Den Vogel abschießen



Example: Mit seiner frechen Antwort schoss er den Vogel ab.

Definition


"Den Vogel abschießen" is a German idiom meaning to do something outrageous or to outdo everyone else, often in a surprising or audacious way. For example, in the phrase 'Mit seiner frechen Antwort schoss er den Vogel ab,' it means he outdid everyone with his cheeky reply.

Translations


  • take the cake
  • llevarse la palma
  • de kroon spannen
  • endur-se la palma
  • décrocher la palme

Etymology


The phrase "den Vogel abschießen" literally means 'to shoot the bird.' It originated from traditional shooting competitions where hitting a wooden bird target was the ultimate goal. Figuratively, it came to mean achieving something exceptional or going beyond the norm.

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"Den Vogel abschießen" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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