vytloukat klín klínem

English translation: rob Peter to pay Paul

13:17 Apr 10, 2008
Czech to English translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Idioms
Czech term or phrase: vytloukat klín klínem
Mostly in financial matters, but can be used even elsewhere.

Usually suggested translation:
"rob Peter to pay Paul"
But:
If you "drive out a wedge by another wedge",
you will end up with a wedge in
(and nobody else is involved).

If you "rob Peter to pay Paul"
Paul will end up with his money back,
Peter will end up robbed,
and you will end up with your debt paid (you might end up in prison, though).
petr
English translation:rob Peter to pay Paul
Explanation:
I think this is the closest we can get.

See this description:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/rob Peter to pay Paul
=> to borrow money from someone in order to give to someone else the money that you already owe them.
"Then I'd take out another loan to pay my debts, robbing Peter to pay Paul."

You suggested you would end up with a wedge in. In this case it's the same. You would end up in a debt anyway, except for the fact that you don't owe the money to Paul anymore but to Peter. You're not actually robbing anyone - you're just borrowing money from one person to give it to another person.
(Which seems to be quite a favorite activity in the Czech Republic) :-)

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Note added at 59 mins (2008-04-10 14:17:30 GMT)
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All dictionaries I've checked offer this version as the equivalent for the Czech saying.
Selected response from:

Prokop Vantuch
Czech Republic
Local time: 13:21
Grading comment
Thanks, now that I know that they don't intend to rob me, I feel much better about the phrase.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2rob Peter to pay Paul
Prokop Vantuch
4to shif a debt >
Maria Chmelarova
3 +1nail drives out nail
Igor Liba
3scrape by
Pavel Blann
3dig a hole to fill a hole
vic voskuil


  

Answers


58 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
rob Peter to pay Paul


Explanation:
I think this is the closest we can get.

See this description:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/rob Peter to pay Paul
=> to borrow money from someone in order to give to someone else the money that you already owe them.
"Then I'd take out another loan to pay my debts, robbing Peter to pay Paul."

You suggested you would end up with a wedge in. In this case it's the same. You would end up in a debt anyway, except for the fact that you don't owe the money to Paul anymore but to Peter. You're not actually robbing anyone - you're just borrowing money from one person to give it to another person.
(Which seems to be quite a favorite activity in the Czech Republic) :-)

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Note added at 59 mins (2008-04-10 14:17:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

All dictionaries I've checked offer this version as the equivalent for the Czech saying.

Prokop Vantuch
Czech Republic
Local time: 13:21
Native speaker of: Native in CzechCzech
Grading comment
Thanks, now that I know that they don't intend to rob me, I feel much better about the phrase.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  petr jaeger
21 hrs
  -> thanks ;-)

agree  Marek Buchtel: hey, you can't take idioms literally :-)
1 day 6 hrs
  -> exactly ;-) thanks
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42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to shif a debt >


Explanation:
you are still in debt ...


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Note added at 43 mins (2008-04-10 14:01:18 GMT)
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shift not shif

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-10 14:19:58 GMT)
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also > " úvěr druhým úvěrem"....." brát si další úvěry "

v politike ... " pravici pravicí "...

Maria Chmelarova
Local time: 08:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: Slovak
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
nail drives out nail


Explanation:
jeden tip


    Reference: http://pskovgo.narod.ru/idioms.htm
    Reference: http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla72/papers/117-Fedorov_trans-en.pd...
Igor Liba
Slovakia
Local time: 13:21
Native speaker of: Native in SlovakSlovak

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Pavel Blann: or: one fire drives out another
2 hrs
  -> dakujem
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
scrape by


Explanation:
or: scrape along

Pavel Blann
Czech Republic
Local time: 13:21
Native speaker of: Czech
PRO pts in category: 4
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
dig a hole to fill a hole


Explanation:
hardly ever if at all used in a purely financial context, but might be useful in other situations
(pretty neat soundbite for an opposition party in politics for instance)

vic voskuil
Netherlands
Local time: 13:21
Native speaker of: Dutch
PRO pts in category: 4
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