2001 German and English Idioms (2001 Idioms Series) (Paperback)

by Henry Strutz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Two separate alphabetical listings give definitions in German-to-English, and English-to-German. The definition of each idiom is followed by an illustrative sentence in both languages. Bilingual appendices touch on irregular verbs, standard abbreviations, and related language topics.

Language Notes
Text: English, German

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; Bilingual edition (August 25, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812090098
• ISBN-13: 978-0812090093
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #785,307 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The 2001 Idiom's Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars At the very least, sehr interessant!, August 6, 2000

By	Suzanne Darrah (Alamogordo, NM USA) - See all my reviews

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.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, April 30, 2002

By	Bruno Manz (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mann lernt nie aus!, April 3, 2002

By	"jato" (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews

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.