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  2. German to English

Bratkartoffelverhältnis

English translation: on-off relationship

22:23 Jan 10, 2003
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
German term or phrase: Bratkartoffelverhältnis
relationship
paul f
English translation:on-off relationship
Explanation:
comes closest, I think. Does not have to be short-lived, just a casual thing of mutual convenience.
Selected response from:

gangels (X)
Local time: 13:33
Grading comment
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +5meal ticket
Eckhard Boehle
4 +1relationship of convenience or transient relationship
Dr. Fred Thomson
4 +1genaue juristische Synonyme:
Norbert Hermann
5 -1short-lived love affair
Elisabeth Ghysels
4on-off relationship
gangels (X)
5 -2common-law relationship
lone (X)
3casual relationship
jerrie
4 -2freeloader
Ellen Zittinger


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -2
common-law relationship


Explanation:
means yusammenleben ohne Trauschein = not married but living together

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Note added at 2003-01-10 22:34:01 (GMT)
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Should of course read \"zusammenleben\" etc.


    Reference: http://mitglied.lycos.de/Erythris/Berlin/Wordbook2.htm
lone (X)
Canada
Local time: 15:33
Native speaker of: Danish
PRO pts in pair: 330

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Ellen Zittinger: i don't think it means they live together, but rather that the male in the relationship doesn't put out much courtship effort and basically becomes a freeloader
31 mins
  -> They may live together but "Bratkartoffelverhältnis" = Liebesverhältnis ohne Eheversprechen.
disagree  gangels (X): common-law relationship IS marriage. My common-law wife means I am legally married to her. For better or worse (sob)
17 hrs
  -> Common-law = marriage is all in the eye of the beholder.... but that's not quite the issue here, is it?
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
short-lived love affair


Explanation:
"Der Ausdruck stammt noch aus dem ersten Weltkrieg und bezeichnete damals eine kurzfristige Liebesbeziehung, die besonders wegen der besseren Verpflegungsverhältnisse eingegangen wird.

Heute wird er meist als Synonym zur "wilden Ehe" benutzt."

Greetings,

Nikolaus

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-10 22:38:03 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The expression has it\'s origin in world war I and then denoted a short-lived love affair which in fact more or less had utilitarian reasons (like easier catering for food) more than romantic ones.

Nowadays it\'s used as a synonym for living together without being married


    Reference: http://www.w-akten.de/reddeutsch.shtml
Elisabeth Ghysels
Local time: 21:33
PRO pts in pair: 971

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  wrtransco: not acc. to Duden: von einem Mann bestimmter äußerer Annehmlichkeiten wegen unterhaltenes Verhältnis (3 a), bei dem von seiner Seite keine wirkliche Bindung besteht.
2 hrs
neutral  Norbert Hermann: die def. ist anscheinend spot on; der begriff leider nicht, the relationship is not necessary short-lived. Leider ziehen solche solche Beziehungen sehr lange fort.
7 hrs
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +5
meal ticket


Explanation:
It ist not as general in meaning as suggested by my colleagues, but means only a realtionship that the male enters into because of certain benefits he gets from it (like a regular meal, a bed, getting his clothes washed etc) but which does not involve a strong bond to the woman.

Acc. to Duden, Oxford-Duden, Pons

Hence:
"er hat ein Bratkartoffelverhältnis mit ihr" - "she is his meal ticket"

Eckhard Boehle
Germany
Local time: 21:33
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in pair: 523

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Hartweg: that's right, it's a relationship of convenience.
40 mins
agree  Ulrike Lieder (X): Collins says: "he only sees her because she feeds and waters him"
47 mins
agree  swisstell: the required sarcasm comes through in this expression
51 mins
neutral  wrtransco: vielleicht ein bisschen zu eng, denn es könnten auch andere "Annehmlichkeiten" sein.
2 hrs
agree  Beate Lutzebaeck: Spot on - has the same connotation as Bratkartoffelverhältnis (sex & food) while keeping the picture.
6 hrs
agree  William Stein
6 hrs
neutral  Norbert Hermann: in bestimmten faellen bestimmt passend; ich denke aber, es geht um mehr - s. u.
9 hrs
neutral  Dr. Fred Thomson: As with many such expressions, many translations are possible and yours would work for the context you provided, but we don't know the context here.
18 hrs
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44 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
relationship of convenience or transient relationship


Explanation:
If you really want to get a good idea of what the word means today, see this:http://www.life-in-mg.de/frauen/sex&soul/brat
This article makes it clear that it involves a relationshi between man and woman that provides something for both parties, but does not involve deep passion or love.
Apparently, there is no connotation that one is taking advantage of the other, but rather that for one or the other or both the relationship is a matter of convenience.
In other words, it is usually easier to stay in the relationship than to move on, but falling in love with someone else would change al that.

Dr. Fred Thomson
United States
Local time: 13:33
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 5861
Grading comment
couldn't be in context but very close i think

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Ellen Zittinger: this is not idiomatic enough, meal ticket is not a terms that is usually used in the context of relationships between the sexes with possible some amorous intent, though based on convenience
3 hrs
agree  wrtransco: (one-sided) convenience relationship
9 hrs
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The asker has declined this answer
Comment: couldn't be in context but very close i think

55 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -2
freeloader


Explanation:
I know of no equivalent at this time, but this comes closest to the meaning. A freeloader is one who is in the relatioship for what's in for him without having to invest his own efforts. Bratkartoffelverhältnis is the kind of relationship, where the man show's up at the women's place to be catered to and does not practice the fineries of courtship. He practically takes the woman for granted. She on the other hand accommodates this expectation.

Ellen Zittinger
Local time: 12:33
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 287
Grading comment
couldn't be correct in this context

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  wrtransco: das ist ein Schnorrer
1 hr
  -> So what is your suggestion?
disagree  Norbert Hermann: genau, ein 'freeloader; muss ueberhaupt kein verhaeltnis mit der/den personen haben, die er ausnutzt.
6 hrs
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The asker has declined this answer
Comment: couldn't be correct in this context

8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
genaue juristische Synonyme:


Explanation:
andere haben's vielleicht schon gefunden. diese site liefert passende Synonyme:

http://www.jurpc.de/aufsatz/19980148.htm

Bratkortoffelverhältnis

nichteheliche*/nahe Lebensgemeinschaft*
intime* / nahe Verhältnis*
Partnerschaft*
ehelose* nahe/ Partnerschaft
Bratkartoffelverhältnis
nebeneheliche* / nahe Beziehung
Intimbeziehung
Alternativeehe


Das ‚nahe’ lässt mich vermuten, dass beide recht zufrieden sind mit dieser Art von Beziehung.

Im Englischen käme dafür:

‚cosy relationship’ in Frage. Vielleicht auch noch was anderes.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-11 06:34:24 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

natürlich muss da noch ‚unehelich’ hinein

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Note added at 2003-01-11 06:36:17 (GMT)
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Wie der Begriff einigen Seiten nach – siehe die von Herbert Feuerstein - heute gepflegt wird, würde ich bei ‚cosy relationship’ bleiben.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-11 06:42:54 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Und wenn’s nach einigen der Definitionen oben der Kerl ist, der sich bemuttern, bekochen u.s.w. lässt, und selbst eher keinen Finger rührt – dann hat eben er ‚a cosy relationship’.

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Note added at 2003-01-11 07:01:15 (GMT)
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Anmerkung an Mag. RaWa

Da meine Auslegung des Begriffes dem Ersuchen des askers nach nur \'art/literary\' abdeckt und nicht \'law/patents\', muesste dies genuegen - ob es hierfuer im Englischen wirklich einen \'legal; Begriff gibt, bezweifle ich.

Norbert Hermann
Local time: 20:33
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 1977

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Daniel Bichis: Danke!
1 hr
  -> warum bedankst du dich :-). Ich hab ja auch was dabei gelernt :-)
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
casual relationship


Explanation:
The idea of full-blown commitment would be dropped 'like a hot potato'.



jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:33
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1469

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Norbert Hermann: das erfasst aber noch nicht das 'nahe' - s. ob. - casual is a (very) loose relationship - and somewhat does not caputure the other elements implied.
10 mins
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
on-off relationship


Explanation:
comes closest, I think. Does not have to be short-lived, just a casual thing of mutual convenience.

gangels (X)
Local time: 13:33
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 5559
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