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skunk works group

Spanish translation: Grupo de desarrollos especiales

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:skunk works group
Spanish translation:Grupo de desarrollos especiales
Entered by: Andy Watkinson

08:53 Oct 25, 2002
English to Spanish translations [Non-PRO]
Bus/Financial / Product development
English term or phrase: skunk works group
A skunk works group within R&D has created a rough prototype of the hand-held organizer, although actual product develpment will require assembling a new team.
Zez�
Grupo de desarrollos especiales
Explanation:
The term Skunk works originated in a satirical American comic strip "Li'l Abner" in the 1950's. Li'l Abner Yokum was a hillbilly who lived in Dogpatch somewhere in the mountains.

There was not much industry in Dogpatch. Li'l Abner himself was a mattress tester, and most others were either moonshiners or bootleggers. There was, however, one fellow (whose name I forget) who ran the "skunk works" skinning dead skunks (the unpleasant animal). Of course, both he and his "skunk works" were generally avoided.

Anyway, in the late 1950's, at the height of both Li'l Abner's popularity and Cold War paranoia, Lockheed set up a small group of highly skilled engineers to work on very secret projects. The head of this group (whose last name I think was Kelly), christened his group the "Skunk Works" to connote their small size and their distance from the main body of engineering. They became famous for developing some of Lockheed's most radical and successful designs more quickly than anyone else in aeronautical history.

Today in American business, "skunk works" is usually used for a small group of developers who are physically separated from the rest of the corporation to work on special projects, although I don't think there is any group that has ever matched the success of Lockheed's original Skunk Works. ®


Selected response from:

Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 22:32
Grading comment
Thank you! I had the info but could not find the right words. Thank you!
Zezé
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2Grupo de desarrollos especiales
Andy Watkinson


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Grupo de desarrollos especiales


Explanation:
The term Skunk works originated in a satirical American comic strip "Li'l Abner" in the 1950's. Li'l Abner Yokum was a hillbilly who lived in Dogpatch somewhere in the mountains.

There was not much industry in Dogpatch. Li'l Abner himself was a mattress tester, and most others were either moonshiners or bootleggers. There was, however, one fellow (whose name I forget) who ran the "skunk works" skinning dead skunks (the unpleasant animal). Of course, both he and his "skunk works" were generally avoided.

Anyway, in the late 1950's, at the height of both Li'l Abner's popularity and Cold War paranoia, Lockheed set up a small group of highly skilled engineers to work on very secret projects. The head of this group (whose last name I think was Kelly), christened his group the "Skunk Works" to connote their small size and their distance from the main body of engineering. They became famous for developing some of Lockheed's most radical and successful designs more quickly than anyone else in aeronautical history.

Today in American business, "skunk works" is usually used for a small group of developers who are physically separated from the rest of the corporation to work on special projects, although I don't think there is any group that has ever matched the success of Lockheed's original Skunk Works. ®




Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 22:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1347
Grading comment
Thank you! I had the info but could not find the right words. Thank you!
Zezé

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Pablo Fdez. Moriano: Amazing!
10 mins
agree  LoreAC (X)
5 hrs
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