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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 901 - 950    

Idioms No. 901 - 950
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
901.   Ein Hund hat ein Herrchen, eine Katze hat Personal A dog has an owner. A cat has staff.
    [ain hʊnt hat ain 'hɛrçən 'ainə 'katsə hat pɛrzo'nal]  
    Literally: A dog has a young master, a cat has staff.  
       
902.   Wes Brot ich ess', des Lied ich sing'. He who has the gold, makes the rules.
    [vɛs bro:t ɪç ɛs dɛs li:t ɪç zɪŋ]  
    Literally: Whose bread I eat, whose song I sing.  
       
903.   Wer zahlt, schafft an. He who pays the piper calls the tune.
    [ve:ɐ tsa:lt ʃaft an]  
    Literally: Who pays purchases.  
       
904.   Kehr erst mal vor deiner eigenen Haustür! Physician, heal thyself!
    [ke:ɐ e:ɐst ma:l fɔɐ 'dainɐ 'aigənən 'hausty:ə]  
    Literally: Sweep in front of your own house door first!  
       
905.   Es liegt genau vor deiner Nase. It's right under your nose.
    [ɛs li:kt gə'nau fɔɐ 'dainɐ 'na:zə]  
    Literally: It lies exactly in front of your nose.  
       
906.   sich ins eigene Fleisch schneiden to cut off one's nose to spite one's face
    [zɪç ɪns 'aigənə flaiʃ 'ʃnaidən]  
    Literally: to cut oneself into one's own flesh  
       
907.   das Herz am richtigen Fleck haben to have one's heart in the right place
    [das hɛrts am 'rɪçtɪgən flɛk 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have the heart at the right place  
       
908.   andere Saiten aufziehen to change tune
    ['andərə 'zaitən 'auftsi:ən]  
    Literally: to put on other strings  
       
909.   Wem sagst du das! Tell me about it!
    [ve:m za:kst du: das]  
    Literally: To whom say you that!  
       
910.   einen schlechten Tag haben to have an off-day
    ['ainən 'ʃlɛçtən ta:k 'habən]  
    Literally: to have a bad day  
       
911.   Na, na! (interjection of indignation) Now, now!
    [na na]  
       
912.   Voller Bauch studiert nicht gern. You can't study on a full stomach.
    ['fɔlɐ baux ʃtu'di:rt nɪçt gɛrn]  
    Literally: Full belly does not study with pleasure.  
       
913.   Es fiel mir wie Schuppen von den Augen. The scales fell from my eyes.
    [ɛs fi:l mi:ə vi: 'ʃʊpən fɔn de:n 'augən]  
    Literally: It fell like scales from my eyes.  
       
914.   sternhagelvoll sein to be as high as a kite
    ['ʃtɛrnha:gəl'fɔl zain]  
    Literally: to be starhailfull  
       
915.   Es knistert im Gebälk. There's trouble in the air.
    [ɛs 'knɪstɐt ɪm gə'bɛlk]  
    Literally: It crackles in the timbers.  
       
916.   in der Familie liegen to run in the family
    [ɪn de:ɐ fa'mi:liə 'li:gən]  
    Literally: to lie in the family  
       
917.   eine Runde spendieren to buy a round
    ['ainə 'rʊndə ʃpɛn'di:rən]  
       
918.   Der Teufel scheißt immer auf den größten Haufen. Money makes money.
    [de:ɐ 'tɔyfəl ʃaist 'ɪmɐ auf de:n 'grø:stən 'haufən]  
    Literally: The devil shits always on the biggest heap.  
       
919.   jemanden (←accusative) unter den Tisch saufen to drink somebody under the table
    ['je:mandən 'ʊntɐ de:n tɪʃ 'zaufən]  
    Literally: to booze somebody under the table  
       
920.   wie das blühende Leben aussehen to look in the pink
    [vi: das 'bly:əndə 'le:bən 'ausze:ən]  
    Literally: to look like the blooming life  
       
921.   Kalte Hände, warmes Herz. Cold hands, warm heart.
    ['kaltə 'hɛndə 'varməs hɛrts]  
       
922.   kein Sitzfleisch haben to be always on the go
    [kain 'zɪtsflaiʃ 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have no sitting flesh  
       
923.   sich schieflachen to be in stitches
    [zɪç 'ʃi:flaxən]  
    Literally: to laugh oneself crooked  
       
924.   sich Asche aufs Haupt streuen to wear sackcloth and ashes
    [zɪç 'aʃə aufs haupt 'ʃtrɔyən]  
    Literally: to scatter oneself ashes on the head  
       
925.   Was man sich eingebrockt hat, muss man auch auslöffeln. As you have brewed, so you must drink.
    [vas man zɪç 'aingəbrɔkt hat mʊs man aux 'auslœfəln]  
    Literally: What you have chunked in to yourself, you must spoon out.  
       
926.   auf Biegen und Brechen by hook or by crook
    [auf 'bi:gən ʊnt 'brɛçən]  
    Literally: on bending and breaking  
       
927.   etwas x-mal tun to do something umpteen times
    ['ɛtvas 'ɪksma:l tu:n]  
    Literally: to do something x times  
       
928.   in jemanden (←accusative) vernarrt sein to be besotted with somebody
    [ɪn 'je:mandən fɛɐ'nart zain]  
    Literally: to be besotted in somebody  
       
929.   in die Röhre gucken to be left out in the cold
    [ɪn di: 'rø:rə 'kʊkən]  
    Literally: to look in the tube  
       
930.   völlig von der Rolle sein to be all over the place
    ['fœlɪç fɔn de:ɐ 'rɔlə zain]  
    Literally: to be completely off the role  
       
931.   Bemalte Blumen duften nicht. Painted flowers have no scent.
    [bə'ma:ltə 'blu:mən 'dʊftən nɪçt]  
    Literally: Painted flowers do not smell.  
       
932.   Halt die Klappe! Shut your trap!
    [halt di: 'klapə]  
    Literally: Hold the flap (shut)!  
       
933.   Die großen Fische fressen die kleinen. Big fish eat little fish.
    [di: 'gro:sən 'fɪʃə 'frɛsən di: 'klainən]  
    Literally: The big fish eat the little.  
       
934.   Alles in Butter! Everything is hunky-dory!
    ['aləs ɪn 'bʊtɐ]  
    Literally: Everything in butter!  
       
935.   tief in der Tinte sitzen to be deep in the mire
    [ti:f ɪn de:ɐ 'tɪntə 'zɪtsən]  
    Literally: to sit deep in the ink  
       
936.   Etwas ist besser als gar nichts. Half a loaf is better than no bread.
    ['ɛtvas ɪst 'bɛsɐ als ga:ɐ nɪçts]  
    Literally: Something is better than nothing at all.  
       
937.   einen Bock schießen to make a bull
    ['ainən bɔk 'ʃi:sən]  
    Literally: to shoot a buck  
       
938.   aus tiefstem Herzen from the bottom of one's heart
    [aus 'ti:fstəm 'hɛrtsən]  
    Literally: out of deepest heart  
       
939.   die Ruhe vor dem Sturm the calm before the storm
    [di: 'ru:ə fɔɐ de:m ʃtʊrm]  
       
940.   Was der Bauer nicht kennt, das frisst er nicht. Some people won't eat anything they have never seen before.
    [vas de:ɐ 'bauɐ nɪçt kɛnt das frɪst e:ɐ nɪçt]  
    Literally: What the farmer does not know, that he does not eat.  
       
941.   einer Sache auf den Grund gehen to get to the bottom of something
    ['ainɐ 'zaxə auf de:n grʊnt 'ge:ən]  
    Literally: to go on the bottom of a matter  
       
942.   Sekt oder Selters feast or famine
    [zɛkt o:dɐ 'zɛltɐs]  
    Literally: sparkling wine or seltzer  
       
943.   eine Heidenarbeit sein to be a devil of a job
    ['ainə 'haidənʔarbait zain]  
    Literally: to be a pagan's work  
       
944.   Danke der Nachfrage. Thank you for your concern.
    ['daŋkə de:ɐ 'na:xfra:gə]  
    Literally: Thank you for asking.  
       
945.   Perlen vor die Säue werfen to cast pearls before swine
    ['pɛrlən fɔɐ di: 'zɔyə 'vɛrfən]  
    Literally: to throw pearls in front of the sows  
       
946.   Es ist zum Verrücktwerden! It's enough to drive you mad!
    [ɛs ɪst tsʊm fɛɐ'rʏktve:ɐdən]  
    Literally: It is (enough) to become crazy!  
       
947.   Bleib ruhig! Keep cool!
    ['blaip 'ru:ɪç]  
    Literally: Stay calm!  
       
948.   Löcher in die Luft starren to stare into space
    ['lœçɐ ɪn di: lʊft 'ʃtarən]  
    Literally: to stare holes in the air  
       
949.   Zutritt verboten! Keep out!
    ['tsu:trɪt fɛɐ'bo:tən]  
    Literally: Access forbidden!  
       
950.   auf einem hohen Ross sitzen to be on one's high horse
    [auf 'ainəm 'ho:ən rɔs 'zɪtsən]  
    Literally: to sit on a high steed  
 
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