German Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions (and their English Equivalents)

Question 1

“press the thumbs”

Answer 1

“Die Daumen drucken” - English equivalent: to keep your fingers crossed

Question 2

“[something]… like a pig” (exp: drunk like a pig)

Answer 2

[etwas] wie ein Schwein (z.B. voll vie ein Schwein) - English: drunk as a skunk

Question 3

“to let the pig out”

Answer 3

“die Sau rauslassen - English: to let your hair down

Question 4

“an eyeblink, please”

Answer 4

“ein Augenblick, bitte” - English: gimme a sec

Question 5

“recognize my pigs by their walk”

Answer 5

“erkenne meine Schweine am Gang” - English: to be familiar with a situation or person

Question 6

“to have pig”

Answer 6

“Schwein haben” - English: to be a lucky duck (to be lucky)

Question 7

“we have not yet kept pigs together”

Answer 7

“wir haben zusammen noch keine Schweine gehütet” - English: I don’t know you like that yet (we haven’t known each other long enough to forgo formality)

Question 8

“I think my pig is whistling”

Answer 8

“Ich glaube mein Schwein pfeift” - English: to be totally astonished

Question 9

“pig-cold”

Answer 9

“schweinekalt” (adj) - English: cold as fuck

Question 10

“pig-money”

Answer 10

“Schweinegeld” (noun) - English: buku money, a shitload of money

Question 11

“that’s where the dog’s buried”

Answer 11

“da liegt der Hund begraben” - English: that’s the heart of the matter

Question 12

“there weren’t any pigs there”

Answer 12

“kein Schwein war da” - English: nobody showed up

Question 13

“where fox and hare say goodnight to one another

Answer 13

“wo sich Fuchs und Hase gute Nacht sagen - English: in the middle of nowhere

Question 14

“that’s sausage to me”

Answer 14

“das ist mir Wurst” - English: I don’t care, I don’t give a shit

Question 15

“she has a bird”

Answer 15

“sie hat einen Vogel” - English: she’s crazy (we might say, she’s a crazy cat lady)

Question 16

“I only understand ‘train station’”

Answer 16

“ich verstehe nur Bahnhof” - English: it’s all Greek to me (I don’t understand)

Question 17

“everything has an end, only the sausage has two”

Answer 17

“alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei” - English: all good things must end

Question 18

“don’t play the insulted sausage”

Answer 18

“spielt nicht die beleidigte Leberwurst” - English: don’t have a cow (don’t overreact)

Question 19

“my German is under all pig”

Answer 19

“mein Deutsch ist unter aller Sau” - English: When it comes to speaking German, I’m all thumbs (I don’t speak German well); can use any language

Question 20

“life is no pony farm”

Answer 20

“das Leben ist kein Ponyhof” - English: life isn’t all sunshine and roses (life isn’t always pretty)

Question 21

“to bite into the grass”

Answer 21

“ins Gras beißen” - English: to bite the dust (fail spectacularly, lose, die)

Question 22

“to sleep like a woodchuck”

Answer 22

“schlafen wie ein Murmeltier” - English: to sleep like a baby (sleep really well)

Question 23

“you can tell that to your grandmother”

Answer 23

“das kannst du deiner Oma erzählen” - English: bullshit, yeah right, would you swear on your mother? (I don’t believe you)

Question 24

“so-so, mediocre”

Answer 24

“Nul acht funfzehn (08-15) - English: less than great, good enough for government work (references a WWII-era rifle that was notorious for being mediocre on the battlefield)

Question 25

“to leave the church in the village”

Answer 25

“Lassen die Kirche im Dorf” - English: no need to get carried away, stay cool

Question 26

“what little Johnny can’t learn, old John will never learn”

Answer 26

“has Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr” - English: you can’t teach an old dog new tricks

Question 27

“to talk around the hot porridge”

Answer 27

“um den heißen Brei herumreden” - English: to beat around the bush, to skirt the issue (to not talk directly about something)

Question 28

“you can take poison on that”

Answer 28

“da kannst du Gift drauf nehmen” - English: you can bet your life on it (it’s certain)

Question 29

“to make an ape of oneself”

Answer 29

“sich zum Affen machen” - English: to make a fool of oneself

Question 30

“kill two flies with one swat”

Answer 30

“zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen” - English: to kill to birds with one stone (to achieve two outcomes from a single action)

Question 31

“to ask for an extra sausage”

Answer 31

“eine Extrawurst verlangen” - English: to ask for special treatment

Question 32

“put heaven and hell in motion”

Answer 32

“Himmel und Hölle in Bewegung setzen” - English: to move heaven and earth (do whatever it takes)

Question 33

“the bear dances there”

Answer 33

“da steppt der Bär” - English: that’s where the party’s at

Question 34

“to have tomatoes on one’s eyes”

Answer 34

“tomaten auf den Augen haben” - English: to be blind to, oblivious to

Question 35

“to hit the nail on the head”

Answer 35

“den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen” - English: to hit the nail on the head (to be exactly right)

Question 36

“to go like warm rolls”

Answer 36

“weggehen wie warme Semmeln” - English: to sell like hot cakes (to sell out really quickly)

Question 37

“to add their mustard”

Answer 37

“seinen Senf dazugeben” - English: to put one’s two cents in (to give one’s opinion)

Question 38

“to know something like one’s waistcoat pocket”

Answer 38

“etwas wie seine Westentasche kennen” - English: to know it like the back of your hand (to be very familiar with something)

Question 39

“don’t praise the day before the evening”

Answer 39

“Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben” - English: don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched (don’t anticipate something that hasn’t happened)

Question 40

“to chew [someone’s] ear off

Answer 40

“[jemand] ein Ohr abkauen” - English: to talk someone’s ear off

Question 41

“clear as dumpling broth”

Answer 41

“klar wie Kloßbrühe” - English: crystal clear (I completely understand)

Question 42

“as dumb as a bean straw”

Answer 42

“dumm wie Bohnenstroh” - English: dumb as a box of hair, thick as a brick (not intelligent)