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ist was faul

something is wrong; something is fishy

→ sein
phrase Rare #39,730
something is wrong; something is fishy Often suggests that a situation seems suspicious. “Was” is a colloquial form of “etwas.”
GE: Da ist was faul.
EN: Something is fishy.

An dem Dietrichson-Fall ist was faul.

There's something fishy about the Dietrichson case.

— Frau ohne Gewissen (1944)

Ich wusste, an euch ist was faul.

I knew there was something fishy about you.

— Django Unchained (2012)

An dem ist was faul.

There’s something fishy about him.

— Das Leben der Anderen (2006)

Ich wusste, da ist was faul.

I knew something was fishy.

— Frau ohne Gewissen (1944)

Da ist was faul.

Something's fishy.