German idioms plucked out of thin air
A selection of expressions Germans use when something fizzles out, is in the wind or there is room for improvement.
There's something in the air
You have a hunch something is likely to happen? In German, the common idiom is, "Etwas liegt in der Luft" — something lies in the air. It could be a secret in the making, or something unknown and unexpected.
Pure invention
Random and baseless statements that are blurted out without much thought, spur of the moment, plucked out of thin air: That is what Germans mean when the say something is "aus der Luft gegriffen" — literally grabbed from the air.
Staring off into space
The German idiom "Löcher in die Luft starren" literally translates as "to stare holes into the air." It is used when someone idly stares off into space, perhaps lost in thought, but clearly not actively participating in anything. The above drawing shows Hanns Guck-in-die-Luft (Hans Look-in-the-air), a cautionary tale from a 19th-century German children's book, "Struwwelpeter."
The coast is clear
In German, the idiom "die Luft ist rein", or the air is clean, means there is no risk of getting caught or being noticed. Supposedly, it is lingo used by crooks who would make sure they were not being observed.
Trouble is brewing
No "clear air" here: in fact, the air is fat — "es herrscht dicke Luft" is the idiom Germans like to use when trouble is brewing. Another similar idiom has it that the air is thick enough to cut — you could cut the atmosphere with a knife, as the English saying goes. "Dicke Luft" can also refer to polluted air.
Totally ignored
If someone does not exist as far as you are concerned, totally ignored, they are, as the German idiom goes, "Luft für jemanden" — literally, they are air for you. Ignoring someone's presence can be described as "jemanden wie Luft behandeln," or treating them like air.
Room for improvement
The German idiom according to which there's "Luft nach oben" translates as having "air towards the top." It means that there is room for improvement, to do better. It can be used derisively, to refer to a suboptimal performance.
Pipe down
If you are told "Halt mal die Luft an," which translates as "hold your breath," that is bound to be a command to shut up and stop spreading your views nonstop... In other words, give me a break!
Out of steam
You lack motivation, are weary of something, have run out of steam because your initial enthusiasm has fizzled out? In German, the popular idiom is "die Luft is raus," literally the air is out, like a balloon that is flat.