Sprichwörtlich Deutsch – Fair Languages   /     Sprichwörtlich Deutsch Episode 9 – Jemandem in die Suppe spucken

PlayStop

X MP3jPLAYLISTS.MI_2 = [ { name: "1. Sprichwörtlich Deutsch Episode 9 - Jemandem in die Suppe spucken", formats: ["mp3"], mp3: "aHR0cDovL3d3dy5wb2R0cmFjLmNvbS9wdHMvcmVkaXJlY3QubXAzL3d3dy5hcmNoaXZlLm9yZy9kb3dubG9hZC9TcHJpY2h3cnRsaWNoRGV1dHNjaEVwaXNvZGU5LUplbWFuZGVtSW5EaWVTdXBwZVNwdWNrZW4vU3ByaWNod29lcnRsaWNoRGV1dHNjaEVwaXNvZGU5LUplbWFuZGVtSW5EaWVTdXBwZVNwdWNrZW4ubXAz", counterpart:"", artist: "", image: "true", imgurl: "" } ]; MP3jPLAYERS[2] = { list:MP3jPLAYLISTS.MI_2, tr:0, type:'MI', lstate:false, loop:false, play_txt:'Play', pause_txt:'Pause', pp_title:'Fair Languages', autoplay:false, download:true, vol:100, height:62, cssclass:'fullbars ', popout_css:{ enabled:true, colours: ["#fff", "rgba(167,167,167,0.35)", "rgb(241,241,241)", "rgba(52,162,217,0.7)", "rgba(92,201,255,0.8)", "transparent", "transparent", "#525252", "#525252", "#768D99", "#47ACDE", "", 400, 600 ], cssInterface: { "color": "#525252" }, cssTitle: { "left": "16px", "right":"16px", "top":"8px" }, cssImage: { "overflow": "false", "width":"auto", "height":"62px" }, cssFontSize: { "title": "16px", "caption": "11.2px", "list": "12px" }, classes: { interface:' verdana-mjp', title:' left-mjp norm-mjp plain-mjp childNorm-mjp childPlain-mjp', image:' Himg right-mjp', poscol:'', ul:' darken1-mjp verdana-mjp med-mjp childNorm-mjp childPlain-mjp left-mjp' }} };

Welcome to Sprichwörtlich Deutsch, the podcast about German proverbs, idioms and expressions. My name is Kirsten Winkler, and I am your host.

Today’s expression is

Jemandem in die Suppe spucken.

Let’s break down the vocabulary and also have quick look at the Grammar. Jemandem means someone. It’s a little tricky as this is declined. We don’t use the “normal” nominative form in this expression as jemandem is our indirect object. Jemandem is the dative case of jemand. Jemand is nominative, jemandem is dative. But that’s enough of that German grammar and back to our vocabulary! Suppe, die Suppe means soup and spucken is our verb and means to spit. Therefore, the translation of Jemandem in die Suppe spucken is … exactly To spit someone in the soup.

Well, another pretty visual expression and not very appetizing, to be honest. The interesting part is that today Germans use the expression in a slightly different way – but more on that in a minute. This expression comes as so often from the Middle Ages. It was an easy and relatively safe way for a servant to avenge oneself for bad treatment from ones master or ruler. It was a small yet satisfying act and pretty hard to prove.

As I said, today the meaning slightly shifted and when a German says

Da hat dir aber jemand in die Suppe gespuckt.

or

Ich lass mir doch nicht von dir in die Suppe spucken!

we want to express that a minor however annoying act of someone else crossed our plans or made something harder to execute.

It is a very common expression and can be used in every environment, in the workplace and among family and friends.

And that’s it for today’s episode of Sprichwörtlich Deutsch. Hope you join me next time and don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast either on iTunes or via FairLanguages.com

Music: Chillin’ With Jeris” by copperhead (feat. Jeris)

The post Sprichwörtlich Deutsch Episode 9 – Jemandem in die Suppe spucken appeared first on Fair Languages.