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Idioms January 2012
       

Date

German Idiom

English Translation
       
Jan 01: Frohes neues Jahr! Happy New Year!
    ['fro:əs 'nɔyəs ja:ɐ]  
       
Jan 02: 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.  
       
Jan 03: 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  
       
Jan 04: sofort und auf der Stelle at once and on the spot
    [zo'fɔrt ʊnt auf de:ɐ 'ʃtɛlə]  
       
Jan 05: mit Ach und Krach by the skin of one's teeth
    [mɪt ax ʊnt krax]  
    Literally: with groan and noise  
       
Jan 06: wie am Spieß schreien to scream like a stuck pig
    [vi: am ʃpi:s 'ʃraiən]  
    Literally: to scream like on the spit  
       
Jan 07: Der Zweck heiligt die Mittel. The end justifies the means.
    [de:ɐ tsvɛk 'hailɪçt di: 'mɪtəl]  
    Literally: The purpose hallows the means.  
       
Jan 08: Ausnahmen bestätigen die Regel. The exception proves the rule.
    ['ausna:mən bə'ʃtɛ:tɪgən di: 're:gəl]  
    Literally: Exceptions confirm the rule.  
       
Jan 09: 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.  
       
Jan 10: 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.  
       
Jan 11: 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.  
       
Jan 12: 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  
       
Jan 13: Oje! Oh dear!
    [o'je:]  
    Literally: Oh Jesus!  
       
Jan 14: Ach so! Oh, I see!
    [ax zo:]  
    Literally: Ah, so!  
       
Jan 15: keine halben Sachen machen to not do things by halves
    ['kainə 'halbən 'zaxən 'maxən]  
    Literally: to make no half things  
       
Jan 16: 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  
       
Jan 17: 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.  
       
Jan 18: es von den Lebendigen nehmen to be daylight robbery
    [ɛs fɔn de:n le'bɛndɪgən 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: to take it from the living  
       
Jan 19: Weg da! Get out of the way!
    [vɛk da:]  
    Literally: Away there!  
       
Jan 20: an den Haaren herbeigezogen very far-fetched
    [an de:n 'ha:rən hɛɐ'baigətso:gən]  
    Literally: torn by the hairs  
       
Jan 21: Leck mich! Screw you!
    [lɛk mɪç]  
    Literally: Lick me!  
       
Jan 22: 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.  
       
Jan 23: 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.  
       
Jan 24: Das war einmal! That's a thing of the past!
    [das va:ɐ 'ainma:l]  
    Literally: That was once!  
       
Jan 25: 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  
       
Jan 26: Es gießt in Strömen. It's pouring with rain.
    [ɛs gi:st ɪn 'ʃtrø:mən]  
    Literally: It pours in streams.  
       
Jan 27: sich auf seinen Lorbeeren ausruhen to rest on one's laurels
    [zɪç auf 'zainən 'lɔrbe:rən 'ausru:ən]  
       
Jan 28: eine Leiche im Keller haben to have a skeleton in the closet
    ['ainə 'laiçə ɪm 'kɛlɐ 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a corpse in the cellar  
       
Jan 29: Daran gibt's nichts zu rütteln. There is no doubt about it.
    [da'ran gi:pts nɪçts tsu: 'rʏtəln]  
    Literally: There is nothing to jolt about it.  
       
Jan 30: gegen das Urheberrecht verstoßen to infringe copyright laws
    ['ge:gən das 'u:əhe:bɐrɛçt fɛɐ'ʃto:sən]  
    Literally: to violate against the originator's right  
       
Jan 31: Ein schöner Rücken kann auch entzücken. A beautiful rear can also endear.
    [ain 'ʃønɐ 'rʏkən kan aux ɛnt'tsʏkən]  
    Literally: A beautiful back can also enchant.