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number eight wire mentality

Spanish translation: ingenio inventivo neozelandés - la inventiva neozelandesa - el ingenio de las antípodas

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:number eight wire mentality
Spanish translation:ingenio inventivo neozelandés - la inventiva neozelandesa - el ingenio de las antípodas
Entered by: JohnMcDove

19:20 Jan 26, 2017
English to Spanish translations [PRO]
Slang / New Zealand expressions
English term or phrase: number eight wire mentality
Per the link included below, this is what it means,

Number 8 wire is a gauge of wire on the British Standard wire gauge that has entered into the cultural lexicon of New Zealand. It has not been sold under that name for three decades, since it was replaced with the equivalent 4.0 mm wire in the metric system. As such it is still widely used in fencing, mostly in strapping or tie-downs. It is not generally used for line wires, where 2.5 mm high-tensile is the norm. Number 8 wire is often used inventively and practically for applications other than for fencing. It is also used as a term that epitomises the "kiwi bloke" as someone who can turn their hand to anything. The Waikato Museum runs an art award named after the wire.

http://englishdictionary.education/en/number-eight-wire

The "translation" provided in the same link doesn't fit the bill, (IMHO). I am looking for an expression in Spanish (Latam AND European Castilian) that may be equivalent, short of a literal translation with a good parenthetical explanation...

¿El ingenio kiwi? ¿La inteligencia práctica neozelandesa? ¿El genio práctico neozelandés? ¿La destreza inefable de los neozelandeses que, como los catalanes, de las piedras hacen panes?

Any [better] ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all!
JohnMcDove
United States
Local time: 01:39
ingenio inventivo/resolutivo neozelandés (European Spanish)
Explanation:
I basically agree with your own suggestions (love “ingenio”). I am just posting an alternative (“ingenio” or “capacidad” with the corresponding adjectives). I think it is quite clear what this original expression means (unknown to me until today), so I can put aside an explanation.

One more thing: If you use “capacidad” or “ingenio” for your translation, avoid then “mentalidad”, since both words wouldn´t work well together.

I found this interesting reference, which provides an in-depth historical analysis of the expression:

http://the-mighty-entrepreneur.blogspot.com.es/2010/03/no-8-...
No. 8 Wire & New Zealands Innovative Mentality
“The No. 8 wire culture was a key part of New Zealand enterprise during the 19th and 20th centuries. Is it still relevant to New Zealand today? ” Critically discuss this statement

However by the 21st century technology had progressed so far that New Zealand is no longer isolated and the need for kiwi ingenuity has all but depleted. This may be true, but the number eight wire mentality still exists, although in a slightly different way. Instead of kiwi ingenuity being used to fix fences and gates or turn a national pest into an export earner, it is now being applied on an international basis aiding companies, such as XXXXX and YYYYY, to compete with international giants and helping entire industries, like the dairy industry (MMMMM), minimise their transport costs and increase time efficiency levels. For these reasons, the number eight wire culture which has served New Zealand and New Zealanders since the early 19th century is still relevant in today’s society. Although the application of the mentality may have changed and adapted to the way of life of the 21st century, the number eight wire culture is still extremely relevant.


Selected response from:

Toni Castano
Spain
Local time: 10:39
Grading comment
Muchas gracias, Toni y gracias a todos por las intervenciones. A falta de una expresión pintoresca tipo "Maorí, que te vi"... ;-) "El kiwi astuto" "el cuco kiwi"..., me quedo con "el ingenio inventivo" y no le doy muchas más vueltas. Estaría bien conocer a algun Einstein, un Edison o un Nikla Tesla Neozelandés... para hacer una metonimia de esas... aunque el ingenio de estos que menciono fuera un poco más allá de los inventos del profesor Bacterio... Bueno, no me enrollo (con el alabre o el cable del 8) que luego me pilla el toro... ¡Saludos cordiales! :-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3ingenio inventivo/resolutivo neozelandés (European Spanish)
Toni Castano
3la idiosincrasia de la multifuncionalidad
Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
3la inventiva neozelandesa
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
ingenio inventivo/resolutivo neozelandés (European Spanish)


Explanation:
I basically agree with your own suggestions (love “ingenio”). I am just posting an alternative (“ingenio” or “capacidad” with the corresponding adjectives). I think it is quite clear what this original expression means (unknown to me until today), so I can put aside an explanation.

One more thing: If you use “capacidad” or “ingenio” for your translation, avoid then “mentalidad”, since both words wouldn´t work well together.

I found this interesting reference, which provides an in-depth historical analysis of the expression:

http://the-mighty-entrepreneur.blogspot.com.es/2010/03/no-8-...
No. 8 Wire & New Zealands Innovative Mentality
“The No. 8 wire culture was a key part of New Zealand enterprise during the 19th and 20th centuries. Is it still relevant to New Zealand today? ” Critically discuss this statement

However by the 21st century technology had progressed so far that New Zealand is no longer isolated and the need for kiwi ingenuity has all but depleted. This may be true, but the number eight wire mentality still exists, although in a slightly different way. Instead of kiwi ingenuity being used to fix fences and gates or turn a national pest into an export earner, it is now being applied on an international basis aiding companies, such as XXXXX and YYYYY, to compete with international giants and helping entire industries, like the dairy industry (MMMMM), minimise their transport costs and increase time efficiency levels. For these reasons, the number eight wire culture which has served New Zealand and New Zealanders since the early 19th century is still relevant in today’s society. Although the application of the mentality may have changed and adapted to the way of life of the 21st century, the number eight wire culture is still extremely relevant.




Toni Castano
Spain
Local time: 10:39
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Muchas gracias, Toni y gracias a todos por las intervenciones. A falta de una expresión pintoresca tipo "Maorí, que te vi"... ;-) "El kiwi astuto" "el cuco kiwi"..., me quedo con "el ingenio inventivo" y no le doy muchas más vueltas. Estaría bien conocer a algun Einstein, un Edison o un Nikla Tesla Neozelandés... para hacer una metonimia de esas... aunque el ingenio de estos que menciono fuera un poco más allá de los inventos del profesor Bacterio... Bueno, no me enrollo (con el alabre o el cable del 8) que luego me pilla el toro... ¡Saludos cordiales! :-)
Notes to answerer
Asker: Toni, muchas gracias por tu aportación. De acuerdo con tus apreciaciones. Me gusta lo de "ingenio resolutivo neozelandés"... aunque quizá nunca llegue a darle el "color" de jerga (establecida) de la expresión neozelandesa. (Yo tampoco la había oído nunca.) Algún jovenzuelo ("anglosajonizado") podría sugerir algo como "MacGyver"...https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/macgyver, pero tampoco creo que comunicara a todos los públicos. En cualquier caso, gracias una vez más. :-)

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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
la idiosincrasia de la multifuncionalidad


Explanation:
La manera de ser y de pensar con creatividad e inventiva correspondiente a la propia cultura y que lleve a la multifuncionalidad o capacidad de resolver problemas.

Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
Mexico
Local time: 03:39
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Muchas gracias por la opción, Juan.

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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
la inventiva neozelandesa


Explanation:
Puede que la mejor manera de salir del paso sea una solución sencilla de este tipo.
Creo que "inventiva" es la palabra que mejor recoge el sentido.


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Note added at 1 day1 hr (2017-01-27 20:30:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sí, yo también buscaría algo con más chispa pero no es tarea fácil. Lo de llamarles kiwis es más bien anglosajón, pero a falta de algo mejor, "la inventiva kiwi" podría funcionar.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day2 hrs (2017-01-27 22:16:13 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Pues no faltarán, saludos John.

Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Spain
Local time: 10:39
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 62
Notes to answerer
Asker: Muchas gracias, Beatriz, quizá sí. Buscaba alguna opción algo "rebuscadilla", que sonara "guay", al estilo "kiwi"... (you know, mate) algo que de alguna forma diera el saborcillo de las Antípodas. Pero como solución simple y directa también es válida. ¡Saludos!

Asker: Uy, acabo de cerrrar la pregunta y se me había pasado tu última intervención. Sí, "inventiva kiwi" aunque anglosajón, la verdad es que podría funcionar en mi contexto... En fin, ¡gracias una vez más! (¡Tus intervenciones siempre son de gran ayuda!) ¡Saludos y buen finde!

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