KRITIK & STRAFE
er/sie steht am Pranger/unter Zugzwang/wird scharf kritisiert = the environmental guru slammed/blasted/lashed out at/criticized/ second-guessed the government’s lack of deforestation policy; the attorney general was/came under fire/attack over his ill-fated
statements about gender equality; the minister’s speech was subject to scathing/heavy criticism; the army general faced a backlash/an assault for his role in the corruption affair; the company director was under pressure/siege/a cloud/the gun after making some poor financial decisions; his antics drew barbs from his fans /followers; the financial mogul landed in the crosshairs of the media for his misogynist (i.e. against women) comments/remarks; the acting finance minister was skewered/taken down/dumped on by the press; her bigoted/distasteful/uncouth comments led to a heavy blowback/were decried as undemocratic
Person/Regierung wird mit viel Kritik überzogen = the banking industry slammed/slagged off the government for its lack of solid financial policies; the comedian got roasted by the media for his derisive mocking of older women; he got dumped on by his boss for his poor management of the event
er/sie/die Mannschaft wird von der Presse verhöhnt/bloßgestellt =
he/she/team was put on blast/mocked by the media
kein gutes Haar an jemandem lassen = there is no love lost between the union boss and the personnel manager; the prime minister lets fly against/hits out at/sounds off on the opposition leader; the football player was lambasted/assailed for flouting the rules; her remark was a thinly veiled swipe at the establishment; the singer hit back at/pushed back at/against her detractors; the student fired a barb/took a dig/ made digs at his teacher
mit jemandem hart ins Gericht gehen; jemanden zur Rede stellen = scathing/withering/harsh criticism was heaped on/leveled at the police force for failing to act appropriately; the senator was called out/in the fireline for misleading the general public; my boss always issues/expresses/delivers negative criticism about the way I handle/address my projects
Verkehrsminister geht Bundeskanzler scharf an = the Transport Minister took an extraordinary swipe at the Prime Minister, saying that he received "the welcome that he probably deserved" when he visited the fire-ravaged region
weil sie ihm Fahrlässigkeit bei der Arbeit vorgeworfen hat, hat er sie zur Schnecke gemacht = he bailed her up (AUS) after she said he was being negligent at work
er/sie zieht oft gegen seine Arbeitskollegen vom Leder = he/she keeps finding fault with/badmouthing/slamming his fellow workers
nicht immer sofort/nur kritisieren/austeilen/drauf hauen = I think we should stop with the health system bashing; that was again an exercise in teachers bashing; the union slammed/hammered/slapped down the idea of a new regulator for the building industry; don’t knock it till you try it/until you’ve tried it
wie man’s macht, macht man’s falsch/verkehrt = you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t
mein Vorgesetzter hat mich immer auf dem Kieker = my supervisor keeps picking on me all the time
meistens ist es die linksorientierte Media, die sich auf rechtsextreme/radikale Politiker einschießt, aber mittlerweile werden sie auch von der konservativen Press scharf kritisiert = usually the left-wing media is the one who keeps bashing/seizing on extreme right/radical politicians, but meanwhile conservative press outlets have piled on
rechtsextreme Kandidaten werden von einigen Presseorganen/einigen Wählern als Bedrohung für die Demokratie dargestellt = far-right candidates are cast/portrayed as a threat/danger to democracy by some press outlets/some voters
Üben Journalisten in einer Demokratie eine Überwachungsfunktion aus? = Do journalists play an oversight role in a democracy?
sie musste ihre Aussage widerrufen = she was forced to eat her words
er/sie/Teflon- (Nachname des Politikers) kann Kritik an sich gut abperlen/weglächeln/abprallen lassen = the minister shrugged off/ dismissed the opposition’s claim for his resignation; yesterday on the TV interview the Secretary of State (Minister for Foreign Affairs, US) did a good job when he laughed off all his detractors/knockers/doubters; applause drowns out critics; he/Teflon (politician's first name) is good at blocking out criticism; that criticism is like water off a duck’s back to him/her; she/he seemed unfazed by the all the adverse comments that were piled on her/him by critics; politician shrugs off concerns/remains unfazed even as scandal fallout intensifies
sie kann/rücksichtslose Politiker können geschickt harsche Kritik abwenden = she knows exactly how to deflect/dodge sharp criticism; ruthless politicians try to co-opt rather than defeat their critics
trotz heftiger Kritik im Zuge des Skandals um seine Person bleibt der/die Politiker/in völlig unbeeindruckt = despite heavy criticism politician still remains/appears to be completely/quite unfazed by the scandal
manche Politiker scheinen über über jede Kritik erhaben zu sein = some politicians seem to be above/impervious to criticism
von allen Seiten hagelt es Kritik am Schauspieler = the movie star was peppered/showered with abuse for his lewd comments; he is copping (AUS) it from all quarters; actor’s misbeahavior/poor conduct has been called out
er hat sich viel Kritik abgeholt = he received/copped (AUS) plenty of heat/a lot of flak/backlash for his words/actions
manchmal muss man sich für jemanden einsetzen/jemandem beistehen, der stark kritisiert wird = sometimes you need to stick up for someone, who is being heavily critisized
er kann Kritik gut einstecken = he’s known for his ability to handle criticism well; our boss/supervisor can easily shake off/brush off/brush aside/ward off/rebuke criticism about his management style
sie kann gut austeilen sowie gut einstecken = she can issue/dish out criticism as good as take/absorb punishment
du teilst gerne aus, aber du kannst nicht gut einstecken = you like dishing it out, but you can’t take it
er spielt sehr oft die beleidigte Leberwurst/fühlt sich immer auf den Schlips getreten = he can’t handle criticism/hates being criticized; he always feels hard done by; he/she easily takes umbrage at any hint of harsh criticism
mein Vorgesetzter scheint meine Arbeit immer zu kritisieren, und das geht mir sehr nahe = my supervisor always seems to critisize my work, and that cuts deep
er ist hart im Nehmen = he has been to the school of hard knocks; he is nobody's pushover; he’s a tough cookie
dafür (Verfechter) oder dagegen (Gegner) sein = you are either a supporter/loyalist or a detractor/knocker
wenn es nicht anders geht, mach einfach mit = if you can’t beat them, join them; just bring your critics inside the tent; just jump/hop on his/her bandwagon if there is no other way
er musste einen Spießrutenlauf absolvieren = the writer had to run the gauntlet of his improper public comments; the satire walks the plank; the famous TV broadcaster is under attack on the back of/due to his racy remarks
irgendwann kriegt jeder sein Fett ab (ausgleichende Gerechtigkeit)/wird jeder abgestraft = ultimately many people end up getting their just deserts/comeuppance; it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy (can be sincere or sarcastic); Serves/suits you/him right/well!; the community’s negative response was poetic justice for the politician’s cheap/blatant opportunism; in the end you’ll/he’ll get/yours/his just deserts; sooner or later his/her day of reckoning will come
Er/sie hat’s verdient! (im negativen Sinne) = Serves him/her right!
er/sie wurde komplett demontiert = he was severely criticized/pulled to pieces/pulled apart by the press; the media did a demolition job on him/her; he got slammed/savaged/pilloried/roasted/dumped on by the daily newspapers
sein Verhalten ist unter aller Kanone bzw. er ist ein widerlicher Typ = his actions were way over the top/lower than a snake’s belly (AUS); this guy seems to have an attitude; his attitude was below the belt; on this occasion he did push the envelope on reasonableness; with that cheap shot/vicious slur he scraped the bottom of the barrel; that was no doubt/definitely a low blow
manche Leute (Schlaumeier/Besserwisser) üben Kritik, nachdem das Ergebnis einer Handlung/eines Spiels bereits bekannt ist = an armchair critic/a Monday morning quarterback (a know-it-all) is an individual, who says how things should have been handled after the outcome of an issue/event is already known (i.e. with the benefit of hindsight)
beim Sport ist man sehr oft hinterher/im Nachhinein/im Rückblick schlauer bei der Analyse = it’s always easier to analyze/to examine a situation with the benefit of hindsight; one can always second-guess a game after it was played; it's a no-brainer/a pushover/a slam dunk for a sports correspondent to demonstrate how the game could/should have been played/won
der Ehemann hat abfällige Äußerungen über seine Schwiegereltern gemacht = the husband made disparaging remarks about his parents-in-law
sie hat ihren Ex-Freund abgekanzelt = she pooh poohed/denigrated/belittled her former boyfriend; she threw her former boyfriend under the bus
nehmen Sie es mir nicht übel, aber … = don’t get me wrong, but …
Kannst Du bitte endlich mit diesen Verbalattacken Schluss machen? = Would you please stop taking a shot/dig at me all the time?
seine Schulkameraden haben sein komisches/abwegiges Verhalten heftig/harsch kritisiert/gerüffelt = his weird/wacky/egregious behavior/conduct was slammed/vilifiied/disparaged/decried by his classmates
jemanden fertig machen = she/he was out to get him; I am coming to/going to/gonna get you! Your number is up! I’m gonna get his ass! You are through, (name of person)! You’re in for a rough ride; make a/one wrong/false move and you’re history; just do what I say or else; You’re history!; they made mincemeat/hamburger of/out of him
ich muss weg, sie wollen mich fertig machen = I’ve gotta run, they’re after me
keine Sorge, irgendjemand wird ihn bald fertig machen = no worries, soon somebody will fix his wagon
infolge seines fahrlässigen Arbeitsstils hat der Boss ihn fertig gemacht (verbal) = the boss told him off/gave him a dressing down/bawled him out for his negligent attitude/for losing focus at work; irate supervisor drops the hammer/lowers the boom on the sloppy worker; during the meeting the boss shot down the supervisor’s propositions
der Vorstoß des Ministers wird von der Presse/Opposition verrissen = the minister’s push was picked apart by the press/drew a considerable backlash from the opposing parties
er hat aufgrund seiner unpassenden Äußerungen Lehrgeld zahlen müssen = he had to take/get a few lumps/eat crow for his untimely comments/remarks; he should have wised up and learned from past mistakes
die Fronten sind verhärtet = no solution seems to be in the offing for the standoff between management and union bosses; bad blood flows/recrimination flies over this sticky/delicate subject
seine Rede wurde mit viel Kritik bedacht = the party leader’s speech got/copped (AUS) a scathing/withering review
mit ihren Konzept für Außenpolitik holt sich die Opposition scharfe Kritik ab = the president lets fly at/pushes back against the opposition’s approach/concept of foreign policy
für die Opposition ist der Gesundheitsminister ein Prellbock/Blitzableiter, der für alle Übel dieser Welt einsteht = the Health Minister becomes a lightning-rod for the opposition because he takes all the flak directed at his party
für das Auditorium waren die Kommentare unverhältnismäßig/unangebracht = the comments were out of character/in poor taste/ insensitive to most of the audience; that was definitely not a “G-rated speech”
der Minister entschärft die negative Wirtschaftseinschätzung der Gewerkschaft = the minister defused/blunted the union’s negative assessments/views about the economy
infolge eines blöden Kommentars wird Fernseh-Persönlichkeit von Politiker gerüffelt = due to a jokey remark media personality earns stern rebuke from politician
der berühmte Geologe hat die Proteste der Energiebranche zum Schweigen gebracht = the renowned geologist muted/silenced the cries of the energy sector
der Bundeskanzler hat den Gesundheitsminister wegen seines Wutausbruches in der Öffentlichkeit nicht getadelt/gescholten = the prime minister didn’t rebuke/call out the health minister over/for his fit of anger in the midst of a speech he was giving
aufstrebender Politiker wird in seine Schranken gewiesen/wird vom Parteivorsitzender abgewatscht = it’s about time to cut/bring this wannabe expert politician down to size; before he gets too big for his britches/boots brazen/impudent politician is called out/gets stopped in his tracks by party boss
