Eyes, ears and big feet — quirky German idioms based on body parts

Nose, cheek, tongue, ears and eyes — parts of the face figure prominently in German idioms. "Have you got tomatoes on your eyes?" for instance, is a quirky way of saying "look where you're going," and might be directed at a pedestrian who absently steps in front of a car. Meanwhile, "to be on eye level" is be on equal terms — not to be confused with seeing "eye to eye," as equals may disagree.

"Feeding on the hair off one's head" is one German idiom that must not be taken literally. Referring to someone with a voracious appetite, anyone with teenagers will recognize the scenario in which the phrase is applied. Constantly hungry adolescents can eat you out of house and home — even if hair isn't on the menu.

"Mir fällt ein Stein vom Herzen" literally means, "a stone has dropped from my heart." In German, problems and worries weigh heavily on one's heart, whereas in English it's the mind — as in "taking a load off one's mind."

In German, "Hals über Kopf," or "head over neck," is not quite the equivalent of the English phrase "head over heels" — which usually refers to being madly in love with someone. The German idiom implies a mad rush and might be used when thieves make a run for it as the police approach. The phrase creates an image of someone literally somersaulting away from their pursuer.

Projects that are well thought-out, realistic, productive and make sense have "Hand und Fuss," or hand and foot. The imagery supposedly goes back to the gruesome medieval practice of hacking off a criminal's hand and foot, rendering them incapable of fighting or causing trouble, but also helpless and unable to do anything.

The German idiom "auf grossem Fuss leben" translates to "live on a big foot" — to live lavishly and luxuriously like a rich lord. One possible origin for the quirky saying involves the tale of an aristocrat who wore very roomy, pointed shoes to hide a deformity.

It's minutes before the post office closes and you need to send an important parcel. Or you need to make the bus that's just about to leave to get to work on time. In such situations, do as the Germans do and "nimm die Beine in die Hand" (take your legs into your hands), meaning get a move on!

While English-language speakers wear their hearts on their sleeves, Germans carry their hearts on their tongues! In both cases, the expression means that a person's emotions and intentions are obvious and clear to all.

Speaking honestly and spontaneously is what Germans mean when they say "frei von der Leber weg reden," which translates to "speak freely from your liver." Why the liver? In antiquity, the important organ was thought to be the source of passion and emotions. The similar English language idiom "vent one's spleen" instead refers to the expression of anger said to reside in that organ.

In Germany, people who tell you they have "a lot around their ears" are simply very busy — the English equivalent might be to have a lot on your plate. The German phrase "viel um die Ohren haben" most likely relates to being surrounded by a babble of voices in the workplace.