but that's something entirely different. I'm not sure what you mean by your question. You seem to be misunderstanding something here.

hi dude, the same expression exists in German. I think 'schmutzige Waesche' is more common but plum's example would be understood, too. Why do you think it's something entirely different?

I think what plum wants to say is: making nasty statements about the other person after a break-up.

Are you thinking along the lines of: "to wash your dirty laundry in public".

???

Yes Helmi, that is what I want to say. But I could not find the translation of the whole phrase.
Thanks!

habe ich in diesem Zusammenhang schon gehört

AFAIK, the usual AE term is "to air so.'s dirty laundry" in public, not "to wash." But maybe there's an AE/BE difference?

akin to Steve's posting #4

Hi dude

Thinking about it, I'm sure what we actually say is "to wash your dirty linen in public".

I think it's "linen" although everyone would immediately understand if you did say laundry.

@plum.......klicke 'mal auf diesen Link.....wir hatten schon 'mal einen Thread hierzu :

related discussion: to dish the dirt - schmutzige Wäsche waschen

@MunichLady: then you pretty much negated your own suggestion, didn't you? ;-)

@dude....Hi!.....and, yes, that's right......I just remembered that thread too late - on the other hand, may I ask you what's so different between what SteveG in #9 and arielfairy in #8 suggest and this version (to dish the dirt)? Both things seem to take place in public, right ?

Hi Munich

"to dish the dirt (on someone): to reveal or spread scandalous information or gossip"

"to wash one's dirty linen (or laundry) in public: discuss or argue about one's personal affairs in public"

Both OED definitions. Nebenbei bemerkt: my linen and laundry problem was unnecessary then according to the OED.

@SteveG....Good evening, Sir ;-)

So as I understand it now......the main difference is that the second one means that somebody spreads personal affairs in public, right ? Thank you !

But the question still is that what plum means.........he/she doesn't say that those two people discuss their affairs in public , does she/he?

And "schmutzige Wäsche waschen" is an idiom we use even for situations when two people who have divorced attack each other verbally in private.

sorry......it must be : But the question still is what plum means....

Hello Munich

"to dish the dirt on someone" is normally used in a situation where, say for instance. a best friend is having an affair and you and your friend have a really bad argument and fall out (not necessarily because of the affair) and you decide "to dish the dirt on your friend" by telling her husband that his wife's having an affair. Or say someone you know at work is doing something that is against company policy and the consequences of his actions could be severe that you finally decide to go and report everything to senior management. This naughty employee could say that you dished the dirt on him.

Washing dirty laundry in public would be when generally two (possibly more) people argue and hurl abuse at each other in public. The things they are screaming about of a personal nature and would normally be best discussed in private.

So far I haven't thought of anything for the schmutzige Wäsche waschen ;-(

@Steve.....thanks for your explanation. I think I got it now.

but if I see it right, nobody has come up with some translation that hits the nail on its head so far.
You know "schmutzige Wäsche waschen" is something people also do after many years........for example whenever this couple meet they start discussing "old subjects" (rehashing things which have been over for a long time).........and they start fighting. That's the situation when we'd use that idiom.....

But you may understand it anyway ;-)

@ Munich

in Wahrig I've found the following, perhaps you can confirm that it's commonly used.

"seine schmutzige Wäsche in der Öffentlichkeit waschen: peinliche, diskrete persön. Angelegenheiten in der Öffentlichkeit erörtern" - This fits the dirty laundry/linen exactly.

So based on the above example I take it that the Germans use this expression but remove "in der Öffentlichkeit" and therefore broaden the expression's overall area of use.

@Steve......yes, this is correct. After what you have found I guess people here seem to use it either way.......
I have never known so far that the effect of embarrassing somebody in public seems to be part of its meaning (according to what you found) - that's the reason for my comment in #17)

So it seems that........
Du kannst schmutzige Wäsche waschen zu zweit (in private) oder vor anderen, die zuhören (in public).

[You see.......one never stops learning ;-)]