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Kracher

English translation: wasn't so hot/didn't come up to scratch


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07:04 Jun 13, 2011
German to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Marketing / Market Research / brand perception research
German term or phrase: Kracher
From a web survey about cell phone brands.

One question read:
"Using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is Negative, 3 is Neutral, and 5 is Positive – how would you rate:
[brand name 1]
[brand name 2]
[brand name 3],
etc.

Why would you rate (INSERT BRAND NAME) a (INSERT RATING)?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One person replied:
"Mein XXXX-Handy war im Vergleich nicht so sehr der Kracher... Mein nachfolgendes YYYY-Handy war einfacher zu bedienen und hatte ein ansprechenderes Äußeres."

It's late on a Sunday night, I am already braindead, and I can't think of a good translation of this hilarious phrase.

Thanks so much in advance for any suggestion!
Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 13:02
English translation:wasn't so hot/didn't come up to scratch
Explanation:
an alternative
Selected response from:

Ramey Rieger
Local time: 22:02
Grading comment
"not so hot" - beautiful and just what I was looking for. Thank you, Ramey and all colleagues for your terrific ideas!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +6wasn't all it's cracked up to be
Ingeborg Gowans
4 +2wasn't all that brilliant
phoeberuth
3 +2wasn't such a big hitBrigitteHilgner
4wasn't so hot/didn't come up to scratch
Ramey Rieger
3the cat's whiskersfranglish


  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
wasn't all that brilliant


Explanation:
this is certainly the right meaning - though there may well be a funnier way of saying it in English...

phoeberuth
Local time: 22:02
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cilian O'Tuama: it didn't turn out to be very good - no need to make it funny, IMO, Kracher (or Knaller) here just means sth. like "a great success"
13 hrs
  -> thanks, Cilian!
agree  hazmatgerman
1 day5 hrs
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33 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the cat's whiskers


Explanation:
wasn't exactly the cat's whiskers

cat's whiskers, cat's pyjamas
n
the Slang a person or thing that is excellent or superior


franglish
Local time: 22:02
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
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50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
wasn't such a big hit


Explanation:
-.-

BrigitteHilgner
Austria
Local time: 22:02
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 98

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Horst Huber: A "smash" is what they would call it around here.
8 hrs
  -> Thank you, Horst. Have a pleasant afternoon/evening!
agree  hazmatgerman
1 day4 hrs
  -> Danke schön und frohes Schaffen!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
wasn't so hot/didn't come up to scratch


Explanation:
an alternative

Ramey Rieger
Local time: 22:02
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 30
Grading comment
"not so hot" - beautiful and just what I was looking for. Thank you, Ramey and all colleagues for your terrific ideas!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Cilian O'Tuama: agree with first, disagree with second
13 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
wasn't all it's cracked up to be


Explanation:
another option

Ingeborg Gowans
Canada
Local time: 17:02
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  franglish: exactly the idiom I was trying to remember yet half awake this morning but my cat distracted me...// see my entry
41 mins
  -> shame on your cat :))/ thanks, franglish
agree  SusieZ
1 hr
  -> thanks, SusieZ
agree  Jeux de Mots
1 hr
  -> thanks, jeux de Mots
agree  Inge Meinzer: nice!
1 hr
  -> thanks, andere Inge
agree  Nicole Y. Adams, M.A.
2 hrs
  -> thank you, Nicole
agree  Kathi Stock
2 hrs
  -> danke, Kathi
agree  Nicola Wood
4 hrs
  -> thanks, Nicola
disagree  Cilian O'Tuama: the German just says it wasn't great, not that it was reportedly (cracked up to be) good.
10 hrs
  -> o.k., but it might have been implied
neutral  hazmatgerman: Meiner Meinung nach soll nur gestagt sein, daß es mäßig war, nicht aber, daß schlechter als erwartet.
1 day1 hr
  -> I think it is implied, however
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