schnapps
Loading your saved state.
schnapps
An alcoholic drink with a high alcohol content, often distilled from grain or fruit. It is typically drunk from small glasses.
Nach dem schweren Essen bot der Wirt einen Schnaps zur Verdauung an.
After the heavy meal, the innkeeper offered a schnapps to aid digestion.
crazy idea
A colloquial term for a crazy, nonsensical, or poorly thought-out idea that one often has spontaneously.
Mitten in der Nacht auf einen Berg zu steigen, war eine echte Schnapsidee.
Climbing a mountain in the middle of the night was a really crazy idea.
'Schnaps' (schnapps) is often combined with certain verbs. You can say 'einen Schnaps trinken' (to drink a schnapps), 'einen Schnaps brennen' (to distill/make schnapps), or 'jemandem einen Schnaps anbieten' (to offer someone a schnapps).
In dieser kleinen Destillerie wird seit über 100 Jahren Schnaps gebrannt.
Schnapps has been distilled in this small distillery for over 100 years.
In German-speaking countries, the 'Verdauungsschnaps' (digestive schnapps) is well known. This is a schnapps drunk after a heavy, fatty meal to help with digestion.
Nach dem Gänsebraten gab es für alle einen Verdauungsschnaps.
After the roast goose, everyone had a digestive schnapps.
A 'Schnapsidee' (crazy idea) is made up of 'Schnaps' (schnapps) and 'Idee' (idea). The logic behind it is that the idea is so crazy it is as if one had had it under the influence of schnapps.
Ein Unternehmen ohne Plan zu gründen, war eine echte Schnapsidee.
Starting a company without a plan was a truly crazy idea.
The expression 'Schnapsidee' (crazy idea) is very common, but it clearly belongs to colloquial language. In a formal or business context, one would be more likely to speak of an 'unsinnige Idee' (nonsensical idea) or a 'schlecht durchdachter Plan' (poorly thought-out plan).
Er lachte und meinte, mein Vorschlag sei eine totale Schnapsidee.
He laughed and said my suggestion was a total crazy idea.
spirit / mind
Both words can refer to a strong alcoholic drink made by distillation. „Der Geist“ is more likely to sound like a neutral term for the product, while „der Schnaps“ sounds more colloquial and often brings to mind a small glass for drinking. Use „Geist“ for the product and „Schnaps“ for the drink.
Nach dem Essen tranken die Gäste ein kleines Glas Schnaps.
After the meal, the guests drank a small glass of schnapps.
Der Birnengeist steht als regionales Produkt im Regal des Herstellers.
The pear spirit is on the producer's shelf as a regional product.
