ'lo:pt fɛɐ'haira:tət]  
       
786.   der Hahn im Korb sein to be cock of the walk
    [de:ɐ ha:n ɪm kɔrp zain]  
    Literally: to be the cock in the basket  
       
787.   Glück und Glas, wie leicht bricht das. Glass and good luck, brittle muck.
    [glʏk ʊnt gla:s vi: laiçt brɪçt das]  
    Literally: Fortune and glas, how easily breaks that.  
       
788.   sich das Hirn zermartern to cudgel one's brain
    [zɪç das hɪrn tsɛɐ'martɐn]  
    Literally: to agonize oneself the brain  
       
789.   Was ist los? What is the matter?
    [vas ɪst lo:s]  
    Literally: What is loose?  
       
790.   abgehen wie Schmidts* Katze to go like a train
    ['apge:ən vi: ʃmɪts 'katsə]  
    Literally: to go off like Schmidt's cat  
    *"Schmidt" means "Schmied" (= smith) who hit the cat's tail with his hammer in error. That is why the cat runs very fast.  
       
791.   Kümmere dich nicht um ungelegte Eier. Don't cross your bridges before you come to them.
    ['kʏmərə dɪç nɪçt ʊm 'ʊngəle:ktə 'aiɐ]  
    Literally: Do not care about unlaid eggs.  
       
792.   Sei so gut und... Be kind enough and...
    [zai zo: gu:t ʊnt]  
    Literally: Be so good and...  
       
793.   auf dem Schlauch stehen to not have a clue
    [auf de:m ʃlaux 'ʃte:ən]  
    Literally: to stand on the hose  
       
794.   gegen Windmühlen kämpfen to tilt at windmills
    ['ge:gən 'vɪntmy:lən 'kɛmpfən]  
    Literally: to fight against windmills  
       
795.   Der Wunsch war der Vater des Gedankens. The wish was father to the thought.
    [de:ɐ vʊnʃ va:ɐ de:ɐ 'fa:tɐ dɛs gə'daŋkəns]  
    Literally: The wish was the father of the thought.  
       
796.   Kopf hoch! Chin up!
    [kɔpf ho:x]  
    Literally: Head high!  
       
797.   etwas unter die Lupe nehmen to put something under the microscope
    ['ɛtvas 'ʊntɐ di: 'lu:pə 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: to take something under the magnifying glass  
       
798.   dastehen wie der Ochs vorm Berg to be at a complete loss as what to do
    ['da:ʃte:ən vi: de:ɐ ɔks vɔrm bɛrk]  
    Literally: to stand there like the ox in front of the mountain  
       
799.   ein alter Schinken a big awful book/a dismal film
    [ain 'altɐ 'ʃɪŋkən]  
    Literally: an old ham (book or film)  
       
800.   Du kriegst gleich ein paar! You'll get a smacking!
    [du: kri:kst glaiç ain pa:ɐ]  
    Literally: You get a few in a moment!  
 
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