MEINUNG & DENKWEISE
innerhalb der Familie vertreten wir ähnliche Meinungen = I share my wife’s views about politics in general; I usually side with my folks on moral issues; we are on the same page concerning religion; regarding alcohol intake/consumption I am in lockstep with most of my mates
bei diesem Thema bin ich im Einklang mit ihm = his statement echoes/matches up my view on the matter
meine Haltung in dieser Angelegenheit geht mit dem, was er gesagt hat, einher = my position on this issue matches up with what he said/ noted
wir müssen unsere Interessen mit ihren Ideen vereinen = we need to reconcile our interests with their ideas
unsere Taten müssen mit den Massnamen in Einklang gebracht werden = our actions have to concur with the procedures
das Vorgehen deckt sich mit der Ankündigung/den Erwartungen = the move dovetails/chimes with the announcement; the performance was in line/in tune/in keeping/ fell in lockstep with the expectations
ich teile viele Gedanken/Ideen mit ihm = I share many thoughts/ideas with him (übrigens, “share” ist ein multifunktionales Verb, da es in vielen Situationen vorkommt): you can share a table with someone; share accommodation/a flat; share a view/an opinion; share costs; share an experience/idea; share food/a drink; share accountability/responsibility; share a hobby/an interest; share an office; share a hug; and so forth
man ändert seinen Lebensstil/macht eine Kehrtwende = that was a major departure/a policy whiplash from his initial position/opinion/ stance/view on this sticky topic; medical experts change tune/march to a different beat on embryo testing; a lot of people are subscribing to the idea of eating less meat; you should reconsider your stand on environmental matters; the church urges a rethink/flipped its stance on religious values
nach einer sogenannten “Begegnung” mit Jesus Christus hat er/sie sein/ihr Leben völlig umgekrempelt/neu orientiert = after experiencing a so-called “come-to-Jesus-moment/meeting” he/she underwent a major change in/reoriented his/her life
er/sie hat einen Rückzieher gemacht/ist zurückgerudert/ausgekniffen = the party leader does/makes a U-turn/an about-face on previous remarks/statements again; one should never back down from former agreements; very often politicians softpedal/backtrack/wimp out on promises; the newspaper bailed on the politician; book authors sometimes renege on/retreat from old principles/ideas; plainly speaking our boss just chickened out of the deal; he got cold feet before the wedding and ended up not getting married; again he walked back his opposition to free trade; now it’s not the time to turn our backs on globalization; she back-pedaled on the issue; the minister backed down on/backed away from a previous promise/statement; the senator did an about-face/about-turn on the political move; the company backtracked on its bold investment plans; many concessions marked a U-turn/a policy whiplash from traditional policy; the Prime Minister backflipped/did or made a flip-flop on previous election pledges; the minister hit reverse gear over/reversed his opposition to personal tax gains and issued a humiliating backdown; the government is performing/making an ideological U-turn on social security issues; he played down/downplayed his harsh criticism; the journalist backed off on/walked back/retracted his uncouth comments
wenn es ans Eingemachte geht, macht er/sie einen Rückzieher = when push comes to shove/when the chips are down/when the gloves are off he/she chickens out/cops out/does a 180 (turn)/backs down
jemandem in den Rücken fallen = he turned his back on his girlfriend in a difficult moment; the company walked out on/weaseled out of a promise; the government backtracked on an earlier commitment; the elected MP reneged on a few promises/pledges he had made to his constituents/voters
manche Menschen tun sich schwer, die Pferde zu wechseln/umzusatteln = some people seem to be reluctant to change horses in midstream
einige Vereinbarungen werden wieder rückgängig gemacht = it’s a throwback/step backwards to past practices; the political party reverted to a previous status quo; he made a retrograde move and unscrambled the egg
er hat seinen Senf dazu gegeben = he put in/threw in/offered/added his two cents/two cents worth of advice on the new home purchase; he weighed in/intervened/was invited to speak on the panel discussion
auch die klügsten Köpfe haben eine Denkpause nötig = even the finest thoroughbred needs a spell in the paddock
als politische Partei müssen wir Meinungen von allen Gesellschaftsschichten einholen = as a political party we should capture opinions/ thoughts from all walks of life
Grenzen zwischen rechtem und linkem Gedankengut sind manchmal verwischt/verschwommen = boundaries between right and left ideology sometimes look like a blurry line
es ist immer leichter sich mit Gleichgesinnten zu verständigen = it’s always easy to deal with like-minded people
Woran denkst du? = What’s on your mind?
denk an mich = spare/save a thought for me
mir ist gerade was eingefallen = something/an idea just crossed my mind; (I) just had a hunch
momentan fällt mir nichts ein = right now nothing springs/comes to mind
mein Konzentrationsvermögen ist momentan dahin = right now my ability to concentrate is shot
muss mir was einfallen lassen = I gotta (got to) figure out/suss out/work out something; we need to work out/figure out what to do next
ich werde drüber nachdenken = I’ll mull it over; let me think it over
sie hat ihre Enttäuschung/Unzufriedenheit über das Ergebnis der Verhandlungen zum Ausdruck gebracht = she voiced/expressed her disappontemnet/displeasure about the outcome of the negotiations
wir müssen dies rausfinden = we gotta/got to figure this out
mir schwebt etwas vor = I’m/I’ve been thinking of something
Meinst du es wirklich? = You really mean it? Is your offer fair dinkum/ridgy didge (AUS)/legit?
mir kommen die Tränen (ironisch/sarkastisch) = Don't make me laugh!; my heart bleeds for you/her/him (ironic/sarcastic); Breaks my heart! don’t make me laugh; Are you kidding (me)? (Come on), give me a break!
ich meinte es nicht so mit ihm, es war nur ein Gag = I didn’t mean it, it was just a prank/I just wanted to set him up
zu dumm um wahr zu sein = he drowns in his own stupidity
jetzt erst recht = now more than ever (before); now it’s for real
ich dachte, er macht weiter mit seinen Plänen = I figured/thought he would go ahead with his plans
wir müssen rauskriegen, wie das funktioniert = we need to figure out how this works
sie/er heckt schon wieder was aus = she/he is already plotting her/his next/new move
es würde sicherlich helfen, wenn du dein Gedächtnis auf Vordermann/Trab/Touren bringst = for more details you should tap/jog your memory bank/wrack your mind
stell dir das mal vor = Figure/imagine/picture this!
dies hat mich immer gewundert = this has always intrigued me
er/sie hat eine skurrile/ausgefallene Denkweise/Meinung
= she has a wacky view of things; celebs sometimes have a strange/aloof view of family relationships; scientists tend to push/embrace off the rail/alienated ideas
du sagst, dass du überhaupt keine Lust/keinen Bock auf das Projekt hast, aber im Umkehrschluss wiederholst du stets, dass wir auf jeden Fall weiter machen müssen = you are saying that you don't feel like going ahead with the project at all, but put another way/by contrast/conversely/on the other hand/in the same breath you seem to be constantly pushing it
Wie wär's wenn du den Spieß umdrehst? = What if you turned the tables on the situation?
nach ihrer Beförderung sagt nun sie, wo es lang geht = after her promotion the shoe/boot is on the other foot now (i.e.she is the one calling the shots now)
sie haben unterschiedliche Meinungen = It’s half this way, half the other way, right? We have different opinions, so how about splitting down the middle?; teachers and pupils don’t see eye-to-eye on some environmental issues
da scheiden sich die Geister = public opinion is divided/split over whether accepting a lot of refugees is a blessing for our country: her values sit at odds with her parents’ convictions; both coalition parties are at a crossroads on/over the current taxation system; in the wake of the epidemic crisis the administration faces a cruel choice between health protection and the economy
die Meinungen schwanken hin und her = their opinions keep seasawing/flip-flopping between the two options/issues
sie lässt sich bei dem Thema nicht überrumpeln = she is holding her own/standing firm on this matter
sie verharrt auf ihrer Meinung/Absicht = she keeps digging her heels in/won't budge on her opinion/her intention
er/sie hat die Qual der Wahl = he's/she’s spoilt for choice
mit seiner flammenden Rede hat/haben er/sie viele Menschen überzeugen können = the union bosses managed to hammer home/nail home their case for better working conditions; with his impassionate/fiery/scathing speech the president won a lot of hearts; even if he digressed at times his strong case/ argument for lower taxes wouldn’t lose punch; after the presentation a lot of investors were sold on his new stock market approach/concept
lass dich nicht einfach überreden/gut zureden = don’t get sucked into the idea of working more for the same money; hold firm to your point of view; don’t get caught up in the view that your sales strategy/approach suits the company best
sie wird ihre Meinung schon ändern = no worries, she’ll eventually come around/round to it
sich einer Sache verschreiben = she shows an unwavering/gut-busting commitment to campaigning for basic environmental values/ principles
dies lässt sich leicht ändern = with/in a small twist to the formula you can sometimes achieve a lot of progress
das Projekt/der Plan bekommt viel Gegenwind = the project/plan is meeting a lot of pushback/opposition
er denkt, er hat immer recht = he always thinks/believes he is right
mit seiner/ihrer Meinung ist er/sie auf dem Holzweg; seine/ihre Antwort ging völlig am Thema vorbei; er/sie scheint, dass Thema verfehlt zu haben = he/she is barking up the wrong tree with his/her opinion; he/she is (entirely) missing the point; he/she seems to be diverting the attention away from the original issue
Wie siehst du es? = What do you reckon, (mate)? (AUS)
er/sie hat es eingesehen = when he was confronted with the truth reality finally set in/ kicked in/hit home; it’s time you accepted the notion of being unable to become a famous movie actor; he was seized of the fact that it is no use relocating to another country; he was brought back to reality after failing the test; the government has finally conceded ground on many social issues
ihm hat es endlich gedämmert/es hat ihm eingeleuchtet = he finally cottoned on to/realized what life is all about
er sieht es nicht ein = he doesn’t quite agree with it/that; he doesn’t realize it
mit Verlaub, aber ich bin anderer/habe eine andere Meinung = I beg to differ
ich stehe zu meiner Aussage = I stand behind my statement
der Unterschied zwischen beiden Konzepten ist sehr groß = there is a hell/heck of a difference/a Grand Canyon between those two opposing concepts
egal was/wie = whatever it takes; come hell or high water; it’s not much of a muchness
Wie kommst du da drauf? Wie bis du darauf gekommen? = What makes you think so? How did you hit upon it?
Worauf willst du hinaus? = What are you trying to get at? What are you fishing/shopping for?
seine Meinung zählt nicht/ist überflüssig = his opinion has no value/is academic/is futile; his suggestion/proposition wasn’t taken seriously /was laughed off/was dismissed/is surplus to requirements; some persons come across as spoilt/ignorant
sich in etwas verrennen = you’re banging your head against a brick wall; this is an exercise in futility; he is obsessed with/too much focussed on this absurd conspiracy theory; she is absolutely dogged in her pursuit of becoming a manager; you are banging/ beating your head against a/the wall trying to figure out how to win at roulette; her theory/thesis is really out on a limb/flies in the face of everything we know about physics
etwas nicht forcieren = you shouldn’t jump the gun on the issue before you gather all facts; you shouldn’t rush things; you shouldn’t do things on the fly
wir sollten die Kirche im Dorf lassen = don’t go overboard/don’t go over the top; that ‘s (a bit of) a stretch; don’t/let’s not get carried away/ excited/go bananas about winning this coveted award; his tale was like history veneered in Hollywood gloss; this newspaper article is pushing the envelope of believability/an exercise in extravagance/really jumps the shark; this report/story/narrative is pure PR (public relations) puffery; his story really beggars belief; no need to lay it on thick
das war sehr weit hergeholt/an den Haaren herbeigezogen/eine Verhöhnung = the comment/article/report in the newspaper was totally/ completely out of left field/over the top/overboard/farfetched/too overblown/wayout overdone; the story was definitely off-the-wall; her comment was off the charts/outrageous; the proposed deal was absolutely/totally absurd/ludicrous/weird/ ridiculous; that takes the cake/ biscuit; commonsense here seems to be non-existant; her/his claims are miles off base
das ist eine skurrile/schräge/merkwürdige/völlig abgefahrene Idee = the suggestion/proposal he pitched/entertained was off-the-wall/ outlandish/preposterous; this idea is really weird/pretty much pretty much off the beam/out of left field/off-the-rails/sort of skewed/ somehow bizarre; his/her comments were bananas
das wäre die Krönung = after drinking that vintage red wine having a glass of Don Perignon would definitely be gilding the lily
er/sie hat über die Stränge geschlagen = with his conservative views on homosexuality the young MP went way over the top/jumped the shark/nuked the fridge; in a bid to control the mob the police had to go to desperate lengths
diese Geschichte ist/war hanebüchen = this story is farfetched; he went into overdrive this time around; that is/was a bridge too far
er hat den Bogen überspannt = his disparaging remarks about obese women crossed the line of indecency/crossed a red line/were beyond the pale
das ist so sicher wie das Amen in der Kirche = this is a slam-dunk (case)/an absolute certainty; you can bet your ass (AUS/UK)arse) on it; this is sure as eggs (short for “as sure as eggs is eggs”); (this is) sure as hell/fate; I bet my bottom dollar that he will make it; this is as sure as death and taxes; you can bet London to a brick (AUS) that I will go to the party/concert, etc
es ist zu viel verlangt, dass sie mit der Situation fertig wird/zurecht kommt = it might be a stretch to think she can cope with the situation das war der Tropfen, der das Fass zum Überlaufen gebracht hat = that was the last straw/the straw that broke the camel’s back
dies ist kaum zu glauben/überbieten = what she told us defies belief/strains credulity; real-life situations dented my belief in romantic love stories; reading those weird/eerie reports about scientific experiments gone wrong left him in utter disbelief; this is a figment of your her/ his imagination
es ist doch wahr = her tale/story seems to be too far-fetched/forlorn if it weren’t true
Du konntest die Geschichte nicht erfinden, oder doch? = you couldn’t make up that story, or could you?
das stimmt nicht = it’s a mistake; it’s not true; that’s a stretch; it doesn’t add up; her claims don’t hold water; you got it wrong
die Rechnung geht nicht auf = it doesn’t make sense; it doesn’t stack up; it doesn’t cut it
aus eine Mücke einen Elefanten machen = don’t make a mountain out of a molehill; she is always making a federal case/meal out of it/this; don’t make heavy weather of it
im Leben muss jeder sich mit unangenehmen Gedanken auseinandersetzen = everyone at some stage of their lives has to chew on/over some unconfortable questions; my father always expresses/harbors/is besieged by many concerns about his health
das isTwar nicht das Gelbe vom Ei = it’s not all it’s cracked up to be; bullshit outdoes real thing; spin triumphs over substance; this wasn't on the money; it just didn’t live up to the hype
es herrscht nicht Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen = it’s not all beer and skittles
“nichts ist, wie es scheint”, sagte er = “nothing is quite as it seems”, he said
machen wir uns nichts vor = let’s not fool ourselves (i. e. don’t think something good is going to happen)
das Fazit ist, dass wir den Plan nicht weiterverfolgen werden; am Ende des Tages weiß ich, dass es sich nicht lohnt, den Arbeitsplatz zu wechseln = the bottom line is that we are not going ahead with the plan; at the end of the day I know it’s not worth changing jobs
unterm Strich wollen die meisten Menschen an einem Ort arbeiten, an dem sie sich geschätzt und wertgeschätzt fühlen = it just boils down to the fact, that most people want to work in a place where they feel appreciated and valued
das Fazit ist, dass ein Radiosender genügend Hörer haben muss/eine Zeitung genügend Leser haben muss= the bottom line is that a radio station needs to have enough listeners/a newspaper needs to have enough readers
Wie siehst du diesen Vorschlag? = What’s your pitch on this proposition? How do you stand on this matter?
den Vorschlag sollte man zuerst sacken lassen, bevor man los legt = let the suggestion sink in before you act on it
sich von einer Aussage distanzieren = again he/she shied away/backed away cut away/broke away/departed from a previous statement/ declaration/promise/plan; he/she decided to take an arm-length’s approach to the issue
sei ehrlich/du spielst nicht mit offenen Karten = Why don’t you lay your cards on the table?; you are not playing with a full deck (of cards)
er scheint nicht aufrichtig/ehrlich zu sein = his attitude seems/sounds very staged/insincere
die Lage war inszeniert = the situation was staged/orchestrated
da steckt was dahinter = there is no smoke without fire; there is more than meets the eye
die Kommentare sind/das Verhalten war grenzwertig = her remarks/observations were not (quite) up to scratch/snuff; his attitude was below par for the course; she (has) crossed the line; his attitude borders on/is pretty close to negligence/the ridicilous; yeah, that was just about right; his tacky/questionable behavior was on the edge of decorum/fairplay; the kids are pushing the envelope of bad/shabby/grungy behavior; his callous/despicable/distasteful comments verged on/were on the edge of ignorance/bordered on bullshit/crap; the comedian’s performance bordered on the bizarre; he was really faking bad
ein Tapetenwechsel kann/würde nicht schaden = a sea change/change of scenery is always an opportunity to face new challenges in life; I think he’s in a dire/a desperate need of a makeover; a change of gear/tune would sure help the company out of the present doldrums; winds of change are blowing/howling through the local business community; a systems enhancement is in the offing for the corporation I work for; the decision to hire outside experts was a 180 % flip in the company’s philosophy
ich kann dumme Leute nicht ab/ertragen; ich habe ihn/sie gefressen = I can’t suffer/stand stupid people
Tunnelblick haben/kleinkariert sein = my dad can’t suffer/tolerate narrow-minded/ straight-laced people; having a one-dimensional view/tunnel vision is not considered to be a good trait of character; many people can’t see outside the box/square; new thinking boldness is needed in this business rather than old-thinking caution; I hate persons who are blinkered/jaundiced in their approach; a few friends of mine are too small-minded over homosexuality; my grandfather can’t look beyond his nose and always lashes out at the youth
mit meinem Onkel kann/muss man nicht über Politik diskutieren, er ist zu konservativ = no use/need to talk about politics with my uncle, he's a stick-in-the-mud/an old fogey
seine Ansichten sind äußerst konträr zu den herkömmlichen Werten = his views are pretty much contrary to conventional thinking/ prevailing wisdom/popular myth/belief
da ich wenig Zeit hatte, was vorzubereiten, werde ich frei Schnauze/aus der Lamäng reden = since I had little time to prepare my speech, I’ll have to wing it; he gave/delivered an off the cuff/a freewheeling/an impromptu speech/address
man muss improvisieren können/flexibel sein = you have to be adept/good at changing on the fly; we kind of used a hit-and-miss (or hit-or miss) approach to do the job; we just live by our wits
“Habt ihr eine Hotelreservierung im Voraus gemacht? Nein, wir reisen auf blauen Dunst/gut Glück” = “Did you guys make any advance hotel arrangements? No, we’ll just roll the dice/we're going to wing it/going there on spec (short for “speculation”, i.e. in the hope of getting a room); we’ll try to get a room on a hit-and-miss (or hit-or-miss) basis
es kann nicht schaden, wenn man ein bisschen philosophiert = plunge yourself/immerse yourself into deep contemplation; try to glimpse into the inner workings of someone’s soul
Schriftsteller/Philosophen verbreiten gerne ihre revolutionären Ideen/Thesen
= writers/philosophers relish espousing/pushing revolutionary ideas/thoughts
