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German: abkanzeln

English translation: to put someone down







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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:abkanzeln
English translation:to put someone down
Entered by:mbrodie
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4:26pm Oct 3, 2005Login or register (free) for more options.
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: abkanzeln
Aus einem Manager-Handbuch. Es geht darum, dass Manager vor Ort die Arbeiter beobachten und denen Feedback erteilen sollen und wie man dies am besten macht.

Der Anwalt für den Erfolg eines anderen zu sein, ist schwieriger als der Vorgesetzte zu sein.

Sie sind nicht vor Ort, um etwas für falsch zu befinden und die Leute entsprechend *abzukanzeln* – Sie sind dort, um Schwächen bzw. Lücken in der Verteidigungslinie aufzudecken, die behoben werden können, damit der Einzelne die besten Voraussetzungen für einen Erfolg hat, wenn er vor Ort arbeitet.

Ich habe eine Reihe von Woerterbucheintraegen gefunden, die mir nicht viel sagen. Was ist in dem Kontext am besten?
LegalTrans_
United Kingdom
Clarification request(s) and response
Hilary Davies: 4:54pm Oct 3, 2005: hello! are you looking for a UK or US solution?
-
LegalTrans_: 5:49pm Oct 3, 2005: Hello Hilary, I'm looking for a UK solution!

to put them down
Explanation:
or even "to get on your high horse with them", from there context there does seem to be a sense of this
Selected response from:

mbrodie
United Kingdom
Note from asker to answerer
Vielen Dank
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2to put them down
mbrodie
4 +1to come down hard on someone
Hilary Davies
4hectoring
gangels
3 +1to give them a lectureKieran McCann
4come down on sb like a ton of bricks
RKurylski
3 +1to tell off
LittleBalu
3debase
Nicole Schnell
3slam someone
Christine Lam
3to tell (people) off / to run (people) down
Steffen Walter


  


Answers

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to tell (people) off / to run (people) down

Explanation:
zwei Möglichkeiten

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Note added at 5 mins (2005-10-03 16:31:21 GMT)
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Persönlich würde ich zu "tell off" neigen.

Steffen Walter
Germany
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 51
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
to tell off

Explanation:
- to give a tongue-lashing
- to slate

are just some options

LittleBalu
Germany
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree Hilary Davies: i like both "to slate" and "to give someone a tongue-lashing"
1 hr
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
slam someone

Explanation:
ist ja auf Deutsch auch ein ziemlich "umgangssprachlicher" Ausdruck und nicht sehr gepflegt

I don't think it pays to slam someone when they're doing the right thing, especially
after having failed to do so for so long. [ Parent ] ...
www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/8/14/102153/350 - 66k

You guys are really going to slam someone who is actually there in the water
helping people…just because he is a liberal? Is his service, patriotism and/or ...
www.killrighty.net/2005/09/12/sean-penn/trackback/ - 43k

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Note added at 8 mins (2005-10-03 16:34:49 GMT)
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dem Sinn nach "heruntermachen"

Christine Lam
Canada
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
to come down hard on someone

Explanation:
give someone an ear-bashing
give someone an earful

UK slang synonyms for "heavily criticise"

Hilary Davies
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree Gruffalo: I really like "come down hard", but think the other suggestions are maybe too informal for a handbook.
2 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
come down on sb like a ton of bricks

Explanation:
how about this colourful idiom?

RKurylski
Spain
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
to put them down

Explanation:
or even "to get on your high horse with them", from there context there does seem to be a sense of this

mbrodie
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
Note from asker to answerer
Vielen Dank

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree Michael Rose: simplest and most accurate
29 mins

agree E Perret: best option here
14 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
to give them a lecture

Explanation:
I think I'm right in saying that the term derives from 'Kanzel' ie stand in the pulpit and preach at people so I think versions involving addressing/talking to people are better

I think 'tell off' is good but it's perhaps a bit mild, often used in relation to children, for example, and Hilary's 'earful', which I also like, is perhaps a bit colloquial/informal for the context, though it would be fine if it were spoken as opposed to forming part of a written handbook/manual

Kieran McCann
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree Gruffalo: excellent, gets across the "Kanzel" idea and is slightly more formal
1 hr
  -> thank you
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
debase

Explanation:
What I would say here.

Nicole Schnell
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 32
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23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
hectoring

Explanation:
...not there to find fault and engage in hectoring people

A bit more polished than 'chewing out', 'dressing down', 'bawling out'

gangels
United States
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 10
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