die Made
maggot
A worm-shaped larva of certain insects, especially flies.
EXAMPLE
Die Made kroch aus dem faulen Apfel.
The maggot crawled out of the rotten apple.
die Made
maggot
die Made, die Maden
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Meanings
wie die Made im Speck leben
to live in the lap of luxury
To live in abundance and enjoy life without having to worry about anything.
EXAMPLE
Er lebt wie die Made im Speck und muss sich um nichts kümmern.
He lives in the lap of luxury and doesn't have to worry about a thing.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Made, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Maden |
| genitive | der Made |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Made | die Maden |
| accusative | die Made | die Maden |
| dative | der Made | den Maden |
| genitive | der Made | der Maden |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Typical collocations
'Made' (maggot) frequently occurs in expressions such as 'von Maden befallen' (infested with maggots), 'Maden im Essen' (maggots in food), and 'Maden entfernen' (remove maggots). The plural is especially common when several larvae are meant.
EXAMPLE
Der Müll war nach wenigen Tagen von Maden befallen.
The garbage was infested with maggots after just a few days.
Fixed expression
'Die Made im Speck' (the maggot in bacon) is a fixed, figurative expression. The typical phrase is 'leben wie die Made im Speck' (literally 'to live like a maggot in bacon', meaning to live in the lap of luxury); 'wie' (like) introduces the comparison.
EXAMPLE
Seit er geerbt hat, lebt er wie die Made im Speck.
Ever since he inherited money, he has been living in the lap of luxury.
Context clue
The figurative meaning is recognizable when 'Made' (maggot) is connected with 'leben' (to live), 'sich fühlen' (to feel), or a similar description of a lifestyle. With words such as 'Apfel' (apple), 'Müll' (garbage), or 'Lebensmittel' (food), it usually refers to the insect larva.
EXAMPLE
In dem Luxushotel fühlten wir uns wie die Made im Speck.
We felt utterly pampered at the luxury hotel.
In real life
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