01
der Drops
hard candy
A small, hard candy that you suck on. It usually consists of sugar and flavorings.
example
Als Kind habe ich am liebsten saure Drops gegessen.
As a child, I liked sour hard candies best.
der Drops
hard candy
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Origin of the word
The word 'Drops' is a loanword from English ('drops'). This origin explains why it looks and sounds somewhat unusual in German.
EXAMPLE
Er kaufte eine Tüte mit verschiedenen Frucht-Drops.
He bought a bag of various fruit hard candies.
Typical verb
Since a 'Drops' (hard candy) is a hard candy, it is normally not chewed or eaten, but sucked on. The typical verb is therefore 'lutschen' (to suck on).
EXAMPLE
Das Kind lutschte zufrieden an einem Kirsch-Drops.
The child happily sucked on a cherry hard candy.
Fixed idiom
The expression 'Der Drops ist gelutscht' (the matter is settled) is a fixed idiom. It is always used in this form to express that something has been finally decided.
EXAMPLE
Das Ergebnis steht fest, da kann man nichts mehr ändern. Der Drops ist gelutscht.
The result is final; nothing can be changed now. The matter is settled.
Register: colloquial
The idiom 'Der Drops ist gelutscht' (the matter is settled) is mainly used in informal spoken language. It is rather rare in formal or written contexts.
EXAMPLE
Nach stundenlanger Diskussion sagte mein Chef: „Okay, der Drops ist gelutscht, wir machen es so!“
After hours of discussion, my boss said, 'Okay, the matter is settled; we'll do it this way!'
Compare with
Drops vs Bonbon
candy
'Bonbon' and 'Drops' can both refer to a small candy that you suck on. 'Bonbon' is the more general term. A 'Drops' is usually a small, hard candy. That is why you can often say 'Bonbon' even when you mean a 'Drops'. The other way around, 'Drops' does not fit every 'Bonbon', for example not soft or filled candies. The words can be confused because they are very close in everyday use. Also important: 'Der Drops ist gelutscht' is a fixed idiom and does not mean that someone is really sucking on a candy.
Drops
Bei Halskratzen lutscht Paul einen Drops mit Zitronengeschmack.
When his throat feels scratchy, Paul sucks on a lemon-flavored hard candy.
Bonbon
Nach dem Essen nimmt sich Maria ein Bonbon aus der Schale.
After the meal, Maria takes a candy from the bowl.
In real life
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