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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 251 - 300    

Idioms No. 251 - 300
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
251.   Hau ab! Shove off!
    [hau ap]  
    Literally: Beat off!  
       
252.   jemandem (←dative) auf den Fersen sein to be on somebody's tail
    ['je:mandəm auf de:n 'fɛrzən zain]  
    Literally: to be on somebody's heels  
       
253.   Nur gucken, nicht anfassen! Looksies, no feelsies!
    [nu:ə 'kʊkən nɪçt 'anfasən]  
    Literally: Only look, not touch!  
       
254.   Das geht mir (←dative) gegen den Strich. That goes against the grain for me.
    [das ge:t mi:ə 'ge:gən de:n ʃtrɪç]  
    Literally: That goes me against the stroke.  
       
255.   Die Katze lässt das Mausen nicht. A leopard cannot change its spots.
    [di: 'katsə lɛst das 'mauzən nɪçt]  
    Literally: The cat does not leave the mousing.  
       
256.   Andere Länder, andere Sitten! When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
    ['andərə 'lɛndɐ 'andərə 'zɪtən]  
    Literally: Other countries, other customs!  
       
257.   Jetzt geht mir (←dative) ein Licht auf. Now I begin to see.
    [jɛtst ge:t mi:ə ain lɪçt auf]  
    Literally: Now a light rises for me.  
       
258.   Eine Hand wäscht die andere. I scratch your back, and you scratch my back.
    ['ainə hant vɛʃt di: 'andərə]  
    Literally: One hand washes the other.  
       
259.   Pech im Spiel, Glück in der Liebe. Unlucky at cards, lucky in love.
    [pɛç ɪm ʃpi:l glʏk ɪn de:ɐ 'li:bə]  
    Literally: Bad luck in the game, luck in the love.  
       
260.   Ich bin doch kein Dukatenesel! I'm not made of money!
    [ɪç bɪn dɔx kain du'ka:tənʔe:zəl]  
    Literally: I am not a ducat donkey!  
       
261.   Bring nicht alles durcheinander. Don't make such a mess.
    [brɪŋ nɪçt 'aləs dʊrçʔai'nandɐ]  
    Literally: Don't bring everything in a mess.  
       
262.   Das ist mir (←dative) egal. I don't mind.
    [das ɪst mi:ə e'ga:l]  
    Literally: That is the same to me.  
       
263.   Aller Anfang ist schwer. The first step is always the hardest.
    ['alɐ 'anfaŋ ɪst ʃve:ɐ]  
    Literally: Every beginning is difficult.  
       
264.   ein Geheimnis verraten to give away a secret
    [ain gə'haimnɪs fɛɐ'ra:tən]  
    Literally: to betray a secret  
       
265.   auf zwei Hochzeiten tanzen to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
    [auf tsvai 'hɔxtsaitən 'tantsən]  
    Literally: to dance at two weddings  
       
266.   in Schach halten to keep in check
    [ɪn ʃax 'haltən]  
       
267.   mausetot sein to be as dead as a doornail
    ['mauzəto:t zain]  
    Literally: to be mouse dead  
       
268.   Frohe Weihnachten! Merry Christmas!
    ['fro:ə 'vainaxtən]  
       
269.   Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen love, peace and harmony
    ['fri:də 'frɔydə 'aiɐku:xən]  
    Literally: peace, joy, pancake  
       
270.   Ach du lieber Himmel! Good Heavens!
    [ax du: 'li:bɐ 'hɪməl]  
    Literally: Oh you beloved heaven!  
       
271.   Man kann nicht alles haben. One cannot have everything.
    [man kan nɪçt 'aləs 'ha:bən]  
       
272.   mehr Glück als Verstand haben to be more lucky than wise
    [me:ɐ glʏk als fɛɐ'ʃtant 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have more luck than sense  
       
273.   Pass auf! Watch it!
    [pas auf]  
    Literally: Watch out!  
       
274.   bildschön sein to look a picture
    [bɪlt'ʃøn zain]  
    Literally: to be picture-beautiful  
       
275.   Prost! Cheers!
    [pro:st]  
       
276.   Frohes neues Jahr! Happy New Year!
    ['fro:əs 'nɔyəs ja:ɐ]  
       
277.   Es geht mir nicht aus dem Kopf. It is always on my mind.
    [ɛs ge:t mi:ə nɪçt aus de:m kɔpf]  
    Literally: It does not go out of my head.  
       
278.   ein Strich in der Landschaft sein to be as thin as a rake
    [ain ʃtrɪç ɪn de:ɐ 'lantʃaft zain]  
    Literally: to be a line in the landscape  
       
279.   sofort und auf der Stelle at once and on the spot
    [zo'fɔrt ʊnt auf de:ɐ 'ʃtɛlə]  
       
280.   mit Ach und Krach by the skin of one's teeth
    [mɪt ax ʊnt krax]  
    Literally: with groan and noise  
       
281.   wie am Spieß schreien to scream like a stuck pig
    [vi: am ʃpi:s 'ʃraiən]  
    Literally: to scream like on the spit  
       
282.   Der Zweck heiligt die Mittel. The end justifies the means.
    [de:ɐ tsvɛk 'hailɪçt di: 'mɪtəl]  
    Literally: The purpose hallows the means.  
       
283.   Ausnahmen bestätigen die Regel. The exception proves the rule.
    ['ausna:mən bə'ʃtɛ:tɪgən di: 're:gəl]  
    Literally: Exceptions confirm the rule.  
       
284.   Es kommt nichts dabei heraus. Nothing will come of it.
    [ɛs kɔmt nɪçts da'bai hɛ'raus]  
    Literally: With it nothing comes out of it.  
       
285.   Das sieht ihm/ihr (←dative) gar nicht ähnlich. That's very unlike him/her.
    [das zi:t i:m/i:ə gaɐ nɪçt 'ɛ:nlɪç]  
    Literally: That does not look similar to him/her at all.  
       
286.   In der Not frisst der Teufel Fliegen. Beggars can't be choosers.
    [ɪn de:ɐ no:t frɪst de:ɐ 'tɔyfəl 'fli:gən]  
    Literally: In the misery the devil eats flies.  
       
287.   aussehen wie ein Häufchen Elend to look like a picture of misery
    ['ausze:ən vi: ain 'hɔyfçən 'e:lɛnt]  
    Literally: to look like a small heap of misery  
       
288.   Oje! Oh dear!
    [o'je:]  
    Literally: Oh Jesus!  
       
289.   Ach so! Oh, I see!
    [ax zo:]  
    Literally: Ah, so!  
       
290.   keine halben Sachen machen to not do things by halves
    ['kainə 'halbən 'zaxən 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make no half things  
       
291.   so verschieden wie Tag und Nacht as different as chalk and cheese
    [zo: fɛɐ'ʃi:dən vi: ta:k ʊnt naxt]  
    Literally: as different as day and night  
       
292.   Die Spatzen pfeifen es von den Dächern. It's all over town.
    [di: 'ʃpatsən 'pfaifən ɛs fɔn de:n 'dɛçɐn]  
    Literally: The sparrows whistle it from the roofs.  
       
293.   es von den Lebendigen nehmen to be daylight robbery
    [ɛs fɔn de:n le'bɛndɪgən 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: to take it from the living  
       
294.   Weg da! Get out of the way!
    [vɛk da:]  
    Literally: Away there!  
       
295.   an den Haaren herbeigezogen very far-fetched
    [an de:n 'ha:rən hɛɐ'baigətso:gən]  
    Literally: torn by the hairs  
       
296.   Leck mich! Screw you!
    [lɛk mɪç]  
    Literally: Lick me!  
       
297.   Wenn schon, denn schon. If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well.
    [vɛn ʃo:n dɛn ʃo:n]  
    Literally: If so, then really.  
       
298.   Eigner Herd ist Goldes wert. There's no place like home.
    ['aignɐ he:ɐt ɪst 'gɔldəs ve:ɐt]  
    Literally: An own stove is worth gold.  
       
299.   Das war einmal! That's a thing of the past!
    [das va:ɐ 'ainma:l]  
    Literally: That was once!  
       
300.   in den letzten Zügen liegen to be at one's last gasp
    [ɪn de:n 'lɛtstən 'tsy:gən 'li:gən]  
    Literally: to lie in the last breaths of air  
 
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