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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 151 - 200    

Idioms No. 151 - 200
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
151.   Ich bin ganz durcheinander. I'm all mixed up.
    [ɪç bɪn gants dʊrçʔai'nandɐ]  
    Literally: I am totally confused.  
       
152.   Auch das noch! (ironic) That's all I need! (ironic)
    [aux das nɔx]  
    Literally: Also that as well!  
       
153.   jemanden (←accusative) für dumm verkaufen to take somebody for a fool
    ['je:mandən fy:ə dʊm fɛɐ'kaufən]  
    Literally: to sell somebody for stupid  
       
154.   Ich finde das unmöglich! I find that quite unacceptable!
    [ɪç 'fɪndə das 'ʊnmø:klɪç]  
    Literally: I find that impossible!  
       
155.   Wer ist der Kerl? Who's that character?
    [ve:ɐ ɪst de:ɐ kɛrl]  
    Literally: Who is that dude?  
       
156.   Das sehe ich nicht ein. I don't see why.
    [das 'ze:ə ɪç nɪçt ain]  
    Literally: I don't see (accept) that.  
       
157.   Das gibt's ja nicht! That's unbelievable!
    [das gi:pts ja nɪçt]  
    Literally: There is no such thing!  
       
158.   Ich bin dabei! Count me in!
    [ɪç bɪn da'bai]  
    Literally: I am with it!  
       
159.   das Blaue vom Himmel herunterlügen to charm the birds out of the trees
    [das 'blauə fɔm 'hɪməl hɛˈrʊntɐly:gən]  
    Literally: to lie the blue down from the sky  
       
160.   Nur der Tod ist umsonst. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
    [nu:ə de:ɐ to:t ɪst ʊm'zɔnst]  
    Literally: Only the death is for free.  
       
161.   so störrisch wie ein Esel as stubborn as a mule
    [zo: 'ʃtœrɪʃ vi: ain 'e:zəl]  
    Literally: as obstinate as a donkey  
       
162.   Da ist ein Haken an der Sache! There's a fly in the ointment!
    [da ɪst ain 'ha:kən an de:ɐ 'zaxə]  
    Literally: There is a hook about the matter!  
       
163.   Das verbitte ich mir (←dative)! I won't tolerate that!
    [das fɛɐ'bɪtə ɪç mi:ə]  
    Literally: I refuse to tolerate that for myself!  
       
164.   Gott sei mit Dir (←dative)! God speed you!
    [gɔt zai mɪt di:ə]  
    Literally: God be with you!  
       
165.   Je oller*, je doller*. The older they get, the more they want to live it up.
    [je: 'ɔlɐ je: 'dɔlɐ]  
    Literally: The older, the crazier.  
    *oll is the North German word for alt (old)  
    *doll is another word for toll (crazy, mad or terrific)  
       
166.   Wenn man vom Teufel spricht, dann ist er nicht weit. Speak of the devil and the devil shows up.
    [vɛn man fɔm 'tɔyfəl ʃprɪçt, dan ɪst e:ɐ nɪçt vait]  
    Literally: When you speak of the devil, then he is not far.  
       
167.   Liebe macht blind. Love is blind.
    ['li:bə maxt blɪnt]  
    Literally: Love makes blind.  
       
168.   Lügen haben kurze Beine. Lies have short legs.
    ['ly:gən 'ha:bən 'kʊrtsə 'bainə]  
       
169.   sich (←dative) die Radieschen von unten ansehen to be pushing up the daisies
    [zɪç di: ra'di:sçən fɔn 'ʊntən 'anze:ən]  
    Literally: to take a look at the radishes from below  
       
170.   Das ist doch Schnee von gestern. It's all water under the bridge.
    [das ɪst dɔx ʃne: fɔn 'gɛstɐn]  
    Literally: That really is snow of yesterday.  
       
171.   am Boden zerstört sein to be dashed to the ground
    [am 'bo:dən tsɛɐ'ʃtø:ɐt zain]  
    Literally: to be destroyed at the ground  
       
172.   Was für ein Zufall! What a coincidence!
    [vas fy:ə ain 'tsu:fal]  
       
173.   Auch ein blindes Huhn findet mal ein Korn. Every dog has his day.
    [aux ain 'blɪndəs hu:n 'fɪndət ma:l ain kɔrn]  
    Literally: Also a blind chicken once finds a corn.  
       
174.   Einmal ist keinmal. Just once doesn't count.
    ['ainma:l ɪst 'kainma:l]  
    Literally: Once is not once.  
       
175.   Ich bin heute nicht ganz auf der Höhe. I am not quite myself today.
    [ɪç bɪn 'hɔytə nɪçt gants auf de:ɐ ˈhø:ə]  
    Literally: I am not quite on the height today.  
       
176.   Da steckt mehr dahinter. There is more in it than meets the eye.
    [da: ʃtɛkt me:ɐ da'hɪntɐ]  
    Literally: There sticks more behind it.  
       
177.   Die Sonne bringt es an den Tag. The truth will out.
    [di: 'zɔnə brɪŋt ɛs an de:n ta:k]  
    Literally: The sun brings it to the day.  
       
178.   Ich bin doch nicht von gestern! I wasn't born yesterday!
    [ɪç bɪn dɔx nɪçt fɔn 'gɛstɐn]  
    Literally: I am really not from yesterday!  
       
179.   Liebe geht durch den Magen. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
    ['li:bə ge:t dʊrç de:n 'ma:gən]  
    Literally: Love goes through the stomach.  
       
180.   Das ist kein Honiglecken. That's no piece of cake.
    [das ɪst kain 'ho:nɪçlɛkən]  
    Literally: That is no honey licking.  
       
181.   Lass uns reinen Tisch machen. Let's clear the air and make a fresh start.
    [las ʊns 'rainən tɪʃ 'maxən]  
    Literally: Let us make clean table.  
       
182.   Das ist doch nicht der Rede wert! That's not worth mentioning!
    [das ɪst dɔx nɪçt de:ɐ 're:də ve:ɐt]  
    Literally: That really is not worth the talk!  
       
183.   eine ruhige Kugel schieben to have a cushy number
    ['ainə 'ru:ɪgə 'ku:gəl 'ʃi:bən]  
    Literally: to push a calm ball  
       
184.   Das ist gar nicht übel. That isn't half bad.
    [das ɪst ga:ɐ nɪçt 'y:bəl]  
    Literally: That is not bad at all.  
       
185.   kleine Brötchen backen müssen to have to set one's sights lower
    ['klainə 'brø:tçən 'bakən 'mʏsən]  
    Literally: to have to bake small rolls  
       
186.   Ich habe doch nicht Geld wie Heu. I don't have pots of money.
    [ɪç 'ha:bə dɔx nɪçt gɛlt vi: hɔy]  
    Literally: I really do not have money like hay.  
       
187.   Man lebt nur einmal. You only have one life to live.
    [man le:pt nu:ə 'ainma:l]  
    Literally: One lives only once.  
       
188.   Dabei kriege ich Gänsehaut. It gives me the creeps.
    [da'bai 'kri:gə ɪç 'gɛnzəhaut]  
    Literally: By it I get goose bumps.  
       
189.   den Teufelskreis durchbrechen to break the cycle
    [de:n 'tɔyfəlskrais dʊrç'brɛçən]  
    Literally: to break through the devil's circle  
       
190.   Das passt mir aber gar nicht in den Kram. That doesn't fit in my stuff.
    [das past mi:ə 'a:bɐ ga:ɐ nɪçt ɪn de:n kra:m]  
    Literally: That really does not fit in my stuff at all.  
       
191.   Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm. He/she is a chip off the old block.
    [de:ɐ 'apfəl fɛlt nɪçt vait vɔm ʃtam]  
    Literally: The apple does not fall far from the trunk.  
       
192.   Das ist mir ja ganz neu. That's a new one on me.
    [das ɪst mi:ə ja: gants nɔy]  
    Literally: That really is completely new to me.  
       
193.   Ich bin doch nicht bescheuert! I'm not that stupid!
    [ɪç bɪn dɔx nɪçt bə'ʃɔyɐt]  
    Literally: I am really not daft!  
       
194.   Es ist kein gutes Zeichen. It bodes nothing good.
    [ɛs ɪst kain 'gu:təs 'tsaiçən]  
    Literally: It is no good sign.  
       
195.   Alter schützt vor Torheit nicht. There's no fool like an old fool.
    ['altɐ ʃʏtst fɔɐ 'to:ɐhait nɪçt]  
    Literally: Age does not protect against foolishness.  
       
196.   Das frisst ja kein Brot. It won't do any harm to hang on to this stuff.
    [das frɪst ja: kain bro:t]  
    Literally: That does not eat bread.  
       
197.   Du bist ein Schatz! You're a gem!
    [du: bɪst ain ʃats]  
    Literally: You are a treasure!  
       
198.   klein, aber oho small but excellent
    [klain 'a:bɐ o'ho:]  
    Literally: small but oho  
       
199.   Ich bin völlig fertig! I'm dead!
    [ɪç bɪn 'fœlɪç 'fɛrtɪç]  
    Literally: I am completely finished!  
       
200.   Das könnte dir so passen! You would like that, wouldn't you?
    [das 'kœntə di:ə zo: 'pasən]  
    Literally: That could suit you that way!  
 
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