In Finnish we have “kissanristiäiset” (literally means a cat’s christening), which means some trivial and meaningless celebration/event.
In Finnish we have “kissanristiäiset” (literally means a cat’s christening), which means some trivial and meaningless celebration/event.
Germany, Hesse. We have some … interesting regional idioms Examples:
Furz mit Krücken (a fart with crutches) - a really stupid idea that’s bound to fail
Eine Gardinenpredigt halten (to hold a curtain preach) - to rant / tell someone off in a loud and angry way
Das macht den Bock auch nicht fett (that doesn’t fatten up the billy goat either) - somehing doesn’t matter anymore
Das Kind ist in den Brunnen gefallen (the child fell into the well) - something bad has already happened, intervening isn’t possible anymore, the only option is to deal with the consequences.
Besser als in die hohle Hand geschissen (better than shitting into your hollow hand) - better than nothing
Auf dem Zahnfleisch kriechen (to crawl on your gums) - to be totally exhausted
Klappe zu, Affe tot (hatch closed, monkey dead) - this is the end of the discussion
Passt wie die Faust aufs Auge (like a fist fits the eye) - a perfect match. Another variant is “Passt wie Arsch auf Eimer” (fits like a butt on a bucket)
Eine Laus über die Leber gelaufen (A louse walked across your liver) - to be annoyed and failing to hide it
Einen Besen fressen (to eat a broom) - exclamation of disbelief (“If that is really true, I’m going to eat a broom”)
Der hat Haare auf den Zähnen (he has hair on his teeth) - he is stubborn and loud about it
Das Leben ist wie’s ist, wer nen scheppen Arsch hat, hat nen scheppen Schiss. (Life is life, a person with a sideways arse poops sideways turds) - stop complaining about stuff you can’t change. “Schepp” is “schief”, but said with a dialect.
Wie der Och’s wenns blitzt (like an ox when lightning strikes) - to stare dumbfounded into space, usually because you don’t understand something / are surprised
Einbildung ist auch eine Bildung (delusion is also a form of education) - when someone is dumb but so full of themselves that they don’t realize HOW dumb they are. “Einbildung” and “eine Bildung” sound very similar.
Wer im Glashaus sitzt, soll nicht mit Steinen werfen (if you sit in a glass house, don’t throw stones) - don’t gossip about others when you’re also guilty of the thing you want to gossip about
Am Arsch die Waldfee (by the butt of the forest fairy) - “This is ridiculous and I refuse to believe it” Another variant is “Am Arsch die Räuber” (by the butts of the robbers)
Himmel, Arsch und Zwirn! (heaven, ass and twine!) - for fuck’s sake!
Herr, schmeiss Hirn vom Himmel! (Lord, throw a brain down from the Heavens!) - when you’re frustrated with someone really stupid. Another variant is “Herr, schmeiss Hirn vom Himmel - oder Steine, Hauptsache du triffst!” (Lord, throw a brain down from the Heavens - or rocks, as long as you hit your mark!)
Nicht mein Affe, nicht mein Zirkus (not my monkey, not my circus) - This is not my responsibility, go ask someone else
Wie ein Affe auf einem Schleifstein (like a monkey sitting on a grindstone) - you’re sitting weird
Das gleiche in Grün (the same, but green) - two things are essentially the same
Zum Mäusemelken (like milking mice) - something is complicated and frustrating
Ich hab schon Pferde vor der Apotheke kotzen sehen (I’ve seen horses barf in front of a pharmacy) - I’ve seen weirder things in my life
Is “das ist mir wurst” a thing? That’s one I learned from my MIL (from Bavaria).
I also have a special love for the word “Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung”. And yes I had to Google the spelling lol.
We say “das ist mir Wurst” in Hamburg too, so it must be a pretty universal saying.
Is Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung used in a saying? The only meaning I can think of is the literal one (attestation of no rental debt)
You are correct, it’s the attestation, not an actual saying. I just think it’s wild how many words were shoved together to make this abomination of a word.
It’s called a composite word. English has them too, like schoolbus, but German just went crazy with them. Feels like every other word is a composite
Flugzeug = flying stuff = plane
Glühbirne = glowing pear = light bulb
But some examples just take it on a whole other level. Like “Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz”, meaning “Beef labeling supervision duties delegation law”.
TBF English has words like “backpack”, which then get turned into a verb like “to go backpacking”.
But in some Germanic language like German (Dutch too), you should write all words that describe one noun together as one, which leads to words like huttentuttententoonstelling.
Yup that is me sausage is a german thing.
It’s a thing in Hesse, too ;) you can also say “Ist mir Schnuppe” or “Ist mir schnurz”, which essentially mean the same thing (“I don’t care”) but the literal translation is different. “Schnuppe” is the burnt end if a candle wick, but I have seriously no idea what “schnurz” is supposed to be, lol.
I’m from Hamburg and I know the majority of these as well, but some are a bit different. Here’s some variations on yours:
Are you sure the first one is about cabbage and not the politician?
No I am not sure actually, it might very well be! Both would make sense conceptually but I never actually looked into which one it is
Also german. Somewhat sure it’s about good old Helmut.