IdiomFood & Drink
German
GermanJetzt geht's um die Wurst
Meaning: Now it's crunch time — everything is at stake.
Literally: Now it's about the sausage
Example: “Letztes Spiel der Saison: jetzt geht's um die Wurst.” — Last game of the season: now it's crunch time.
English equivalent: Crunch time
Origin: At village fairs, poorer communities offered a sausage rather than a whole pig as the prize in popular contests: snapping at a hanging sausage, fishing for it, or climbing a greased pole to reach it. When the decisive round came, it was literally the sausage that was at stake. The phrase is first recorded in Leipzig in 1881, though it is probably older.
Equivalents in other languages
English: crunch time
More German idioms
- Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof Life is not all fun and games; expect hardship.
- 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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