the yellow of the egg

Humorous Denglisch translation of the German idiom: “das Gelbe vom Ei” refers to an egg yolk, which is apparently the tastiest part of an egg, and therefore is used figuratively to mean “the best (bit)”. In Austria, if someone’s English is a bit rusty or their doubt their abilities in the language, they may well say “Mein Englisch ist nicht das Gelbe vom Ei”. For a practical example of an eminent Austrian politican whose English might not have been the yellow of the egg, enjoy this letter by former Austrian Vice-Chancellor, Hubert Gorbach, to Alistar (sic.) Darling.