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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 1.101 - 1.150    

Idioms No. 1.101 - 1.150
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
1.101.   Das ist mir Wurst! I couldn't care less!
    [das ɪst mi:ə vʊrst]  
    Literally: That is sausage to me!  
       
1.102.   Du bist mir (←dative) ein feiner Freund! A fine friend you are!
    [du: bɪst mi:ə ain 'fainɐ frɔynt]  
    Literally: You are a fine friend to me!  
       
1.103.   Es soll nicht wieder vorkommen! It won't happen again!
    [ɛs zɔl nɪçt 'vi:dɐ 'fɔɐkɔmən]  
    Literally: That shall not occur again!  
       
1.104.   sturmfreie Bude haben to have the place to oneself
    ['ʃtʊrmfraiə 'bu:də 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have storm free digs  
       
1.105.   jemandem (←dative) Kopfzerbrechen bereiten to cause somebody quite a headache
    ['je:mandəm 'kɔpftsɛrbrɛçən bə'raitən]  
    Literally: to cause somebody headbreak  
       
1.106.   ein Mauerblümchen sein to be a shrinking violet
    [ain 'mauɐbly:mçən zain]  
    Literally: to be a wallflower  
       
1.107.   jemanden (←accusative) um den Verstand bringen to drive somebody over the edge
    ['je:mandən ʊm de:n fɛɐ'ʃtant 'brɪŋən]  
    Literally: to bring somebody by one's mind  
       
1.108.   jemandem (←dative) in den Rücken fallen to stab somebody in the back
    ['je:mandəm ɪn de:n 'rʏkən 'falən]  
    Literally: to fall somebody in the back  
       
1.109.   über den Jordan gehen to go west
    ['y:bɐ de:n 'jɔrdan 'ge:ən]  
    Literally: to go over the Jordan  
       
1.110.   die Kurve kratzen to clear off
    [di: 'kʊrvə 'kratsən]  
    Literally: to scratch the curve  
       
1.111.   wie ein wild gewordener Handfeger herumlaufen to run around like a wild thing
    [vi: ain vɪlt gə'vɔrdənɐ 'hantfe:gɐ hɛ'rʊmlaufən]  
    Literally: to run around like a hand brush become wild  
       
1.112.   den Kopf hängen lassen to hang one's head
    [de:n kɔpf 'hɛŋən 'lasən]  
    Literally: to let one's head hang  
       
1.113.   Es gibt kein Patentrezept. No sure formula exists.
    [ɛs gi:pt kain pa'tɛntre'tsɛpt]  
    Literally: There is no patent recipe.  
       
1.114.   auf eigene Faust off one's own bat
    [auf 'aigənə faust]  
    Literally: on own fist  
       
1.115.   Fröhliche Ostern! Happy Easter!
    ['frø:lɪçə 'o:stɐn]  
       
1.116.   Knarrende Wagen fahren am längsten. A creaking door hangs longest.
    ['knarəndə 'va:gən 'fa:rən am 'lɛŋstən]  
    Literally: Creaking cars go longest.  
       
1.117.   den Faden verlieren to lose the thread
    [de:n 'fa:dən fɛɐ'li:rən]  
       
1.118.   Es wird nichts so heiß gegessen, wie es gekocht wird. Things are never as bad as they seem.
    [ɛs vɪrt nɪçts zo: hais gə'gɛsən vi: ɛs gə'kɔxt vɪrt]  
    Literally: Nothing is eaten as hot as it is cooked.  
       
1.119.   Zieh Leine! Go fly a kite!
    [zi: 'lainə]  
    Literally: Pull leash!  
       
1.120.   Mit Geduld und Zeit kommt man weit. Everything comes to him who waits.
    [mɪt gə'dʊlt ʊnt tsait kɔmt man vait]  
    Literally: With patience and time one gets far.  
       
1.121.   kein Auge zumachen to not get a wink of sleep
    [kain 'augə 'tsu:maxən]  
    Literally: to close no eye  
       
1.122.   Kampfgeist zeigen to show some fight
    ['kampfgaist 'tsaigən]  
    Literally: to show fighting spirit  
       
1.123.   eine alte Rechnung begleichen to settle an old score
    ['ainə 'altə 'rɛçnʊŋ bə'glaiçən]  
    Literally: to settle an old invoice  
       
1.124.   sich in etwas hineinknien to put one's back into something
    [zɪç ɪn 'ɛtvas hɪ'nainkni:n]  
    Literally: to kneel oneself in something  
       
1.125.   noch in den Kinderschuhen stecken to be still in its infancy
    [nɔx ɪn de:n 'kɪndɐʃu:ən 'ʃtɛkən]  
    Literally: to still stick in the children's shoes  
       
1.126.   böhmische Dörfer für jemanden (←accusative) sein to be all Greek to somebody
    ['bø:mɪʃə 'dœrfɐ fy:ə 'je:mandən zain]  
    Literally: to be bohemian villages for somebody  
       
1.127.   nur noch Bahnhof verstehen to not have the foggiest idea
    [nu:ə nɔx 'ba:nho:f fɛɐ'ʃte:ən]  
    Literally: to understand only railway station  
       
1.128.   Jetzt haben wir den Schlamassel. Now wer're in a right mess.
    [jɛtst 'ha:bən vi:ə de:n ʃla'masəl]  
    Literally: Now we have the muddle.  
       
1.129.   dumm wie Bohnenstroh sein to be as thick as two short planks
    ['dʊm vi: 'bo:nənʃtro: zain]  
    Literally: to be as dumb as bean's straw  
       
1.130.   ein Herz aus Stein haben to have a heart of flint
    [ain hɛrts aus ʃtain 'habən]  
    Literally: to have a heart of stone  
       
1.131.   die Wahrheit, die reine Wahrheit und nichts als die Wahrheit the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the
    [di: 'va:ɐhait di: 'rainə 'va:ɐhait ʊnt nɪçts als di: 'va:ɐhait] truth
    Literally: the truth, the pure truth and nothing but the truth  
       
1.132.   In einer leeren Tasche tanzt der Teufel. The devil dances in an empty pocket.
    [ɪn 'ainɐ 'le:rən 'taʃə tantst deɐ 'tɔyfəl]  
    Literally: In an empty pocket dances the devil.  
       
1.133.   in Bausch und Bogen lock, stock and barrel
    [ɪn bauʃ ʊnt 'bo:gən]  
    Literally: in puff and bow  
       
1.134.   im Eimer sein to be done for
    [ɪm 'aimɐ zain]  
    Literally: to be in the bucket  
       
1.135.   Sei still! Keep quiet!
    [zai ʃɪl]  
    Literally: Be still!  
       
1.136.   Dufte*! Neat!
    ['dʊftə]  
    *Berlin German = great  
       
1.137.   auf dem neuesten Stand sein to be up to speed
    [auf de:m 'nɔyəstən ʃtant zain]  
    Literally: to be on the newest state  
       
1.138.   zum hundertsten Mal for the umpteenth time
    [tsʊm 'hʊndɐtstən ma:l]  
    Literally: for the hundredth time  
       
1.139.   im Schutz der Dunkelheit under the cloak of darkness
    [ɪm ʃʊts de:ɐ 'dʊŋkəlhait]  
    Literally: in the protection of the darkness  
       
1.140.   den Ball flach halten to soft-pedal
    [de:n bal flax 'haltən]  
    Literally: to hold the ball flat  
       
1.141.   Keine Rose ohne Dornen. No rose without a thorn.
    ['kainə 'ro:zə 'o:nə 'dɔrnən]  
    Literally: No rose without thorns.  
       
1.142.   Hüte dich vor Katzen, die vorne lecken und hinten kratzen. Bees that have honey in their mouths have stings in their tails.
    ['hy:tə dɪç fɔɐ 'katsən di: 'fɔrnə 'lɛkən ʊnt 'hɪntən 'kratsən]  
    Literally: Beware of cats which lick at the front and scratch at the back  
       
1.143.   für ein Butterbrot for a song
    [fy:ə ain 'bʊtɐbro:t]  
    Literally: for a (slice of) buttered bread  
       
1.144.   im Nu in the twinkling of an eye
    [ɪm nu:]  
       
1.145.   Nachahmung ist das schönste Kompliment. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
    ['na:xʔa:mʊŋ ɪst das 'ʃø:nstə kɔmpli'mɛnt]  
    Literally: Imitation is the nicest compliment.  
       
1.146.   Angriff ist die beste Verteidigung. Attack is the best form of defence.
    ['angrɪf ɪst di: 'bɛstə fɛɐ'taidigʊŋ]  
    Literally: Attack is the best defence.  
       
1.147.   Die gute alte Zeit ist vorbei. The good old days are gone.
    [di: 'gu:tə 'altə tsait ɪst fo:ɐ'bai]  
    Literally: The good old time is over.  
       
1.148.   wie vom Erdboden verschluckt like fallen off the face of the earth
    [vi: fɔm 'e:ɐtbo:dən fɛɐ'ʃlʊkt]  
    Literally: like swallowed from the earth ground  
       
1.149.   abkratzen to croak (to die)
    ['apkratsən]  
    Literally: to scratch off  
       
1.150.   sich eine Eselsbrücke bauen to use a mnemonic device
    [zɪç 'ainə 'e:zəlsbrʏkə 'bauən]  
    Literally: to build oneself a donkey's bridge  
 
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