Painting pictures with language and
bringing words to life

Idioms and expressions have always been a part of the language people use. We often rely on them to creatively convey a complex concept. And they often draw comparisons that don’t seem all that logical to start with. They paint vivid pictures and bring our everyday communications to life with word play. They can be ethical or ironic, trivial or artistic, inspired by war or peace. But what do they mean and where do they come from? Let’s work in chronological order and start with the Ancient Greeks.

“Eulen nach Athen tragen” – this phrase literally means “bringing owls to Athens”. You’ll hear it used to refer to something that’s entirely unnecessary. This is another idiom with its origin in ‘The Birds’ by Aristophanes. In Greek mythology, owls are associated with wisdom. As a result, Athens was full of statues and images of owls. So there really was no need whatsoever to bring owls to Athens. Another theory suggests that this phrase is inspired by the coins that would have been used in Athens. If you look at a Greek euro coin now, you’ll see a little owl. The old silver coins in Classical Athens had the same symbol, so they became known as ‘Owls’. There were more than enough of those in affluent Athens. And so the people of Athens, who had very little tax to pay in those days, were of the opinion that it would have been pointless to bring more money, or more ‘Owls’, to their city.

“Etwas aus dem Effeff können” literally “knowing something from the ff”, is all about having something down to a science or knowing something inside out. The German phrase dates back 1,500 years to the Pandects (meaning all-embracing), a compendium of writings on Roman law. The Greek letter pi was used to refer to the Pandects in shorthand. When the letter was scribbled out quickly, it often looked like the lower-case letter ‘f’ twice in a row. And so the abbreviation ‘ff’ ended up being used for the legal compendium. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Roman laws and the ‘ff’ remained and served as the foundation for the legal systems in the new European countries. The Pandects are an example of established knowledge that has been around for centuries. If something comes from the ‘ff’, you can rely on it to be correct. These days, in German, if someone knows something from the ff, they’re a genuine specialist with proper expertise.

“Jemandem die Leviten lesen” has been used in German since the 8th century. Meaning to give someone a strict talking to, the literal translation is to “read someone the Levites”. This phrase comes from the third book of Moses, Leviticus. When it was deemed necessary to remind the clergy of the rules of conduct, the bishop would read the relevant passages out to the Benedictine monks. These mostly covered warnings and punishments. 

“Alles in Butter” means that “everything is in butter”. In other words, things are going smoothly. This is one of many German sayings that date back to the Middle Ages, a time when valuable Italian glass was transported north from Italy via the Alps. Unfortunately, there were a lot of breakages on the horse-drawn carriages. That is, until one clever trader had an idea. He put the glass in barrels and poured in hot melted butter. Once it had cooled down, the butter acted as a protective layer. Even if one of the barrels fell off the carriage, the glass would remain intact because everything was in butter.

“Hinz und Kunz” have been around for many centuries. The German refers to two traditional boys’ names – Heinrich and Konrad. They were both highly popular during the Middle Ages and so were the associated nicknames, Hinz and Kunz. Back then and to this day, “Hinz und Kunz” has been a less-than-respectful way to refer to just about anybody or any Tom, Dick and Harry. 

“Lieber den Spatz in der Hand als die Taube auf dem Dach” literally means “better the sparrow in the hand than the pigeon on the roof”. In other words, it’s better to appreciate what you already have – no matter how small – than risk it for something bigger and better. This saying has been around in German since the 19th century. And do we have an English version? Of course we do! We still have birds, but they’re a bit less specific: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. How about the English phrase “out of the blue”, which we use to express that something has happened completely unexpectedly and without warning? The German equivalent is “out of a clear sky” or “Aus heiterem Himmel”. It’s not all that common for translators to find such direct translations for figures of speech. That often comes down to their cultural and regional influences. Coming up with the perfect translation is no mean feat. Or maybe we should say that it’s a hard nut to crack! Let’s look at some regional examples next...

If you hear someone say “Chasch mer am Ranze hange” in Switzerland, you know they’re fed up and they’ve had enough. Another example is “Blas mer id Schueh” or “Blow into my shoes”. Translation? Get lost! Or leave me alone! 

“Das isch alles für d’Füchs” or “Das ist alles für die Katz” means “it’s all for the cat”. In other words, something has been all for nothing or in vain. And now we’re onto animals. Some of the most creative sayings relate to animals and their characteristics. There are so many animal-inspired idioms in German and English.

You can be a wolf in sheep’s clothing or count your chickens before they hatch. Will you kill two birds with one stone, let sleeping dogs lie or end up letting the cat out of the bag? You can cry crocodile tears until the cows come home. Hold your horses! Has the cat got your tongue? Are you as stubborn as a mule? Or maybe you’re like a fish out of water? You can be happy as a pig in mud, busy as a bee or free as a bird. Don’t forget that the early bird catches the worm. Best be a bat out of hell. Just make sure you’re not a bull in a china shop or putting the cart before the horse. Now, is it tipping it down outside? Or is it raining cats and dogs? Don’t overthink that one or you’ll end up laughing like a hyena!

Living language – what’s new?

Language is constantly changing. That means new idioms are coming up all the time, with each generation making their own contributions. So what’s new? Inspired by more modern technology, something is “on our radar” if we’re giving it our attention. In German, “Das ist ganz grosses Kino” literally means that something is “really big cinema”. High praise indeed when we’re suitably impressed. If you have no clue what FOMO and YOLO mean, we can safely say that you’re not Gen Z. But that’s no cause for FOMO!