straw
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straw
A thin tube used to suck liquids from a glass or bottle. Originally made of straw, today usually made of plastic, paper, glass, or metal.
Könnte ich bitte einen Strohhalm für meine Limonade haben?
Could I please have a straw for my lemonade?
The word is made up of 'das Stroh' (straw) and 'der Halm' (stalk). Drinking straws were originally actually made from dried grass stalks (straw), hence the name.
Früher waren Strohhalme wirklich aus Stroh.
In the past, straws really were made of straw.
The idiom 'sich an einen Strohhalm klammern' (to clutch at straws) is very common. It uses the reflexive verb 'sich klammern an' (to cling to) with the accusative. The person who is hoping is the subject of the sentence.
Er wusste, dass die Chance klein war, aber er klammerte sich an diesen letzten Strohhalm.
He knew the chance was small, but he clutched at this last straw.
Although the word is 'Strohhalm' (straw), most drinking straws today are made from other materials such as paper, glass, metal, or bamboo. So the name is historical.
In vielen Cafés bekommt man jetzt Strohhalme aus Papier statt aus Plastik.
In many cafés, you now get paper straws instead of plastic ones.
You can almost always recognize the figurative meaning from the verb 'sich klammern an' (to cling to). When someone 'klammert' (clings) to a 'Strohhalm' (straw), it almost never means a real drinking tube, but rather a last hope.
In ihrer Verzweiflung klammerte sich die Firma an die Hoffnung auf einen neuen Investor.
In its desperation, the company clung to the hope of a new investor.
way out
'der Ausweg' and 'der Strohhalm' can both appear in difficult situations. 'Ausweg' means a real possibility or solution for getting out of a problem. 'Strohhalm' fits in the idiom 'sich an einen Strohhalm klammern' (to clutch at straws): then you hold on to a last hope, even if it is very uncertain. An 'Ausweg' can therefore really help. A 'Strohhalm' is often only a weak hope when almost nothing seems possible anymore.
Vor der Prüfung klammerte sich Max an den letzten Strohhalm und hoffte auf einfache Fragen.
Before the exam, Max clutched at the last straw and hoped for easy questions.
Nach langem Suchen fand das Team endlich einen Ausweg aus der Krise.
After a long search, the team finally found a way out of the crisis.