crank
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crank
A technical component consisting of a handle and an arm that transfers force to a shaft through a rotating movement in order to drive or operate a machine.
Bei alten Autos musste man die Fenster noch mit einer Kurbel öffnen und schließen.
In old cars, you still had to open and close the windows with a crank.
to have a screw loose
An outdated, colloquial expression meaning that someone is crazy, strange, or not quite right in the head.
Wer bei dem Wetter baden geht, hat doch einen an der Kurbel!
Anyone who goes swimming in this weather must have a screw loose!
The noun 'die Kurbel' (the crank) is closely related to the verb 'kurbeln' (to crank). This means to perform a rotating movement in order to drive or operate something.
Er musste kräftig kurbeln, um den alten Motor zu starten.
He had to crank hard to start the old engine.
You can recognize the technical meaning from the fact that 'die Kurbel' (the crank) is used as a normal noun in the sentence. The idiomatic meaning occurs only in the fixed expression 'einen an der Kurbel haben' (to have a screw loose).
Die Kurbel an der Markise ist abgebrochen.
The crank on the awning has broken off.
A crank is often associated with older, manually operated devices, for example old coffee grinders, window winders in cars, or mechanical toys.
Meine Oma mahlt ihren Kaffee noch mit einer alten Mühle mit Kurbel.
My grandma still grinds her coffee with an old grinder with a crank.
The expression 'einen an der Kurbel haben' (to have a screw loose) is a fixed idiom. The structure is always the same: the person described as crazy is the subject of the verb 'haben' (to have).
Er will im Winter im See schwimmen? Der hat doch einen an der Kurbel!
He wants to swim in the lake in winter? He must have a screw loose!
The idiom 'einen an der Kurbel haben' (to have a screw loose) is colloquial and is considered somewhat outdated today. Younger people use it less often, but most still understand it.
Mein Opa sagt manchmal über Politiker, sie hätten alle einen an der Kurbel.
My grandpa sometimes says about politicians that they all have a screw loose.
lever
Hebel and Kurbel both transfer force through a movable arm. A Hebel is swung around a pivot and can thereby generate greater force. A Kurbel, by contrast, is rotated continuously and transfers this rotational motion to a shaft.
Der Arbeiter dreht die Kurbel, um die Maschine anzutreiben.
The worker turns the crank to power the machine.
Der Arbeiter drückt den Hebel nach unten, um die schwere Platte anzuheben.
The worker presses the lever down to lift the heavy plate.
