The 34 Very Best German Sayings…EVER!
19. kein Blatt vor den Mund nehmen
This saying originated in the theatre world. In the past, comedies in the theatre were quite ruthless – even high-ranking statesmen and politicians were often attacked and criticized by the actors.
So that they could not be punished for what they said, actors had to hide their faces behind something. At the beginning of the theatre, however, masks did not yet exist, so they simply took a piece of paper instead of using masks.
But not everyone chose to hide between this pseudo-mask. Some courageous actors still chose to speak openly without hiding behind a piece of paper, so they literally did “kein Blatt vor den Mund nehmen.”
And that’s exactly where this fascinating German saying comes from.
Example: Mit meiner Frau legst du dich besser nicht an! Die nimmt nämlich in Sachen Politik absolut kein Blatt vor den Mund!
Translation: You better not mess with my wife! She doesn’t mince matters when it comes to politics.
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