Answer Key: Mistakes Idioms

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Einen (dicken) Klops landen (lit. to land a (fat) meatball) / To screw the pooch 

Normally, a Klops is a meatball made of minced meat and other ingredients. Königsberger Klopse are a very popular German specialty. A person who proverbially “lands a meatball” has made a particularly dumb mistake. 

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Das Haar in der Suppe suchen (lit. looking for the hair in the soup) / Nit-picking 

Looking for the downside or problem with something or someone. Always seeing the negative side. Bellyaching. Finding fault. Having a generally pessimistic attitude.

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Etwas vergurken (lit. to cucumber something up) / To mess something up 

This proverb means that a person has made a mess of whatever they are supposed to be doing. 

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Auf dem Holzweg sein (lit. to be on the wooden path) / To bark up the wrong tree 

To make a mistake, to not find the right solution. A person who mistakenly embarks on the “wooden path” will not reach their goal. 

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Scheiße bauen (lit. to build shit) / To screw up

To make a really bad mistake. To fool around. To play a prank. Alternatively: Mist bauen – i.e. to build manure.

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Sich ins (eigene) Knie schießen (lit. to shoot oneself in one’s (own) knee) / To shoot oneself in the foot

To harm oneself. A person that “shoots themselves in the knee” makes a mistake for which only they are to blame. 

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Schieflaufen (lit. to walk at an angle) / To go wrong

When something fails, does not work out, goes wrong. 

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Auf’s falsche Pferd setzen / To back the wrong horse

To make a decision that later turns out to be wrong or unfavorable. 

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Der Haken an der Sache (lit. the hook on the thing) / There’s a catch

To have a (concealed) disadvantage. 

Graphic: Dominik Wendland © Goethe-Institut New Delhi Ins Fettnäpfchen treten (lit. to step in the bowl of grease) / To put one’s foot in one’s mouth

To act in a clumsy way, to say something without thinking, or to make an avoidable error. 

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