Kieker

The kieker (cf. kieken : see) describes a telescope or (prism) binoculars , especially in northern Germany . The word is a foreign word from the Low German language .

In its actual meaning, it is only rarely used in High German, mainly as an expression for "binoculars" in the sailor's language, which is enriched with Low German expressions .

Widespread it is, however, in saying someone on the Kieker have . Originally, this phrase means that someone is being watched closely through a telescope or binoculars. In today's figurative meaning behind it is that someone is watched closely in the hope that they do something wrong and can then be criticized.

Wiktionary: Kieker  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations