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het ei van Columbus

English translation: Roughly: it's as plain as a pikestaff

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:het ei van Columbus
English translation:Roughly: it's as plain as a pikestaff
Entered by: Evert DELOOF-SYS

09:35 Jun 19, 2002
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Dutch term or phrase: het ei van Columbus
The term in the dictionary is the egg of Columbus, but unfortunately this means nothing in English. The idea is of one event leading to/ stimulating another. Can anyone provide a good, succinct equivalent?
Mary McCusker
Local time: 11:40
it's as plain as a pikestaff
Explanation:
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

The title "The Egg of Berlusconi" refers to the popular Italian saying "L'uovo di Colombo" (Columbus's egg) which has no direct translation in English and originates from the following anecdote: "After discovering America, some Spanish noblemen said it was not such a great discovery after all, since in order to make it, one simply had to think of reaching the Indies by following a different route; Columbus then took an egg and asked them to place it upright on one of its ends. Nobody succeeded. Columbus himself then took the egg, broke off a small piece of the shell on one end, and placed it upright. When everybody shouted that this was too easy a solution, he smiled and said: 'Somebody just had to think of it'"(1). The English equivalent of this expression is roughly: "It's as plain as a pikestaff".

http://www.egg-of-berlusconi.com/foreword.htm
Selected response from:

Evert DELOOF-SYS
Belgium
Local time: 17:40
Grading comment
Many thanks for your response. I did not actually use your translation, because `as plain as a pikestaff' is a little obscure, but I used your explanation to come up with a phrase combining inventive approaches and lateral thinking which seems to be the spirit here.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4perhaps catalyst ?
Frank Hesse
4that's just the thing / just what we want
Serge L
4it's as plain as a pikestaff
Evert DELOOF-SYS


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
perhaps catalyst ?


Explanation:
not sure about the context
good luck
Frank

Frank Hesse
Mexico
Local time: 09:40
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 27
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
that's just the thing / just what we want


Explanation:
That's what my van Dale says...

HTH,

Serge L.


    van Dale N - E
Serge L
Local time: 17:40
PRO pts in pair: 261
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
it's as plain as a pikestaff


Explanation:
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

The title "The Egg of Berlusconi" refers to the popular Italian saying "L'uovo di Colombo" (Columbus's egg) which has no direct translation in English and originates from the following anecdote: "After discovering America, some Spanish noblemen said it was not such a great discovery after all, since in order to make it, one simply had to think of reaching the Indies by following a different route; Columbus then took an egg and asked them to place it upright on one of its ends. Nobody succeeded. Columbus himself then took the egg, broke off a small piece of the shell on one end, and placed it upright. When everybody shouted that this was too easy a solution, he smiled and said: 'Somebody just had to think of it'"(1). The English equivalent of this expression is roughly: "It's as plain as a pikestaff".

http://www.egg-of-berlusconi.com/foreword.htm

Evert DELOOF-SYS
Belgium
Local time: 17:40
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in FlemishFlemish
PRO pts in pair: 1278
Grading comment
Many thanks for your response. I did not actually use your translation, because `as plain as a pikestaff' is a little obscure, but I used your explanation to come up with a phrase combining inventive approaches and lateral thinking which seems to be the spirit here.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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