der Hammer

What it means

1. 1.

   Something outstanding: 'das ist der Hammer' is the German for 'that's amazing'. Used bare as an adjective too — 'Der Abend war hammer' — which is grammatically odd and entirely normal in speech.

2. 2.

   The kicker, the outrageous part of a story: 'der Hammer ist, dass er nichts gesagt hat' — and the best part is, he said nothing. Here it is not praise at all.

Literally: A hammer.

Examples with translations

• Das neue Album ist der absolute Hammer.

  The new album is an absolute knockout.

• Und jetzt kommt der Hammer: er war gar nicht da.

  And here's the kicker: he wasn't even there.

Where it comes from

A transparent metaphor of impact rather than a borrowing — the same image English uses in 'it hit me'. Reinforced in the 1970s–80s by sports commentary, where a Hammer is a thunderous shot on goal.

Other forms

Similar terms:

Wahnsinn, der Knaller