to put your foot in it
If you put your foot in it you say something that causes a problem. Often it is because you say something that you should not have said, which upsets people or is embarrassing for them.
dig yourself into a hole
If you dig yourself into a hole you say or do something to make a bad situation even worse.
to make a hash of something
One meaning of hash is a meal made by mixing up a number of ingredients, which may lead to make a hash of something, rather like to make a mess of something; in this case it means that you have done it so badly that it needs to be done again
draw a blank
If you draw a blank you are unable to come up with a solution to a problem. It is often used to mean that you have been unsuccessful in a search for something, as in this example.
hit a stumbling block
If you hit a stumbling block you come up against a problem that stops you from making progress
bark up the wrong tree
If you are barking up the wrong tree means you have been trying to do something in the wrong way, or with a mistaken approach. (This idiom is generally used in the continuous form "are barking", "was barking".)
to bang your head against a brick wall
We use to bang your head against a brick wall to describe how we feel when we are frustrated and making no progress with something
go back to square one
If you go back to square one you start something again from the beginning again.
sth. is going nowhere
We say that something is going nowhere when it has no direction, impact or possibility of success
flesh something out
If you flesh something out, you add more detail or information to it
to have bigger fish to fry
If someone has bigger fish to fry, that person has more important things to do.
have bigger fish to fry = Wichtigeres zu tun haben
have bigger fish to fry = Wichtigeres zu tun haben
to be up to speed
If you are up to speed, you have the most recent information.
to be up to speed = auf dem neuesten Stand sein
to be up to speed = auf dem neuesten Stand sein
cut-throat
If a market is cut-throat it means it is intensely competitive. Rivals may even use dirty tricks to gain market share.
cut-throat = halsabschneiderisch; hier: gnadenlos
cut-throat = halsabschneiderisch; hier: gnadenlos
sth. costs the earth
If something costs the earth then it is very expensive.
cost the earth = ein Heidengeld kosten
cost the earth = ein Heidengeld kosten
show someone the ropes
When you show someone the ropes you show that person how a particular job is done.
show sb. the ropes = jmdn. in eine Arbeit einweisen
show sb. the ropes = jmdn. in eine Arbeit einweisen
to be out of step
If someone is out of step then that person is not conforming to what others are thinking or doing.
be out of step = nicht im Gleichklang sein be out of pocket = draufzahlen
be out of step = nicht im Gleichklang sein be out of pocket = draufzahlen
to be a long shot
If something is a long shot it doesn't have much chance of success.
a long shot = eine riskante Angelegenheit; ziemlich aussichtslos
a long shot = eine riskante Angelegenheit; ziemlich aussichtslos
She could talk the hind leg off a donkey.
Wenn sie einmal zu reden anfängt, hört sie nicht mehr auf
to get his claws into sth.
He’d love to get his claws into the project. = Er würde das Projekt gerne an sich reißen.
claw = Kralle, Klaue
We can also say that people would love to get their hands on something, not "into" something.
claw = Kralle, Klaue
We can also say that people would love to get their hands on something, not "into" something.
She’s trying to pull the wool over our eyes.
Sie versucht, uns Sand in die Augen zu streuen
I’ve got a lot on my plate
I’ve got a lot on my plate. = Ich habe viel um die Ohren.
If we say that something is on the cards, it is possible that it will happen.
It’s on the cards = Das ist zu erwarten
If we say that something is on the cards, it is possible that it will happen.
It’s on the cards = Das ist zu erwarten
