Each German idiom below comes with what its words literally say, what it means and how other languages put the same idea. To see every language at once, open the side-by-side page for work.
-
lit. ‘a lot around your ears’
To have a lot of work or problems to deal with at once.
Elsewhere
-
lit. ‘lie on the lazy skin’
To be very lazy and avoid work.
Elsewhere
-
Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen
lit. ‘two flies with one swatter’
To get two things done with a single action.
-
lit. ‘stand on the hose’
To be stuck and unable to work something out.
Elsewhere
-
lit. ‘the dot on the i’
lit. ‘the little cap of whipped cream’
Something extra that makes a good thing even better.
Elsewhere
- EN The icing on the cake
- FR La cerise sur le gâteau
- ES La guinda del pastel
- IT La ciliegina sulla torta
- JA 画竜点睛
-
lit. ‘that’s where the dog is buried’
That's the central point that everything else depends on.
Elsewhere
-
lit. ‘child’s play’
Something is very easy to do.
Elsewhere
- EN A piece of cake
- FR C’est du gâteau
- ES Es pan comido
- IT Un gioco da ragazzi
- JA 朝飯前
-
lit. ‘to push onto the long bench’
To keep putting something off instead of dealing with it.
Elsewhere
-
lit. ‘at snail tempo’
Very slowly.
Elsewhere
-
lit. ‘to throw the towel’
To give up and admit defeat.
Elsewhere
- EN Throw in the towel
- FR Jeter l’éponge
- ES Tirar la toalla
- IT Gettare la spugna
- JA お手上げ
Phrases in bold with a red marker are written up. The rest are waiting for their own page and a check by a native speaker.