words Archives - understand-culture

A Matter for the Boss

Die Chefsache, the boss’s matter, is a matter so important that the head takes it on personally, or should. Duden gives the example er hat das Projekt zur Chefsache erklärt, he declared the project a matter for the boss. The dictionary DWDS collects uses from the press.

Klimaschutz muss Chefsache in den Staaten dieser Welt werden. — Climate protection must become a matter for the boss in the states of the world. (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 2007)

Der Wolf in Deutschland wird Chefsache! — The wolf in Germany becomes a matter for the boss! (Bild, 2019)

Words for Reckless Risk

Hasard spielen — To play hazard. The Duden explains it as being reckless and careless, and putting one’s luck at stake.

das Hasardspiel — The game of hazard. Its second meaning in the Duden is an undertaking in which someone stakes everything without regard for others or for himself. The Duden’s example is das Hasardspiel der Generäle, the generals’ game of hazard.

der Hasardeur — The man who plays it. Among the synonyms, the Duden lists Glücksritter, a knight of fortune, and Abenteurer, adventurer.

waghalsig — Daring to the point of danger. In the Duden’s words, it describes someone who does not shy away from dangers and risks, but often pays too little attention to them in a reckless way.

Übermut tut selten gut. — High spirits seldom do good. The Duden defines Übermut as exuberance that shows itself in reckless, wanton behavior. The proverb first referred to the older meaning of the word, arrogance.

Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall. — Pride comes before a fall. The saying comes from the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament.

Words for Going Back on a Decision

zurückrudern — To row back. DWDS gives the figurative meaning: to withdraw a measure that met with rejection, or to take back an opinion or position. Its example: Wird die öffentliche Empörung zu heftig, rudert die Partei zurück. If public outrage grows too strong, the party rows back.

eine Rolle rückwärts machen — To do a backward roll. DWDS: to take back something one had announced or promised.

umfallen — To fall over. DWDS lists the figurative meaning seine Meinung, Gesinnung überraschend ändern, to change one’s opinion or conviction suddenly, and marks it as disparaging.

der Umfaller — The one who falls over. Duden marks the word as colloquial and disparaging.

Words for How a Win Was Earned

German football talk rarely stops at the score. It also says how the win came about.

ein verdienter Sieg — A deserved win. DWDS gives the example of a cup final that ended mit einem knappen, aber verdienten Sieg, with a narrow but deserved win.

ein glücklicher Sieg — A lucky win. DWDS lists it among the usual ways to describe a win.

der Arbeitssieg — A work win. Duden marks it as sports jargon: a win gained only with effort against an opponent who is actually weaker.

der dreckige Sieg — A dirty win. DWDS: a game won despite a weak performance of one’s own, a win that was not deserved. Coaches often say their team needs one now and then.

der Dusel — Duden: unverdientes Glück, undeserved luck. Since the 1970s the phrase Bayern-Dusel has been used about late, lucky wins of Bayern Munich.

In October 2008 Bayern won luckily at Karlsruhe. The reporter of the club’s own channel, fcb.tv, asked Uli Hoeneß: Haben wir heute wieder die Dusel-Bayern erlebt? Did we see the lucky Bayern again today? Hoeneß answered: Sie müssen sich in der nächsten Woche einen neuen Job suchen! You will have to look for a new job next week. He added that the question would have been understandable as the seventh question. From the club’s own reporter as the first question, he called it hirnverbrannt, brainless. The club’s media director said the reporter had only been standing in. He added that the young man would probably not be used again.

Sayings About Luck and Ability

das Glück des Tüchtigen — The luck of the capable. DWDS: the success that an active, determined person fights for. One sports report used it for a late goal by a player who had worked hard all game. Wikiquote gives a line by Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke from his essay Über Strategie in shortened form: Glück hat auf Dauer […] nur der Tüchtige. In the long run, only the capable man has luck.

mehr Glück als Verstand haben — To have more luck than sense. DWDS: said of a lucky person.

Ein blindes Huhn findet auch mal ein Korn. — Even a blind hen finds a grain now and then. DWDS: even the least capable person sometimes succeeds.

auf gut Glück — On good luck. DWDS: without any guarantee of a good result.

Three Letters Against a Virus

During the coronavirus pandemic, German public health advice was condensed into three letters, AHA: Abstand, Hygiene, Alltagsmaske, distance, hygiene, everyday mask. Indoors an L was added, for Lüften, airing the room. After the meeting of the chancellor and the state premiers in October 2020, the federal government’s website showed the AHA+A+L-Formel. The second A stood for the Corona warning app. The Society for the German Language placed AHA fifth among its Words of the Year 2020.

Words for a Second Option

Zwei Eisen im Feuer haben — To have two irons in the fire. Duden: to have more than one possibility, a way out in any case. Also mehrere Eisen or noch ein Eisen im Feuer haben.

Ein zweites Standbein — A second standing leg. A second line of work or income beside the main one.

Die Rückfallebene — The fallback level. A planned position to fall back to if a system fails. Technical texts number them, as in Rückfallebene 3.

Alles auf eine Karte setzen — To put everything on one card. Duden: to risk everything.

Words Against Hurrying

In der Ruhe liegt die Kraft. — Strength lies in calm. Duden explains: with calm and composure, much can be achieved.

Immer mit der Ruhe! — Always with calm. Duden glosses it as nichts überstürzen, don’t rush anything.

Blinder Eifer schadet nur. — Blind zeal only does harm. Duden lists it among its idioms and proverbs. It already appears in the old Deutsches Sprichwörter-Lexikon.

Etwas übers Knie brechen. — To break something over the knee. Duden: to deal with or decide something too hastily.

Die Entschleunigung. — Deceleration. Duden defines it as the deliberate slowing of a development that had been speeding up.

Words for Rushed Work

etwas zusammenschustern — to cobble something together. Duden marks it as colloquial and disapproving.

etwas hinschludern — to dash something off carelessly

auf die Schnelle — quickly, and so only provisionally. Das habe ich nur auf die Schnelle gemacht, I only did that quickly, is an apology.

Hals über Kopf — neck over head: in a rush, without thinking

für den Fall der Fälle — for the case of cases: just in case

der Ernstfall — the serious case: the emergency one plans for

Your Contact Person

Ihr Ansprechpartner — your contact person, often printed with a name and direct line

der zuständige Sachbearbeiter — the caseworker responsible

Ich verbinde Sie mit dem zuständigen Kollegen. — I will put you through to the colleague responsible.

Dafür ist eine andere Abteilung zuständig. — Another department is responsible for that.

Unser Zeichen — our reference. German business letters print it in a block beside the address, with Ihr Zeichen, your reference, and the name and phone number of the person handling the matter. A reply that quotes it reaches the same desk.