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Eine weiße Weste haben

To have a clean record and nothing to hide; to be innocent of any wrongdoing

In German

Eine weiße Weste haben

ai-ne vai-se ves-te ha-ben

Literal Translation

To have a white vest

Meaning

To have a clean record and nothing to hide; to be innocent of any wrongdoing.

Equivalent:"To have clean hands; to have a clean record"

Origin:The exact origin is unclear; the phrase plays on white as the traditional color of purity and innocence, on which any stain would show at once.

Example Sentences

1
Was den Umweltschutz angeht, hat die Firma keine weiße Weste.
When it comes to environmental protection, the company's record is far from clean.
2
Ich habe nichts zu verbergen – ich habe eine weiße Weste.
I have nothing to hide – my record is clean.

FAQ

How do you say "To have a clean record and nothing to hide; to be innocent of any wrongdoing" in German?

"To have a clean record and nothing to hide; to be innocent of any wrongdoing" in German is "Eine weiße Weste haben" (ai-ne vai-se ves-te ha-ben). Example: Was den Umweltschutz angeht, hat die Firma keine weiße Weste..

To be pessimistic, to expect the worst

Schwarz sehen

shvarts ze-en

To be within the normal or acceptable range; everything is fine

Im grünen Bereich sein

im gryu-nen be-raikh zain

To see things overly optimistically, to be naive or unrealistic about a situation

Etwas durch die rosarote Brille sehen

et-vas durkh di ro-za-ro-te bril-le ze-en

To think hard, to rack one's brain, to concentrate intensely

Die grauen Zellen anstrengen

di grau-en tsel-len an-shtreng-en