Hinz und Kunz
Meaning: Any ordinary person; everyone; the man in the street; used to refer to people indiscriminately or generically.
Language: German
Literally: Hinz and Kunz
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Hinz and Kunz are generic German first names, comparable to Tom, Dick and Harry in English; used together they represent the common, undifferentiated crowd.
More idioms — Daily Life
- keine halben Sachen machen — To commit fully to something; to be thorough and complete rather than halfhearted or comp…
- die Zelte abbrechen — to move away or leave a place; to abandon one's position.
- erstunken und erlogen — entirely false or made up; a complete lie or fabrication.
- mit allem Drum und Dran — complete with all the accessories, extras, or associated details; entirely and comprehens…
- jemandem nicht das Wasser reichen können — To be vastly inferior to someone in ability or quality.
- auf dem Teppich bleiben — To stay grounded and realistic; to avoid getting swept up in fantasies or exaggeration.
More German idioms
- was das Zeug hält — with maximum intensity or speed; to the absolute limit of one's capacity.
- bei der Stange halten — to keep someone obedient, loyal, or in line through discipline or pressure.
- keine zehn Pferde — nothing could force or move one; obstinate refusal or immovable determination.
- mundtot machen — to silence or suppress someone; to rob them of the ability or right to speak.
- wie ein Blinder von der Farbe reden — to discuss or explain something one has no direct experience or understanding of; to spea…
- an die Kandare nehmen — To restrain, control, or impose discipline on someone.
From our proverbs
- Little minds, like weak liquors, are soon soured. — Petty intellects curdle quickly under pressure, while robust minds ferment into something…
- It's not how long, but how well, we live. — Quality of life matters more than its duration; meaningful living trumps mere longevity.
- The longest liver dies at last. — Everyone eventually faces mortality, regardless of how long they manage to live.