mit allen Wassern gewaschen sein
to be shrewd and worldly-wise; to know all the tricks
Origin
Comes from sailors' language: a seaman who has already been 'washed' by the waters of all the world's oceans, i.e. has travelled widely, knows every trick and can no longer be deceived.
Building blocks
Words in this expression
Grammar that uses this word
- Verb 'danken' (to thank, + dative)Verb 'danken' (+ Dativ)
- Verb 'schmecken' (to taste good, + dative)Verb 'schmecken' (+ Dativ)
- Comparative and superlative used attributivelyKomparativ und Superlativ attributiv
- Passive replacement: sein + zu + infinitivePassiversatz: sein + zu + Infinitiv
- Past perfect (Plusquamperfekt)Plusquamperfekt
- Passive in the present (werden + past participle)Passiv Präsens (werden + Partizip II)
Examples
Bei Verhandlungen kannst du ihn nicht — er ist mit allen Wassern gewaschen.
You can't fool him in negotiations — he's been around the block and knows every trick.