Customer Reviews

2001 German and English Idioms (2001 Idioms Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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This is not exactly the most useful German reference book in existence, but for the German speaking linguistician, this is a good find. I am a German major and I have engaged in taking Linguistics, and I must say that this book is a delight to read. The comparison and contrasting of idioms between English and German is attention grabbing, especially when you know that phrases like, "Like father, like son" and "der Apfel faellt nicht weit von dem Baum" have like idiomatic meanings, but they aren't similar at all literally. I'd recommend it for the 3rd year German high school student on up. It's interesting and you just might learn something.

When I bought the book, my expectations may have been too high. At any rate, I was disappointed. Roughly eight out of ten idioms I looked up were not listed, idioms such es "jemandem reinen Wein einschenken," or "fishing for compliments." To be of real value, the book would have to list roughly ten times as many idioms as it currently does.

I didn't purchase this book from Amazon, but still think it's worth reviewing. One of the most difficult aspects of learning an unfamiliar language is the elusive "figure of speech." Literally translated into gibberish, these phrases need to be known to truly capture the full effect of German.

The book has an easy to follow layout. It lists the keyword (Ger) and definition (Eng), a short phrase (Ger) and its meaning (Eng), and a full sentence indicating a possible usage (Eng & Ger). In the second half of the book, the languages and idioms are reversed. This book is equally served by the German living in the US.

Most importantly, this book is amazingly accurate. I had a German coworker peruse this title, and he affirmed that most really are commonly used, well-known sayings, although he wouldn't use or rarely heard a fourth of the phrases. Much like other aspects of the German language, I'm sure there are regional differences.

If you seek a well-rounded German vernacular, this book is a terrific and inexpensive addition to your library.

This book makes you a little more used to seeing German idioms in everyday conversation. It also makes you feel more relevant in the German Culture, because many of the idioms are common and used frequently. Super cool!

-Dr. Kenneth