Usage Note
Hobel is the carpenter's plane that shaves thin curls of wood; the verb hobeln gives the idiom wo gehobelt wird, da fallen Späne (you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs).
Examples
"Mit dem Hobel glättet der Tischler das Brett."
Natural Translation
The joiner smooths the board with the plane.
Literal Translation
With the plane smooths the joiner the board.
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