jemandem einen Bären aufbinden
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(to tie a bear for someone) • To tell a silly lie, to be kidding someone.
"Ich habe heute eine ganze Torte gegessen!" "Willst du mir einen Bären aufbinden?"
"I ate a whole cake today!" "Do you want to tie a bear for me?"
wie ein Elefant im Porzellanladen
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(like an elephant in a porcelain store) • Used when someone is being clumsy.
"Er benimmt sich wie ein Elefant im Porzellanladen."
"He's behaving like an elephant in a porcelain store."
German
Northern Germany ,
Germany
Word USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(n.) • Used to mean silly stuff.
"Mark hat wirklich sehr viel Tüddelkram in seiner Wohnung. Das meiste das er hat braucht man nicht."
"Mark has a lot of silly stuff in his flat. You don’t need most of the stuff he has."
Slang USED On Occasion BY Some People
(interj.) • (see you later Peter) • One equivalent of the English “See you later alligator” The person’s name doesn’t need to be Peter.
"Tschüß!" "Bis später Peter!"
"Good bye!" "See you later Peter!"
German
| Swabian
Baden-Württemberg ,
Germany
Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(adj.) • Something that is broken, not working.
"Des Audo isch hee. (Dieses Auto ist kaputt.)"
"The car is broken."
Submitted August 2020 by hvorerdet
Slang USED On Occasion BY Young People
(such a Horst) • Used as an insult for a stupid person. It’s not a really strong insult, but it shows how annoyed you are by that person. Horst is a male name.
"Hast du schon wieder vergessen, die Tür zuzumachen? Du bist so ein Horst."
"Did you forget to close the door again? You’re such a Horst."
Interjection USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(n.) • (crash bang wallop ) • A mess or some undefined collection of stuff.
"Ich habe heute mein Auto aufgeräumt und den ganzen Kladderadatsch, der da drin war endlich mal weggeschmissen."
"I tidied up my car today and finally threw away all the Kladderadatsch that was in there."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(it pours like out of buckets.) • Used when wanting to say that it rains heavily.
"Nein Kind, Du kannst nicht raus, es gießt wie aus Kübeln."
"No child, you can't go outside, it's pouring like out of buckets."
German
| Schnürlesregen (Swabian)
Germany
Expression USED On Occasion BY Most People
(it's raining strings) • Used to refer to constant pouring rain, so strong that you can't see separate droplets anymore.
"Nimm einen Schirm mit, es regnet heute Bindfäden."
"Take an umbrella with you, it's raining strings today."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(n.) • A very sudden downpour of heavy rain, often in a small area.
''Warte den Platzregen besser im Laden ab.''
''Better wait in the shop until the Platzregen is over.''
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
( I think my pig whistles.) • an expression of shock in an satiric/ironic way when something unexpected happens
Er hat mein Auto geklaut! Ich glaub mein Schwein pfeift!
He stole my car! I think my pig whistles!
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(n.) • (neck and leg fracture ) • Used to wish someone good luck, especially if it's relating to something dangerous.
"Ich werde meinem Chef sagen, dass ich aus Versehen meinen Stuhl kaputt gemacht habe." "Oh, na dann Hals und Beinbruch!"
"I'm going to tell my boss that I accidentally broke my chair." "Oh, well break a leg and your neck!"
German
| Swabian
Swabia,
Germany
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Swabians
(Life is not a lollipop) • Used as a response when someone complains about a small problem or task. Meaning life is not always easy.
"Ich hab noch soviel zu tun..." "s Läba osch koi Schlotzer"
"I have sooo much to do..." "Life is not a lollipop"
German
| Plattdeutsch
Northern Germany,
Germany
Word USED On Very Rare Occasion BY Some People
(n.) • (field chatter) • It’s a funny and endearing way to say mobile phone. However most people would simply use the German word for mobile phone (handy) instead. “Field chatter” also suggests the farmerly my background, that most people who speak Plattdeutsch have.
"Hast du din Ackerschnacker dabi? Ick mutt mol ken anropen."
"Do you have your mobile phone with you? I need to call someone."
Word USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(n.) • (damage happiness ) • To be happy by other people’s misfortune.
"Hast du gehört? Herr Müller hat schon wieder verschlafen. *lacht* Jetzt muss er Extraarbeit machen." "Du bist wirklich schadenfroh!"
"Did you hear? Mister Müller overslept again. * laughs* Now he’s got to do extra work." "You’re well gleeful!"
Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone
(Greet God!) • Saying "Grüß Gott!" is a polite way of greeting people in Southern Germany and Austria. Despite its obviously religious background, this greeting is being used by everyone, regardless of their religious orientation. Furthermore, it can be used at all times of the day.
"Grüß Gott! Ich würde gerne einen Termin für nächste Woche buchen."
"Greet God! I would like to book an appointment for next week."
Word USED Frequently BY Everyone
(n.) • (Damage-happiness ) • A feeling of happines that someone gets when others fail or things go wrong.
"Hast du gehört? Herr Müller hat schon wieder verschlafen." "Du bist ja richtig schadenfroh!"
"Did you head? Mr. Müller overslept again." "You’re really 'damage-happy'!"
German
| Saarländisch
Saarland,
Germany
Slang USED Very frequently BY Almost Everyone
(and? ) • Dialect for "und?" (and?) which asks how someone is doing or how someone's day has been etc. Often used as a beginning of a conversation
"Unn?" "Jo, und selbst?" "Jo."
"And?" "Good, and you?" "Good."
Submitted August 2020 by nico
Word USED On Occasion BY Young People
(adj.) • It means “cool”.
"Das ist echt knorke!"
"That’s really cool!"
German
Northern Germany,
Germany
Expression USED Very frequently BY Almost Everyone in Northern Germany
A greeting that can be used at every time of day in Northern Germany - basically the equivalent to "Hi". In Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, it is more common to use "Moin" and not "Moin moin", since the latter is sometimes considered to be too much talk.
"Moin Andreas, alles klar?"
"Moin Andreas, everything alright?"
