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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 851 - 900    

Idioms No. 851 - 900
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
851.   Da läuft eine krumme Sache. There's some jiggery-pokery going on.
    [da: lɔyft 'ainə 'krʊmə 'zaxə]  
    Literally: There runs a crooked thing.  
       
852.   die Sau rauslassen to let it all hang out
    [di: zau 'rauslasən]  
    Literally: to let the sow out  
       
853.   auf die Pauke hauen to paint the town red
    [auf di: 'paukə 'hauən]  
    Literally: to beat on the kettledrum  
       
854.   bei jemandem (←dative) einen Stein im Brett haben to be well in with somebody
    [bai 'je:mandəm 'ainən ʃtain ɪm brɛt 'habən]  
    Literally: to have a stone in the board with somebody  
       
855.   Etwas bleibt immer hängen. Mud sticks.
    ['ɛtvas blaipt 'ɪmɐ 'hɛŋən]  
    Literally: Something always remains hanging.  
       
856.   Du siehst ja ganz schön ramponiert aus! You look like you've been in the wars!
    [du: zi:st ja gants ʃø:n rampo'ni:ət aus]  
    Literally: You really look pretty ruined!  
       
857.   nach bestem Wissen und Gewissen (←dative) to the best of my belief
    [na:x 'bɛstəm 'vɪsən ʊnt gə'vɪsən]  
    Literally: according to best knowledge and conscience  
       
858.   jemandem (←dative) reinen Wein einschenken to tell somebody the plain truth
    ['je:mandəm 'rainən vain 'ainʃɛŋkən]  
    Literally: to pour somebody pure wine  
       
859.   nicht von schlechten Eltern sein to be quite a good one
    [nɪçt fɔn 'ʃlɛçtən 'ɛltɐn zain]  
    Literally: to not be of bad parents  
       
860.   aussehen wie ein Arsch mit Ohren to look as thick as pig-shit
    ['ausze:ən vi: ain arʃ mɪt 'o:rən]  
    Literally: to look like an arse with ears  
       
861.   ein komischer Kauz a queer fish
    [ain 'ko:mɪʃɐ kauts]  
    Literally: a funny tawny owl  
       
862.   der harte Kern the hard core
    [de:ɐ 'hartə kɛrn]  
       
863.   Wie man's macht, macht man's falsch. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
    [vi: mans maxt maxt mans falʃ]  
    Literally: No matter how you do it, you do it wrongly.  
       
864.   bis dir Hören und Sehen vergeht until you don't know what hit you
    [bɪs di:ə 'hø:rən ʊnt 'ze:ən fɛɐ'ge:t]  
    Literally: until you lose hearing and seeing  
       
865.   Da ist man wie auf dem Präsentierteller. It's like living in a goldfish bowl.
    [da: ɪst man vi: auf de:m prɛzɛn'ti:ətɛlɐ]  
    Literally: There you are like on the presentation plate.  
       
866.   jemandem (←dative) wie aus dem Gesicht geschnitten sein to be the spitting image of somebody
    ['je:mandəm vi: aus de:m gə'zɪçt gə'ʃnɪtən zain]  
    Literally: to be like cut out of somebody's face  
       
867.   Wer sich in Gefahr begibt, kommt darin um. If you sup with the devil, you need a long spoon.
    [ve:ɐ zɪç ɪn gə'fa:ɐ bə'gi:pt kɔmt da'rɪn ʊm]  
    Literally: Who puts oneself in danger, dies in it.  
       
868.   Lass deinen Worten Taten folgen. If you're going to talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk.
    [las 'dainən 'vɔrtən 'ta:tən 'fɔlgən]  
    Literally: Let your words follow deeds.  
       
869.   an einem Strang ziehen to sing from the same hymn sheet
    [an 'ainəm ʃtraŋ 'tsi:ən]  
    Literally: to pull at one rope  
       
870.   bei jemandem (←dative) ist Schmalhans Küchenmeister somebody is on short rations
    [bai 'je:mandəm ɪst 'ʃma:lhans 'kʏçənmaistɐ]  
    Literally: with somebody is slim Hans kitchen master  
       
871.   Dinge übers Knie brechen to force things
    ['dɪŋə 'y:bɐs kni: 'brɛçən]  
    Literally: to break things over the knee  
       
872.   sich ein Bein ausreißen to bend over backwards
    [zɪç ain bain 'ausraisən]  
    Literally: to tear oneself out a leg  
       
873.   in den höchsten Tönen jubeln to sing from the treetops
    [ɪn de:n 'hø:çstən 'tø:nən 'ju:bəln]  
    Literally: to cheer in the highest sounds  
       
874.   Es lief wie am Schnürchen. It went like clockwork.
    [ɛs li:f vi: am 'ʃny:əçən]  
    Literally: It went like at a thin cord.  
       
875.   Jetzt ist der Ofen aus. It's all over.
    [jɛtst ɪst de:ɐ 'o:fən aus]  
    Literally: Now the oven is off.  
       
876.   Bei dir piept's wohl! You must be crazy!
    [bai di:ə pi:pts vo:l]  
    Literally: It is obviously peeping at you!  
       
877.   pudelnass sein to be soaking wet
    ['pu:dəlnas zain]  
    Literally: to be poodle wet  
       
878.   Nun mach mal dalli! Get a move on!
    [nu:n max ma:l 'dali]  
    Literally: Now make once quickly!  
       
879.   fix und fertig sein to be flaked out
    [fɪks ʊnt 'fɛrtɪç zain]  
    Literally: to be fixed and done  
       
880.   Erstens kommt es anders und zweitens als man denkt. Things never turn out the way you expect.
    ['e:ɐstəns kɔmt ɛs 'andɐs ʊnt 'tsvaitəns als man dɛŋkt]  
    Literally: Firstly it comes differently and secondly than you think.  
       
881.   Sei kein Frosch! Be a sport!
    [zai kain frɔʃ]  
    Literally: Be no frog!  
       
882.   Der Ton macht die Musik. It's not what you say but how you say it.
    [de:ɐ to:n maxt di: mu'zi:k]  
    Literally: The tone makes the music.  
       
883.   jemanden (←accusative) aufs Korn nehmen to satirize somebody
    ['je:mandən aufs kɔrn 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: to take somebody on the corn  
       
884.   jemanden (←accusative) nachäffen to ape somebody
    ['je:mandən 'n:axʔɛfən]  
       
885.   in null Komma nichts before you could say Jack Robinson
    [ɪn 'nʊl kɔma nɪçts]  
    Literally: in zero comma nothing  
       
886.   herumeiern to shilly-shally
    [hɛ'rʊmʔaiɐn]  
    Literally: to egg around  
       
887.   sich den Arsch abfrieren to freeze one's arse off
    [zɪç de:n arʃ 'apfri:rən]  
       
888.   Sei doch nicht so! Don't be like that!
    [zai dɔx nɪçt zo:]  
    Literally: Be not so!  
       
889.   keinen Bock auf etwas haben to not fancy doing something
    ['kainən bɔk auf 'ɛtvas 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have no buck on something  
       
890.   Du hast gut lachen! It's all right for you to laugh!
    [du: hast gu:t 'laxən]  
    Literally: You have good laughing!  
       
891.   jemandem (←dative) einen Strich durch die Rechnung machen to mess up somebody's plans for something
    ['je:mandəm 'ainən ʃtrɪç dʊrç di: 'rɛçnʊŋ 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make somebody a line through the invoice  
       
892.   den Geist aufgeben to give up the ghost
    [de:n gaist 'aufge:bən]  
       
893.   auf etwas pfeifen to not give a damn about something
    [auf 'ɛtvas 'pfaifən]  
    Literally: to whistle on something  
       
894.   Das kann ja heiter werden! (ironic) This should be good!
    [das kan ja: 'haitɐ 've:ɐdən]  
    Literally: That can really become cheerful!  
       
895.   schon in den Startlöchern stehen to be on one's blocks
    [ʃo:n ɪn de:n 'ʃtartlœçɐn 'ʃte:ən]  
    Literally: to stand already in the starting holes  
       
896.   Fragen kostet nichts. It doesn't cost anything to ask.
    ['fra:gən 'kɔstət nɪçts]  
    Literally: Asking costs nothing.  
       
897.   aus heiterem Himmel out of the blue
    [aus 'haitərəm 'hɪməl]  
    Literally: out of the bright sky  
       
898.   nicht das Schwarze unterm Fingernagel wert sein to not be worth a cup of cold piss
    [nɪçt das 'ʃvartsə 'ʊntɐm 'fɪŋɐna:gəl ve:ɐt zain]  
    Literally: to not be worth the black under the fingernail  
       
899.   sich zu früh freuen to crow too soon
    [zɪç tsu: fry: 'frɔyən]  
    Literally: to be pleased too soon  
       
900.   Kunst hat Gunst. He who has an art has everywhere a part.
    [kʊnst hat gʊnst]  
    Literally: Art has favour.  
 
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