Phrase of the week: Pi mal Daumen

By Katarina Ristic

Pi mal Daumen adverb: (literal: pi times thumb) roughly, approximately

This idiom is used to indicate rough estimates. Fun fact: this colloquialism is used a bit differently in Switzerland (Handgelenk mal Pi) and in Austria (Daumen mal Pi).

Synonyms: über den Daumen gepeilt, ungefähr, etwa, circaIch brauch’ Pi mal Daumen 5 Minuten, um diesen Text zu verstehen. = I need approximately 5 minutes to understand this text.Der Mechaniker kommt in Pi mal Daumen anderthalb Stunden. = The mechanic arrives in approximately an hour and a half.