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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

Durch den WInd

English translation: out of sorts

11:42 Aug 11, 2002
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Idioms
German term or phrase: Durch den WInd
Obwohl ich die ungefähre Bedeutung dieses Ausdrucks verstehe (laut meines Freundes "ein bißchen irritiert"), würde es mich sehr interessieren, wie man den Ausdruck am besten auf englisch übersetzt - komischerweise finde ich keine Übersetzung, obwohl der Ausdruck sehr häufig benutzt wird.
Sarah Downing
Local time: 11:55
English translation:out of sorts
Explanation:
This is how I translate it. It can team up with ein bisschen, ziemlich or sehr equally well: a bit out of sorts, rather out of sorts, very out of sorts
Selected response from:

KiwiSue
Local time: 03:55
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for your really interesting suggestions. I've decided to award points to this one as I think it is suitably vague and yet best conveys the meaning.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3out of sorts
KiwiSue
3 +3out to lunch
Jonathan MacKerron
5cracked
David Kiltz
3 +1I'm not myself
Rowan Morrell
3at sixes and sevens
Cilian O'Tuama
3blown away
jerrie
1under the weather ?
Corinne Bono


  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
under the weather ?


Explanation:
While the this idiom seem familiar, some past childhood memory I guess, I can seem to remember what it meant for certain at all.

But my mind, whether playing tricks or not, seem to associate it with the English expression of being under the weather (in health physical and financial or in fate).

I am not certain about why at all though, but if you knwo what the epxression in German means, then you'll knwo if this English one is correct ;)

Good luck !

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-11 11:58:52 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yawning, sorry for the typos, I need sleep ! and a new \"S\" key, it seemS

Corinne Bono
France
Local time: 17:55
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  jkjones: maybe
3 hrs
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
cracked


Explanation:
Well, "durch den Wind" can mean a lot of things. Firstly, it doesn't have to be "ein bißchen irritiert", that would be "er ist ein bißchen durch den Wind". You could also say "er ist total durch den Wind" = "he's completely screwed up", he's absolutely cracked.
It normally means, "strange" but can also refer to a temporary state due to exhaustion aut sim. You could say, "Ich bin ein bißchen durch den Wind heute" = I'm not all together today. I'm a little beside it.
Hope that helps some.

David Kiltz
Local time: 17:55
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  jkjones: I do not believe this would be understood in England - I have never heard it
3 hrs
  -> Wow, really ? Where do you live ?
agree  Chris Rowson (X): I discussed this with my German wife, and we were going to agree this (except "I´m a little beside myself"), till we saw Jonathan´s. But I have heard "cracked" many times, in many forms, with many meanings, just like "durch den Wind".
3 hrs
  -> Oooph, very reassuring
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51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
I'm not myself


Explanation:
From what others have been saying, this seems quite possible.

We say "I'm not myself" when we're not feeling absolutely tip-top.

"Under the weather" is OK, but it tends to mean that you feel unwell. "I'm not myself" can mean this as well (though you might tend more to say "I'm not feeling myself"), but it can also mean that you feel irritated, or just not quite right.

If someone seems to be acting slightly out of character (e.g. gloomy when normally cheerful or vice versa), you can also say, "He's not himself today", or "She's not herself".

So if "durch den Wind" means that you don't feel quite as normal, then "I'm not myself" would work quite well, I think.

I hope this has been of assistance.

Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
Local time: 03:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 11

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  jkjones
3 hrs
neutral  David Kiltz: Well, that's not exactly the same. But it's not too far off I think.
4 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
out to lunch


Explanation:
out of it, confused, messed up, absent-minded, miles away, groggy...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-11 13:47:05 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

giddy, light-headed, head in the clouds, distracted, gotta get a grip, pull myself together, get on the stick, get my shit together, time to wake up, get out of this daze, shake off these blues, get back to reality, get myself to a grippery...

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 63

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  modilingua: I think this selection fits the best. Durch den Wind is usually kind of dazed and confused due to hectic and stress or excitement.
16 mins
  -> I'd thank you but I'm out to lunch....
agree  Chris Rowson (X): You feeling ok, Jonathan?
1 hr
  -> just fine and dandy thank you very much
neutral  jkjones: I know a slang expression would fit here, but it's meaning is pretty extreme in English - rather more than "ein bisschen irritiert". And if you said it about yourself, someone would probably think you really were having lunch!
1 hr
  -> it all has to do with context JK
agree  Steffen Walter: dazed and confused
22 hrs
  -> me too
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
at sixes and sevens


Explanation:
perhaps, but that's more like "confused" than "irritated" (etwas/ganz durcheinander).

Hi Sarah, HTH



Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 17:55
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 109
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
blown away


Explanation:
not quite all there at the moment

harrassed
stressed


jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 44
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
out of sorts


Explanation:
This is how I translate it. It can team up with ein bisschen, ziemlich or sehr equally well: a bit out of sorts, rather out of sorts, very out of sorts

KiwiSue
Local time: 03:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for your really interesting suggestions. I've decided to award points to this one as I think it is suitably vague and yet best conveys the meaning.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Kiltz: Yepp.
9 hrs
agree  Steffen Walter
14 hrs
agree  Rowan Morrell: Not bad at all. At the end of the day, I think the asker has made the right choice.
1 day 3 hrs
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