While Brits "duck out" or "make themselves scarce" and Americans "dip," "bail" or "get out of Dodge", German speakers "make the bend".
Why do I need to know Die Biege Machen?
Sometimes you'd rather take-off than face someone who's headed your way, other times you might prefer to disappear rather than be caught in the act of doing something indecent, or perhaps it's simply time to turn in for the evening.
In any case, if you want to describe your desire to "skedaddle" in German, you'll want to know the phrase die Biege Machen.
What does it mean?
Literally "to make the bend", this German phrase is a good colloquial way to say "I'm leaving" or "I'm outta here."
There are two main situations in which you might find yourself "making the bend" in German. The first would be when you need to quickly move away from an unpleasant situation.
For example, if you're talking to a colleague in the office and you see your boss coming down the hallway with a particularly angry expression on her face, you could say "Ich mach dann mal die Biege" (I'm going to take off now), before making your quick and quiet escape.
The second, less dramatic, case where you can use the phrase is simply to announce your departure from a social setting - such as just before heading home from a meeting with a friend. (Although in this case you can arguably look more fluent by just slapping your thighs with both hands and simply saying "So" before getting up and promptly leaving.)
Another, even less verbal alternative in Germany is to simply rap your knuckles on the table top before heading for the door.
In the most simple terms, you can think of die Biege Machen as meaning "to run away" or "to disappear".
Use it like this:
Lass uns schnell die Biege machen!
Let's get out of here quickly!
Ich mach dann mal die Biege. Bis morgen.
I'm going to make a run for it. See you tomorrow.
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