{"id":7309,"date":"2016-05-25T09:42:12","date_gmt":"2016-05-25T09:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=7309"},"modified":"2016-05-25T09:42:12","modified_gmt":"2016-05-25T09:42:12","slug":"german-sayings-translated-literally-pt3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/german-sayings-translated-literally-pt3\/","title":{"rendered":"German Sayings Translated Literally (pt3)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guten Tag, everybody!<\/p>\n

This is the third and final post in my mini-series on German idioms! In the first post<\/a>, I helped you translate those German postcards that feature German sayings translated literally into English (something only German speakers can truly appreciate \u2013 hence I wanted to help you enjoy them). The second post <\/a>focused more on phrases that are relatively the same in English (because German doesn\u2019t always <\/em>like to confuse and bemuse!). In this third and final post I am bringing you a selection of other, quirky German sayings that are totally different in English. They might exist on postcards, they might not. I\u2019ll translate them literally, too, just in case!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

No table to unscramble this time (which means no work for you \u2013 yay). Let\u2019s take it easy, have some fun and enjoy these amusing German idioms! Can you think of any more to add?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ETWAS DURCH DIE BLUME SAGEN<\/strong>
\nTO SAY SOMETHING THROUGH A FLOWER
\nMeans: <\/em>TO SAY SOMETHING IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY, SO AS NOT TO INSULT<\/p>\n

\"Eating<\/a>

Etwas durch die Blume sagen. Photo: calistan on flickr.com under a CC license (CC BY 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00dcBER SEINEN SCHATTEN SPRINGEN
\n<\/strong>TO JUMP OVER \u00a0YOUR SHADOW<\/em>
\nMeans:<\/em> TO SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

DIE ARSCHKARTE ZIEHEN
\n<\/strong>TO PULL THE ARSE CARD<\/em>
\nMeans:<\/em> TO DRAW THE SHORT STRAW (German version wins hands-down here, let’s be honest)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DUMM AUS DER W\u00c4SCHE GUCKEN
\n<\/strong>TO LOOK STUPIDLY THROUGH THE WASHING<\/em>
\nMeans:<\/em> TO LOOK BLANKLY, \u2018LIKE A DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS\u2019 (This one is a personal favourite in German)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Towel<\/a>

Dumm aus der Waesche gucken. Photo: jimwhimpey on flickr.com under a CC license (CC BY 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

BIS IN DIE PUPPEN
\n<\/strong>UNTIL IN THE DOLLS<\/em>
\nMeans:<\/em> INTO THE EARLY HOURS\/DEEP INTO THE NIGHT (A very strange expression, if you ask me. Apparently, at one stage the phrase \u2018bis in die Puppen\u2019 was used to describe a very long walk. There was a place in Berlin called the \u2018Puppenplatz\u2019 (\u2018doll place\u2019) which took a very long time to get to from the city centre. So to go \u2018Bis in die Puppen\u2019 suggested you were going to be gone for a rather long time.)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DIE BIRNE EINSCHALTEN
\n<\/strong>TO SWITCH ON THE PEAR
\nMeans: <\/em>TO USE ONE\u2019S BRAIN\/\u2019USE YOUR LOAF\u2019 (Sometimes, Germans call a brain\/mind a Birne<\/em> \u2013 a pear. The English sometimes call it a ‘loaf’, so it’s not that weird when you think about it!)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DER TEUFEL IST EIN EICHH\u00d6RNCHEN
\n<\/strong>THE DEVIL IS A SQUIRREL<\/em>
\n<\/strong>Means:<\/em> EVIL COMES DISGUISED AS SOMETHING INNOCENT<\/p>\n

\"Primal<\/a>

Der Teufel ist ein Eichhoernchen. Photo: kurt-b on flickr.com under a CC license (CC BY-SA 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

What do you think of these sayings? Do you have any more to add? Please feel free to leave your favourites in the comments, be they well-known, regional, or even ones you’ve made up! Any questions are welcome, too.<\/p>\n

***ALSO!***<\/strong> If there are any specific topics you’d like me to cover on the blog, please let me know in a comment! I’m always on the lookout for inspiration, so please tell me if there is anything you need help with & I’ll see what I can do! \ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bis bald!<\/p>\n

Constanze<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Guten Tag, everybody! This is the third and final post in my mini-series on German idioms! In the first post, I helped you translate those German postcards that feature German sayings translated literally into English (something only German speakers can truly appreciate \u2013 hence I wanted to help you enjoy them). The second post focused…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":7407,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[95131,82,376023,358422,337679],"class_list":["post-7309","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","tag-german-language","tag-idioms","tag-language","tag-sayings-expressions","tag-untranslatable-german"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t