theinbetweenismine

just a girl living the expat life

26: More German Idioms, hooray!

filed under: NaBloPoMo, Things you wouldn't know

 
People have told me in the past that they love these posts, so I’ll make an effort to keep it going (until I run out of fun German idioms, I guess). Enjoy! And make sure you check out the other round-ups of idioms here, here, here, here, and here, here, and here.

I’ve always enjoyed learning English idioms and also really enjoy teaching German idioms to my non-native German-speaking husband. He’s successfully dropped one or the other German idiom in conversation with me in the past and it’s always a bit of a fist-pump-kinda-moment. Hehe.

Hätte, hätte, Fahrradkette. (Woulda, woulda, bicycle chain.) Well, that obviously only works in German, haha,  because it rhymes. The English equivalent (rhyme) is “Shoulda, coulda, woulda”.

Du bist ein Scherzkeks. (You’re a joke cookie.)  Definitely one I use often when Jon’s trying to be particularly funny. It means you’re a jokster.

Jemandem Kopfzerbrechen bereiten. (To cause someone’s head breaking.) This is pretty self-explanatory, am I right? It means that you’re causing someone worry or that you’re puzzling someone with your behavior.

Etwas ins Leben rufen. (To call something into life.) To initiate something.

Es ist kein Hexenwerk. (It is no witchcraft.) It’s not rocket science.

Gute Karten haben. (To have good cards.) This is similar to the English idiom ‘to be dealt a good hand’, but it can also mean that you have a good chance at something.

Du hast eine schreckliche Fahne.  (You have a horrible flag.) This is useful to let someone know that they shouldn’t get too close because they have awful alcoholic breath.

Ich bin fuchsteufelswild. (I am foxdevilswild). One of the awesome German compound words. Don’t you love them. This means that you’re  crazy mad about something.

Teach me an idiom! Or ask me for the translation of an English idiom into German!

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

Why you should read books (and watch movies) in their native language

filed under: books, Things you wouldn't know


Photo by Susan Yin on Unsplash

I recently read my first German book in a long while. The reason why I hadn’t read any books in German is that German books are somewhat hard to come by. I often read on my eReader and most of my books come from the library and – as far as I know – there are no German books in their collection. 

I could probably make more of an effort, there probably are ways to get digital content from German libraries on my eReader (note to self: look into this!), but I haven’t so far.

J had asked me why I hadn’t read any German books at all, so I decided to pick up one of the books I have on my bookshelf.

Out of curiosity, I checked and realized that the book was also translated into English, so I downloaded it from the library to compare the two. To my surprise, I found that, on the first few pages, whole passages were omitted in the English translation. 

Why? Did the translator feel the sentences were superfluous? Did he not know how to translate them properly? I was a bit baffled. I didn’t do a page to page comparison of the whole book, just randomly checked a passage here and there, but I wonder which other parts might have been dropped.

So much can get lost or be distorted in translation. Maybe dropping a few sentences here and there doesn’t really alter the story, but still, the author surely intended them to be there. 

I can’t really speak to the “quality” of the translation and how the feel of the author’s writing style differs between the original and the translated version, but I can totally see how I might love the writing in German, but not so much in English, if you know what I mean. I had a couple of literary translation classes in college and we would sometimes spend weeks discussing the many ways of translating one short passage of a book. It was amazing to see how different people interpreted many different things into the writing of the author, how people ended up choosing one word or phrasing over another. Literary translation is truly an art and still, there’s so much that can go “wrong”.

This, my friends, is why you need to read books in their native language, if at all possible.

I understand that reading a book in another language might not be possible (as you have to speak/understand a foreign language to do so), but I am just pointing out the benefits of doing it when you can.

The same goes for movies. If you can watch a movie in its native language, even with subtitles, by all means, please do.

I wrote a lengthy post about how I feel about dubbing a few years ago, which to my great shame is done extensively in Germany.  All points I raised in this post still apply, from the horrible pick of the German voices (voices often don’t resemble the original voices of the actors/actresses) to the terrible translations. I mean, really bad translations, not just “slightly off”. For Peet’s sake, if you have to dub, do a better job already or don’t do it at all.

The same applies to the reverse process as well, by the way – even though foreign films are usually not dubbed here, only subtitled, the subtitles are sometimes really really bad translations from the original. Even J has noticed that before, when we were watching a German movie and the subtitles didn’t quite measure up to what was actually said/conveyed in the scene. I always wonder if the people who are paid to do the translations are just amateurs or really don’t know any better. It’s possible those people never lived abroad and don’t know/understand colloquialisms and therefore can’t always get it right.

Do you speak another language and have you noticed these discrepancies?

21: More German idioms

filed under: Germany, NaBloPoMo, Things you wouldn't know

Idioms are probably one of my favorite things about foreign languages.

This is a series I’ve carried through a number of years of NaBloPoMo and many people have told me over the years that the posts about German idioms are one of their favorites, so I’ll, once again, try to find some good German sayings for you (along with their sometimes hilarious literal translations).

I’ve always enjoyed learning English idioms and also really enjoy teaching German idioms to my non-native German-speaking husband. He’s successfully dropped one or the other German idiom in conversation with me in the past and it’s always a bit of a fist-pump-kinda-moment. Hehe.

Make sure you check out the other round-ups of idioms here, here, here, here, and here, and here.

Hast du Tomaten auf den Augen?  (Do you have tomatoes on your eyes?) To be ignorant or oblivious to what is going on around you.

Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen. (To kill two flies with one swat.)  To kill two birds with one stone. (I prefer to kill flies, don’t you? ;))

Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben. (Don’t praise the day before the evening.) Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Unter einer Decke stecken. (To be under the blankets with someone.) This is not what you think, ha! It means that you’re in cahoots with someone.

Jemanden Löcher in den Bauch fragen. (To ask someone holes in the belly.) To bombard someone with questions.

Die Kuh vom Eis holen. (To get the cow from the ice.) To save the situation.

Auf der faulen Haut liegen.  (To lie on the lazy skin.) This means to be a lazy blob.

Wir sitzen ganz schön in der Tinte. (We’re beautifully sitting in the ink.) We’re in deep trouble.

Die Kacke ist am dampfen. (The poop is steaming.) Shit hit the fan.

Teach me an idiom! Or ask me for the translation of an English idiom into German!

20: Things you wouldn’t know: More German Idioms

filed under: Germany, NaBloPoMo, Things you wouldn't know

This is a series I’ve carried through a number of years of NaBloPoMo and I’ve been told that people always enjoy learning more German idioms, so I’ll attempt to find some more German sayings (along with their sometimes hilarious literal translations).

I tried to only pick idioms that are used pretty frequently in today’s everyday German (as far as I know). I use these pretty frequently and I also really enjoy teaching them to my non native German-speaking husband. He’s successfully dropped one or the other German idiom in conversation with me in the past and it’s always a bit of a fist-pump-kinda-moment. Hehe.

Make sure you check out the other round-ups of idioms here, here, here, here, and here.

Er ist nicht auf den Kopf gefallen. (He hasn’t been dropped on the head.) He’s a clever little guy.

Um den heißen Brei herumreden. (To talk around the hot porridge.) This is pretty self-explanatory, right? It means to not get to the point, but to beat around the bush.

Himmel und Hölle in Bewegung setzen. (To put heaven and hell into motion.) Oh hey, look, this one is always the same in both languages: to move heaven and earth.

Hier steppt der Bär. (The bear is tap-dancing around here.) We say that to say that it’s a good party and we’re having a good time.

Das geht weg wie warme Semmeln. (This goes like warm bread rolls.) What can I say, we Germans like our bread references, but this one is not far from the English translation. If something is very popular it goes like warm bread rolls or goes/sells like hotcakes.

Du kannst mich mal am A…bend besuchen. (You can come visit me at night.) Ok, this one is actually funny. The original saying goes “du kannst mich mal am Arsch lecken” (you can lick my ass!), but because that is very vulgar, someone started using “du kannst mich mal am Abend besuchen” (changing the sentence last minute from using “Arsch” (ass) to “Abend” (evening). The implication is still the same, it just sounds nicer: kiss my ass.

Ich komme in Teufels Küche. (I’ll get in the devil’s kitchen.) This means to “get into hot waters’, to get in trouble.

Er fällt immer mit der Tür ins Haus. (He always falls into the house with the door.) This is particularly German, I guess because it means “he always gets right to the point/blurts it out”. We Germans do like to be direct and oftentimes a bit blunt.

Gib ihm den kleinen Finger und er nimmt die ganze Hand. (Give him your little finger and he’ll take the whole hand.) Give an inch and they’ll take a mile.

Geh mir aus der Sonne. (Step out of my sun!) This could literally mean that someone is blocking the sun from you and you’re asking them to step aside a bit, but it’s often used figuratively to tell someone that they’re annoying you and that they’d rather have you shut up and disappear as not to dampen your mood.

Teach me an idiom! Or ask me for the translation of an English idiom into German!

A Christmas Survey

filed under: holidays, Things you wouldn't know, this and that

Hi friends, just popping in for some low-key Christmas fun (in case anyone is bored enough to even bother reading blogs over Christmas – haha! – but I know I probably will!)  Sometimes, I just love reading fun surveys learning some randoms things about each other that way. I hope you’re having a lovely Christmas weekend.

Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

Yes! We usually do Christmas the German way and that means Christmas Eve is the day for a fancy Christmas dinner and opening the presents. Christmas Day is for relaxing, watching movies and drinking hot chocolate.

Run on Christmas morning or take the day off?

No running on Christmas morning. Christmas Day is a day to stay cozy (but I ran on the 2nd Christmas Day – which totally is a thing in Germany. The 26th is an official holiday and who could argue with a 2nd Christmas Day, am I right? I was lucky to get today off as well and I took advantage of it).


What do you usually eat on Christmas morning?

We don’t have a traditional Christmas morning breakfast.

Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

It’s fake.  Our previous apartment was so tiny that we didn’t really have space for a tree, but since I still wanted one, we got a small fake tree that we cut put up on the sideboard. I really wanted to get a real tree this year, because we do have a bit more space now, but Christmas kind of snuck up on me and then we decided to just use the little fake tree for another year. I think it actually looks quite nice and not necessarily fake, if you look at it from far enough away… haha. 

Do you like tinsel?

No. Never have.

What is on top of your tree?

A small straw star.

Favorite holiday or Christmas tradition?

Christmas Eve with everybody at my parents’ house. We would have a fancy Christmas dinner (cooked mostly by my Dad) and we would listen to “kölsche Weihnacht” (Christmas music) and open the presents one by one for everybody to see and admire.

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

There is no way I can just pick one! One of my favorite-favorites is The Holiday, but also Love Actually, Elf, It’s a wonderful life, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf, A Fitzgerald Family Christmas, and Home Alone.
 Who is your favorite character from any Christmas movie?

Oh, hard to say… there are so many. I love Buddy the Elf, of course, and Clark Griswold is just so excited about Christmas. I can relate to that.. haha.
 Christmas pajamas… yay or nay?

The whole thing with Christmas PJs is not a thing in Germany, so I never had one…. But part of me likes the idea.

Do you like eggnog or cider?

Both! :)

Red or Green?

Red

Food that you always have during the holiday season?

After Eight, Speculoos, Spritzgebäck (spritz cookies?).

Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Mostly wrapping paper – but sometimes, when I have odd-shaped gifts, I prefer pretty gift bags!

Do you drive around and look at Christmas lights?

Usually yes. I love looking at Christmas decorations!

Do you put Christmas lights on the outside of your house?

Not really, but I want to. I only put out a small string of lights on the little bush next to our entrance door this year, because I had one (with solar panel) sitting around in my closet…. But next year, I’d like to get more lights (only white lights, though. I find the colorful string lights kinda tacky ;)).

Do you hang up a stocking?

Only teeny-tiny ones for decoration. I’d love to get J and I some stockings, though.


Where do you usually spend your holiday?

Usually we would spend it with family in Germany, but we were at home by ourselves for the third year in a row this weekend and it was quiet and cozy.

What is your favorite Christmas Album/CD/Song??

NKOTB’s Christmas Album, obviously.

Do you like giving gifts or receiving gifts better?

Both.  I love giving gifts for Christmas. It’s never about the monetary value, but picking something out that I know someone else will enjoy. Of course, I also love getting gifts in return. As much as I like the idea of a “gift-free” Christmas (and I would totally go for that if I could see family and friends instead), I also really love finding little gifts for people.

When do you start getting excited about Christmas?

In the middle of summer? Haha. No, but I probably get seriously into a Christmas mood around the first Sunday of Advent.

 

I hope you enjoyed learning some more about our Christmas, and feel free to share some Christmas facts from your family with me! I’d love to hear! Hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!