German idiom:
'Ich bin im Eimer'
Origin:
with Eimer (bucket) Germans mean the rubbish bin (Abfalleimer) - which is where you put broken things.
When attempting to say you are totally exhausted, you can say 'Ich bin kaputt' (I am broken' or 'Ich bin im Eimer' (I am in the bin).
German idiom:
'Alles in Butter'
Alles klar? Ja, alles in Butter!
This idiom originates in the medieval times, when fragile items like glasses and crockery were placed in liquid butter, which, once chilled and hardened, would make these goods easier to transport without breaking.
German idiom:
'Einen Vogel haben'
This idiom originates from the folklore belief that little birds would nest in a crazy person’s hair.
The German “Vogel zeigen” aka “showing the bird” is *not* the same as “flipping the bird”. When you “show the bird”, you tap your index finger on your forehead, indicating that you think something/someone is crazy.
German idiom:
'Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof'
Is someone trying to explain astrophysics to you? In that case, it’s possible you would only “understand train station”
German idiom:
'Das ist mir Wurst'
Origin:
In olden times, butchers would use any part of the slaughtered animal they couldn’t sell to make sausage.
So when asked where to put certain leftovers, they would answer „in die Wurst“ because they couldn’t care less.
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German idiom:
'zum Mäuse melken'
When a situation is as desperate and impossible as milking mice, it’s zum Mäuse melken.
German idiom:
'auf dem Holzweg sein'
Origin:
Some paths in the woods would only be used for the removal of tree trunks. If you used the 'Holzweg' as a hiker, you were not going to reach your desired destination, because you were on the wrong track.
German idiom:
'Arsch auf Grundeis gehen'
Whether it be nerves before an exam or an almost accident on a busy road - when you feel your stomach drop , your Arsch geht auf Grundeis.
