Tag: moamiswriting

Do you have a favourite german idiom? (+ literal english translation maybe )

One? Just one? No, my friend. I cannot do that.

I can, however, do more than twenty, and I can do them in alphabetical order based on the most important keywords involved in them. Not all of them are idioms, some are just things people like to say in certain situations, but all of them are amazing or interesting in their own way. (t. =  literal translation, m. = meaning)

abwarten und Tee trinken – t. to wait and drink tea, m. just wait and see

Wo man singt, da lass dich nieder; böse Menschen haben keine Lieder. – t. Where there’s singing, settle down; bad people don’t have songs. m. this is not exactly a typical saying, but an old piece of wisdom my grandmother always quotes.

Ich bin fuchsteufelswild! – t. I am foxdevilwild!, m. I am so goddamn angry right now

Himmel und Hölle in Bewegung setzen – t. to move heaven and hell, m. German equivalent for “to move heaven and earth”, but more badass

das ist ein Katzensprung – t. that is a cat’s jump, m. something is just a tiny distance away, only as far as a cat can jump!

auf den Keks gehen – t. to walk on someone’s cookie, m. to annoy someone, but much sweeter (get it? Okay, sorry.)

da kannst du Gift drauf nehmen – t. you can take poison on that, m. you can bet your life on that, it will definitely happen (how morbid, I love it)

die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt – t. (the) hope dies last

das Leben ist kein Ponyhof – t. life is no pony farm, m. life is tough and no fun, suck it up (a very German saying, also good for anyone that’s not into horses)

es ist noch kein Meister vom Himmel gefallen – t. a master has never fallen from the sky, m. to master something you need to practice 

hinterm Mond leben – t. to live behind the moon, m. to be away from reality, lost in dreams, or not up to date with trends

hier spielt die Musik – t. the music plays here, m. usually said to get someone’s attention when they are distracted, often sarcastic or annoyed (or is that just me…)

in einer Nacht-und-Nebel-Aktion – t. in a night-and-fog-action, m. doing something secretly, away from the public, hidden (oooh spooky!)

jetzt haben wir den Salat – t. now we have the salad, m. look at this disaster that we now have 

sich freuen wie ein Schneekönig/Honigkuchenpferd – t. to be happy like a snow king/honey cake horse, m. to be very very happy (isn’t this cute?)

nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben – t. to not have all cups in the cupboard, m. that someone is crazy (obviously, with that many cups missing…)

das kommt mir spanisch vor – t. that seems Spanish to me, m. that something is suspicious or strange, because apparently emperor Karl V. once imported court etiquette from Spain that nobody understood and got confused by, amazing?

Was für ein Teufelskerl! – t. What a devil’s guy! m. a bit old-fashioned, but still cool; describes a really awesome, brave, or otherwise attention-pulling man

viel hilft viel – t. a lot helps a lot

den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht sehen – t. to not see the forest because of all the trees, m. being unable to see the big picture because of distracting details

mit allen Wassern gewaschen sein – t. to be washed with/in all waters, m. someone who knows every trick in the book, is mischievous

Zieh dich warm an! – t. Dress warmly!, m. this is a threat. no, seriously, means that someone should prepare because you’re gonna do something very unpleasant to them soon

es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, nur falsche Kleidung – t. there is no bad weather, just wrong clothes, m. Germans are used to rain and it’s no reason to not do what you are supposed to be doing

Kommt Zeit, kommt Rat. – t. Comes time, comes advice. m. over time, a solution or advice will be found/appear

Those are all for now. Thank you for the ask, and let me know if you’d like more.

I beg you to believe me when I say that a firefly will never hurt you on accident. They’re gentle and kind and their light guides your way. But if you anger them, and it is hard and dangerous and never recommended to do so, then their wrath will be filled with godlike intent of destruction. Their light may guide the respectful man’s way, but it also leads the firefly’s unholy revenge straight to your throat, should you be foolish enough to provoke them.

Here’s a secret:

Nobody ever knows it all. Not what’s going on, not why we’re here, not what they’re even doing, not where all of this will end up. We’re all full of chaos and questions and a little bit of life. It’s wild and confusing as hell, but so are we all. So are you.

Here’s a secret:

They somehow make it. So will you.

When the autumn equinox comes, humans have two choices:

Cower in awe before the wild iridescent change rippling through our souls where they touch the border to the not quite real; or joining a dance born by witches that turns the leaves to flowers and our minds to new worlds.

I know that the world tells you that you’re an adult now. That with the end of school, the wild wonder of your soul is lost once and for all. All the books tell their story until here and not further. And you’re afraid that the two standing where a one used to stand in your age means grey and sad and second-best, that it means never again this young, this free, this immortal. But here’s a secret. Those that have reached their two? They feel the same. Never as young again, never as beautiful. The ones with a three? Never this independent, raw, bursting with colours. 

Listen, sweetest – a lot happens to you now. So much happens when you’re young. It all burns and you are so bright that it all feels like nothing but darkness lies ahead. You’ll always be a bit small and unfinished inside. We’re all a little lost and soft and broken at our edges. But you don’t have to be whole (nobody ever is, really) to be good. You don’t have to look at the spot someone else your age is standing in right now. The forest they’ve traveled to may be beautiful, but their rainforest is not where you need to go to grow your roses. And if you need a rainforest after all, for the new wild you’ve found after you thought it was all gone, then it will grow from your own hands, and your own years. 

I know you’re afraid that anything important has passed, and your own importance with it. It hasn’t. It couldn’t, not ever, because ever moment and year and all of your life matters, and will make all you do and change become history.

What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, but what kills me grants me the opportunity to befriend the forgotten eldritch monsters of the underworld and learn their witchcraft.