jemandem reinen Wein einschenken
to tell someone the plain truth; to come clean
Origin
Goes back to the Middle Ages, when innkeepers often watered down and adulterated wine; only one who poured genuine, "pure" wine was being honest.
Building blocks
Words in this expression
Grammar that uses this word
- Verb 'schmecken' (to taste good, + dative)Verb 'schmecken' (+ Dativ)
- Two-part connector 'weder … noch' (neither … nor)Zweiteiliger Konnektor 'weder … noch'
- Verb + preposition: 'bitten um' (to ask for, + accusative)Verb + Präposition: 'bitten um' (+ Akk.)
- Relative clauses with 'was', 'wo' and 'wo(r)-'Relativsätze mit 'was', 'wo' und 'wo(r)-'
Examples
Es wird , dass ich dir reinen einschenke.
It's time I told you the unvarnished truth.