In today’s edition of Lingo Bingo, we will cover some commonly used idioms in everyday’s language. Im sogenannten Alltag lässt man es gerne mal laufen und greift auf bekannte Sprachbilder zurück. So that’s exactly what we are going to talk about. Are there certain “Floskeln” (empty phrases that are pretty hackneyed) that both the German speaking and English speaking word use repetitively?

You might notice the new listing of idioms, proverbs and additional information (e.g. origin and slang pronounciation). Have fun reading Lingo Bingo #4. Here is a collection of all Lingo Bingos. Whenever you see a “Can you help?“, you are welcome to leave a comment and enlighten my visitors and me.

It Gets My Goat / Auf die Palme bringen

to get someone’s goat (BE, jokingly used in AE)

• Meaning: to get upset, to be annoyed, to make someone angry,…
• Origin: This idiom comes from the universe of horse-racings. Calming down anxious horses goats are kept inside the stable, because horses can be quite bitchy moody. So if someone took away the goat, the horse would be more likely to freak out or to get temperamental.
• No German equivalent found* — Can you help?
• Translation: Das regt mich auf. Das nervt mich.

*When I thought about an equivalent, it was quite hard to come up with one. Here one with a similar meaning: Das bringt mich auf die Palme: jemanden auf die Palme bringen (EN equivalent: to drive someone nuts/crazy/…)
Take a long walk on a short pier, für z.B. hau doch ab!

All Your Eggs In One Basket / Alles auf eine Karte setzen

to put all your eggs in one basket (BE, AE)

• Meaning: Do not risk everything at once.
• Example EN: You shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket when gambling. — Do not put all your eggsin one basket in case you are about to invest something fairly risky.
• German equivalent: Setz nicht alles auf eine Karte (lit. transl.: Don’t bet on only one card)
• Example DE: Setz nicht all dein Hab und Gut auf eine Karte. (Hab und Gut … goods and chattels/belongings)

Reif für die Insel / Need some vacation

reif für die Insel sein (DE, AT)

• Meaning: to be ready to take a break (lit. transl.: to be ripe for the island*)
• Example DE: Ich bin reif für die Insel. Diese Woche war so anstrengend.
• English Approaches: I am ready to drop out! – I desperately need some vacation. — Someone, please get me out of here.

*I couldn’t really find a saying or proverb that would work. “To be ripe for the island” is just not rolling off our tongues, is it? It just can’t be directly translated.

Spanisch / Strange

Spanisch vorkommen (commonly used, but not politically correct)

• Meaning: something seems strange, awkward, weird, etc. (lit. transl.: to seem spanish to someone)
• Example DE: Dieser Typ kommt mir Spanisch vor.
• English equivalent: That’s a bit fishy.

In the German speaking universe, of course, there are way more ways of saying that. If you do want to be politically correct, use phrases like:

• Das ist mir nicht ganz ungeheuer (ungeheuer… monstrous, terrific)
• Da ist etwas Faules daran (or: Da ist was faul dran) (faul … rotten)

Throw in the Towel /Handtuch schmeißen

to throw in the towel (on something)

• Meaning: to give up, to surrender, to concede defeat, to discontinue to do something
• Origin: Boxing — The coach of the boxer threw the towel into the boxing ring (which is a square by the way) to indicate that the towel is no longer needed, ergo, the manager and boxer concede defeat.
• Example EN: After he lost enormously huge amounts of money in his business, he threw in the towel on his career as a financial adviser.
• German Equivalent: (exactly the same meaning and origin) das Handtuch werfen
• Example DE: Nachdem er ernorm hohe Beträge Geld in Geschäften verloren hatte, warf er das Handtuch als Finanzberater.

Morgenstund / Early Bird

Morgenstund’ hat Gold im Mund.

• Meaning: Those, who are prepared and are eager to be the first, will be successful and will get reward. Act early, to be successful. (lit. transl.: Morning hour has gold in the mouth.)
• More German sayings: Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm. — Wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst (First come, first served).
• English equivalent: The early bird catches the worm.
• Additional info: Anti-Proverbs are a fun way to escape hackneyed phrases: (EN) The early worm is being picked first. (meaning: if someone tries new and revolutionary things first, he is more likely to fail and others will learn from it) — (DE version of the proverb) Morgenstund hat Gold im Schlund (Schlund … gullet).

If you want to read more about funny anti-proverbs (they bring lame sayings/proverbs to this whole new level), check out the German or the English Wikipedia entry for anti-proverbs.

Mit einer Klappe / Time is money

• Meaning: to work efficiently, to save time (finishing things at once, that would require twice the time). (lit. transl.: Hit two flies with one fly swatter.)
• Example DE: Ich werde zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen wenn ich meine Freunde in Wien besuche und wenn ich schon einmal dort bin, kaufe ich einen Computer.
• English equivalent: (BE) Kill two birds with one stone. — (AE) Time is money. (coined by Henry Ford, by the way.)
• Example EN: I am going to kill two birds with one stone when I am visiting my friends in Vienna and since I’ll be in the city, why not buy this new computer?.
• Additional example: Zeit ist Geld und Geld haben wir keines. (AT dialect) Zeit is Göd und Göd homma kans

Schadenfreude / enjoyable Misfortune

Schadenfreude ist die beste Freude.

• Meaning: to find joy in someone else’s misfortune is most enjoyable and to enjoy watching someone fail.
• English equivalent: Joy from others’ misfortune is the best joy.

Direct Translations

These sayings don’t really need any further explanation. You’ll figure it out. Questions on origins may be posted in the comments, though.

• All that glitters isn’t gold. — Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt.
• Practise what you preach! — Lass Worte Taten folgen!
• A friend in need is a friend indeed. — Can you help?
• A leopard cannot change its spots. — Niemand kann aus seiner Haut heraus (Nobody can get out of his skin)
• Haste makes waste. / More haste, less speed. — Eile mit Weile! (haste … Eile, hurry … eilen)
• First beer then wine is fine, but wine then beer, oh dear! — Wein auf Bier, das rat ich dir, Bier auf Wein, das lass sein.

Again, My Favorite Proverb For Today…

Wish in one hand and sh*t in the other and see which one fills up quicker/faster/first!

• Meaning: This American proverb puts emphasis on the foolishness, the nativity of wishing for something unrealistic.
• Alternatives (English): If wishes were horses, beggars would ride — You can also just use “If wishes were horses,…”, the conclusion is well known all around the world. People will understand your point.
• German equivalent: Can you help?