And now German animal expressions! Part 2: Verbs

And now for some animal verbs!

(again, photos courtesy of my 4-cat-owning sister-in-law! Double-decker Furriness!)

1. Let's start with the clever fox

• jemanden ausfuchsen

(to fox someone out)

= to be cleverer than the other person, to out-maneuver or trick them

"Bet you never thought to find me here!"

2. (a non-verb along the same lines)

• ein ausgefuchster Plan

(an out-foxed plan)

= a clever plan???????photo???

3. ... and now we'll slither on to our next expression.

• sich durchschlängeln

(to snake yourself through)

= similar to the English expression of weaving or 'snaking' through a crowd

Cats seem to be able to weave around themselves!

4. But now if you're going to do the following...

• sich einigeln

(to hedgehog yourself in)

= to retreat into your shell -- metaphorically speaking; teenagers tend to do this when they don't want to talk to you :)

5. ...it might be useful to do this as well!

• etwas hamstern

(to hamster something)

= to hoard/stock up on something (such as for the winter)

How well can you stock up ice cream? What's that? It'll melt?
Oh well. I'll just have to eat it now :)

6. Now we "return" to the barnyard and spend some time with the fowl.

• gackern

(to cackle (like a hen))

= to talk, chatter -- especially excessively + in a seemingly useless manner -- such as teenage girls often seem to :)

7. and to stay with our feathered friends:

• schnattern

(to chatter (like a goose))

= to talk, chatter -- especially quickly and in a senseless way (see comment above...)

This kitty's having NONE of your senseless chatter!

9. And now we return to the woods:

• herumdackeln

(to dachshund around)

= to meander, dilly-dally, not get to the task at hand (a dachshund could be found in the woods helping hunt what it was bred to -- Dachs, or badger)

"I'd much rather lie in the sun that start on my sewing..."