Den Löffel abgeben
Meaning: To die.
Language: German
Literally: To hand over the spoon
Category: Food & Drink
Origin: Like the Finnish version, a person who can no longer eat surrenders their spoon for the last time.
Equivalents in other languages
- Finnish: Heittää lusikka nurkkaan — literally: To throw the spoon in the corner
More idioms — Food & Drink
- Ins Fettnäpfchen treten — To commit an embarrassing social blunder.
- Estar en el ajo — To be in on a secret or scheme.
- Tener mala uva — To have a nasty temper or ill intentions.
- Ponerse como una sopa — To get soaked to the bone.
- Estar hasta en la sopa — To be everywhere; impossible to avoid.
- Liscio come l'olio — To go off without a hitch.
More German idioms
- Eulen nach Athen tragen — To do something utterly pointless.
- Hummeln im Hintern haben — To be unable to sit still.
- Das ist nicht das Gelbe vom Ei — It's not ideal; not quite good enough.
- Alles in Butter — Everything is fine and under control.
- Aus dem Häuschen sein — To be beside yourself with excitement.
- Jemandem auf den Keks gehen — To get on someone's nerves.
From our tongue twisters
- Hinter Hermann Hannes Haus hängen hundert Hemden raus. — A relentless 'h' aspirate drill — every word opens with the same breathy attack.
- Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische, frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz. — The German 'f' / 'sch' staple.
- Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut und Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid. — A 'bl' / 'br' brain-twister.