jemandem einen Bären aufbinden

Meaning: To tell someone a deliberate lie or deceptive story for amusement or manipulation.

Language: German

Literally: to tie a bear to someone

Category: Animals

Origin: Medieval German tradition of traveling shows featuring trained bears; tying a fake bear to someone meant fooling them with tall tales.

More idioms — Animals

mit jemandem Katz und Maus spielen — To tease or toy with someone's emotions, alternating between kind and cruel treatment for…
tener un rabo de paja — To feel guilty or anxious about something, fearing exposure of a personal fault or secret.
essere un osso duro — Be a difficult, stubborn person who is challenging to deal with or influence.
медведь на ухо наступил — To lack musical ability or have poor sense of pitch and rhythm.
att vara rädd som en hare — To be extremely fearful and jumpy, ready to flee at the slightest danger.
let the cat out of the bag — to reveal a secret inadvertently.

in den sauren Apfel beißen — To accept an unpleasant necessity or disagreeable situation with resignation and stoicism.
Das ist mir Wurst — I couldn't care less either way.
Auf dem Holzweg sein — To be on completely the wrong track.
Die Kirche im Dorf lassen — To keep things in proportion and not get carried away.
Jetzt geht's um die Wurst — Now it's crunch time — everything is at stake.
Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof — Life is not all fun and games; expect hardship.

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