STREIT & TADEL
überall gibt es Auseinandersetzungen = the deliberations over climate change in Parliament continue to rage/are firing up; both parties stand sharply divided/torn apart over refugee policies; furs are still flying in the feud/tug-of-war among the members of the family over property rights; the author/writer is locked in a battle of wits with his publisher; they had a cross word with each other
die Tonlage wird verschärft/der Ton wird rauer = more bad blood is flaring/bubbling to the surface between the two warring parties; the two families have engaged in an ugly confrontation
er wäre gut beraten, seinen Ton wieder zu mäßigen = he was advised to shift his tone
sein Ton war diesmal viel moderater = his tone was much softer/measured this time around
aufgeheizte Atmosphäre bei Schlagabtausch = the two countries have been trading blows/butting heads over the border issue for years now; the two major parties have engaged into an “arm wrestle” over refugees; yesterday there was a heated discussion/argument about/on racial discrimination/inclusion in the City Council
die Entscheidung wird angefochten = let’s challenge/dispute/contest/review the court decision; the executive wants to question the validity of his firing/sacking; lawyers often object to decisions/fight rulings; the defendant is still challenging/pushing back on the claim that he caused the car accident; many decisions are not properly scoped and thought through
es bringt nichts, die Entscheidung anzufechten = no use arguing the toss with the boss any longer, just accept his decision; Why do you keep disputing/challenging the notion that the verdict wasn’t fair?
Umweltschützer haben sich in die Debatte eingeklinkt = many environmentalists weighed into/waded into/joined the debate on climate change promoted by the Green Party
der Journalist bringt sich in die Debatte ein = the journalist wades into/steps into the fray
das ist der Schwerpunkt im Streit = flashpoint in the dispute is/was the company’s financial status
der große Zampano muss immer das letzte Wort haben = the show is not over until the big boss sings (i.e. until he gives his verdict - this phrase is a slight alteration of “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings”, a cliché)
sich mit jemandem anlegen = I wouldn't/don't mess/tangle with him; just don’t get in his face; I wouldn’ advise you to pick a fight with that guy/bloke/chap; sometimes smaller men love taking on much bigger guys; don't mess/tangle with the big fellow; you'd better stay out of harm’s way; don't poke the bear
temperamentvolle Frauen fühlen sich leicht irritiert wenn sie kritisiert werden = feisty women have a penchant for taking somebody on whenever they feel criticized
er wurde von seinem Vater gerügt/getadelt = he was/got blasted/reprimanded/rebuked/bawled out by his father/dad; his father gave him a good dressing-down
er wird getadelt/gemaßregelt, weil er zu pampig ist = he was dished a serve/got berated for being too cheeky/audacious with the girl next door
er/sie ist/sind ausgerastet = he lost his cool after getting questioned by the police; the movie star threw a fit/a tantrum when reporters peppered/showered him with questions about his personal life; my folks/parents went bonkers/bananas/flipped out when I told them I intended to drop out of college
Wo liegt/ist hier das Problem? = What’s wrong/the problem with this/that? What's the beef?
das könnt ihr unter euch klären = you guys straighten it out among/between the two of you
das kannst du mit ihm klären = just have it out with him
wenn du meine Freundin wieder so anmachst, mache ich dich fertig = I’ll kick your ass (vulgar) if you talk to my girlfriend like that
er will Rache/Vergeltung nehmen/üben = he still wants to settle an old score/is still trying to get even with his former boss; he’s out to get/ exact/seek/wreak revenge/payback/retribution on his daughter’s rapist; he was/got done in by a con-man/a cheat but he vowed to even the score/retaliate
rachsüchtiger Voodoo-Priester beschwört den Geist seines toten Onkels = a voodoo priest summons the spirit/body of a dead uncle to take/get revenge on the murderer
wir haben den Spieß umgedreht = we managed to turn the tables/flip the script on the situation
das bringt Genugtuung = he/she feels vindicated
sein Kommentar/seine Antwort war viel zu frech/flapsig/salopp; er/sie ist ein Schlappmaul = that was a tongue-in-cheek/cute/impudent/ flippant remark by the reporter; Don’t you be so sassy/cheeky/fresh/bratty to me!; that was a cheeky/a brazen/an impertinent answer you gave him; he came on a little too strong; the young actor has a cheeky touch
Ich verbitte mir diesen Ton! = You’d better watch your mouth/tongue, pal/buddy/mate (AUS! Would you please tone down your wording?! Don’t be so cheeky! Don’t you dare talk/speak to me like that!
sie/er hat mir auf der Party die kalte Schulter gezeigt/hat mich abgebügelt = she froze him out/he iced her out/gave her/him the cold shoulder at the party
er hat ihn zur Schnecke gemacht/bloßgestellt = his father chewed him out/told him off; he did the dirty on me; my boss gave me a hard time the other day; they were trying to make him/his rival look bad
jemandem den Garaus machen = the financial crisis claimed/took a lot of scalps/casualties; the press is baying for/seeking the corrupt politician’s blood without impunity
sich ins eigene Fleisch schneiden; das war ein Schuss in den Ofen = that was an own goal; if you go ahead with it you’d cut off your nose to spite your face; they were hoisted by/with their own petard
unsere Masche ist daneben gegangen = the whole scheme/plan backfired on us
Schluss mit lustig/dem Schmusekurs = the party/honeymoon is over for us/them; the good times are over; he/she is done with niceties; this is the end of the line for the lovey-dovey stuff/relationship; let’s finish the dress rehearsal and get serious; this is dead and gone/buried
Ende Gelände/der Ofen ist aus = it’s all over red rover (red rover is also a children’s game); it’s game over (e.g.) for the PM as he was forced to resign; that’s the bottom line; game is up; that’s the end of the road/line for them; it’s all/well and truly over baby; that’s all she wrote
Das wars/Feierabend! = the latest stock market crash sounded the death-knell to our financial independence; with no funds coming from the foundation you can kiss your project off/goodbye
er hat sich mit der Holzhammermethode durchgesetzt = he won the argument with a sledgehammer/heavy-handed approach
die Lage/das Tauziehen eskaliert/spitzt sich zu = the situation is/things are getting out of hand; push comes/is coming to shove; the conflict is boiling over/came to a head; the siege reaches a crescendo/climax; I’ll let my boss handle this hot potato; the country is facing an increasing feud/dispute over trade issues; the crisis/standoff mounts/deepens/widens as an attempt to resolve the issue/conflict at a higher level all but failed; their ongoing squabble has generated a lot of bad blood among the office staff; the verbal run-in/spat/row bubbles up; nation is keeping up the heat (on other country) but is certainly not intent on cranking/dialing/turning it up to 11
aus der Gemengelage wird eine Hänge-/Zitterpartie = the row/the disarray/the messy picture escalated into a perfect storm of a full-fledged conflict/ impasse/deadlock/stalemate/political gridlock/snafu/full horror show/standoff/riot
der Disput wird entschärft/entkräftet/gekittet = they finally managed to break the logjam over the impasse; those two will have to find a way to resolve/clarify/work out their differences; the banking community is/are at odds in its/their efforts to soften the blow/cushion the impact of the financial market meltdown
die Wogen werden geglättet = How about pouring some oil on troubled waters?; both warring parties need to smooth (out) their differences; the minister tried to calm fears/anxieties of higher taxes; both countries are negotiating to ease/defuse/unwind/navigate the crisis/ tensions in order to limit the damage/fallout; the CEO offered an olive branch to irate shareholders; the police moved to stem the disquiet/ to weather the storm/uneasiness; the nation is still jolted by the afterschocks of the terrorist attack; clear the air talks are being held between staff and management; let the stink clear the room
man muss nicht Spatzen mit Kanonen schießen = no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
man will sich versöhnen = although there is no love lost between the hostile factions they are still embarking on a last-ditch effort to mend the split/fences; club fans and management should stage a meeting in order to repair their frayed relations/ smoothe some rough edges; the city’s two major highschools are scheduling talks in a bid to take the sting out of their fierce/bitter rivalry
der Streit ist beigelegt worden = the two neighbors have finally buried the hatchet over the land ownership rights; the feud/rift between the two factions has been mended; person loses his/her cool but then clears the air over his/her outburst
es gibt ein Handgemenge/eine Schlägerei = soon fists started to fly in the bar; first there was some yelling, but soon they started swinging at each other; after a heated exchange of words a fight/a donnybrook/a brawl/a fracas/a dustup broke out and people were throwing several punches
weil er betrunken war, wollte er sich mit dem Türsteher anlegen = because he was drunk, he felt like picking a fight with the bouncer
er wurde verprügelt/übel zugerichtet = the old man got/was beat(en) up/worked over/viciously bashed/messed up by a gang of youths yesterday; the demonstrators were bashed/punched/pummeled/roughed up by the security forces; the attack/assault on the newspaper reporter occasioned actual bodily harm; there is no cop-out for the criminal’s vicious attack; he got knocked unconscious
ich werde dir die Fresse polieren/aufs Maul hauen = I’ll smash your face in; I’ll beat you up if you go on insulting my family; I’ll kick your teeth out
er bekam/er hat mir eine Ohrfeige verpasst = he got smacked/slapped in the face; he reached out and whacked/hit me in the head; he got hit/ punched in the face
gestern im Fernsehen gab es eine Sendung mit extrem viel Gewalt = what we saw on TV last night was a vicious/ferocious/sick/sickening/ brutal/savage movie
das war ein Übergriff mit brachialer Gewalt = that was a brute force attack/sick blow
Polizei versucht/probiert, seine Gemüter zu beruhigen = the police tried to calm him down/slow his anger
er hat düstere Kindheitserinnerungen = as a kid he was put through the mill/wringer by his father
sie wollen den Aufstand proben = the students went up in arms/took a defiant stand against the authorities; the workers decided to dig in their heels/stand their ground on the management outsourcing plans; the union refused/declined to budge on the staff outsourcing deadlock/standoff
die Obrigkeit soll entscheiden was demnächst passiert = the powers that be should decide what to do next
dieser Typ ist eine Knalltüte/ein Querschläger/ein Stinkstiefel/eine Zumutung = this guy (or name person) sucks!; he/she is a trouble-maker/loose cannon; this guy is bad news/is always asking for trouble
im Eifer des Gefechts hat er gekündigt = he decided to quit his job in the heat of the moment
die Diskussion wurde sehr sachlich geführt = the debate was conducted in a very matter-of-factly and sober/objective way; we should approach the issue matter-of-factly
die Rede/sein Kommentar/der Deal ist nicht gut angekommen = his hit-or-miss speech did not sit/land well/resonate with the audience; the deal did not sit/land well with the owners; his remark/comment did not reflect our values
das sind zwei total gegensätzliche Fälle/Angelegenheiten = it’s chalk and cheese, if you know what I mean
Misch dich nicht ein! = stay out of it/don’t interfere/don’t butt in/don’t step in; some people paddle about in pools they have no business in; he was told to pull his head in (AUS)
mein Onkel pfuscht anderen Leuten ständig ins Handwerk = my uncle always sticks/pokes his nose where it’s not wanted
meine Tante liebt es, sich überall einzumischen = my aunt loves interfering/meddling with affairs that don’t concern her directly
Wo ist das Problem? = What’s the hang-up/hold-up?
einige Knackpunkte/Engpässe müssen noch behoben werden = the project has run into a bottleneck; we need to address a few sticking points that are holding up the progress of this project/venture
ein Antrag/Vorstoß wird abgelehnt = his request for unpaid leave was rejected/turned down/turned away; his proposal for flexible working days/hours was rebuffed/rebuked/knocked back/dismissed by the supervisor; the company balked (UK/AUS baulked) at the notion/prospect of hiring foreign staff; management slammed the door on his idea; her plan is definitely beyond the bounds of possibility; the bank manager gave him the brush-off/cold shoulder when he asked for a loan
sie/er hat ihm/ihr den Laufpass gegeben = the nice-looking girl gave him a short/abrupt dismissal/froze him out/iced him out; he just plain dumped/cold-shouldered her; she/he told him/her to go jump in the lake
nachdem wir zwei Jahre zusammen waren, hat meine Freundin/mein Freund mich plötzlich links liegen gelassen/ohne Grund den Kontakt abgebrochen = after spending two years together all of a sudden I was ghosted/frozen out/iced out by my girlfriend; without a reason he just walked out on/bailed out on his girlfriend
er/sie hat sich/musste sich damit abgefunden/abfinden = he had to put up with the decision; she needs to come/get to grips with/face up to the new situation/to the fact that ...; he/she had to suck it up; he decided to grin and bear it; it was just cold comfort/a solace for her/him; we gotta make do with that/what we have; he/ she had to confront/take a reality check
sie ist/wir sind die Gelackmeierte/n = she got a raw deal at the company; we ended up getting the rough end of the pineapple (AUS)
es wird nachgetreten = after getting divorced it felt like insult being added to injury when he was fired from his job; never hit a man when he is down; losing the last game and therefore missing the playoffs for a third straight season added/rubbed salt into the team wounds; “no need to rub it in”, he said; he didn’t get the job anyway, so his negative remarks about the person selected are just sour grapes/indicates resentment; he didn’t win the competition, so he was just peddling sour grapes/being a kind of a sore loser when he knocked/criticized the officiating/ referees; first I got booked for speeding and to top it off I had a flat tire on the highway
er/sie hat Tacheles/Klartext geredet = the boss laid it/put it on the line; he didn’t mince his words about the issue; he/she was blunt/very direct and pulled no punches; the minister’s blistering speech was crystal clear/very candid; she talked turkey with her husband about their children’s problems; the visiting president delivered a few hometruths about the country’s political predicament
Was bedeutet/heißt es im Klartext? = What’s the bottom line? Could you say that in plain English?
dem Kind beim Namen nennen = she’s the type of person who always calls a spade a spade; the teacher made no bones about the misbehavior of the pupils
er/sie hat kein Blatt vor den Mund genommen = he spelled out his intentions point blank/crystal clear; she pulled no punches and told me exactly what happened; he/she didn’t mince his/her words when he/she heard about his/her colleague's unjust dismissal
der Oberst hat zum Rundumschlag ausgeholt = the colonel dropped the hammer on the troops for their lack of discipline
