Long Road Ahead · German Tadka
Ten phrases, one border to cross.
English idioms don’t always travel in a straight line into German. Some keep their picture at the border; others have to trade it in for a new one. Today: which is which.
Etappe 2 · Tag 2 von 365
01
to beat around the bush
um den heißen Brei herumreden
New picture entirely. The bush is gone — Germans talk around the hot porridge instead, too wary to reach in and grab the point.
02
to bite the bullet
in den sauren Apfel beißen
The grit survives, the object swaps: no bullet, a sour apple. You brace and bite the unpleasant thing because there’s no way around it.
03
to kill two birds with one stone
zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen
Same logic, smaller scale: two flies with one swatter. Less violent imagery, identical payoff — two results from one move.
04
the ball is in your court
du bist am Zug / der Ball liegt bei dir
The literal version exists, but native speakers reach for the chessboard: am Zug sein — it’s your move now.
05
to cost an arm and a leg
ein Vermögen kosten / unbezahlbar sein
No body parts make the crossing. German just says it costs a fortune — drop the anatomy or you’ll sound translated.
06
to let the cat out of the bag
die Katze aus dem Sack lassen
Survives almost word for word. Same cat, same bag, same accidental reveal of the secret.
07
to have a chip on your shoulder
nachtragend sein / einen Groll hegen
No equivalent picture at all. You name the feeling directly: nachtragend (holding it against people) or einen Groll hegen (nursing a grudge).
08
speak of the devil
wenn man vom Teufel spricht …
Crosses cleanly. Same devil, same timing — said when the person you mentioned suddenly appears. Often left hanging mid-sentence, exactly like the English.
09
to go down a rabbit hole
sich in etwas verlieren / sich verzetteln
The rabbit hole is too modern and too English. German describes the effect: you lose yourself in something, or verzetteln — scatter your effort and lose the thread.
10
to get cold feet
kalte Füße bekommen
Identical image. Cold feet right before the leap — last-minute nerves that talk you out of it. One you never have to think twice about.
Wortschatz
der · masculine
die · feminine
das · neuter
| Wort | Typ | English | Hinweis |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Brei | Nomen | mush / porridge | der heiße Brei = the point you avoid |
| der Apfel | Nomen | apple | der saure Apfel = the unpleasant task |
| die Fliege | Nomen | fly | Plural: die Fliegen |
| die Klappe | Nomen | flap / swatter | also slang for “mouth”: Klappe halten |
| der Zug | Nomen | move / turn | am Zug sein = to be up next |
| das Vermögen | Nomen | fortune / wealth | also “ability”: nach bestem Vermögen |
| die Katze | Nomen | cat | aus dem Sack lassen = to reveal |
| der Sack | Nomen | sack / bag | Plural: die Säcke |
| der Groll | Nomen | grudge / resentment | einen Groll hegen = to nurse a grudge |
| der Teufel | Nomen | devil | vom Teufel sprechen = speak of the devil |
| nachtragend | Adjektiv | resentful | nachtragend sein = to hold grudges |
| sich verzetteln | Verb (refl.) | to scatter one’s effort | to lose the thread by overreaching |