crutch
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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.
crutch / stopgap
In a figurative sense, an makeshift or inadequate aid that is a poor substitute for an actual solution.
Die neue Software ist nur eine Krücke und behebt die grundlegenden Probleme nicht.
The new software is only a crutch and does not fix the underlying problems.
useless person
Colloquial and derogatory term for an incompetent, clumsy, or underperforming person.
Frag lieber jemand anderen, der neue Kollege ist eine absolute Krücke am Computer.
Better ask someone else; the new colleague is absolutely useless with computers.
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.
