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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 51 - 100    

Idioms No. 51 - 100
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
51.   für nichts und wieder nichts for nothing at all
    [fy:ə nɪçts ʊnt 'vi:dɐ nɪçts]  
    Literally: for nothing and again nothing  
       
52.   dumm aus der Wäsche gucken to look dumbfounded
    [dʊm aus de:ɐ 'vɛʃə 'kʊkən]  
    Literally: to look stupid out of the linen  
       
53.   Mit Speck fängt man Mäuse. Good bait catches fine fish.
    [mɪt ʃpɛk fɛŋt man 'mɔyzə]  
    Literally: With bacon fat you catch mice.  
       
54.   die Kuh vom Eis holen to save the situation
    [di: ku: fɔm ais 'ho:lən]  
    Literally: to get the cow from the ice  
       
55.   jemanden (←accusative) auf Trab bringen to bring somebody up to speed
    ['je:mandən auf tra:p 'brɪŋən]  
    Literally: to bring somebody on trot  
       
56.   Keine Ahnung. No idea.
    ['kainə 'a:nʊŋ]  
       
57.   jemandem (←dative) alles Gute wünschen to wish somebody well
    ['je:mandəm 'aləs 'gu:tə 'vʏnʃən]  
    Literally: to wish somebody all good  
       
58.   Halt die Ohren steif! Keep a stiff upper lip!
    [halt di: 'o:rən ʃtaif]  
    Literally: Keep the ears stiff!  
       
59.   sich in die Nesseln setzen to get in hot water
    [zɪç ɪn di: 'nɛsəln 'zɛtsən]  
    Literally: to sit down in the nettles  
       
60.   Alles hat einmal ein Ende. It is a long lane that has no turning.
    ['aləs hat 'ainma:l ain 'ɛndə]  
    Literally: Everything has an end some day.  
       
61.   Adel verpflichtet. Noblesse oblige.
    ['a:dəl fɛɐ'pflɪçtət]  
       
62.   Holzauge, sei wachsam! Keep your eyes peeled!
    ['hɔltsaugə zai 'vaxza:m]  
    Literally: Wooden eye, be watchful!  
       
63.   Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Qual. The bigger the choice, the harder it is to choose.
    [ve:ɐ di: va:l hat, hat di: kva:l]  
    Literally: Whoever has the choice has the torment.  
       
64.   Gebranntes Kind scheut das Feuer. Once bitten, twice shy.
    [gə'brantəs kɪnt ʃɔyt das 'fɔyɐ]  
    Literally: Burnt child dreads the fire.  
       
65.   Da wird doch der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt. It's enough to drive a person mad.
    [da: vɪrt dɔx de:ɐ hʊnt ɪn de:ɐ 'pfanə fɛɐ'rʏkt]  
    Literally: That's when the dog in the pan goes crazy.  
       
66.   die Katze im Sack kaufen to buy a pig in a poke
    [di: 'katsə ɪm zak 'kaufən]  
    Literally: to buy the cat in the sack  
       
67.   Was man nicht im Kopf hat, muss man in den Beinen haben. Use your head to save your heels.
    [vas man nɪçt ɪm kɔpf hat, mʊs man ɪn de:n 'bainən 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: What you do not have in the head, you must have in the legs.  
       
68.   Kleider machen Leute. Fine feathers make fine birds.
    ['klaidɐ 'maxən 'lɔytə]  
    Literally: Clothes make people.  
       
69.   mit dem Strom (←dative) schwimmen to go with the flow/tide
    [mɪt de:m ʃtro:m 'ʃvɪmən]  
    Literally: to swim with the stream  
       
70.   als Kind zu heiß gebadet worden sein to have been dropped on one's head as a baby.
    [als kɪnt tsu: hais gə'ba:dət 'vɔrdən zain]  
    Literally: to have been bathed too hot as a child  
       
71.   Eigenlob stinkt. He that praises himself spatters himself.
    ['aigənlo:p ʃtɪŋkt]  
    Literally: Self-praise stinks.  
       
72.   sein Herz auf der Zunge tragen to wear one's heart on one's sleeve
    [zain hɛrts auf de:ɐ 'tsʊŋə 'tra:gən]  
    Literally: to wear one's heart on the tongue  
       
73.   über Gott und die Welt reden to talk about anything and everything
    ['y:bɐ gɔt ʊnt di: vɛlt 're:dən]  
    Literally: to talk about God and the world  
       
74.   Wer andern eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein. The biter will be bitten.
    [ve:ɐ 'andɐn 'ainə 'gru:bə grɛ:pt, fɛlt zɛlpst hɪ'nain]  
    Literally: Who digs a pit for others, falls into it himself.  
       
75.   Ehre, wem Ehre gebührt. To each saint his candle.
    ['e:rə, ve:m 'e:rə gə'by:ət]  
    Literally: Honour to whom honour is due.  
       
76.   mit der Tür ins Haus fallen to go like a bull at a gate
    [mɪt de:ɐ ty:ə ɪns haus 'falən]  
    Literally: to fall into the house with the door  
       
77.   Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall. Pride goes before a fall.
    ['ho:xmu:t kɔmt vɔɐ de:m fal]  
    Literally: Arrogance comes before the fall.  
       
78.   Morgenstund' hat Gold im Mund. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
    ['mɔrgənʃtʊnt hat gɔlt ɪm mʊnt]  
    Literally: Morning hour has gold in the mouth.  
       
79.   Der Zug ist abgefahren. You've missed the boat.
    [de:ɐ tsu:k ɪst 'apgəfa:rən]  
    Literally: The train has left.  
       
80.   Die Welt ist ein Dorf. It's a small world.
    [di: vɛlt ɪst ain dɔrf]  
    Literally: The world is a village.  
       
81.   ein Wolf im Schafspelz sein to be a wolf in sheep's clothing
    [ain vɔlf ɪm 'ʃa:fspɛlts zain]  
    Literally: to be a wolf in the sheep's fur  
       
82.   Das ist ein starkes Stück! That's pretty steep!
    [das ɪst ain 'ʃtarkəs ʃtʏk]  
    Literally: That's a thick piece!  
       
83.   mit jemandem (←dative) ein Hühnchen zu rupfen haben to have a bone to pick with somebody
    [mɪt 'je:mandəm ain 'hy:nçən tsu: 'rʊpfən 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a spring chicken to pluck with somebody  
       
84.   die beleidigte Leberwurst spielen to be a sorehead
    [di: bə'laidɪçtə 'le:bɐvʊrst 'ʃpi:lən]  
    Literally: to play the insulted liver sausage  
       
85.   seine Schäfchen ins Trockene gebracht haben to be home and dry
    ['zainə 'ʃɛ:fçən ɪns 'trɔkənə gə'braxt 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have brought one's little sheep into the dry  
       
86.   den Bock zum Gärtner machen to set a fox to keep the geese
    [de:n bɔk tsʊm 'gɛrtnɐ 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make the billy goat the gardener  
       
87.   die Kirche im Dorf lassen not to get carried away
    [di: 'kɪrçə ɪm dɔrf 'lasən]  
    Literally: to leave the church in the village  
       
88.   Klappern gehört zum Handwerk. Puff is part of the trade.
    ['klapɐn gə'hø:ɐt tsʊm 'hantvɛrk]  
    Literally: Rattling belongs to the trade.  
       
89.   einen Narren an jemandem (←dative) gefressen haben to be dotty about somebody
    ['ainən 'narən an 'je:mandəm gə'frɛsən ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have eaten a fool about somebody  
       
90.   Von ihm/ihr (←dative) kann man sich eine Scheibe abschneiden. You can take a leaf out of his/her book.
    [fɔn i:m/i:ə kan man zɪç 'ainə 'ʃaibə 'apʃnaidən]  
    Literally: You can cut a slice off him/her.  
       
91.   jemandem (←dative) das Wasser nicht reichen können to be unable to hold a candle to someone
    ['je:mandəm das 'vasɐ nɪçt 'raiçən ˈkœnən]  
    Literally: to be unable to hand somebody the water  
       
92.   jemandem (←dative) die Stirn bieten to defy somebody
    ['je:mandəm di: ʃtɪrn bi:tən]  
    Literally: to show somebody the forehead  
       
93.   Hier spielt die Musik! This is where it's at!
    [hi:ə ʃpi:lt di: mu'zi:k]  
    Literally: Here plays the music!  
       
94.   Wenn..., dann bin ich der Kaiser von China! If..., then I'm a Chinaman!
    [vɛn..., dan bɪn ɪç de:ɐ 'kaizɐ fɔn 'çi:na]  
    Literally: If..., then I am the emperor of China!  
       
95.   ein dickes Fell haben to be thick-skinned
    [ain 'dɪkəs fɛl 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a thick fur  
       
96.   Hinz und Kunz every Tom, Dick and Harry
    [hɪnts ʊnt kʊnts]  
    Literally: Hinz and Kunz (German family names)  
       
97.   der letzte Schrei sein to be all the rage
    [de:ɐ 'lɛtstə ʃrai zain]  
    Literally: to be the last cry  
       
98.   Augen zu und durch! Grit your teeth and get to it!
    ['augən tsu: ʊnt dʊrç]  
    Literally: Eyes closed and through!  
       
99.   Die dümmsten Bauern haben die dicksten Kartoffeln. Fortune favours fools.
    [di: 'dʏmstən 'bauɐn 'ha:bən di: 'dɪkstən kar'tɔfəln]  
    Literally: The most stupid farmers have the biggest potatoes.  
       
100.   Ein guter Hahn wird selten fett. A sexually active man remains fit.
    [ain 'gu:tɐ ha:n vɪrt 'zɛltən fɛt]  
    Literally: A good cock seldom becomes fat.  
 
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