mercury
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mercury
A chemical element that is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. It is a silvery-white, very dense, and toxic heavy metal.
Wegen seiner Giftigkeit wird Quecksilber heute kaum noch in Thermometern verwendet.
Because of its toxicity, mercury is hardly used in thermometers anymore today.
to have quicksilver in one's blood
A colloquial idiom describing that a person is very lively, restless, and constantly in motion. It is often used for energetic children.
Der kleine Junge hat wirklich Quecksilber im Blut und kann keine Minute still sitzen.
The little boy really has quicksilver in his blood and can't sit still for a minute.
The word is made up of 'queck' and 'Silber' (silver). 'Queck' is an old German word for 'living' or 'agile'. So 'Quecksilber' (mercury/quicksilver) literally means 'living silver', which describes its liquid and mobile property.
Die Alchemisten nannten Quecksilber auch „lebendiges Silber“.
The alchemists also called mercury 'living silver'.
The two meanings are easy to distinguish. If people are talking about chemistry, thermometers, or toxicity, they mean the metal. If the expression 'im Blut haben' (to have in one's blood) is used to describe a person, the idiom is meant.
Früher enthielten viele Thermometer Quecksilber.
In the past, many thermometers contained mercury.
The figurative meaning exists only in the fixed idiom 'Quecksilber im Blut haben' (to have quicksilver in one's blood). The structure is unchangeable and describes a very lively, energetic person.
Man sagt, sie hat Quecksilber im Blut, weil sie immer aktiv ist.
People say she has quicksilver in her blood because she is always active.
The idiom 'Quecksilber im Blut haben' (to have quicksilver in one's blood) is used colloquially and very often refers to active and restless children.
Mein Neffe kann keine Sekunde still sitzen, er hat wirklich Quecksilber im Blut.
My nephew can't sit still for a second; he really has quicksilver in his blood.
