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geil

English translation: brill - tight - all that - da bomb - awsome - groovy - cool - super - fab - funky - brilliant

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:geil
English translation:brill - tight - all that - da bomb - awsome - groovy - cool - super - fab - funky - brilliant
Entered by: Thomas Bollmann

09:56 Jul 9, 2001
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
German term or phrase: geil
sowas wie im Deutschn geil, cool, super, spitze
Adrian
brill - tight - all that - da bomb - awsome - groovy - cool - super - fab - funky - brilliant
Explanation:
"geil" has two distinct meanings.

The first meaning is "randy" or "horny" or "sexy".

The second came later and resulted from the first just like the second meaning of sexy resulted from the first.

Because anything that is geil or sexy is good, it became possible to characterize something very good as geil or sexy.

For your context, some equivalent modern youth expressions if the situation has nothing to do with sex are:

FAB

FUNKY

BRILLIANT many Google hits

BRILL – 8 (short for BRILLIANT, my very up-to-date 14 year-old niece in Manchester)

TIGHT - 113 (used by many US kids 8-11 years, via a niece in Maryland who teaches them)

ALL THAT – couldn’t be properly searched, the same US kids)

AWESOME – 41

GROOVY – 14 – (Yeah, I know it's old but the niece in Manchester uses it!)

COOL – 187 – (old-fashioned but apparently still alive and kicking too)

WOW – 75 – (old-fashioned but apparently still alive and kicking too)

FAR OUT – couldn’t be properly searched

SUPER – 154 (old-fashioned)

DA BOMB – Zero hits – (the same US kids)

HTH

Dan
Selected response from:

Dan McCrosky (X)
Local time: 04:26
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
na +2geil = horny / prefer: cool, super, great
Sven Stumbauer
na +1awsome
Vesna Zivcic
nagreat, fab
Agius Language & Translation
nabrill - tight - all that - da bomb - awsome - groovy - cool - super - fab - funky - brilliant
Dan McCrosky (X)
nagreat, cool, excellent, (phat, huge, mega, wicked, tasty...)
kkat
nabazzin'
Sonia Rowland
na -1brill, ace
Thomas Bollmann


  

Answers


3 mins peer agreement (net): +2
geil = horny / prefer: cool, super, great


Explanation:
haengt vom kontext ab, aber wenn es nicht sexuell gemeint ist wuerde ich "horny" vermeiden - bedeutet im Englischen naemlich nur "geil" und nicht super, coll etc.
am besten ist wahrscheinlich great oder super

Sven Stumbauer

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mats Wiman
5 mins
agree  lone (X): "super" is the word!
1 hr
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7 mins
great, fab


Explanation:
There are a number of words you can use. Geil does also mean 'horny' in the sexual sense but certainly not in your context.
Good luck
Claire

Agius Language & Translation
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:26
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 132
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23 mins peer agreement (net): +1
awsome


Explanation:
April 7, 2001
We just came home from your Concert in Garner. It was great. We are so glad that you brought some culture to Garner, Iowa. Our favourite was, of course, the DRUMSOLO. IT WAS AWESOME or ES WAR AFFEN GEIL (that's German, because one of us is the German Exchange Student in Garner High school, and he enjoyed your Concert a lot.)






    Reference: http://www.blindmansbluff.com/forfans/guestbook.htm
Vesna Zivcic
Local time: 04:26
Native speaker of: Croatian
PRO pts in pair: 571

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ChristinaT: This is the best answer.
7 mins
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31 mins
brill - tight - all that - da bomb - awsome - groovy - cool - super - fab - funky - brilliant


Explanation:
"geil" has two distinct meanings.

The first meaning is "randy" or "horny" or "sexy".

The second came later and resulted from the first just like the second meaning of sexy resulted from the first.

Because anything that is geil or sexy is good, it became possible to characterize something very good as geil or sexy.

For your context, some equivalent modern youth expressions if the situation has nothing to do with sex are:

FAB

FUNKY

BRILLIANT many Google hits

BRILL – 8 (short for BRILLIANT, my very up-to-date 14 year-old niece in Manchester)

TIGHT - 113 (used by many US kids 8-11 years, via a niece in Maryland who teaches them)

ALL THAT – couldn’t be properly searched, the same US kids)

AWESOME – 41

GROOVY – 14 – (Yeah, I know it's old but the niece in Manchester uses it!)

COOL – 187 – (old-fashioned but apparently still alive and kicking too)

WOW – 75 – (old-fashioned but apparently still alive and kicking too)

FAR OUT – couldn’t be properly searched

SUPER – 154 (old-fashioned)

DA BOMB – Zero hits – (the same US kids)

HTH

Dan


Dan McCrosky (X)
Local time: 04:26
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1541
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

43 mins peer agreement (net): -1
brill, ace


Explanation:
It is very vulgar in German


    native German
Thomas Bollmann
Germany
Local time: 04:26
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 92

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Sibyl Marquardt: unfortunately, it is not (anymore). It really just means brill, awsome, etc. nowadays, but even executives use it...
22 mins
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3 hrs
great, cool, excellent, (phat, huge, mega, wicked, tasty...)


Explanation:
"Great" is a good neutral choice for U.S.

"Cool" & "excellent" are still current and widespread and a tad more colloquial.

"Super" seems odd to me -- I've only ever heard it used ironically.

The others I've listed are short-lived and/or regional, but you might get a kick out of them.

kkat
PRO pts in pair: 4
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20 hrs
bazzin'


Explanation:
Well, that used to be our word way back then in Manchester - but I'm probably hopelessly out of touch...

Sonia Rowland
Local time: 04:26
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 37
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