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This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer
English language (monolingual) [PRO] Art/Literary - Slang / Need AMERICAN slang for mortician/funeral director ...
English term or phrase:mortician/funeral director
This is really not a Dutch-English or English-Dutch language pair issue. What I need is the American English SLANG for mortician or funeral director. I am a English native speaker and I spent 37 years living in the United States, yet I cannot think of any slang for mortician or funeral director. Talking about morticians and funeral directors has never come up in my life yet, and certainly not in any casual way that would involve slang!
The Dutch text I am working on, talks about "uitvaartmeesters" and then mentions slang terms for "uitvaartmeesters" as "kraaien" and "zwarte jassen". I know what the literal translation of these words are in Dutch, and as far as I know the translations cannot be used in American English to convey the same meaning.
What I need is an American English native speaker to suggest an American slang usage.
Here is the Dutch context:
" ‘Die van de urn. De uitvaartmeesters. Of hoe heet het. Die kraaien, die zwarte jassen. Simon.’ "
un id'd mode ? 6 posts - 5 authors - Last post: Jun 12, 2008 stiff stacker ... longer like the names people who are not morticians commonly refer to them as, like for an instance 'grave digger' and 'stiff stacker.' ... www.forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?165663-un-id-d-mode -
Dave Cooper (X)
Netherlands
ASKER
09:03 Mar 15, 2011
Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions and help but I am closing this query without resolution. I decided to do this after all my queries to contacts in the US came up with nothing. And I even followed earlier advice to ring a Funeral Director in New York City ... the result was zilch. In this case, the Dutch slang will not receive an equivalent slang in the American English target.
Dave Cooper (X)
Netherlands
ASKER
17:14 Mar 13, 2011
¡VIVA MEXICO! ... Sent you a private message, Eski.
Hi Dave: maybe it's the fact that-as you probably know-here in Mexico we celebrate the "Day of the Dead" with a mixture of tradition, religion, mariachi music, tequila and a healthy dose of humor... From my end, I just thought it was a great opportunity to lighten up: I sometimes play the drums in our neighborhood 'garage band' (with friends) and thought that some of the phrases at the "Death Slang - Death and Dying Euphamisms" would make a great name for a rock group--and certainly a heck of a lot more fun than our own: "El Paso". :)) Saludosfrom Acapulco: hope you have a great 'Domingo'. eski
Dave Cooper (X)
Netherlands
ASKER
15:50 Mar 13, 2011
Eski & Airmailrpl ... I ran across this site too some time back. There is a lot there, but never any definitions. So you just have to hope that what you reckon they are meaning is in fact the real meaning. Eski ... thanks for ferreting out a couple so you make my life a bit easier ... for that, I thank you. Every single email I sent Stateside came back blank. Go figure.
Explanation: http://www.bored.com/deathslang/ Dirt-Nap Hotel Manager Deep Six Director Total Relaxation Guide Dirt-Bed Dispatcher Heads Up Adjuster Etc. ...
Death Slang - Death and Dying Euphamisms A Huge list of over 1000 interesting and funny slang words for death and dying. ... Mortician's Scorepad Mortuary Most popular place in town.
Kelly H. No, I can't. As you see in the Dutch original, the tone and delivery is specifically slang: "... Die kraaien, die zwarte jassen ..." (" ... these Ravens, these Black Jackets ..."). This is a very informal discussion between a 10 year old girl and her dad. Thanks for the attention and the effort you are giving, It is much appreciated. I have about four emails out to friends and colleagues in the USA ... just waiting for them to wake up or for their weekend to be over.
Could you perhaps go down the euphemistic route instead of the slang route? For instance, "death care expert", "grief counsellor" etc.
Dave Cooper (X)
Netherlands
ASKER
16:02 Mar 12, 2011
Hmmm ... now I dunno about "cold cook" because I investigated the source, and it is a book published in London, England in 1869. So I back off from my statement that I might use this. DOH!
Dave Cooper (X)
Netherlands
ASKER
15:49 Mar 12, 2011
Kelly H. Yes, I found this site in my own sleuthing, but like you I had never heard of "bier baron" or "doctor of grief", and I am a native English speaker with a long residency in the US.
Amel ... Finding a funeral parlor in Limburg (where I live and work) who is familiar with American English slang may be a challenge, unless of course I send am able to contact an American funeral parlor via the Web and get them to respond within my deadline schedule (end of tomorrow).
"What I need is an American English native speaker to suggest an American slang usage" by posting this on En monolingual. The input will come from a wider range of people, possibly even including a few USA native speakers.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
1 hr confidence:
undertaker
Explanation: maybe this could be the word you are looking for I've heard it in some movies. As a native Dutch speaker I thought it was a "funny" word because if literaly translated it means business person in Dutch. That's why I remembered it.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2011-03-12 12:13:53 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Okay, maybe "grave digger" is an option, got that from my wife who is a native American speaker.
Patric Rolsma United States Local time: 08:23 Native speaker of: Dutch
Notes to answerer
Asker: Patric ... no, "undertaker" is not slang. It is a mainstream American English term.
