Germansich die Hörner abstoßen
Meaning: To shed youthful recklessness and settle into maturity.
Literally: To knock off one's horns
Example: “Er hat sich im Studium die Hörner abgestoßen und ist jetzt Familienvater.” — He sowed his wild oats at university and is now a family man.
English equivalent: To sow one's wild oats
Equivalents in other languages
English: sow one's wild oats
French: Jeter sa gourme Literally: To throw off one's strangles
Origin: From the depositio cornuum, the "laying down of the horns," a hazing ritual for new university students in Germany from the 15th to the 18th century. The newcomer was dressed as a goat with horns, which were then knocked or filed off to drive out his supposed wildness before he joined student life. Knocking off one's horns came to mean sowing one's wild oats and settling down.
More German idioms
- auf dem Damm In good health and spirits, recovered from illness or hardship.
- aus dem Off From off-screen or offstage; said of a voice heard without the speaker being seen, or of…
- den Geist aufgeben to die, or to cease functioning.
- um ein Haar by the narrowest possible margin; almost not.
- etwas auf die lange Bank schieben to postpone or delay something indefinitely.
- in die Quere kommen to interfere with someone, to get in the way or obstruct.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Du bist ein Schatz You're a sweetheart.
- Du hast doch einen Vogel You're a bit out of your mind.
- Du gehst mir auf den Keks You're getting on my nerves.
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