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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 1.051 - 1.100    

Idioms No. 1.051 - 1.100
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
1.051.   die Notbremse ziehen to apply the emergency brake
    [di: 'no:tbrɛmzə 'tsi:ən]  
    Literally: to pull the emergency brake  
       
1.052.   eine blühende Fantasie haben to have a fertile imagination
    ['ainə 'bly:əndə fanta'zi: 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a blooming fantasy  
       
1.053.   zwei linke Hände haben to be all thumbs
    [tsvai 'lɪŋkə 'hɛndə 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have two left hands  
       
1.054.   den Bach runtergehen to go down the drain
    [de:n bax 'rʊntɐge:ən]  
    Literally: to go down the brook  
       
1.055.   Es steht dir frei. It is open to you.
    [ɛs ʃte:t di:ə frai]  
    Literally: It stands free to you.  
       
1.056.   ins Geld gehen to cost a pretty penny
    [ɪns gɛlt 'ge:ən]  
    Literally: to go in the money  
       
1.057.   jemandem (←dative) die Flötentöne beibringen to teach somebody what's what
    ['je:mandəm di: 'flø:təntø:nə 'baibrɪŋən]  
    Literally: to teach somebody the flute sounds  
       
1.058.   nur noch ein Schatten seiner selbst sein to be a shadow of one's former self
    [nu:ə nɔx ain 'ʃatən 'zainɐ zɛlpst zain]  
    Literally: to only be a shadow of oneself  
       
1.059.   mit eingezogenem Schwanz with one's tail between one's legs
    [mɪt 'aingəzo:gənəm ʃvants]  
    Literally: with withdrawn tail  
       
1.060.   jemandem (←dative) einen Gefallen tun to do somebody a favour
    ['je:mandəm 'ainən gə'falən tu:n]  
       
1.061.   sich ordentlich ins Zeug legen to put one's shoulder to the wheel
    [zɪç 'ɔrdəntlɪç ɪns tsɔyk 'le:gən]  
    Literally: to lay oneself properly in the stuff  
       
1.062.   Kopf oder Zahl head or tail
    [kɔpf 'o:dɐ tsa:l]  
    Literally: head or number  
       
1.063.   So wahr mir Gott helfe! So help me God!
    [zo: va:ɐ mi:ə gɔt 'hɛlfə]  
    Literally: As truly as God may help me!  
       
1.064.   dicke Freunde sein to get on like a house on fire
    ['dɪkə 'frɔyndə zain]  
    Literally: to be thick friends  
       
1.065.   in Bombenstimmung sein to be bomb-happy
    [ɪn 'bɔmbənʃtɪmʊŋ zain]  
    Literally: to be in bomb mood  
       
1.066.   Dicke Luft! Trouble's brewing!
    ['dɪkə lʊft]  
    Literally: Thick air!  
       
1.067.   ... und die Sache ist erledigt. ... and Bob's your uncle.
    [ʊnt di: 'zaxə ɪst ɛɐ'le:dɪçt]  
    Literally: ... and the matter is settled.  
       
1.068.   wie bestellt und nicht abgeholt all dressed-up and with nowhere to go
    [vi: bə'ʃtɛlt ʊnt nɪçt 'apgəho:lt]  
    Literally: like ordered and not picked up  
       
1.069.   Luftschlösser bauen to build castles in the air
    ['lʊftʃlœsɐ 'bauən]  
    Literally: to build air castles  
       
1.070.   Alles paletti! Everything's OK!
    ['aləs pa'lɛti]  
       
1.071.   Schuster, bleib bei deinem Leisten. Cobbler, stick to your last.
    ['ʃu:stɐ blaip bai 'dainəm 'laistən]  
    Literally: Cobbler, stay with your last.  
       
1.072.   Immer schön geschmeidig bleiben! Keep cool!
    ['ɪmɐ ʃø:n gə'ʃmaidɪç 'blaibən]  
    Literally: Always stay pretty smooth!  
       
1.073.   etwas ins Reine bringen to clear something up
    ['ɛtvas ɪns 'rainə 'brɪŋən]  
    Literally: to bring something in the clean  
       
1.074.   jemandem (←dative) eine Standpauke halten to give somebody a roasting
    ['je:mandəm 'ainə 'ʃtantpaukə 'haltən]  
    Literally: to hold somebody a telling-off  
       
1.075.   Das ist der ganz normale Wahnsinn! Situation normal, all fucked up!
    [das ɪst de:ɐ gants nɔr'ma:lə 'va:nzɪn]  
    Literally: That is the quite normal madness!  
       
1.076.   jemandem (←dative) sein letztes Hemd geben to give somebody the shirt off one's back
    ['je:mandəm zain 'lɛtstəs hɛmt 'ge:bən]  
    Literally: to give somebody one's last shirt  
       
1.077.   Es ist nur Theater. It's just play-acting.
    [ɛs ɪst nu:ə te'ʔa:tɐ]  
    Literally: It is only theatre.  
       
1.078.   Das ist mir scheißegal! I don't give a shit!
    [das ɪst mi:ə 'ʃaisʔe'ga:l]  
    Literally: That is shit equal to me!  
       
1.079.   Was für eine Affenhitze! What a scorcher!
    [vas fy:ə 'ainə 'afənhɪtsə]  
    Literally: What a monkey's heat!  
       
1.080.   Beim besten Willen nicht. Not with the best will in the world.
    [baim 'bɛstən 'vɪlən nɪçt]  
    Literally: With the best will not.  
       
1.081.   seinen Augen nicht trauen to not believe one's eyes
    ['zainən 'augən nɪçt 'trauən]  
    Literally: to not trust one's eyes  
       
1.082.   ein Feuer schüren to stoke up a fire
    [ain 'fɔyɐ 'ʃy:rən]  
    Literally: to poke a fire  
       
1.083.   Fahr zur Hölle! Go to hell!
    [fa:ɐ tsu:ə 'hœlə]  
       
1.084.   bis über beide Ohren in etwas stecken to be up to one's eyeballs in something
    [bɪs 'y:bɐ 'baidə 'o:rən ɪn 'ɛtvas 'ʃtɛkən]  
    Literally: to stick in something up to both ears  
       
1.085.   den Hals nicht voll kriegen können not to be able to get enough
    [de:n hals nɪçt 'fɔlkri:gən 'kœnən]  
    Literally: not to be able to get the throat full  
       
1.086.   Noch einen Mucks und...! One peep out of you and...!
    [nɔx 'ainən mʊks ʊnt]  
    Literally: Still one murmur and...!  
       
1.087.   Ruhe auf den billigen Plätzen! No remarks from the peanut gallery!
    ['ru:ə auf de:n 'bɪlɪgən 'plɛtsən]  
    Literally: Silence on the cheap places!  
       
1.088.   jemanden (←accusative) zum Gespött machen to make a mockery of somebody
    ['je:mandən tsʊm gə'ʃpœt 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make somebody to the mockery  
       
1.089.   Es gibt nichts Gutes, außer man tut es. Actions speak louder than words.
    [ɛs gi:pt nɪçts 'gu:təs 'ausɐ man tu:t ɛs]  
    Literally: There is no good except one does it.  
       
1.090.   Wer's glaubt, wird selig! A likely story!
    [ve:ɐs glaupt vɪrt 'ze:lɪç]  
    Literally: Who believes it, becomes blessed!  
       
1.091.   Jeder ist sich selbst der Nächste. Every man for himself.
    ['je:dɐ ɪst zɪç zɛlpst de:ɐ 'nɛ:çstə]  
    Literally: Everybody is the next to oneself.  
       
1.092.   seinen eigenen Kopf haben to have a mind of one's own
    ['zainən 'aigənən kɔpf 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have one's own head  
       
1.093.   Das ist schon die halbe Miete. That's half the battle.
    [das ɪst ʃo:n di: 'halbə 'mi:tə]  
    Literally: That is already half the rent.  
       
1.094.   völlig abgebrannt sein to be completely broke
    ['fœlɪç 'apgəbrant zain]  
    Literally: to be completely burned off  
       
1.095.   die Spur verlieren to be thrown off the track
    [di: ʃpu:ə fɛɐ'li:rən]  
    Literally: to lose the trace  
       
1.096.   nicht die geringste Chance haben to not have the chance of a snowflake in hell
    [nɪçt di: gə'rɪŋstə 'ʃã:sə 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to not have the slightest chance  
       
1.097.   die Launen des Schicksals (←genitive) the vicissitudes of life
    [di: 'launən dɛs 'ʃɪkza:ls]  
    Literally: the moods of destiny  
       
1.098.   Die kleinen Diebe hängt man, die großen lässt man laufen. Little thieves are hanged, but great ones escape.
    [di: 'klainən 'di:bə hɛŋt man di: 'gro:sən lɛst man 'laufən]  
    Literally: The little thieves one hangs, the great ones one lets go.  
       
1.099.   Keine faulen Ausreden! No skiving!
    ['kainə 'faulən 'ausre:dən]  
    Literally: No foul excuses!  
       
1.100.   Das ist ja ein schönes Durcheinander! That's a pretty mess!
    [das ɪst ja: ain 'ʃø:nəs dʊrçʔai'nandɐ]  
    Literally: That is really a nice mess!  
 
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