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  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. Cooking / Culinary

Wenn man den Dreh mal raus hat gibt man den Spiess nicht mehr her.

English translation: once you get the hang of it

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:wenn man den Dreh mal raus hat
English translation:once you get the hang of it
Entered by: Susan Welsh

16:55 Sep 2, 2010
German to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Cooking / Culinary / camp stoves
German term or phrase: Wenn man den Dreh mal raus hat gibt man den Spiess nicht mehr her.
Sorry for giving the entire sentence--but it's the entire sentence that I don't understand. This is an instruction manual for a lightweight camp stove, which has a skewer for cooking food over a tiny fire. We have already been instructed not to use the thing without sticking the skewer through the food, lest if fall off into the fire. (Some people evidently try to put the food on top of the skewer.)

I think that "wenn man den Dreh mal raus hat" means "once you get used to it," or something to that effect. But then comes "gibt man den Spiess nicht mehr her." I'm guessing that means "you'll never do without the skewer." But it doesn't really make much sense to me.

Any ideas?
Susan Welsh
United States
Local time: 22:51
Play on words with "Drehspiess"
Explanation:
See discussion box above. And thanks very much for your message, Susan.
Selected response from:

Cetacea
Switzerland
Local time: 04:51
Grading comment
Thanks to all who made good suggestions, along the lines of what I already had as an approximation. This answer was the most helpful, because it showed me what was really going on in the sentence. I'm putting (only) the first, idiomatic phrase into the glossary, because it may be useful for future users.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4Once you get the hang of it you'll never want to stop using it
phillee
4 +1Once you've worked it out - you won't (want to) go without
Jenny Streitparth
3 +1Once you got it you will love using the skewer.
Melanie Mueller, PhD (X)
4Play on words with "Drehspiess"
Cetacea


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Once you get the hang of it you'll never want to stop using it


Explanation:
"Wenn man den Dreh mal raus hat" means to understand how it works (usually something tricky).
The rest of the sentence is obvious but doesn't translate well into sales jargon.

phillee
Local time: 03:51
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Inge Meinzer
2 mins
agree  philgoddard
3 hrs
agree  Armorel Young: Nice - for me that strikes just the right tone
3 hrs
agree  mary austria: Very nice
20 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Once you got it you will love using the skewer.


Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2010-09-02 17:07:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Lol! Well, good luck using that most awesome skewer ;)

Melanie Mueller, PhD (X)
Local time: 04:51
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
Notes to answerer
Asker: I guess something like this is right, but it seems so silly. Who is going to get so excited about a bloody skewer? (All I want is my dinner...) This is not a marketing brochure, but supposedly a user's manual. But, if that's what it means, that's what it means!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  moser.ilja: Ilja.Moser
35 mins
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Once you've worked it out - you won't (want to) go without


Explanation:
rhyming rhyming rhyming

Jenny Streitparth
New Zealand
Local time: 14:51
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gertraud K.
22 mins
  -> I always have little hope that someone may stop by this far down the track... So: thanks heaps!!
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1 day 21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Play on words with "Drehspiess"


Explanation:
See discussion box above. And thanks very much for your message, Susan.

Cetacea
Switzerland
Local time: 04:51
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Thanks to all who made good suggestions, along the lines of what I already had as an approximation. This answer was the most helpful, because it showed me what was really going on in the sentence. I'm putting (only) the first, idiomatic phrase into the glossary, because it may be useful for future users.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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