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Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof

Meaning: Life is not all fun and games; expect hardship.

Language: German

Literally: Life is no pony farm

Category: Daily Life

Origin: A late-20th-century German coinage, cemented in pop culture by the punk band Die Schröders' 2001 song of the same name.

More idioms — Daily Life

  • Estar de Rodríguez — To be a husband left working in town while the family is on holiday.
  • Ogni morte di papa — Extremely rarely; once in a blue moon.
  • 油を売る — To slack off or dawdle when you should be working.
  • Chutar o balde — To stop caring and let everything go — unlike the English, nobody dies.
  • Etekleri zil çalıyor — To be visibly bursting with joy.
  • Å være ute og sykle — To be completely mistaken or to have no idea what you're talking about.

More German idioms

  • Die Katze im Sack kaufen — To buy something sight unseen and get cheated.
  • Eine Extrawurst verlangen — To expect special treatment.
  • Da kannst du Gift drauf nehmen — You can bet your life on it; it's absolutely certain.
  • Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen — To be exactly right.
  • Da wird der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt — An exclamation of utter disbelief.
  • Die Kuh vom Eis holen — To resolve a precarious situation.

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