die Ausrede
Translation
excuse, pretext, alibi
Examples
Er hatte immer eine gute Ausrede.
He always had a good excuse.
Das ist nur eine billige Ausrede.
That is just a cheap excuse.
Grammar Patterns
to have/look for an excuse for sth. He is looking for an excuse for being late.
Similar Words
Vorwand (pretext), Entschuldigung (apology, excuse)
Etymology
Composed of 'aus-' (out) and 'Rede' (speech). It's the 'speech' you use to get 'out' of a responsibility.
Memory Tips
Imagine someone 'reading' ('Rede') a prepared statement to get 'out' ('aus') of blame.