WISSEN & HOBBIES

sie musste es von der Pike auf lernen = she had to learn/start it from scratch  

wir müssen wieder von vorne anfangen = it's back to the drawing board/square one for us/the company

es kann nicht schaden, wenn man auf die eigene Erfahrung zurückgreifen kann  = it always comes in handy/it doesn’t hurt to feed off/ build off/capitalize off (of) previous experiences

um in der Geschäftswelt durchstarten zu können, lohnt es sich so viele Diplome und Zeugnisse wie möglich zu sammeln = if you want to succeed in your career it is worth to have as many diplomas/certificates as you can under your belt

er zeigt dir, wo es langgeht  = he’ll show you the ropes

ich muss mich schlau machen/in die Sache reinfuchsen = I am going to check out the new city parking rules; she needs somebody to bring her up to speed/date on insurance policies; I gotta figure out/work out/suss out the basics of the public transport system; I have to get the hang of this/it; he needs to get an update on it/the issue; I’m trying to put myself in the picture; you need to read up on the city’s history  if you intend to work as a tourist guide; I need to update myself on the city’s movie/theater/restaurant scene 

Kann mir jemand sagen, wie diese Maschine/Computer funktioniert? = Can somebody tell me, what the scoop is on working this machine/ computer?; we must onboard new users with our platform   

ich muss/werde mich mit dem neuen Büro vertraut machen = I've gotta (got to) get (familiar with)  the lay of the land of my new office 

ich würde gerne dieses Lied/Gedicht auswendig lernen/können = I’d very much like to learn this song (off) by heart/by rote; we sang the song from memory; I have to memorize this poem   

sie/er versucht immer auf dem Laufenden zu bleiben =   she/he always tries to stay/keep abreast of/up to date with the latest news/ developments 

ich muss mich über die neuesten Entwicklungen/Nachrichten informieren = (I) need to catch up on the latest news/developments  

über dieses Thema muss ich im Lexikon nachschlagen = I need to read up on this subject in the dictionary 

in diesem Handbuch können Sie die örtlichen Betriebsabläufe nachlesen =  look up the manual in order to get acquainted with the local operational procedures   

dieses Buch, das einst als "Wissen" galt, ist inzwischen diskreditiert/nicht mehr aktuell = this book that once passed as “knowledge” is meanwhile discredited/superseeded

sie/er hat den Durchblick = she’s always on top of things/the situation; she/he knows the score

er/sie hat es drauf; er/sie ist ein Computer-/Sprachgenie  = he's got the smarts to do the job;  he/she is a whiz at computers/languages; he    knows his onions/the score/the ropes; she/he knows all the moves; he/she knows/has it down/off pat; he/she doesn’t miss a beat; she/he’s got what it takes to perform well at the concert/on the stage; he/she is no slouch when it comes to speaking languages; he/she is no stranger to playing the piano/guitar

das ist mein Steckenpferd  = football is my cup of tea/right up (or down) my alley/my hobby-horse; my signature sports event is the 110m dash; her pet/signature pastimes are reading detective stories and listening to soothing pop music

er/sie ist ein Computer-/Film-/Adrenalin-/und Sprachjunkie = he/she is a computer/a movie/an adrenaline/a language junky (“nerd” is generally considered derogatory, except for “computer-nerd” or “computer-geek”) 

sie/er hat die ganze Nacht dieses dieses Buch gelesen = she/he read this book all night long 

spannende Krimis wecken immer mein Interesse/meine Neugierde =  I enjoy/relish  getting stuck into   thrilling detective stories/ whodunits; a riveting/compelling novel/book always piques my interest/curiosity 

dieser Roman ist rasant und ein atemloser Pageturner = this novel is fast-paced and a breathless page-turner

in kalten Winternächten kuschle ich mich gerne unter eine Decke und mache es mir mit einem guten Buch gemütlich bzw. wärme meine Seele = on cold winter nights I enjoy curling up under a blanket and cozy up/warm my soul with a good book

Fliegen ist sein/ihr Traumberuf  = flying for living suited him/her to a T 

er/sie ist ein selbsternannter Guru/Finanzexperte =  he/she is a self-styled/self-esteem guru; he/she styles/pitches himself/herself as a finance expert

er hat es nicht drauf = he simply doesn’t possess/have the necessary skills to perform that particular job; that’s not his thing/bag/scene/    cup of tea/up his alley; he doesn't know the score     

dies ist absolut nicht mein Steckenpferd =  politics is my pet aversion

wenn es um den Aktienmarkt geht, ist Großmutter noch ziemlich fit  = no flies on my grandmother especially when it comes to the stock market   

beim Kuchenbacken ist meine Schwester richtig auf Zack =  my sister is really spot-on when it comes to cake baking 

niemand kann ihm/ihr das Wasser reichen = nobody can hold a candle to him; he/she is head and shoulders above the others 

mein Freund ist mit allen Wassern gewaschen= my boyfriend knows the score/ropes/his way around

ich bin/er ist nicht auf den Kopf gefallen = I’m not (that) stupid; come on, I wasn’t born yesterday; you can’t fool me; don’t make me look like a perfect idiot/dumb/stupid; he’s quick on the uptake

kluge Köpfe sollen zusammenkommen, um das Problem zu lösen = let the intelligentsia brainstorm/knock heads together to solve the problem 

er hat es endlich gerafft/den Bogen (he)raus  = he got it (all) figured out; although it took him some time he finally got the hang of how to fix car engines; I finally cracked it 

sie war sehr gut in der Schule = she was a high-achieving student in High School

sie/er ist ein Naturtalent = her musical skills are second to none/unparalleled; my college professor is a world authority on English literature; she/he seems to be a natural for opera singing; he’s a walking dictionary/encyclopedia

ihr Talent zum Klavierspielen/Malen ist angeboren = her skill/knack for/of playing the piano is a genetic gift;  she has an innate ability for painting and her parents are intent on igniting this potential into her 

ihr/sein Talent zum Singen kommt zur Geltung = her/his talent for singing is beginning to shine through  

Eltern sollten immer bestrebt sein, das musikalische/sprachliche Talent ihrer Sprösslinge zu fördern/vorantreiben = parents should always try to boost/push/promote their kids’ musical/language skills

sie/er hat keine Ahnung = I’ve got no idea about how to use this gadget; I don’t have a clue/I haven’t got the foggiest/faintest notion about this business; he’s absolutely clueless about economics/politics/football; Beats me!; Search me!; she/he is still a little hazy on the new computer program/system; we must onboard new users with our platform  

sie sind total von der Rolle = they have simply lost the plot