ERFOLG, GLÜCK & LOB 

Erfolg haben = the latest James Bond flick made a big splash in our country; car sales are currently/presently/right now going like gangbusters; thanks to a tourist boom the fortunes of the hospitality industry are riding high; the championship ring was another feather in his cap; she finally added another string to her bow; she came up smelling roses/trumps; with his new book he finally moved into the sunlit uplands/climes of fame and fortune; with his incendiary speech the upstart politician has gained tract with his constituents; she made out like a bandit/struck gold buying and selling shares/real estate; this musical has legs; our team/company is on the verge of/doorstep to success; the art exhibition went over with a bang; real estate values are pretty low now, so let’s make hay (while the sun shines); with his/ her eloquent/fiery speech he/she slam-dunked his/her fiercest detractors  

Erfolg genießen/auf der Zunge zergehen lassen = it’s time to enjoy/treasure/soak in/savor the moment/occasion; the players were lapping up the adoration of winning the championship; they got the sweet ending after being back from the brink of defeat; that singer is a wow with the public; the win was gangbusters; they are simply at the top of their game; with such a top-notch performance/showing she has the world at her feet; artist takes a city/country by storm; Bayern’s never-say-die/die-hard soccer fans are bathing/basking in the glow/ limelight of yet another league title; her latest romance is full of feelgood illusion moments we all revel in; it always works/goes down a treat to taste success; after finally winning the Oscar the actor rode off/drove off/sailed off into the sunset; he has led a very successful life

es/er/sie ist/sind sehr erfolgreich = the film is a runanway success/hot ticket item; the band is ripping up the local charts; her explosiveness sets her apart from her fellow runners; that song has been a smash hit/has enjoyed blockbuster status for weeks; the game/race was overflown with stunning performances

er/sie ist/ich bin gut drauf  = he/she is doing well/fine/all right; he looks sharp today; she is at the top of his game; the team/company is riding/surfing a wave of confidence; no matter what I do today I scarcely miss/skip a beat; he came out firing/swinging; everybody is firing at the moment; she was smack/bang on the money/ball with her remarks/comments

es läuft wie am Schnürchen/geölt  = the company is enjoying smooth sailing; the daily operation has become a well-oiled routine/machine;  it’s all plain sailing at the moment; all the cogs and wheels are churning smoothly

die Mannschaft/er/sie hat (wieder) Oberwasser bekommen/gekriegt = after winning its last five games the team is now in the driver’s seat/box seat; with the lottery win he will be sitting pretty for the rest of his life; right now he/she is on top of the world

sie/er ist Stolz auf ihren/seinen Erfolg = after getting promoted she’s been beaming with pride; winning the race has puffed up his ego

trotz Erfolg zeigt er noch immer Demut/ist er immer noch immer bescheiden geblieben = he says he is just a cog in the machine/wheel; things are going gangbusters now, but let’s not be too high on the hog; team/ player should still keep the underdog mindset/mentality; the author is always self-deprecating/self-effacing/ modest about his great literary achievements;  his humble aw-schucks manner/attitude/ shyness is a clear sign of modesty 

Person hält nichts von zu viel Lob = person is never one to dwell on too much praise/ accolades

Das hat sie sehr gut gemacht!  = what she did was no mean achievement/no pushover

die Berufung in die olympische Mannschaft fühlte sich an, als hätte die junge Schwimmerin gerade ihre Reifeprüfung bestanden = being

selected to participate in the Olympic Games felt like a coming of age/a rite of passage (into the promised land) for the young swimmer

wir schaffen es = we will make it/pull it off; we will succeed/manage/make it out; we’re going to/gonna get this job done 

das war die halbe Miete  = the battle is half-won

wir haben es hingekriegt/gewuppt = we took care of that; the project is finally home free; we finally nailed it; that's another string in the bow       

es ist erledigt  = this has been taken care of; we got it covered

das haben wir gut hingekriegt/gemacht = we faced it well; we pulled off a great escape; we got this down pat

die Sache ist in trockenen Tüchern/erledigt = let’s put paid on it/this issue/affair; the deal has been signed, sealed and delivered; consider this task done and dusted

der Auftrag ging reibungslos über die Bühne = the job/operation went off well/smoothly; that was a seamless/flawless job/operation

endlich einen Schlussstrich ziehen  = I guess we should put this damned issue/episode to rest; the politician has put paid to the corruption affair by stepping down from his mandate

wir sind begeistert, dass wir es endlich hinter uns gebracht haben = we’re thrilled/excited to have this one in our rear view mirror

Fertig ist der Lack! = It’s a wrap!

es ist eine Mammutaufgabe/sehr sportlich; wir werden es stemmen = it’s a tall order/big ask but we will try to figure it out; we’ll do the math and see if/how we can make it; it’s about time we got a grip on/came to grips with/coped with/dealt with this thorny issue; we need to find a way to weather this unpleasant situation  

das ist genau was ich wollte  = great, I just hit pay dirt/struck oil

es war sehr knapp, aber er hat er geschafft  = he got his degree on a wing and a prayer

ich habe dir gesagt, dass das kein Problem ist = I told you (so)/that this is no rocket science/this is a no-brainer; it should be no sweat to get the job done

das haben wir schon mehrmals gehört; das ist ein Déjà vu  = Doesn’t this sound familiar?;  it’s a familiar sight; this rings a bell for me

etwas auf die Reihe kriegen/bringen = he’ll get his act together/get the job done; he got things straightened out; you’ve better have your ducks in a row before you get going

wir müssen es hinkriegen =  we need to straighten it/this out/right the ship; somehow we gotta get around/ride out the problem; let’s get it right this time (around);  we have to chase down that rare bottle of vintage single malt whiskey 

wir müssen die Kurve kriegen = we need to get a handle/grip on the situation; we’ve gotta get on top of things/our act together; we have to work this out; we need to bend the curve  

wir wissen, wie wir es hinkriegen  = we know what it takes

er/sie hat die Kurve gekriegt = he is getting it together; she got the job done

ich/wir ziehe/n es durch = no matter what, we’ll get the job/work done; I’m going to/gonna make it; we’ll go all the way/go for broke with our proposal; I’ll manage it on my own

mitgefangen, mitgehangen = we’re in this together; we’re (all) in the same boat; we're in it 

irgendwie kriegen wir es schon hin = somehow we’ll make do with it; no worries, we’ll get around the travel ban; we’ll swing it; “stay put and let us sort it out”, the manager said

irgendwie hat er/sie es hingekriegt = he went into his bag of tricks and pulled off the deal/stunt; he just scraped home; we barely made it in time; “that’ll/should do the trick”, she said; we pulled off a great escape;

endlich ist er auf einen grünen Zweig gekommen = he finally hit pay dirt/struck oil

wir gehen auf dem Zahnfleisch  = it was definitely a last-ditch effort; we were on our last legs/on life support

das hat sie/ihn sehr viel Mühe gekostet = she/he had to wade through a lot of mud

das war ein Kraftakt = it took a lot of heavy lifting to do the job; that was a tall order/a tour-de-force/a big ask

wir sind fast über den Berg, der Rest ist nur noch ein Kinderspiel = we managed to get the most difficult part of the job done, the rest is/was gravy/a pushover

der Vertrag ist in trockenen Tüchern/ist eingetütet = consider the contract now to be high and hosed/home free/etched in stone

das ist/war ein Selbstläufer/Heimspiel = this is a piece of cake; it’s a no-brainer/a slam dunk/a cinch; the resolution of the problem was  low -hanging fruit; he simply aced the test/the job/the project; we’ll come out on top hands down/for sure; winning this match should be a slam dunk/easy money/a certainty for the team

das kann ich im Schlaf machen =  setting up the computer/fixing the car was as easy as pie; I passed the test hands down

das mache ich mit links = that is as easy as pie; I can do this job hands down; to me that’s a walk in the park; this is a no-brainer 

dies ist der Weg zum Erfolg = to realize your dreams just take/pursue/follow the yellow brick road

Fazit/unterm Strich; das ist der Clou; darauf kommt es an  = that’s the bottom line; this is what it boils down/comes down to; we hope that our boss comes through in the clutch/when the heat is on; not very many people are able to perform/deliver in a clutch situation 

top/hop oder flop; Sekt oder Selters = take it or leave it; like it or lump it; now it’s swim or sink for our team; fish or cut bait; win or bust; make or break; hero or goat; in no time he went from hero to zero; shape up or ship out

der alles-oder-nichts Tag = it’s make-or-break; we are in a do-or-die situation; it’s boom or bust

Ist die Auszeichnung ein Fluch oder Segen für sie? = Is the award a bane or a boon for her?  

wir sind/er ist besser als der/die andere/n = our team is head and shoulders above the competition; as a crawl swimmer he dwarfs/towers over/above the competition; he is a cut above the rest as a sprinter; he left/put the other competitors in the shade; right now/currently the boxer is the unrivalled/unmatched/undisputed light-weight world champion

für uns hätte es nicht besser kommen können  = for us it was as good as it gets; it just can’t get any better; for him this was a a fillip/a godsend

man wird (plötzlich) bekannt/berühmt = since the superstar came/arrived/appeared at/on the scene our arena has never been empty; the rock concert helped put our little town on the map; the young and ambitious environmental activist was vaulted into the public eye/ boosted into prominence by the press; the iconic band finally stepped onto/cracked the world stage; with her latest romance the author burst into international view; it was the usual rags-to-riches story for the musician

endlich flutscht es; er/sie startet/n durch  = things are coming together; he hit the ground running in his new job; the company is on a tear/ firing on all cylinders; corporation flexes/leverages its muscles/throws its weight around; with some innovative ideas the corporation is flying high and profits are soaring; right now business is flowing smoothly/going (like) gangbusters; the small firm is starting to make some noise/a splash/waves in the corporate scene; the sales department has hit the mark with its new marketing approach; company sales are chugging along nicely; the team had a breakout year and was able to burst into the championship picture; we finally managed to break the drought by winning a few games; he hit the mark with his new fitness program for elderly folks; the company’s grungy/poor business image turned from drab to fab; the movie’s plot was bland at the beginning but turned brilliant at the end; player is flying high right now/was the  breakout performer of the series

es läuft wie geschmiert; es blüht und gedeiht = the financial plan is progressing/moving forward as smoothly as anticipated; we are going great guns/hitting the mark with our new sales strategy; our daily operations are running like a well-oiled machine

er will sein Leben wieder ins Gleichgewicht bringen = he wants to get his sex life/financial health back on track/sorted out

dies war eine lupenreine Operation, alles hat geklappt = it worked out well/all right/just fine; it/that was a smooth ride/operation; it all klicked; our plan went off without a hitch; all/everything fell into place for us; things/circumstances played out well for him

(aber) keine Bange, bald sind wir zurück in der Spur = (but) fear not/no worries, everything will soon be back on track/pace/course

es geht in Ordnung; es ist OK = sounds good to me; this is fine/jake/gravy with me; that will/should do the trick

von A bis Z hat alles geklappt = from go to whoa the whole job was a smooth operation 

mach dir nicht zu viel draus = no need to sweat over it; it’s like water off the duck’s back; don’t try to read too much into that big win

das ist/war der Hammer/cool/mega-cool/geil/mega/mega-geil/spannend/super = this is/was great/huge/cool/lovely (UK/AUS)/(simply) mind-blowing/awesome/big time/pitch-perfect/amazing/smooth/wicked/on the money/spot-on (current popular terms); the movie/trip/ concert was far out/out of sight/groovy/swell; this is where it’s at (last five entries were popular slang of the 60’s and 70’s); it’s a ripper (AUS); that lady is a stunner/showstopper; this is/was the best/greatest thing since sliced bread; that movie blew me away/ went out with a bang; last night the singer served up a jaw-dropping/a terrific/an impressive performance/display; that was an awesome/a jaw-dropping/an eye-popping/a gobsmacking save by the goalkeeper; the show was a doozie/ lulu/dandy/gem/plum; that was vintage stuff/nothing short of incredible; she is sporting/wearing a real cute/ultraswoopy/super duper/jim dandy bikini; the service in the restaurant yesterday was absolutely blue-chip/a world-beater; the popstar served up a real treat at the end of the concert with two of his greatest hits; that was huge /great/big-time/a riot/unreal/insane/surreal/ridiculous; What a treat!; that was kickass (AUS/UK kickarse, slightly vulgar)

das Konzert/der Film/der Spielzug/das Essen war spitze/klasse/ein Kracher/ein Knüller = the concert/movie took my breath away; that was a class-act/cutting-edge/great stuff; that was a bitch (here with a positive connotation) of a move/play; the meal turned into a real treat/stunner

er kann sich richtig an Hardrock/an erotischen Filmen aufgeilen = he really gets off on/gets a kick out of hard rock music/erotic movies 

das haut mich um = wow/man/boy, this blows my mind/me away; I'm still blown away!

das war richtig geil = that was such a buzz/hype; we just got caught up in the hype; that was the cat's whiskers/the cat's pajamas; we had a whale of a time

er/sie ist ein heißer Typ/ein heißes Mädchen  = he/she is a cool/chill/hip guy/chick   

er denkt, er ist der coolste Typ der Schule = he thinks he’s the coolest dude/the cat’s whiskers/the cat’s pajamas  of the school  

er ist sehr locker =  he’s a pretty cool/laid-back guy/dude

Totgesagte leben länger = team was almost on the ropes/down and out but managed to stage a comeback/lift its game and scrape out a win; we said that we were not going down without a fight; when our backs are against the wall we know how o respond/we show up 

man muss sich wieder (auf)rappeln/sich erholen/sich neues Leben einhauchen = we hope our team will soon make/stage/key a comeback; the city buildings need to undergo a renaissance; the company is battling back from nowhere/rising from the ashes; after the big catastrophe the country will have to emerge from the smouldering wreckage; I hope my daughter comes/gets up to scratch/up to snuff soon again; he/she got/is back on his/her feet again/regained his/her footing; after winning the award the discredited artist got a new lease of life; after going through a deep emotional ordeal she’s trying to find her footing again 

ohne dich hätte ich es nicht geschafft = it takes two to tango; without you I wouldn't have made it/cut it   

zu etwas kommen wie die Jungfrau zum Kinde = for him to get nominated for the literature prize was just potluck/a fluke; I got this job out of the blue; I never expected it, this promotion came out of the clear blue skies/of nowwhere

nichts dem Zufall überlassen = don’t leave any room for chance

du hast mehr Glück als Verstand gehabt; Schwein gehabt! = Yeah, luck of the Irish! Lucky you! You just caught a big break! You lucked out! („lucked out“ kann übrigens auch „Pech gehabt“ bedeuten, wird dann anders betont)

man begegnet sich immer zweimal im Leben = lightning does strike twice (i.e. "the same place”) for millionaire after second lottery jackpot win (saying is “the lightning never strikes the same place”, but as one can see, figurative/metaphorical exceptions - i. e. the opposite - do occur)  

ab und zu hat man Glück; es war ein Wink des Schicksals  = count yourself lucky; we just got blessed with a bit of good luck; you got a shot at being promoted; students catch a break when rental prices go down; it was a fluke/an unexpected bonus/a boon/a blessing in disguise

sie konnte ihr Glück nicht fassen, es war so wie ein Sechser im Lotto = she couldn’t believe her luck, it was like winning lotto/the Oscar 

er wird ausflippen, wenn er herausfindet, dass er im Lotto gewonnen hat = he’ll do a backflip when he finds out he won the big lottery prize

auf Holz klopfen = knock on wood 

ich/wir drücke/n dir die Daumen für deinen Test/in deinem neuen Job =  fingers crossed that you make it/pass the test/exam;  (I’ll/we’ll keep my/our) fingers crossed that you recover soon from your illness/soon be healthy again; we wish you good luck in your new job; we’ll be rooting/I’ll root (reminder: this word is taboo in AUS) for you;  fingers crossed, that everythins goes well for you   

er war aus dem Häuschen = he went bananas over the lottery win

aller guten Dinger sind drei = all good things come in threes; good things come in small packages; she got lucky three times over, three is/ will be a charm; third time was the lucky charm; the third time could perhaps be the charm; luck runs in threes; that was a case of  third time lucky

er/sie hat viel Lob für seine/ihre Leistung geerntet = the composer received glowing praise for his latest song; the press is singing the praises/chanting the virtues of his great performance; the way she rendered that last song provided the exclamation point for her career; he was showered with praise by his boss; backslapping abounds among the politicians; the newspapers heaped praise on/rained down praise upon the pop concert; Who doesn’t like to have his/her ego massaged?; the media handed out the usual platitudes to the usual suspects; after the speech the press sang a tune much to the president’s appreciation; the critics raved over/about the way she managed the crisis; the popstar excelled at the concert; full marks to the government for cutting taxes

unser Boss/er hat endlich mal sein Versprechen eingehalten = yesterday our boss finally walked/talked the talk as he took us out to dinner; always put your money where your mouth is; Does he actually mean what he’s saying/practice what he preaches?; it’s time he backed up/buoyed his claims/talk/bravado with some real facts

er kriegt eine glatte1 für seine Leistung = he gets an A-plus for his performance

dies ist Balsam für die Seele = that was just what the doctor ordered; that was right on the money

das muss man ihm/ihr lassen  = you’ve got to hand it to him/her, he did it all on his own; you’ve gotta give him/her credit for that

Ehre, wem Ehre gebührt = you’ve got to give credit where it’s due

Respekt/Hut ab/Chapeau = I tip my hat/cap to him/her; my compliments/kudos to you for this excellent job; a shoutout/props to the boys for setting up this party; a shoutout to her for her great performance/display; I tip my hat to my boss; hats off to him for being so honest

ein großes Kompliment für ihn = I salute his efforts for making this event come true

er hat den neuen Manager über den grünen Klee gelobt  = he has sung the praises of the new manager who he says is doing an excellent job   

jeder Mensch braucht eine Streicheleinheit hin und wieder =  every person needs a pat on the back every now and then

Glückwunsch/Dankeschön aussprechen = Congratulations/congrats/props to you on your promotion! A shoutout to all my supporters for making this possible! 

er hat sein Examen mit Pauken und Trompeten/mit einer glatten 1 abgeschlossen = he passed his exam with bells and whistles/flying colors; he aced his test/he got an A+ 

das war eine hervorragende Leistung = you did a bang-up/great/hell of a  job repairing that old car

wenn schon, denn schon = when she cooks she does it up brown

meistens sitzt jeder Griff bei ihm = he usually does something down to a T

das/es muss sitzen/hinhauen =   it/this must be on the money/spot on; it’s gotta click   

nicht von schlechten Eltern = that was no mean feat; “not bad”, she said; she just shrugged off her huge accomplishment

es gab tosenden Applaus = when the show was over all actors were treated to a rousing/standing ovation; after the concert the opera singer was greeted with resounding applause