IdiomBody & Senses
German
Germanum ein Haar
Meaning: by the narrowest possible margin; almost not.
Literally: By a hair
Example: “Um ein Haar hätte ich den letzten Zug verpasst.” — I caught the last train by the skin of my teeth.
English equivalent: By the skin of one's teeth
Equivalents in other languages
English: By the skin of your teeth- English: close shave
French: L'échapper belle Literally: To escape it beautifully
Origin: A hair is the thinnest thing the eye can easily see, so missing something by a hair is missing it by almost nothing. German uses it for near misses (um ein Haar wäre er gestürzt, he very nearly fell), and the older negative forms um kein Haar and nicht um ein Haar (not by a hair) have become rare. English says "by a hair's breadth."
More German idioms
- 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.
- zu Grabe tragen to bury or permanently give up on something such as a hope, plan, or wish.
- Staub aufwirbeln To cause trouble or create a dramatic disturbance.
- ein Esel schimpft den andern Langohr A person criticizes another for the same fault they themselves possess.
- außer Rand und Band geraten To lose control and behave wildly or unruly.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Wo gehobelt wird, da fallen Späne Any real work or change comes with some mess or damage.
- Wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst Whoever arrives first gets served first.
- Es wird nicht so heiß gegessen, wie es gekocht wird Things usually turn out less severe than they first seem.
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