Top Ten Literal English Translations of German Phrases and Idioms

Every language has their own idioms and phrases that, if you take them literally, sound extremely odd. They have their source somewhere in history, but over the years their literal meaning has been widely forgotten but they were still used in everyday language. Let's look at some funny idioms in the German language that are frequently used by everyone and are questioned by no one, but nevertheless sound pretty strange if you think about them.

The Top Ten

1 "I think a horse is kicking me!" ("Ich glaub, mich tritt ein Pferd")

Meaning: A usually positive expression of surprise, "I can't believe it".
Example: Your numbers in the lottery are the same as the winning ones - you say: "I think a horse is kicking me, those are mine! "

2 "You don't have all cups in the closet!" ("Du hast nicht alle Tassen im Schrank!")

Meaning: "you are crazy/insane"
Example: someone says "Kollegah is only a so-so rapper", then it is your holy duty to say: "you don't have all cups in the closet, listen to "King"! "

3 "I think my pig whistles!" ("Ich glaub mein Schwein pfeift!")

Meaning: another expression of surprise, but more negatively.
Example: you found out your friend stole money from you. You catch him while doing so and yell at him "I think my pig whistles, what are you doing!? "

4 "To wear the spending trousers" ("Die Spendierhosen anhaben")

Meaning: to be in a generous mood.
Example: you ask all your friends out for dinner because you yourself feel so good, then you are wearing the spending trousers. Die Ärzte also have a great album called "Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer! " ("Down with the spending trousers, invisible man! ").

5 "To only understand train station" ("Nur Bahnhof verstehen")

Meaning: to not understand anything at all. Example: Someone tells you a long story but you don't get it, then you only understand train station.

6 "To crawl in someone's ass" ("Jemanden in den Arsch kriechen")

Meaning: to brown nose someone, to suck up to someone.
Example: "yesterday I saw XY complimenting to YX on Twitter, he really crawls up his ass".

7 "Tp have the snout full" ("Die Schnauze voll haben")

Meaning: to have enough, to have it up to here
Example: "Boy, Martin Canine still keeps fanboying over Kollegah, I have the snout full! "

8 "To fall off the meat" ("Vom Fleisch fallen")

9 "You can remove that make up" ("Das kannst du dir abschminken")

Meaning: "Forget it! "
Example: "no, I won't go to the Soulja Boy concert with you, no matter how much you beg. You can remove that make up! "

10 "Heaven, ass and twine!" ("Himmel, Arsch und Zwirn")

Meaning: "God damn it! "
Example: "Heaven, ass and twine, will you stop begging me? I. Won't. Go! "

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