/ˈjeːmandm̩ deːn ˈʃvaʁt͡sn̩ ˈpeːtɐ ˈt͡suːˌʃiːbn̩/ lit. ‘to slip someone Black Peter’
German idiom, everyday. To shift the blame onto someone else.
Draft Not yet checked by a native German speaker.
How do people use Jemandem den Schwarzen Peter zuschieben
?
Neutral and very common in politics reporting, where parties “schieben sich gegenseitig den Schwarzen Peter zu” (keep passing the blame back and forth). “Zuschieben” is separable: “Er schob ihr den Schwarzen Peter zu.”
Also said jemandem den schwarzen Peter zuschieben, jemandem den Schwarzen Peter zuspielen
Jemandem den Schwarzen Peter zuschieben
in real sentences
-
Tom wies alle Schuld von sich und schob den Schwarzen Peter Maria zu.
Tom said that it wasn’t his fault and he blamed Mary instead.
Tatoeba, sentence by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation by Hybrid, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does Jemandem den Schwarzen Peter zuschieben
come from?
From the children’s card game Schwarzer Peter, a kind of Old Maid: all cards come in pairs except one, the Black Peter, and whoever is left holding it at the end loses (often getting a soot mark on the face). German Wiktionary gives this origin, citing the Wikipedia article on the game.
Mistakes learners make with Jemandem den Schwarzen Peter zuschieben
Thinking it’s about a person called Peter. The Schwarzer Peter is a card, so you “zuschieben” it (slide it across), and whoever ends up holding it loses.
Other German idioms like Jemandem den Schwarzen Peter zuschieben
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?
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