runder Geburtstag

English translation: Milestone birtday

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:runder Geburtstag
English translation:Milestone birtday
Entered by: Johanna Timm, PhD

07:04 Oct 16, 2001
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
German term or phrase: runder Geburtstag
Can you say "round birthday" in English too, i.e. for 20, 30, 40 etc.? Don't think so, but can't find a proper expression. Any ideas?
SEH
Local time: 04:25
references
Explanation:
sorry - I meant to send these google hits along as back-up.

Personalized Birthday Gifts for All Ages !
... Milestone Birthday" Frame (21st, 30th, 40th,50th & 60th). ...
www.personalizationmall.com/searchItem.cfm?productid=1548&s... - 58k

Milestone Birthdays
... Milestone Birthdays Who's Counting? 40th Birthday Deluxe Package Who's Counting?
40th Birthday Deluxe Package Deluxe Package for eight includes "Who's Counting ...
birthdays.momsbreak.com/Mall/MilestoneBirthdays.html - 14k

Party-BUZZzzz from The PartyWorks.com - Online Magazine- ...
... Party Plan Milestone Birthday Celebrations (30th, 40th,
50th and more). Milestone Birthdays are cause ...
www.thepartyworks.com/Party-Planning/Adult/milestone.asp - 29k
Selected response from:

Beth Kantus
United States
Local time: 22:25
Grading comment
I thought all the ideas were good, but this one was best (for my purposes, at least) because it seems to fit more contexts (positive, negative or neutral). I might be wrong, but "the big 5-0" etc. often seems to have a bit of a negative ring (i.e. people getting worried about their age) that "runder Geburtstag" doesn't (necessarily) have. Anyway, thanks very much!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2milestone birthday
Beth Kantus
4 +1a big "O"
shasas
4 +1'fraid not!
Mary Worby
5references
Beth Kantus
5even birthday
lone (X)
4...to back up =my= answer... *gg* ;)))
shasas
1No better answers, just more info.
Dan McCrosky (X)


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
a big "O"


Explanation:
Or a big "0", though 0 looks a bit thin as compared to O ;)

shasas
Germany
Local time: 04:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Karin Walker (X): yeah, like "the big five-oh" -I love that one!
21 mins
  -> Not sure if I'm gonna love my big five-oh ;)
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
'fraid not!


Explanation:
You'd probably say 'a big birthday' 'an important birthday',

He's got a big birthday coming up.
He's about to hit the big one.

But round wouldn't work )-:

HTH

Mary

Mary Worby
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:25
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  mckinnc: I like big birthday
1 hr
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
milestone birthday


Explanation:
there may be other expressions as well, but I am familiar with this one.
HTH!

Beth Kantus
United States
Local time: 22:25
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mary Worby: Yes, that's the one! Scrub my answer (-:
19 mins

agree  Ulrike Lieder (X): Perfect!
1 hr
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
references


Explanation:
sorry - I meant to send these google hits along as back-up.

Personalized Birthday Gifts for All Ages !
... Milestone Birthday" Frame (21st, 30th, 40th,50th & 60th). ...
www.personalizationmall.com/searchItem.cfm?productid=1548&s... - 58k

Milestone Birthdays
... Milestone Birthdays Who's Counting? 40th Birthday Deluxe Package Who's Counting?
40th Birthday Deluxe Package Deluxe Package for eight includes "Who's Counting ...
birthdays.momsbreak.com/Mall/MilestoneBirthdays.html - 14k

Party-BUZZzzz from The PartyWorks.com - Online Magazine- ...
... Party Plan Milestone Birthday Celebrations (30th, 40th,
50th and more). Milestone Birthdays are cause ...
www.thepartyworks.com/Party-Planning/Adult/milestone.asp - 29k

Beth Kantus
United States
Local time: 22:25
Native speaker of: English
Grading comment
I thought all the ideas were good, but this one was best (for my purposes, at least) because it seems to fit more contexts (positive, negative or neutral). I might be wrong, but "the big 5-0" etc. often seems to have a bit of a negative ring (i.e. people getting worried about their age) that "runder Geburtstag" doesn't (necessarily) have. Anyway, thanks very much!
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50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
even birthday


Explanation:
Hope this helps.
Good luck!


    Reference: http://www.kidsparties.com/traditions.htm
lone (X)
Canada
Local time: 22:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: Danish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
...to back up =my= answer... *gg* ;)))


Explanation:
www.northwestern.edu/aging/vol14no1.htm

www.petebeck.com/decade/

www.lambda.net/~aglobe/9611.html

teachers.net/archive/national_boards081101.html

Ummh...'nuff now %~)

shasas
Germany
Local time: 04:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
No better answers, just more info.


Explanation:


The big "5 Oh" seems to be the really popular one of the "Oh" series but the others also have a nice ring.

"Milestone birthdays" is probably the best choice, but be careful, 16, 18, 21, and 75 are also "milestone birthdays" and 20 probably isn't.

Here are the nearly 600 Google hits for "milestone birthdays":

http://www.google.com/search?hl=de&q="milestone birthdays" &...

I was also surprised to see there were around 50 pertinent hits for "round birthdays", but I've never heard anybody use the term. Here are the Google results for "round birthdays":

http://www.google.com/search?hl=de&q="round birthdays" &btnG...

HTH

Dan


Dan McCrosky (X)
Local time: 04:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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