blunder
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to put one's foot in it
To make a clumsy, tactless, or embarrassing remark or action without intending to. This is by far the most common use of the word.
Als ich sie nach ihrem Mann fragte, trat ich voll ins Fettnäpfchen, denn sie waren frisch geschieden.
When I asked her about her husband, I really put my foot in it, because they had just gotten divorced.
small fat pot
A small container for storing fat or ointment. This literal meaning is very rare today.
In der alten Bauernküche stand neben dem Herd oft ein Fettnäpfchen für das Bratfett.
In old farmhouse kitchens, there was often a small fat pot next to the stove for frying fat.
The word consists of 'Fett' (fat) and 'Näpfchen', the diminutive form of 'der Napf' (a small bowl). It originally referred to a small bowl of fat that used to stand in kitchens.
Die Redewendung stammt aus einer Zeit, als man aus Versehen in ein auf dem Boden stehendes Fettnäpfchen treten konnte.
The idiom comes from a time when you could accidentally step into a small pot of fat standing on the floor.
This word is used almost only in the fixed idiom 'ins Fettnäpfchen treten' (to put one's foot in it). It means to behave clumsily or tactlessly without meaning to.
Mit meiner Frage nach seiner Ex-Freundin bin ich wirklich ins Fettnäpfchen getreten.
With my question about his ex-girlfriend, I really put my foot in it.
The idiom can be intensified with adverbs like 'voll' (completely/really), 'richtig' (really/properly), or 'gehörig' (thoroughly) to emphasize how big the embarrassing mistake was.
Er hat mit seiner Bemerkung über ihr Alter voll ins Fettnäpfchen getreten.
With his comment about her age, he really put his foot in it.
The literal meaning of 'Fettnäpfchen' (small fat pot) as a container for fat is outdated today. It is now used almost only in historical descriptions or in museums.
In der Ausstellung zur Küchengeschichte war auch ein altes Fettnäpfchen aus Ton zu sehen.
In the exhibition on kitchen history, there was also an old clay fat pot on display.
