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Handgriff

English translation: that they know exactly what they are doing

13:21 Jan 9, 2003
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
German term or phrase: Handgriff
(caption for a picture)

Retter mit Sonnenbrillen und kurzen Hosen: Das legere Outfit des Cronulla Sutherland Offshore Rescue Teams aus New South Wales sollte nicht darüber hinwegtäuschen, dass bei den Australiern im Ernstfall jeder Handgriff sitzt
Rachel
English translation:that they know exactly what they are doing
Explanation:
is my suggestion for: dass jeder Handgriff sitzt

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Note added at 2003-01-09 13:25:05 (GMT)
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... what has to be done
... what to do

would be alternatives

hope it helps
Selected response from:

Nicole Tata
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:48
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4that they know exactly what they are doing
Nicole Tata
3 +2they really know their stuff when things get serious
Mary Worby
3 +2the Australians spring into action when duty calls.
Jonathan MacKerron
5there is absolutely no wasted motion; or their every move is calculated and precise
Dr. Fred Thomson
3 +1have a handle on the situation, have a grip of the situation
yeswhere
4all hands on board
jerrie
4in an emergency it becomes obvious that they are a team of highly skilled professionals
sybillec
1When it matters ...
TRANSRAPID


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
that they know exactly what they are doing


Explanation:
is my suggestion for: dass jeder Handgriff sitzt

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-09 13:25:05 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

... what has to be done
... what to do

would be alternatives

hope it helps

Nicole Tata
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:48
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters
3 mins
agree  Steffen Walter
14 mins
agree  Nancy Arrowsmith
7 hrs
agree  daniel gwire
10 hrs
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
they really know their stuff when things get serious


Explanation:
Alternative phrasing

HTH

Mary

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Note added at 2003-01-09 13:51:04 (GMT)
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when push comes to shove, they don\'t put a foot wrong

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Note added at 2003-01-09 15:42:25 (GMT)
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or

when it comes to the crunch, you can rely on them to get everything right

Mary Worby
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:48
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Steffen Walter: Like the second one :-))
35 mins
agree  OlafK
50 mins
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
the Australians spring into action when duty calls.


Explanation:
are these the non beer-drinking Australians?

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Note added at 2003-01-09 13:59:43 (GMT)
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\"..but don\'t let their casual dress fool you, whenever there is an emergency these Australians demonstrate their high degree of professionalism\"

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Note added at 2003-01-09 14:00:33 (GMT)
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\"casual attire\"

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 76

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  TonyTK: Like it - particularly the "don't let ... fool you". Non beer-drinking Australians? No such animal, surely.
26 mins
agree  Terry Gilman: Like the casual/professional pair, but not the long chain. ... attire fool you, when there's an emergency, these pros know exactly what to do (or does the reader need to be told that NSW is in Oz?)
10 hrs
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40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
When it matters ...


Explanation:
Or: They're there when it matters ...;
or: Unquestionable competence




TRANSRAPID
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:48
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
there is absolutely no wasted motion; or their every move is calculated and precise


Explanation:
or: all of their actions are pre-planned and orecise

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-09 14:31:53 (GMT)
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OR: when the chips are down they don\'t miss a stroke

Dr. Fred Thomson
United States
Local time: 23:48
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 37
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
have a handle on the situation, have a grip of the situation


Explanation:
two more expressions that mean having the situation under control, and are in theme with 'Handgriff'.


Do you have a handle on it?
Do You Have a Handle on It? A Sailor drops a gas bottle and breaks his foot. Another one injures
his back while moving gas bottles ...
http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/aflo...




Get a Grip
... The expression that we use, Get a grip on yourself, acknowledges our understanding that grip
is an apt metaphor for control over our lives or our situation. ...
http://www.mrgolf.com/grip.html

yeswhere
Local time: 01:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ellen Zittinger
5 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
all hands on board


Explanation:
to keep a tenuous link to Handgriff and Australians (and their 'boards')..

(when an emergency crops up) it's all hands on board / all systems go

hth

jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Cilian O'Tuama: but all hands on board just means that everyone helps out, not that they actually know what they're doing
3 hrs
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1 day 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
in an emergency it becomes obvious that they are a team of highly skilled professionals


Explanation:
IMO it addresses the contradiction between their attire and their level of expertise

sybillec
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