 | English  | German | |
 | feeble {adj} [literally: feeble-chested] | 19 dünnbrüstig [meist fig.] | |
| heavy {adj} [literally: weighing a kilo or so] | 11 kiloschwer [auch fig.] | |
| memorable {adj} [literally: rich in experiences] | 5 erfahrungsreich | |
| proverb [German hum. proverb, meaning "One has to be brave." or "One mustn't be oversensitive to pain.", literally: "An Indian knows no pain."] | Ein Indianer kennt keinen Schmerz. [hum.] | |
| proverb [German pun, may be literally translated as: When flies fly behind flies, flies are flying after flies (to follow them).] | Wenn hinter Fliegen Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach. | |
| quote [I belong rather to the "old iron" (literally: the scrap heap / here also: the good old stuff) than to the "new sheet iron" (here: the new piffle).] | Ich gehöre lieber zum alten Eisen als zum neuen Blech. [u. a. dem Schauspieler Max „Maxi“ Böhm zugeschrieben] | |
| [literally, sb. swallowed a clown for breakfast, meaning sb. is too funny] | jd. hat einen Clown verschluckt / gefrühstückt [ugs.] [Redewendung] [Jemand ist übermäßig zum Spaßen aufgelegt] | |
| quote [quote from a popular German TV sketch, used to express that everything was better in the past; literally: "There was more lametta (on the Christmas tree) in the old days."] | Früher war mehr Lametta. [Loriot, aus „Weihnachten bei Hoppenstedts“; verallgemeinert verwendet im Sinne von „Früher war alles besser.“] | |
| proverb [The bigger the choice, the harder it is to choose. Or, literally transl.: Whoever has (the) choice has (the) torment.] | Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Qual. | |
| pink {adj} [literally the color of an Austrian rose wine] | schilcherfarben [österr.] | |
| Verbs |
| to checkmate sb. [fig.: thwart; defeat completely; literally: chess] | 22 jdn. mattsetzen [fig.: jdm. jede Handlungsmöglichkeit nehmen; jdn. als Gegner ausschalten; wörtl.: Schach] | |
| [to press one's thumbs / thumb (for sb.)] [literally] [hand gesture in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, etc., meaning to keep one's fingers crossed (for sb.)] | (jdm.) die / den Daumen halten [ugs.] [Redensart] | |
| to literalize sth. [interpret literally] | etw. wörtlich auslegen | |
| Nouns |
| gastr. [traditional German sweet pastry similar to a gingerbread man, often with a clay pipe, baked for St. Nicholas' Day or St. Martin's Day; literally "bread roll man"] | 10 Weckmann {m} [bes. südd.] | |
| hist. lit. Trümmerliteratur [literally transl.: rubble literature, i.e. German literature immediately after WW II] | 9 Kahlschlagliteratur {f} | |
| hist. [colloquial name of Henry (VII) German King 1220-1235, literally: "bracket henry", also called "bracket seventh"] | Klammerheinrich {m} [ugs.] [auch: Klammersiebter, Heinrich (VII.) dt. König von 1220-1235] | |
| [Doppel-Wumms / Doppelwumms: newly coined word by the German chancellor Olaf Scholz in 2022; literally: double bang] | Doppel-Wumms {m} [auch: Doppelwumms] [Begriff geprägt von Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz, 2022] | |
| jobs [employee earning less than they would under new pay agreements, literally undershooter] | Unterschreiter {m} [Beschäftigter im tariflichen Entgelt-Rahmenabkommen] | |
| jobs [employee earning more than they would under new pay agreements, literally overshooter] | Überschreiter {m} [Beschäftigter im tariflichen Entgelt-Rahmenabkommen] | |
| hist. [euphemism for the invasion of Austria by the German army in 1938, literally "flower campaign"] | Blumenfeldzug {m} [Euphemismus für den Einmarsch der Wehrmacht in Österreich 1938] | |
| [literally 'earthworm'; human being as transitory and insignificant] | Erdenwurm {m} [poet.] [Mensch als vergänglicher, unbedeutender Teil der Natur] | |
| hist. jobs [literally "grit years", "courage years"] | Mutjahre {pl} [Zunft; Gesellenjahre vor der Meisterschaft] | |
| mus. theatre [literally a 'stage-consecrating festival play'; Wagner's description of his last dramatic work "Parsifal"] | Bühnenweihfestspiel {n} | |
| hist. mil. [literally: "chain-dogs", pejorative nickname of uniformed military police units of German forces of the 19th and 20th century] | Kettenhunde {pl} [fig.] [ugs.] [Bezeichnung der Feldgendarmerie in dt. Streitkräften des 19. und 20. Jh.] | |
| hist. [literally: perpetrator generation. Generation of Germans who theoretically was able to participate in Nazi crimes] | Tätergeneration {f} | |
| journ. neol. [Name for a column in the online version of Der Spiegel. Literally: Data Harvest.] | Datenlese {f} | |
| mil. [Name given to base defense unit of JV44; literally means "butcher-bird squadron"] | Würger-Staffel {f} [Luftwaffe] | |
| agr. hist. jobs [Nazi title for leader of German farmers. Literally: Reich Farmers Leader] | Reichsbauernführer {m} | |
| [one of a physician's fingers as an issue of insurance; literally: goldfinger] | Goldfinger {m} [ugs.] [hum.] [Arztfinger in Versicherungsfällen] | |
| ecol. [pejorative phrase used to criticize the impact of wind farms on the landscape; literally "transformation into asparagus"] | Verspargelung {f} (der Landschaft) | |
| [poetic German for lightning or fireworks; literally: heavenly torches] | Himmelsfackeln {pl} [geh.] | |
| gastr. [popular rhyme in German; literally: noshing [Br.] / chowing [Am.] like (one does / did) at Mum's / Mom's] | Futtern {n} wie bei Muttern | |
| law Unverified [prison sentence with hard labor; literally: to be sentenced to the galleys] | Galeerenhaft {f} [auch fig.] | |
| mil. [senior non-commissioned officer in German armed forces, literally "sword knot non-commissioned officer"] | Portepeeunteroffizier {m} | |
| gastr. [traditional German sweet pastry similar to a gingerbread man, often with a clay pipe, baked for St. Nicholas' Day or St. Martin's Day; literally "bread roll man"] | Stutenkerl {m} [Weckmann, Hefemann, Klausenmann, Grättimaa, Grittibänz, Dambedei, Weckbobbe, Krampus] | |
| gastr. [vegetarian spread, typically based on carrots, celeriac, and mayonnaise; literally »farmer's salad«] | Farmersalat {m} | |
| weapons AK [coll.] [officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova] [literally translated: Kalashnikov's automatic (rifle)] | AK {f} [kurz für: Automat Kalaschnikow] | |
| anarchist [literally: one who is contemptuous of the state] | Staatsverächter {m} | |
| relig. Biblicist [female] [sb. who interprets the Bible literally] | Bibeltreue {f} | |
| relig. Biblicist [sb. who interprets the Bible literally] | Bibeltreuer {m} | |
| gastr. garlic [literally: vanilla of the poor man] | Vanille {f} des kleinen Mannes [veraltet] [hum.] [Knoblauch] | |
| rat [literally transl.: sewer trout] | Kanalforelle {f} [österr.] [ugs.] [pej.] [bes. wienerisch] | |
| mil. section [literally: half-platoon] <sect.> | Halbzug {m} | |
| hist. lit. Trümmerliteratur [literally transl.: rubble literature, i.e. German literature immediately after WW II] | Trümmerliteratur {f} | |
| mus. Vorkriegsjugend [literally: pre-war youth] [influential 1980s cult Deutschpunk/hardcore punk band from West Berlin] | Vorkriegsjugend {f} [deutsche Hardcore-Punk-Band der 1980er Jahre aus Berlin-Kreuzberg] | |
| 2 Words: Others |
| A votre santé! [literally: to your health] [used as a toast] | Zum Wohl! | |
| hard-nosed {adj} [person] [tough-minded] [literally: hard boiled] | hartgesotten [fig.] [ugs.] | |
| storm-free {adj} [literally] | sturmfrei | |
| 2 Words: Verbs |
| to rub shoulders [literally] | einander / sich mit den Schultern berühren | |
| to work magic [literally] | hexen [zaubern] | |
English-German dictionary developed to help you share your knowledge with others.
More informationContains translations by TU Chemnitz and Mr Honey's Business Dictionary (German-English). Thank you!
Links to this dictionary or to single translations are very welcome!
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