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Tu ramènes toujours tes complexes ethniques, pour un oui ou pour un non, dans toutes les discussions, même les plus anodines.

  • {literally}: You always dredge up some complex about your ethnic origin, be it for a yes or a no, in virtually all discussions, even of the most harmless nature.

  • {more naturally}: You always dredge up some complex about your ethnic origin at the drop of a hat in virtually all discussions, even of the most harmless nature.

This hyperbolic expression is used to refer to someone's annoying tendency to insist on doing something with no apparent rhyme or reason, as if on a whim.

Pleurer, c'est un truc de fille à ses yeux, comme si elles avaient le droit de pleurer pour un oui ou pour un non.

  • The way he sees it, crying is a girls' thing -- as if they had every right to shed tears over any little thing.

How is this idea commonly/idiomatically expressed in German?

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Bei jeder unpassenden Gelegenheit regst du dich auf.

You make a fuss at any unmatching opportunity.

This is word-play on the everyday term bei jeder passenden Gelegenheit. As usual for German humor the un is planted in a deadpan fashion to give the Brits the missopportunity to complain about the missing humor.


A simpler way to express this idea is using immer gleich instead of immer:

Du regst dich immer gleich auf.

Immer regst du dich gleich auf.

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  • "Bei jeder unpassenden Gelegenheit" Interesting, not something I could have come up with on my own. Is this phrasing commonly used and easily understood? Commented Jun 16, 2019 at 21:13
  • Yes, it's common. Also common: Bei jeder passenden oder unpassenden Gelegenheit ← you made a habit of it.
    – Janka
    Commented Jun 16, 2019 at 22:48

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