eine Wurst vor die Nase hängen

English translation: explanation

18:25 Sep 17, 2007

German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

German term or phrase: eine Wurst vor die Nase hängen

This is an internal communication about an incentive programme.

The 'carrot dangling' bit is clear but I can't quite pick up the tone, in particular the 'doch jetzt nicht einmals' bit - the previous emails were quite sarcastic.

Das macht auch keinen Sinn. Wir haben das Projekt vor 4 Monaten gewonnen, -wissend, dass einige im Team wegen der Umstellung des XX dieses Jahr ueberhaupt kein incentive bekommen werden (O-Ton Schmidt). Der ABC Effekt kommt da noch oben drauf. Besonders im Fall OOO will Herr Schmidt auch 2 Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen (wg des Ausfalls des Incentive durch KKK..)

Thanks

PoveyTrans (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 801 (none open) (22 closed without grading) Answers: 410
Local time: 22:57

English translation:explanation

Explanation:
I think the "16 months" refer to the time at which the idea of the incentive had been brought up for the first time.

This is how I understand the sentence(carrot- metapher aside)

We secured the project 4 months ago, so what’s the point in trying to resurrect a long buried idea, hoping that people will go for it now, 16 months later? After all, we know full well that some team members won’t be eligible to claim the incentive due to the reorganization of XX

Selected response from:

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 14:57

Grading comment

Thanks Joanna. All very useful.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +2

explanation

Johanna Timm, PhD

To tempt someone

lone (X)

see no reason to keep dangling the carrot ... (see below)

Vito Smolej

carrot dangling in front of the nose

Paul Merriam

bait

Stephen Sadie

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

8 mins confidence:

To tempt someone

Explanation:
Please see the site for more sausage expressions

Reference: http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/9912/wurst.html

lone (X)
Canada
Local time: 17:57
Native speaker of: Danish
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks. The expression I am familiar with (please see above) but am really lookin for an explanation of how it is used in this context.

28 mins confidence:

carrot dangling in front of the nose

Explanation:
Maybe you could have something like "and let's not have this carrot rotting away in front of our noses for 16 months more". What I'm understanding is that we won the project, why do we need more incentive?

Paul Merriam
Local time: 17:57
Native speaker of: English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks Paul

38 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

explanation

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 14:57
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 90

Grading comment

Thanks Joanna. All very useful.

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks Johanna. That would make sense (sorry, I can't give more context, the email exchage goes on for 6 pages!) Uebrigens, thanks for the Zahn/Hamblock tips. I managed to pick up the later via amazon in a sale and both are proving invaluable. MfG Simon

40 mins confidence:

bait

Explanation:
so we don't need to use old bait to catch fish we already have in our nets...along those lines maybe simon?

Stephen Sadie
Germany
Local time: 23:57
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 56

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks

1 hr confidence:

see no reason to keep dangling the carrot ... (see below)

Explanation:
in front of their noses for another 16 months

I know, its a rehash of othew suggestions - but I guess the text intends to say something like this (only a little juicier...)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-17 19:41:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

juicier: see no reason to keep them salivating for another 16 months...

Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 23:57
Native speaker of:

Slovenian
PRO pts in category: 4

Notes to answerer

Asker: Than ks Vito

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