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mehr Schein als Sein

English translation: more style than substance

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:mehr Schein als Sein
English translation:more style than substance
Entered by: Erin McGann

13:14 Sep 5, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: mehr Schein als Sein
I have a rough idea what this means, something like it is hyped up to be more than it actually is.

I need a natural-sounding English equivalent pls!

Thank you!
Erin McGann
Ireland
Local time: 03:19
more style than substance
Explanation:
In the absence of context (would it really hurt to give at least the sentence in which this expression occurs?), I can't be sure whether this works better than the other suggestions proffered so far.
Selected response from:

Richard Benham
France
Local time: 04:19
Grading comment
I actually went with "not all it's hyped up to be" in the end but from the responses received, I liked this suggestion best. Thanks everyone! Erin
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +6more style than substance
Richard Benham
3 +3Long on bravado, short on balls
TonyTK
4appears better, more, (whatever) than it actually is
David Moore (X)
4more illusion than reality
Steven Blanchard
3 +1it looks/seems to be more than it (actually) is
Frosty
3 +1long on looks, short on performance
CMJ_Trans (X)
3 +1not everything that glitters is gold
BirgitBerlin
4Keeping up appearance(s)
lone (X)
3great appearance, poor performance
Rebecca Garber
3There is no there there.
jccantrell


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
appears better, more, (whatever) than it actually is


Explanation:
One idea.

David Moore (X)
Local time: 04:19
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 40
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
more illusion than reality


Explanation:
;-)

Steven Blanchard
Local time: 04:19
Native speaker of: English
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
it looks/seems to be more than it (actually) is


Explanation:
For example, sporty looking cars with motors and/or transmissions that don`t match the sleek lines!

Frosty
Local time: 04:19
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BrigitteHilgner: glamour on the outside and problems underneath the bonnet.
3 mins
  -> Thankyou, Brigitte
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
great appearance, poor performance


Explanation:
Since it's about a car.

Rebecca Garber
Local time: 22:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 11

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Richard Benham: I think you are assuming too much here.
3 mins
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
more style than substance


Explanation:
In the absence of context (would it really hurt to give at least the sentence in which this expression occurs?), I can't be sure whether this works better than the other suggestions proffered so far.

Richard Benham
France
Local time: 04:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 10
Grading comment
I actually went with "not all it's hyped up to be" in the end but from the responses received, I liked this suggestion best. Thanks everyone! Erin
Notes to answerer
Asker: The phrase appears in a list of verbatim responses so I don't have a lot of context either, besides, I think noting that its referring to a car is context enough!

Asker: Yes, you'd think that wouldn't you. Unfortunately the list only contains the responses. My customer expects me to be good at guesswork!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Caro Maucher: Könnte bei einem Auto gut passen. Stimme auch der Kontextfrage zu.
3 mins
  -> Danke.
agree  Francis Lee (X): or all gloss ... or shiny outside, dull inside (which is different, but still ...)
19 mins
  -> Thanks.
agree  Melanie Nassar: yes, close to the original and catchy too // great!
4 hrs
  -> Thanks. And how about "More show than go"?
agree  writeaway:
4 hrs
agree  Claire Cox: or even "All show"
8 hrs
agree  dercarson
20 hrs
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28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
long on looks, short on performance


Explanation:
A SHEEP IN WOLF'S CLOTHING - expression often used for cars

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 04:19
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 64

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Richard Benham: More show than go?
31 mins
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41 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
not everything that glitters is gold


Explanation:
As you have not given more context (is this a headline or in a list, or in a text?) this is what I'd suggest.

BirgitBerlin
Germany
Local time: 04:19
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  seehand
1 hr
  -> Thank you!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
There is no there there.


Explanation:
from Gertrude Stein

Just another choice.


    Reference: http://www.bartleby.com/66/37/55537.html
jccantrell
United States
Local time: 19:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 19

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Richard Benham: This would be admirable in a literary context (I suppose), but hey, this is a market research survey.
2 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Keeping up appearance(s)


Explanation:
depending on context!


    x
lone (X)
Canada
Local time: 22:19
Native speaker of: Danish
PRO pts in category: 8
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Long on bravado, short on balls


Explanation:
Long on whizz, short on bang
Long on horsepower, short on grunt
Long on swash, short on buckle
All mouth, no trousers
Long on promises, short on delivery
Fur coat, no knickers

(Doesn't fit but it sounds nice:
Long on Luxury, Short on Froufrou
Jaguar XJR
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060817/...



TonyTK
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: :-)
2 hrs
agree  Cilian O'Tuama: all show, no action is what minority me would say// oops, I meant all TALK, no action
11 hrs
agree  Francis Lee (X): i.e. you can dress a monkey up in a suit, but ... ; here, the "all mouth ..." is the closest to the original
14 hrs
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