This document discusses common German idioms and their English equivalents. It provides translations and explanations for 6 common German idioms: "Da bin ich überfragt" meaning "I've been over-asked", "Sie hat nicht alle Tassen im Schrank" meaning "She doesn't have all her cups in the cupboard" referring to someone who is crazy, "Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr" meaning "You can't teach an old dog new tricks", "Sich keine grauen Haare über etwas wachsen lassen" meaning "Don't let grey hair grow on your head over something", "zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schl

1. Common German Idioms
Oh, idioms! Those silly little phrases that seem elusive for most foreign language learners!
Recently, a good friend of mine, who speaks English as his second language, and I were talking.
He was telling me about the latest horror film he had seen and I casually said, "Yeah, that's really
not my cup of tea." He looked at me extremely confused and said, "Not your cup of tea? I was
talking about a movie!"
Idioms are phrases and sayings that seem to have a meaning different from a traditional
understanding. This is similar to the English explanation of "that's not my cup of tea". I was
simply stating that I do not prefer horror films. What does tea have to do with this? Absolutely
nothing!
If you are learning German then you are in for a treat. The German language has some wonderful
idioms that can make you feel like a native speaker and converse like the locals!

2. Common German Idioms
Da bin ich überfragt
(translated: "I've been over-asked")
This idiom simply means that you've got nothing more to offer to the conversation. It's similar in
English when someone says, "I'm all spent!" It refers to the fact that you've had enough and
need some time to recharge.
Sie hat nicht alle Tassen im Schrank.
(translated: "She doesn't have her cups in the cupboard.")
It seems like every language known to man has a roundabout way of calling someone crazy and
German do not disappoint! It's similar to the English idiom, "She's got a screw loose" to refer to
someone who's not fully mentally aware.
Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr.
(Translated: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks.")
This German idiom has an English counterpart that says exactly the same thing. The idea behind
the idiom is that habits are hard to break, especially as we get older. It often refers to someone's
stubborn disposition.
Sich keine grauen Haare über etwas wachsen lassen
(Translation: do not let grey hair grow on your head over something.)
This is a simple way of saying that some things are not worth making a fuss over. A common
English idiom that means the same thing would be, "Don't lose any sleep over it." The idea is to
not let small issues disrupt your life.

3. zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen
(Translation: kill two flies with one trap.)
The English equivalent is similar but it uses a different victim and a different killing device:
"Kill two birds with one stone." This is great to use when you have been able to accomplish two
or more things by one simple task. For example, you give your mother-in-law a compliment and
it also pleases your wife!
Tomaten auf den Augen haben
(Translation: Someone has tomatoes in their eyes.)
This is an appropriate ending to our list as it is also my favorite German idiom! I have no idea
why tomatoes are involved, but Tomaten auf den Augen haben simply means that someone is
completely oblivious to the world around them. In English the phrase, "They've got their head in
the clouds" has a similar meaning.
Taking your German Idioms further
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