Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
Weg mit dem Speck
English translation:
mean and lean / lean and mean / cut the fat
Added to glossary by
silfilla
Jun 23, 2005 20:40
18 yrs ago
4 viewers *
German term
Austria
in-house translator
Native in: English (Variants: British, Scottish, Irish, UK) 
Works in: German to English, English to German, English, and 2 more.
Weg mit dem Speck
German to English
Bus/Financial
Advertising / Public Relations
PR text
"Weg mit dem Speck" – mit diesem Slogan hat der österreichische Netzbetreiber tele.ring vor fünf Jahren den Siegeszug am Mobilfunkmarkt angetreten.
"Weg mit dem Speck" is tele.ring's slogan - "away with the fat" (lit.) but how should I best translate it in the sentence - given that the piece is for an audience that would be fortunately unaware of the slogan and the adverts that accompany it?
"Weg mit dem Speck" is tele.ring's slogan - "away with the fat" (lit.) but how should I best translate it in the sentence - given that the piece is for an audience that would be fortunately unaware of the slogan and the adverts that accompany it?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +7 | we cut the fat [from xyz] / mean and lean |
silfilla
|
| 4 +3 | No excess baggage |
Francis Lee (X)
|
| 4 | trim and be slim |
David Hollywood
|
| 3 | Get rid of the fat |
William Edmonds
|
Proposed translations
+7
4 mins
silfilla
Specializes in field
Selected
we cut the fat [from xyz] / mean and lean
both are frequently used slogans (in the US, at least) in such contexts
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Note added at 5 mins (2005-06-23 20:45:25 GMT)
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or: *cutting the fat*
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Note added at 1 hr 8 mins (2005-06-23 21:48:49 GMT)
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or: *lean and mean* (thanks Robert)
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Note added at 1 hr 15 mins (2005-06-23 21:55:27 GMT)
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(the latter is, of course, the more common wording ;-))
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Note added at 5 mins (2005-06-23 20:45:25 GMT)
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or: *cutting the fat*
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Note added at 1 hr 8 mins (2005-06-23 21:48:49 GMT)
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or: *lean and mean* (thanks Robert)
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Note added at 1 hr 15 mins (2005-06-23 21:55:27 GMT)
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(the latter is, of course, the more common wording ;-))
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I went for "mean and lean" - thanks also for Robert and Brigitte's comments!"
35 mins
William Edmonds
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Spain
High-quality translations on time
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Get rid of the fat
or lose the fat
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Robert Kleemaier
: let's not forget that this might be highly offensive to a segment of Austrian society that isn't lean or leaner
31 mins
|
8 hrs
David Hollywood
Native in English
worked for int. orgs (IMF, OAS, IDB)
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
24
trim and be slim
keeps the rhyme :)
+3
50 mins
No excess baggage
;-)
Although in this case it seems you don't need a catchy slogan but just a translation of what the German means ...
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Note added at 56 mins (2005-06-23 21:36:21 GMT)
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\"... clear out surplus costs and re-evaluate business activities that may have become excess baggage\"
http://www.vnunet.com/analysis/1140347
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Note added at 1 day 15 hrs 29 mins (2005-06-25 12:09:45 GMT)
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Although there is growing skepticism regards \"lean and mean\" and its associations with cut-throat management, worker abuse, layoffs etc.:
http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0028612906/104-7227777-9075948?...
Although in this case it seems you don't need a catchy slogan but just a translation of what the German means ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 56 mins (2005-06-23 21:36:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
\"... clear out surplus costs and re-evaluate business activities that may have become excess baggage\"
http://www.vnunet.com/analysis/1140347
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 15 hrs 29 mins (2005-06-25 12:09:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Although there is growing skepticism regards \"lean and mean\" and its associations with cut-throat management, worker abuse, layoffs etc.:
http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0028612906/104-7227777-9075948?...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Robert Kleemaier
: not a bad option, Francis
28 mins
|
|
Tu es trop gentil, Bob
|
|
| agree |
Lancashireman
: ...because the company is not necessarily 'mean' (although, of course, it depends on what 'mean' means)
43 mins
|
|
always a tough one with the nuances of UK/US Ingleesh; there are - I hope - still some non-US-natives whose English has yet to be commandeered by excessive viewing of "Friends" etc.
|
|
| agree |
Lori Dendy-Molz
: also good
10 hrs
|
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