Die Kirche im Dorf lassen
Meaning: To keep things in proportion and not get carried away.
Language: German
Literally: To leave the church in the village
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Said of church processions that grandly marched beyond the village bounds — keep the ceremony, and your claims, at home.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof — Life is not all fun and games; expect hardship.
- 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.
More German idioms
- Jetzt geht's um die Wurst — Now it's crunch time — everything is at stake.
- 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.
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