You are here:

 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 1.251 - 1.300    

Idioms No. 1.251 - 1.300
     
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
 
       
No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
1.251.   ohne Punkt und Komma reden to talk non-stop
    ['o:nə pʊŋkt ʊnt 'kɔma 're:dən]  
    Literally: to talk without full stop and comma  
       
1.252.   das Ende vom Lied the end of the story
    [das 'ɛndə fɔm li:t]  
    Literally: the end of the song  
       
1.253.   stumm wie ein Fisch sein to be as mute as a fish
    [ʃtʊm vi: ain fɪʃ zain]  
    Literally: to be mute like a fish  
       
1.254.   jemandem (←dative) auf die Hühneraugen treten to tread on somebody's corns
    ['je:mandəm auf di: 'hy:nɐʔaugən 'tre:tən]  
    Literally: to tread someone on the chickens' eyes  
       
1.255.   einen Tiefpunkt erreichen to touch bottom
    ['ainən 'ti:fpʊŋkt ɛɐ'raiçən]  
    Literally: to reach a deep point  
       
1.256.   ein alter Hut sein to be old hat
    [ain 'altɐ hu:t zain]  
    Literally: to be an old hat  
       
1.257.   Wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, hat das Pferd Schuld. A bad workman blames his tools.
    [vɛn de:ɐ 'raitɐ nɪçts taukt hat das pfe:ɐt ʃʊlt]  
    Literally: If the rider is not suitable, the horse is to blame.  
       
1.258.   Gift und Galle spucken to breathe fire and brimstone
    [gɪft ʊnt 'galə 'ʃpʊkən]  
    Literally: to spit poison and gall  
       
1.259.   höhere Gewalt act of nature beyond control
    ['hø:ərə gə'valt]  
    Literally: higher power  
       
1.260.   jemandem (←dative) den schwarzen Peter zuschieben to pass the buck to somebody
    ['je:mandəm de:n 'ʃvartsən 'pe:tɐ 'tsu:ʃi:bən]  
    Literally: to push the black Peter to somebody  
       
1.261.   aus dem Vollen schöpfen to draw on unlimited resources
    [aus de:m 'fɔlən 'ʃœpfən]  
    Literally: to scoop out of the full  
       
1.262.   etwas (←accusative) in die Luft sprengen to blow something up
    ['ɛtvas ɪn di: lʊft 'ʃprɛŋən]  
    Literally: to burst something in the air  
       
1.263.   jemanden (←accusative) unter seine Fittiche nehmen to take somebody under one's wing
    ['je:mandən 'ʊntɐ 'zainə 'fɪtɪçə 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: to take somebody under one's wings  
       
1.264.   auf Messers Schneide stehen to be on a knife-edge
    [auf 'mɛsɐs 'ʃnaidə 'ʃte:ən]  
    Literally: to stand on knife's edge  
       
1.265.   jemandem (←dative) eins auf die Nase geben to biff somebody on the nose
    ['je:mandəm ains auf di: 'na:zə 'ge:bən]  
    Literally: to give somebody one on the nose  
       
1.266.   Aus den Augen, aus dem Sinn. Out of sight, out of mind.
    [aus de:n 'augən aus de:m zɪn]  
    Literally: Out of the eyes, out of the sense.  
       
1.267.   Einbildung ist auch eine Bildung! Such conceit knows no bounds!
    ['ainbɪldʊŋ ɪst aux 'ainə 'bɪldʊŋ]  
    Literally: Conceit is also an education!  
       
1.268.   in die Binsen gehen to go down the drain
    [ɪn di: 'bɪnzən 'ge:ən]  
    Literally: to go in the rushes  
       
1.269.   den Schuss nicht gehört haben No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.
    [de:n ʃʊs nɪçt gə'hø:ɐt 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to not have heard the shot  
       
1.270.   nicht den Hauch einer Chance haben to not have a cat in hell's chance
    [nɪçt de:n haux 'ainɐ 'ʃã:sə 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to not have the breath of a chance  
       
1.271.   außer Puste sein to be out of puff
    ['ausɐ 'pu:stə zain]  
       
1.272.   seine Felle davonschwimmen sehen to see one's hopes dashed
    ['zainə 'fɛlə da'fɔnʃvɪmən 'ze:ən]  
    Literally: to see one's hides swimming away  
       
1.273.   noch einen Trumpf im Ärmel haben to have another ace up one's sleeve
    [nɔx 'ainən trʊmpf ɪm 'ɛrməl 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have another trump in the sleeve  
       
1.274.   ein Geschenk Gottes sein to be a gift from the Gods
    [ain gə'ʃɛŋk 'gɔtəs zain]  
    Literally: to be a present of God  
       
1.275.   unkaputtbar sein to be indestructible
    [ʊnka'pʊtba:ɐ zain]  
    Literally: to be unkaputable  
       
1.276.   die Ruhe weg haben to be unflappable
    [di: 'ru:ə vɛk 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have the peace gone  
       
1.277.   kerngesund sein to be as fit as a fiddle
    [kɛrngə'zʊnt zain]  
    Literally: to be core healthy  
       
1.278.   etwas in den falschen Hals bekommen to get hold of the wrong end of the stick
    ['ɛtvas ɪn de:n 'falʃən hals bə'kɔmən]  
    Literally: to get something in the wrong throat  
       
1.279.   mit einem Affenzahn hell bent for leather
    [mɪt 'ainəm 'afəntsa:n]  
    Literally: with a monkey's tooth  
       
1.280.   weder Fisch noch Fleisch sein to be neither fish nor flesh nor good red herring
    ['ve:dɐ fɪʃ nɔx flaiʃ zain]  
    Literally: to be neither fish nor flesh  
       
1.281.   etwas auf die Spitze treiben to bring something to a head
    ['ɛtvas auf di: 'ʃpɪtsə 'traibən]  
    Literally: to drive something on the peak  
       
1.282.   Das Dumme ist nur, dass ... The trouble is that ...
    [das 'dʊmə ɪst nu:ə das]  
    Literally: The stupid is only that ...  
       
1.283.   jemanden (←accusative) zappeln lassen to keep somebody in suspense
    ['je:mandən 'tsapəln 'lasən]  
    Literally: to let somebody wriggle  
       
1.284.   nicht auf den Kopf gefallen sein to be no fool
    [nɪçt auf de:n kɔpf gə'falən zain]  
    Literally: to not have fallen on the head  
       
1.285.   eine scharfe Zunge haben to have a sharp tongue
    ['ainə 'ʃarfə 'tsʊŋə 'ha:bən]  
       
1.286.   aussehen wie Schießbuden-Ella to be made-up to the eyeballs
    ['ausze:ən vi: 'ʃi:sbu:dənʔɛla]  
    Literally: to look like Ella from the shooting gallery  
       
1.287.   etwas unter den Teppich kehren to sweep something under the carpet
    ['ɛtvas 'ʊntɐ de:n 'tɛpɪç 'ke:rən]  
       
1.288.   nicht jedes Wort auf die Goldwaage legen to take something with a pinch of salt
    [nɪçt 'je:dəs vɔrt auf di: 'gɔltva:gə 'le:gən]  
    Literally: to not put every word on the gold scale  
       
1.289.   einen Gang zurückschalten to shift down a gear
    ['ainən gaŋ tsu'rʏkʃaltən]  
    Literally: to shift one gear back  
       
1.290.   sich im Kreis drehen to go round in circles
    [zɪç ɪm krais 'dre:ən]  
    Literally: to turn oneself in the circle  
       
1.291.   etwas wie seine Westentasche kennen to know something like the back of one's hand
    ['ɛtvas vi: 'zainə 'vɛstəntaʃə 'kɛnən]  
    Literally: to know something like one's waistcoat pocket  
       
1.292.   auf gut Glück on the off chance
    [auf gu:t glʏk]  
    Literally: on good luck  
       
1.293.   jemandem (←dative) einen Vogel zeigen* to flip somebody the bird
    ['je:mandəm 'ainən 'fo:gəl 'tsaigən]  
    Literally: to show somebody a bird  
    *to indicate to somebody that they're crazy by tapping one's forehead  
       
1.294.   ein Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen a neck-and-neck-race
    [ain kɔpf an kɔpf 'rɛnən]  
    Literally: a head-at-head race  
       
1.295.   Quasselwasser getrunken haben to chatter on and on
    ['kvasəlvasɐ gə'trʊŋkən 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have drunken babbling water  
       
1.296.   jemandem (←dative) Beine machen to make somebody get a move on
    ['je:mandəm 'bainə 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make somebody legs  
       
1.297.   jemandem (←dative) ins Gewissen reden to appeal to somebody's conscience
    ['je:mandəm ɪns gə'vɪsən 're:dən]  
    Literally: to talk somebody in the conscience  
       
1.298.   einen kühlen Kopf bewahren to keep a cool head
    ['ainən 'ky:lən kɔpf bə'va:rən]  
       
1.299.   jammerschade sein to be a terrible pity
    ['jamɐ'ʃa:də zain]  
    Literally: to be moaning pity  
       
1.300.   ohne Saft und Kraft wishy-washy
    ['o:nə zaft ʊnt kraft]  
    Literally: without juice and power  
 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28