crutch
Loading your saved state.
crutch
A walking aid, usually made of wood or metal, that you tuck under your armpit to take weight off an injured or weak leg.
Nach seiner Knieoperation musste er sechs Wochen an Krücken gehen.
After his knee operation, he had to walk on crutches for six weeks.
The meaning of 'Krücke' (crutch) is usually clear. If people are talking about an injury, it means the walking aid. If they are talking about an inadequate solution, it is the figurative meaning. If a person is called that, it is an insult.
Er braucht die Krücken noch eine Woche.
He still needs the crutches for another week.
When using crutches as a walking aid, German uses the prepositions 'an' or 'mit'. The phrase 'an Krücken gehen' (to walk on crutches) is especially common.
Nach dem Skiunfall musste er zwei Monate an Krücken gehen.
After the skiing accident, he had to walk on crutches for two months.
In the meaning as a walking aid, 'Krücke' (crutch) is very often used in the plural ('Krücken'), since people usually use two of them to walk.
Der Arzt hat mir für sechs Wochen Krücken verschrieben.
The doctor prescribed me crutches for six weeks.
The figurative meaning comes from the function of the walking aid: it is only an aid, not a permanent, perfect solution. A 'Krücke' (crutch) in this sense is therefore always something temporary or flawed.
Diese Übersetzungshilfe ist eine nützliche Krücke, aber sie ersetzt keinen professionellen Übersetzer.
This translation aid is a useful crutch, but it does not replace a professional translator.
Calling a person a 'Krücke' (useless person) is strongly colloquial and derogatory. You should use this expression very carefully, as it is perceived as an insult.
Er nannte seinen Mitspieler eine Krücke, weil er den Ball nicht getroffen hat.
He called his teammate useless because he missed the ball.
bottle
'die Flasche' and 'die Krücke' can both be used colloquially and derogatorily for an incapable or clumsy person. In this sense, they are similar and can be confused. 'Flasche' often sounds like a general insult for someone who is not good at something. 'Krücke' tends to emphasize that someone is very weak, slow, or bad at a particular thing. Both words are insulting and should not be used in polite conversations.
Beim Reparieren hat er gemerkt, dass er keine Krücke ist.
While doing the repair, he realized that he is not useless.
Nach dem verlorenen Spiel nannte er sich selbst eine Flasche.
After the lost game, he called himself a loser.