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klar machen

English translation: clear them out

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	klar machen
English translation:	clear them out
Entered by:	Sasha2

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11:48 Sep 24, 2007

German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Fictional novel

German term or phrase: klar machen

The main character and his employees are sitting at a table in a pub and he says: "Wir f**ken sie einfach, das heißt doch nur, dass wir sie – klar machen eben, abkochen, abziehen, einkassieren. Dann haben wir den ganzen Etat, und dann holen wir uns den nächsten, mit so einem Kunden im Portfolio, das ist magnetisch (...)"

Siobain McAlister KudoZ activity Questions: 28 (none open) (1 without valid answers) Answers: 0 Ireland
Local time: 13:18

clear them out

Explanation:
A more literal possibility - in the sense of "Schiff klarmachen"

Selected response from:

Sasha2
Local time: 14:18

Grading comment

thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

shake (them) down / take (them) to the cleaners

Paul Cohen

3 +2

to beat (them) up / to rip (them) off / to drive/kick (them) out (of business)

Steffen Walter

clear them out

Sasha2

do them to a T

Ken Cox

clear out their pockets

SusieZ

3 -1

make clear to ......

Sladjana

Discussion entries: 5

Answers

20 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

to beat (them) up / to rip (them) off / to drive/kick (them) out (of business)

Explanation:
Rephrased German:
Also das heißt, wir ***machen sie klar***, kochen/ziehen sie ab, kassieren sie ein.

Depending on the further context, "wir machen sie klar" could roughly be equivalent to one of the options suggested above but other, even more "native-sounding" options certainly exist. Armorel's interpretation misses the point IMHO ("so to speak" would only convey the meaning of "eben").

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2007-09-24 12:20:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Aha, so they are talking about their clients, as opposed to their competitors. In that case, "to drive/kick them out" is not an option. "To rip them off" or "to screw them" would fit better.

Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 14:18
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 19

37 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

make clear to ......

Explanation:
.... in other words, we make clear, we ripp them off, we kick them out....

That might be another possibility

Sladjana
Montenegro
Local time: 14:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Serbian,

German

41 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

shake (them) down / take (them) to the cleaners

Explanation:
Lots of options...

Paul Cohen
Greenland
Local time: 10:18
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 26

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

SusieZ

13 mins

-> Watching all those bad late-night movies seems to have paid off ;-))

agree

mill: i like shake them down

3 hrs

-> It does sound like a shake down, doesn't it?

agree

Kim Metzger: That's what the author's getting at, I think. / My instinct tells me the literal translation of "klar machen" is to "set them up" for all the other stuff they plan to do with them.

4 hrs

-> Yes, it definitely fits with the rest of the text: abkochen, abziehen, einkassieren. They want to take them for what they're worth.

agree

xxxFrancis Lee: Seeing as the Asker needs five synonyms (see my note above), these are certainnly 2 good options. I'll get out my copies of Goodfellas/Casino to see what Joe Pesci has to say ...

7 hrs

-> Yeh, make yourself a big batch of popcorn and settle into your favorite easy chair. Oh, and watch Godfather I and II, while you're at it. What would Al Pacino say? Marlon Brando?

39 mins confidence:

clear out their pockets

Explanation:
clear them out

or any of Steffen's suggestions.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 54 mins (2007-09-24 12:42:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or clean them out / clean out their pockets.....

SusieZ
United States
Local time: 08:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

1 hr confidence:

do them to a T

Explanation:
in US slang: do (them) to a turn, literally cook meat until it is done just right, but also used figuratively in (IMO) the same sense of 'sie klar machen''.

Ken Cox
Local time: 14:18
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 35

9 hrs confidence:

clear them out

Explanation:
A more literal possibility - in the sense of "Schiff klarmachen"

Sasha2
Local time: 14:18
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

thanks!

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Changes made by editors

Sep 27, 2007 - Changes made by Sasha2:
Edited KOG entry	Sasha2's old entry - "klar machen" => "clear them out"
Sep 27, 2007 - Changes made by Sasha2:
Created KOG entry	KudoZ term => KOG term

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English translation: clear them out

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English translation: clear them out

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KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

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