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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 1.001 - 1.050    

Idioms No. 1.001 - 1.050
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
1.001.   Das ist eine glatte Lüge! That's a flat-out lie!
    [das ɪst 'ainə 'glatə 'ly:gə]  
    Literally: That is a flat lie!  
       
1.002.   sich über etwas schwarzärgern to drive oneself mad about something
    [zɪç 'y:bɐ 'ɛtvas 'ʃvartsʔɛrgɐn]  
    Literally: to annoy oneself black about something  
       
1.003.   bis zum Sankt-Nimmerleins-Tag until the cows come home
    [bɪs tsʊm zaŋkt 'nɪmɐlainsta:k]  
    Literally: until the Saint Never Day  
       
1.004.   bis zu einem gewissen Grad up to a certain extent
    [bɪs tsu: 'ainəm gə'vɪsən gra:t]  
    Literally: up to a certain degree  
       
1.005.   Zum Wohl! Cheerio!
    [tsʊm vo:l]  
    Literally: To the well-being!  
       
1.006.   Prosit Neujahr! Happy New Year!
    ['pro:zɪt 'nɔyja:ɐ]  
    Literally: Cheerio New Year!  
       
1.007.   jemandem (←dative) das Geld aus der Tasche ziehen to con money out of somebody
    ['je:mandəm das gɛlt aus de:ɐ 'taʃə 'tsi:ən]  
    Literally: to pull somebody the money out of the pocket  
       
1.008.   auf Granit beißen to bite on granite
    [auf gra'ni:t 'baisən]  
       
1.009.   Armer Kerl! Poor old chap!
    ['armɐ kɛrl]  
    Literally: Poor guy!  
       
1.010.   jemanden (←accusative) mit einem Fluch belegen to put a hex on somebody
    ['je:mandən mɪt 'ainəm flu:x bə'le:gən]  
    Literally: to impose somebody with a hex  
       
1.011.   Ich bin doch kein D-Zug! Don't hustle me, I can't go any faster!
    [ɪç bɪn dɔx kain 'de:tsu:k]  
    Literally: I am really no D-train!  
       
1.012.   Das ist eine schöne Geschichte! That's a pretty mess!
    [das ɪst 'ainə 'ʃø:nə gə'ʃɪçtə]  
    Literally: That is a nice story!  
       
1.013.   Du spinnst! You're crazy!
    [du: ʃpɪnst]  
    Literally: You spin.  
       
1.014.   Das ist ja total schwachsinnig. That's a mug's game.
    [das ɪst ja: to'ta:l 'ʃvaxzɪnɪç]  
    Literally: That is really totally weak-witted.  
       
1.015.   den lieben Gott einen guten Mann sein lassen to think the world well lost
    [de:n 'li:bən gɔt 'ainən 'gu:tən man zain 'lasən]  
    Literally: to let the dear God be a good man  
       
1.016.   Es war ein Kinderspiel. It was a doddle.
    [ɛs va:ɐ ain 'kɪndɐʃpi:l]  
    Literally: It was a children's game.  
       
1.017.   Gleiches mit Gleichem vergelten to return like for like
    ['glaiçəs mɪt 'glaiçəm fɛɐ'gɛltən]  
    Literally: to repay like with like  
       
1.018.   aus der Reihe tanzen to break ranks
    [aus de:ɐ 'raiə 'tantsən]  
    Literally: to dance out of the row  
       
1.019.   vom Hundertsten ins Tausendste kommen to get carried away and ramble on
    [fɔm 'hʊndɐtstən ɪns 'tauzəntstə 'kɔmən]  
    Literally: to come from the hundredth in the thousandth  
       
1.020.   Das ist eine berechtigte Frage. That's a legitimate question.
    [das ɪst 'ainə bə'rɛçtɪktə 'fra:gə]  
    Literally: That is a rightful question.  
       
1.021.   vermöbelt werden to take a shellacking
    [fɛɐ'mø:bəlt 've:ɐdən]  
    Literally: to get furnitured  
       
1.022.   sprachlos sein to be speechless
    ['ʃpra:xlo:s zain]  
       
1.023.   wie eine Leiche auf Urlaub aussehen to look like death warmed up
    [vi: 'ainə 'laiçə auf 'u:əlaup 'ausze:ən]  
    Literally: to look like a corpse on holiday  
       
1.024.   die Tür aufmachen to answer the door
    [di: ty:ə 'aufmaxən]  
    Literally: to make the door open  
       
1.025.   seinen Hintern in Bewegung setzen to move one's arse
    ['zainən 'hɪntɐn ɪn bə've:gʊŋ 'zɛtsən]  
    Literally: to set one's backside in motion  
       
1.026.   ein Schürzenjäger sein to be a womanizer
    [ain 'ʃʏrtsənjɛ:gɐ zain]  
    Literally: to be an apron hunter  
       
1.027.   Das ist nicht die feine englische Art. That's not a nice way.
    [das ɪst nɪçt di: 'fainə 'ɛŋlɪʃə a:ɐt]  
    Literally: That's not the fine english style.  
       
1.028.   einer unter vielen sein to be one among many
    ['ainɐ 'ʊntɐ 'fi:lən zain]  
       
1.029.   jemandem (←dative) keine Träne nachweinen not to shed a tear over somebody
    ['je:mandəm 'kainə 'trɛ:nə 'na:xvainən]  
    Literally: to cry no tear after somebody  
       
1.030.   im Regen stehen gelassen werden to be left out in the rain
    [ɪm 're:gən 'ʃte:ən gə'lasən 've:ɐdən]  
    Literally: to be left standing in the rain  
       
1.031.   quer denken to think outside the box
    [kve:ɐ 'dɛŋkən]  
    Literally: to think diagonally  
       
1.032.   reiner Zufall sein to be pure chance
    ['rainɐ 'tsu:fal zain]  
    Literally: to be pure coincidence  
       
1.033.   Die Leitung ist besetzt. The line is busy.
    [di: 'laitʊŋ ɪst bə'zɛtst]  
    Literally: The line is occupied.  
       
1.034.   eine weiße Weste haben to have a clean slate
    ['ainə 'vaisə 'vɛstə 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a white waistcoat  
       
1.035.   unter vier Augen between you and me and the gatepost
    ['ʊntɐ fi:ə 'augən]  
    Literally: under four eyes  
       
1.036.   etwas zu tief ins Glas geschaut haben to have had a drop too much
    ['ɛtvas tsu: ti:f ɪns gla:s gə'ʃaut 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have looked a little too deeply in the glass  
       
1.037.   auf Schritt und Tritt wherever one goes
    [auf ʃrɪt ʊnt trɪt]  
    Literally: on step and tread  
       
1.038.   sich in einer Zwickmühle befinden to be between the devil and the deep blue sea
    [zɪç ɪn 'ainɐ 'tsvɪkmy:lə bə'fɪndən]  
    Literally: to find oneself in a pinching mill  
       
1.039.   noch nicht trocken hinter den Ohren sein to be wet behind the ears
    [nɔx nɪçt 'trɔkən 'hɪntɐ de:n 'o:rən zain]  
    Literally: to not be dry behind the ears yet  
       
1.040.   Er/sie hat geguckt wie ein Auto. His/her eyes popped out of his/her head.
    [e:ɐ/zi: hat gə'kʊkt vi: ain 'auto]  
    Literally: He/she looked like a car.  
       
1.041.   nichts auf den Rippen haben to be just skin and bone
    [nɪçts auf de:n 'rɪpən 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have nothing on the ribs  
       
1.042.   *Krethi und Plethi every Tom, Dick and Harry
    ['kre:ti ʊnt 'ple:ti]  
    Literally: *probably stands for: Cretans and Philistines  
       
1.043.   Was passiert ist, ist passiert. Don't cry over spilt milk.
    [vas pa'si:ət ɪst ɪst pa'si:ət]  
    Literally: What has happened, has happened.  
       
1.044.   auf dem Pfad der Tugend wandeln to follow the path of virtue
    [auf de:m pfa:t de:ɐ 'tu:gənt 'vandəln]  
    Literally: to stroll on the path of the virtue  
       
1.045.   auf Teufel komm raus come hell or high water
    [auf 'tɔyfəl kɔm raus]  
    Literally: on devil come out  
       
1.046.   die Nase rümpfen to crinkle one's nose
    [di: 'na:zə 'rʏmpfən]  
    Literally: to wrinkle up the nose  
       
1.047.   Halt den Mund! Hold your noise!
    [halt de:n mʊnt]  
    Literally: Hold the mouth!  
       
1.048.   jemandem (←dative) den Rücken stärken to back somebody up
    ['je:mandəm de:n 'rʏkən 'ʃtɛrkən]  
    Literally: to strengthen somebody the back  
       
1.049.   auf Zack sein to be on the ball
    [auf tsak zain]  
    Literally: to be on chop  
       
1.050.   zum Schreien sein to be a scream
    [tsʊm 'ʃraiən zain]  
    Literally: to be for screaming  
 
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