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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Eric: Expressions to Describe that a Situation is Unchangeable
Eric: Hi everyone, and welcome back to GermanPod101.com. I'm Eric.
Jennifer: And I'm Jennifer!
Eric: This is Must-Know German Slang Words and Phrases, Season 1, Lesson 17. In this lesson you'll learn expressions to describe a situation that can’t be changed. German people use these phrases to emphasize when something bad and irreversible has happened.
SLANG EXPRESSIONS
Eric: The expressions you’ll be learning in this lesson are:
Jennifer: Den Rubikon überschreiten.
Jennifer: Da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab.
Jennifer: Hopfen und Malz verloren.
Jennifer: Das Ende vom Lied.
Eric: Jennifer, what's our first expression?
Jennifer: Den Rubikon überschreiten.
Eric: This literally means "cross the Rubicon." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "to exceed moral boundaries."
Jennifer: [SLOW] Den Rubikon überschreiten. [NORMAL] Den Rubikon überschreiten.
Eric: Listeners, please repeat.
Jennifer: Den Rubikon überschreiten.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Eric: Use this slang expression when you make a decisive step that can't be taken back. Now let's hear an example sentence.
Jennifer: [NORMAL] Wer den Rubikon überschreiten will, dem muss Einhalt geboten werden. [SLOW] Wer den Rubikon überschreiten will, dem muss Einhalt geboten werden.
Eric: "Someone who wants to cross the Rubicon must be stopped."
Jennifer: [NORMAL] Wer den Rubikon überschreiten will, dem muss Einhalt geboten werden.
Eric: Okay, what's the next expression?
Jennifer: Da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab.
Eric: This literally translates as "since the mouse bites from no thread." When it's used as a slang expression, it means "unchangeable."
Jennifer: [SLOW] Da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab. [NORMAL] Da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab.
Eric: Listeners, please repeat.
Jennifer: Da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Eric: Use this slang expression when something is unchangeable. Let's hear it in an example sentence.
Jennifer: [NORMAL] Die Wette steht, da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab. [SLOW] Die Wette steht, da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab.
Eric: "The bet stands, it can't be changed."
Jennifer: [NORMAL] Die Wette steht, da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab.
Eric: Okay, what's our next expression?
Jennifer: Hopfen und Malz verloren.
Eric: Which literally means "hops and malt are lost." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "all is lost, no hope for."
Jennifer: [SLOW] Hopfen und Malz verloren. [NORMAL] Hopfen und Malz verloren.
Eric: Listeners, please repeat.
Jennifer: Hopfen und Malz verloren.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Eric: Use this slang expression when you think someone can't be helped anymore. You already tried unsuccessfully to help him or her. Jennifer, can you give us an example?
Jennifer: [NORMAL] Bei dir ist Hopfen und Malz verloren. [SLOW] Bei dir ist Hopfen und Malz verloren.
Eric: "All hope is lost for you."
Jennifer: [NORMAL] Bei dir ist Hopfen und Malz verloren.
Eric: Okay, what's the last expression?
Jennifer: Das Ende vom Lied.
Eric: Literally meaning "the end of the song." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "the end of the story, the upshot.."
Jennifer: [SLOW] Das Ende vom Lied. [NORMAL] Das Ende vom Lied.
Eric: Listeners, please repeat.
Jennifer: Das Ende vom Lied.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Eric: Use this slang expression when you think something will have an unpleasant ending. Let's hear it in a sentence.
Jennifer: [NORMAL] Anders kann man es nicht sagen: Das ist das Ende vom Lied. [SLOW] Anders kann man es nicht sagen: Das ist das Ende vom Lied.
Eric: "There is no better way to express it: It's the upshot."
Jennifer: [NORMAL] Anders kann man es nicht sagen: Das ist das Ende vom Lied.
QUIZ
Eric: Okay listeners, are you ready to be quizzed on the expressions you just learned? I’ll describe four situations, and you choose the right expression to use. Are you ready?
Eric: You find something can’t be changed. Which slang do you use?
[pause - 5 sec.]
Jennifer: Da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab.
Eric: "unchangeable"
Eric: You make a decisive step that can't be taken back. Which slang do you use?
[pause - 5 sec.]
Jennifer: Den Rubikon überschreiten.
Eric: "to exceed moral boundaries"
Eric: You think something will have an unpleasant ending. Which slang do you use?
[pause - 5 sec.]
Jennifer: Das Ende vom Lied.
Eric: "the end of the story, the upshot."
Eric: You’ve tried to help someone, failed, and now you think they can’t be helped at all. Which slang do you use?
[pause - 5 sec.]
Jennifer: Hopfen und Malz verloren.
Eric: "all is lost, no hope for"

Outro
Eric: There you have it; you have mastered four German slang expressions! We have more vocab lists available at GermanPod101.com, so be sure to check them out. Thanks everyone, and see you next time!
Jennifer: Bis zum nächsten Mal!

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