cannon
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cannon
A large, heavy gun that was formerly used mainly in wars and for defending fortresses to fire projectiles over long distances.
Auf der alten Burgmauer stehen noch mehrere historische Kanonen.
Several historic cannons are still standing on the old castle wall.
to be a whiz
Colloquial for a person who is exceptionally good, successful, or an expert in a particular field.
Frag am besten sie, in Physik ist sie eine echte Kanone.
It's best to ask her; she's a real whiz at physics.
absolutely terrible
A colloquial expression that indicates that something is extremely bad, unacceptable, or of miserable quality.
Der Service in diesem Restaurant war wirklich unter aller Kanone.
The service in this restaurant was really absolutely terrible.
to use a sledgehammer
An idiom meaning that someone uses exaggerated or far too elaborate means to solve a small problem or achieve a minor goal.
Wegen eines kleinen Kratzers das ganze Auto neu zu lackieren, ist doch mit Kanonen auf Spatzen geschossen.
Repainting the whole car because of a small scratch is really using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
You can tell from the context whether the literal or a figurative meaning is intended. If the topic is history or the military, it usually refers to the weapon. In everyday, colloquial situations, it is often one of the idioms.
Auf der Festung kann man noch alte Kanonen besichtigen.
At the fortress, you can still view old cannons.
In the literal sense, 'Kanone' (cannon) is often used with verbs such as 'abfeuern' (to fire), 'laden' (to load), or 'richten auf' (to aim at), which describe a military or historical action.
Die Soldaten luden die Kanone für den Salutschuss.
The soldiers loaded the cannon for the salute.
The expression 'eine Kanone sein' (to be a whiz) is used with the preposition 'in' followed by the dative to name the area of expertise. The person is always the subject of the sentence.
Mein Bruder ist in Mathe eine echte Kanone.
My brother is a real whiz at math.
The expression 'unter aller Kanone' (absolutely terrible) is a fixed idiom and is not changed. As a predicative noun phrase, it describes a thing or performance that is extremely bad.
Das Essen in der Kantine war heute unter aller Kanone.
The food in the cafeteria was absolutely terrible today.
The idiom 'mit Kanonen auf Spatzen schießen' (to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut) works like a normal verb in a sentence. It describes someone reacting to a small problem with excessive effort.
Für diese einfache Aufgabe ein ganzes Team einzusetzen, heißt mit Kanonen auf Spatzen schießen.
Using an entire team for this simple task means using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
gun
Both words refer to large, heavy firearms that can be mounted on a carriage or frame. Geschütz is the general military-technical term, whereas Kanone can refer to a specific type or, depending on the context, the less technical term. In a technical description, “Geschütz” is more appropriate; in everyday language, “Kanone” is often used.
Im Museum sahen wir eine alte Kanone, die früher zur Verteidigung der Festung diente.
At the museum, we saw an old cannon that had once been used to defend the fortress.
Der Bericht beschreibt ein schweres Geschütz, das Granaten über weite Strecken abfeuern konnte.
The report describes a heavy gun that could fire shells over long distances.
