Learn German podcast PG18 - Schief gelaufen
Todays German podcast lesson teaches German phrases and expressions for those times when things go pear-shaped and not according to plan. Even the Germans make a blunder from time to time so when you next shoot yourself in the foot (heaven forbid!) - at least you’ll be armed with the right German vocabulary! * Perhaps appropriately I made a blunder this week in the translation of the “die Arschkarte ziehen” which is better translated “the short end of the stick” or “to draw the shortest straw” than “the wrong end of the stick” which refers to a misunderstanding rather than suffering the bad effects of a situation. Oh well, shit happens!
to be in for it
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PG18 – Pear-shaped
Tyler: Hey what are you doing at home? Aren’t you supposed to be on holiday in Italy with your girlfriends?Lisa: Oh man ich könnte mir so in den Arsch beißen! Du wirst nicht glauben, was passiert ist. Wirklich alles ist schief gelaufen. Ich habe tatsächlich den Flieger verpasst. Jetzt sitze ich ganz schön in der Tinte.
Tyler: What do you mean you could kick yourself? How did you manage to miss your flight? You should be sitting on the beach right now!
Lisa: Erst mal habe ich den Zug hier in Freiburg verpasst. Glücklicherweise gab es gleich noch einen 15 min später. Im Grunde war ich also nur 5 min zu spät beim Check-in aber die blöde Fluggesellschaft hat mich nicht mehr einchecken lassen.
Tyler: No way, I can’t believe they never let you on to the plane. You never had much luggage with you. Surely you could have squeezed it on as hand luggage?
Lisa: Ja, diese doofe Billigflieger-Airline war echt ein Griff ins Klo. Damit habe ich mir wohl ins eigene Fleisch geschnitten. Null Service! Ich habe ewig versucht die Tussi am Schalter zu überreden aber es war nichts drin.
Tyler: Sounds like you really got the wrong end of the stick there. Was there no later flight you could have taken?
Lisa: Nein, es ist zum Heulen! Der nächste Flug nach Rom geht erst in drei Tagen.
Tyler: Well too bad! So what are you going to do now?
Lisa: Tja, ich glaube der Zug ist wohl abgefahren. Es lohnt sich wohl kaum für einen Tag nachzufliegen oder?
Tyler: No probably not. It looks like you really cocked that one up. The trip had been planned for ages. Your friends must be really bummed.
Lisa: Du hast recht, da habe ich wirklich einen Bock geschossen. Ich weiß noch nicht, wie ich das wieder gutmachen soll. Das ist wirklich voll daneben gegangen.
List of English - German Podcast VocabularyTranslation of German
idioms, colloquial phrases, slang and theme
expressions.
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| I could kick myself | Ich könnte mir in den Arsch beißen |
| it went wrong; it went pear shaped | es ist schief gelaufen/ gegangen |
| you are really in for it | du sitzt wirklich in der Tinte |
| that was useless; that was rubbish | das war wohl ein Griff ins Klo/ in die Schüssel |
| I screwed myself over | damit habe ich mir ins eigene Fleisch geschnitten |
| you got the wrong/ short end of the stick | du hast die Arschkarte gezogen |
| it’s hopeless | es ist zum Heulen; es ist zum Mäuse melken |
| well, too bad; that didn’t go too well | dumm gelaufen |
| to have missed the boat | der Zug ist abgefahren |
| you really cocked that one up; to make a blunder | das war wohl ein Schuss in den Ofen; einen Bock schießen |
| to make sth up to s.o. | etw wieder gutmachen |
| that was a complete muck‐up/ stuff‐up | das ist voll daneben gegangen |
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