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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 951 - 1.000    

Idioms No. 951 - 1.000
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
951.   ein Glückspilz sein to be a lucky devil
    [ain 'glʏkspɪlts zain]  
    Literally: to be a mushroom of luck  
       
952.   Was weiß ich! Search me!
    [vas vais ɪç]  
    Literally: What know I!  
       
953.   wie die Faust aufs Auge passen to be like chalk and cheese
    [vi: di: faust aufs 'augə 'pasən]  
    Literally: to match like the fist on the eye  
       
954.   es zu weit treiben to carry things too far
    [ɛs tsu: vait 'traibən]  
    Literally: to drive it too far  
       
955.   den Rekord brechen to break the record
    [de:n re'kɔrt 'brɛçən]  
       
956.   einen aussichtslosen Kampf führen to fight a losing battle
    ['ainən 'auszɪçtslo:zən kampf 'fy:rən]  
    Literally: to lead a hopeless battle  
       
957.   Es ist eine Sisyphusarbeit. It's like painting the Forth Bridge.
    [ɛs ɪst 'ainə 'zi:zyfʊsʔarbait]  
    Literally: It is a Sisyphean work.  
       
958.   jemandem (←dative) wieder auf die Beine helfen to give somebody a leg-up
    ['je:mandəm 'vi:dɐ auf di: 'bainə 'hɛlfən]  
    Literally: to help somebody on the legs again  
       
959.   jemandem (←dative) ein paar hinter die Ohren hauen to give somebody a thick ear
    ['je:mandəm ain pa:ɐ 'hɪntɐ di: 'o:rən 'hauən]  
    Literally: to beat somebody a few behind the ears  
       
960.   einen Kater haben to have a hangover
    ['ainən 'ka:tɐ 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a tomcat  
       
961.   sich vor Angst in die Hose machen to be scared shitless
    [zɪç fɔɐ aŋst ɪn di: 'ho:zə 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make oneself in the trousers by fear  
       
962.   zittern wie Espenlaub to quake in one's boots
    ['tsɪtɐn vi: 'ɛspənlaup]  
    Literally: to shiver like aspen leaves  
       
963.   Lass dich nicht stören! Don't mind me!
    [las dɪç nɪçt 'ʃtø:rən]  
    Literally: Don't let yourself be disturbed!  
       
964.   Das Spiel ist aus! The game is up!
    [das ʃpi:l ɪst aus]  
    Literally: The game is off!  
       
965.   nicht die leiseste Ahnung haben to not have the least inkling
    [nɪçt di: 'laizəstə 'a:nʊŋ 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to not have the slightest idea  
       
966.   knapp bei Kasse sein to be a bit hard up
    [knap bai 'kasə zain]  
    Literally: to be short with cash  
       
967.   von der Bildfläche verschwinden to disappear from the screen
    [fɔn de:ɐ 'bɪltflɛçə fɛɐ'ʃvɪndən]  
    Literally: to vanish from the image area  
       
968.   ein Stoßgebet zum Himmel schicken to send up a quick prayer
    [ain 'ʃto:sgə'be:t tsʊm 'hɪməl 'ʃɪkən]  
    Literally: to send a pushing prayer towards the heaven  
       
969.   nicht viele Worte machen to not waste words
    [nɪçt 'fi:lə 'vɔrtə 'maxən]  
    Literally: to not make many words  
       
970.   ein Mann von echtem Schrot und Korn sein to be a man of sterling qualities
    [ain man fɔn 'ɛçtəm ʃro:t ʊnt kɔrn zain]  
    Literally: to be a man of real wholemeal and grain  
       
971.   Tränen lachen to laugh oneself to tears
    ['trɛ:nən 'laxən]  
    Literally: to laugh tears  
       
972.   Mensch Meier! Jeepers creepers!
    [mɛnʃ 'maiɐ]  
    Literally: Human Meier*!  
    *Meier means dairy farmer  
       
973.   steif wie ein Brett sein to be as stiff as a board
    [ʃtaif vi: ain brɛt zain]  
       
974.   wie warme Semmeln* weggehen to sell like hot cakes
    [vi: 'varmə 'zɛməln 'vɛkge:ən]  
    Literally: to go away like warm bread rolls  
    *Semmel is another word for Brötchen (bread roll) which is mostly used in the south of Germany and Austria  
       
975.   Aus nichts wird nichts. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
    [aus nɪçts vɪrt nɪçts]  
    Literally: Out of nothing turns nothing.  
       
976.   Mühsam ernährt sich das Eichhörnchen. Little by little, the bird builds its nest.
    ['my:za:m ɛɐ'nɛ:ɐt zɪç das 'aiçhœrnçən]  
    Literally: Laboriously the little oak horn nourishes itself.  
       
977.   Gar nicht so übel! Not so dusty!
    [ga:ɐ nɪçt zo: 'y:bəl]  
    Literally: Not so bad at all!  
       
978.   ein Traumtänzer sein to live in a dream world
    [ain 'traumtɛntsɐ zain]  
    Literally: to be a dream dancer  
       
979.   Bist du das? Is that you?
    [bɪst du: das]  
    Literally: Are you that?  
       
980.   Nimm deine Dreckpfoten weg! Get your bleeding hands off!
    [nɪm 'dainə 'drɛkpfo:tən vɛk]  
    Literally: Take away your dirty paws!  
       
981.   Beziehungen spielen lassen to pull wires
    [bə'tsi:ʊŋən 'ʃpi:lən 'lasən]  
    Literally: to let relations play  
       
982.   Ich packe das nicht. I cannot deal with this.
    [ɪç 'pakə das nɪçt]  
    Literally: I pack that not.  
       
983.   Hör auf rumzufummeln! Stop fiddling!
    [hø:ɐ auf 'rʊmtsu:fʊməln]  
       
984.   Das nervt! That sucks!
    [das nɛrft]  
    Literally: That nerves!  
       
985.   So eine Schande! What a shame!
    [zo: 'ainə 'ʃandə]  
    Literally: Such a disgrace!  
       
986.   eine eierlegende Wollmilchsau a jack of all trades device
    ['ainə 'aiɐle:gəndə 'vɔlmɪlçzau]  
    Literally: an egg laying wool milk sow  
       
987.   Mein Name ist Hase, ich weiß von nichts. I don't know anything about anything.
    [main 'na:mə ɪst 'ha:zə ɪç vais fɔn nɪçts]  
    Literally: My name is hare, I know of nothing.  
       
988.   ein hohes Tier sein to be a high muckamuck
    [ain 'ho:əs ti:ə zain]  
    Literally: to be a high animal  
       
989.   einen Dachschaden haben to have a screw loose
    ['ainən 'daxʃa:dən 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a roof damage  
       
990.   groß herauskommen to make it big
    [gro:s hɛ'rauskɔmən]  
    Literally: to come out big  
       
991.   das richtige Händchen haben to have the right touch
    [das 'rɪçtɪgə 'hɛntçən 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have the right little hand  
       
992.   einen grünen Daumen haben to have a green thumb
    ['ainən 'gry:nən 'daumən 'ha:bən]  
       
993.   teuer für etwas bezahlen to pay dearly for something
    ['tɔyɐ fy:ə 'ɛtvas bə'tsa:lən]  
    Literally: to pay expensively for something  
       
994.   So ist es eben. That's the way it is.
    [zo: ɪst ɛs 'e:bən]  
    Literally: So is it precisely.  
       
995.   Bohnen in den Ohren haben to be deaf
    ['bo:nən ɪn de:n 'o:rən 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have beans in the ears  
       
996.   einen dicken Hals kriegen to blow a fuse
    ['ainən 'dɪkən hals 'kri:gən]  
    Literally: to get a thick throat  
       
997.   des Guten (←genitive) zu viel sein to be overkill
    [dɛs 'gu:tən tsu: fi:l zain]  
    Literally: to be too much of the good  
       
998.   Frohes Fest! Merry Christmas!
    ['fro:əs fɛst]  
    Literally: Happy Feast!  
       
999.   Kapiert*? Got it?
    [ka'pi:ət]  
    Literally: Understood?  
    *Latin origin: capere = to comprehend  
       
1.000.   eine ehrliche Haut sein to be an honest soul
    ['ainə 'e:ɐlɪçə haut zain]  
    Literally: to be an honest skin  
 
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