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0
votes
Is there an equivalent in German to "I hope this message finds you well"
Ich hoffe, diese Nachricht erreicht Sie wohlauf.
2
votes
Accepted
How does one express the ordering of thoughts?
Additional to @bakunin's answer:
One way to express the ordering of thoughts in the sense of your question is the phrase
Alles zu seiner Zeit! Everything at the proper time!
another one
Eins nach ...
3
votes
How does one express the ordering of thoughts?
The problem you are facing is perhaps that German differentiates between "wo" (the place) and "wohin" (the direction) while English uses "where" for both.
I go to [...]. ...
2
votes
Accepted
What does the phrase "auf die Nase setzen" mean in "Könnt' ich mir doch noch so einen Schurken auf die Nase setzen, wie den Pedrillo" in an Opera
The expression "sich jemanden auf die Nase setzen" isn't used any more.
In Grimm's Wörterbuch, you'll still find these closely related idioms (not used any more either):
einem auf der nase ...
1
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What does the phrase "auf die Nase setzen" mean in "Könnt' ich mir doch noch so einen Schurken auf die Nase setzen, wie den Pedrillo" in an Opera
The phrase auf die Nase setzen is uncommon nowadays. Common is however the phrase vor die Nase setzen.
It's meant quite literally. They put something or someone right in front of you so it blocks your ...
7
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of "vor den Teufel" in this sentence "Mag ich vor den Teufel nicht" in an Opera?
Meaning of vor
vor is archaic here and would be für in modern German
für and vor have been used interchangeably, both with the meaning of Latin pro.
Two examples:
Petrus aber stund draussen fur der ...
2
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What is the meaning of "vor den Teufel" in this sentence "Mag ich vor den Teufel nicht" in an Opera?
It's difficult to say what this really meant, and it's possible that this was an idiom with bleached meaning same as todays auf den Tod, etwas auf den Tod nicht ausstehen können, or um Gottes Willen ...
3
votes
What is the meaning of "Gift und Dolch" (in Mozart's Opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
To me, Gift und Dolch is meant as an replacement for the common phrase Tod und Teufel. They probably used that in the libretto to add an “oriental” flair to it — as they likely don't use the same ...
2
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of "Gift und Dolch" (in Mozart's Opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
First off: your thought, that it might mean something like "Damn it!""Sht!"* is - for your first quote - absolutely correct. As for the second quote i suppose @user1934428 got it ...
2
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What is the meaning of "Gift und Dolch" (in Mozart's Opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
Poison and dagger are both unpleasant means to get killed by, and I guess that the "und" is used because two unpleasant things together must be even more unpleasant.
Is it archaic? Perhaps ...
4
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What is the meaning of "vor den Teufel" in this sentence "Mag ich vor den Teufel nicht" in an Opera?
It's a simple intensifier. The mention of "devil" indicates that it's a strong intensifier, but the literal meaning is arbitrary, just as something "hellishly" difficult doesn't ...
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