| GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW) | | German term or phrase: | auf groben Klotz ein grober Keil | | English translation: | It takes a sharp axe to split a tough log / You have to give it straight from the shoulder / It's no good mincing words | | Entered by: | Paul Cohen |
| Options:
- Contribute to this entry
- Include in personal glossary
|
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature | | German term or phrase: auf groben Klotz ein grober Keil | I'm stuck for a translation of this quotation from Goethe. It's a line from this verse (my source text quotes only the one line, not the whole verse):
Im neuen Jahre Glück und Heil!
Auf Weh und Wunden gute Salben.
Auf groben Klotz ein grober Keil,
auf einen Schelmen anderthalben!
The text itself is about Felix von Weingartner. Here's the sentence in question:
"Was wir schon immer über die "Berliner Jahre" wissen wollten, nie aber zu fragen wagten, wird hier Ereignis: Befremdlich, wie oft ein Künstler vom Formate Weingartners beleidigt ist, wie oft er sich wie ein Dreschflegel gegen den Vorwurf der "Kontaktbrüchigkeit" verwahrt, sich aber zugleich als Opfer (zweifellos vorhandener) Neidhammel und Mißgunstgewerbler darstellt und dabei das Goethe-Motto "Auf groben Klotz ein grober Keil!" am Revers trägt". |
| Heather FerlicchiaKudoZ activityQuestions: 226 (none open) ( 2 closed without grading) Answers: 106
Germany
| | Local time: 14:18
|
| | a tough log needs a sharp axe | Explanation:
In other words, one has to answer rudeness with rudeness - or to paraphrase it differently (and given Felix Weingartner's personality, this might be more appropriate) it's no good mincing words - you have to give it straight from the shoulder (where he was probably carrying a big chip anyway).
By the way, inspiration for this answer came from one of my favorite dictionaries: the "German-English Dictionary of Idioms" by Hans Schemann and Paul Knight, Routledge publishing house, 1995.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 57 mins (2007-09-26 17:06:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
It takes a sharp axe to split a tough log.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-26 17:36:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
It takes a big hammer to drive in a big nail.
Sometimes you have to hammer and hammer on a point until... ;-)
|
| Selected response from:
Paul Cohen
Greenland
Local time: 10:18
| Grading comment Can definitely use that, thanks a lot Paul! :-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
| |
| Discussion entries: 0 |
|---|
Automatic update in 00:
|
32 mins confidence:  
49 mins confidence: It takes a crude wedge to split a crude log
Explanation:
Duden Redewendungen: auf einen groben Klotz gehört ein grober Keil - auf eine Grobheit, Unverschämtheit, grobe Unhöflichkeit o.Ä. soll man in gleicher Weise reagieren.
Traditionally the courts accept the right to a counterattack. Anyone, who is fiercely attacked, may answer with a fierce attack. A German proverb says: "Auf einen groben Klotz gehört ein grober Keil." (A crude chunk requires a crude wedge)
http://tinyurl.com/2hgwff
Well Owen, I’ve tried to be polite and seriously explain things to you, but I guess “auf einen groben Klotz gehört ein grober Keil”, as a German saying goes.
Trying to argue about taste is no sign of intelligence, and the way you’re doing it is even less so. Personally, I couldn’t care less what you think about Karaoke comparisons, I’d prefer that you’d talk about our issue on hand instead. Don’t draw crude analogies which don’t wash.
http://sorenara.ikimashou.net/2007/04/23/spring-2007-filler-...
| Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 07:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 201
|
| |
| | Login to enter a peer comment (or grade) |
54 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +2 a tough log needs a sharp axe
Explanation:
In other words, one has to answer rudeness with rudeness - or to paraphrase it differently (and given Felix Weingartner's personality, this might be more appropriate) it's no good mincing words - you have to give it straight from the shoulder (where he was probably carrying a big chip anyway).
By the way, inspiration for this answer came from one of my favorite dictionaries: the "German-English Dictionary of Idioms" by Hans Schemann and Paul Knight, Routledge publishing house, 1995.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 57 mins (2007-09-26 17:06:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
It takes a sharp axe to split a tough log.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-26 17:36:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
It takes a big hammer to drive in a big nail.
Sometimes you have to hammer and hammer on a point until... ;-)
| Paul Cohen
Greenland
Local time: 10:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 26
|
| | Grading comment | Can definitely use that, thanks a lot Paul! :-) |
|
Return to KudoZ list
| Changes made by editors |
|---|
| Sep 27, 2007 - Changes made by Paul Cohen: | | Created KOG entry | KudoZ term => KOG term |
|
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | |
| 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. See also: Search millions of term translations  |
The translation workplace 
