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Muldenantenne
# Symbol
Mar 8, 2006 18:12
18 yrs ago
German term

es darauf anlegen

German to English Other Cinema, Film, TV, Drama Kommissarin Charlotte Lindholm
"Sie ist sexy, ohne es darauf anzulegen; klug, ohne besserwisserisch zu erscheinen und verletzlich ohne Hysterieverdacht."

Well, I suppose it could mean to "risk it", but risk what? Sex? Or does it mean that she doesn't use her sexiness to her advantage? (Say, "without making anything of it"?)

I suppose someone will come along and make this non-Pro, but I've been up all night and I can't think of anything.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 without flaunting it
4 +5 without trying to be
4 unobtrusively sexy
2 +2 without making a point of it
3 +1 without hitting you over the head with it
3 casually sexy
2 without shoving it in your face

Discussion

Richard Benham (asker) Mar 10, 2006:
Ummm.... I'm having trouble grading this one. There's a lot of answers that would work, but no knock-down arguments to prefer one over the other. I knew "es darauf anlegen" can mean to plan something, but it's not quite the same. I'm thinking of saying she's "sexy without trying too hard", combining elements of Brie's answer some of the other suggestions. I'll think about the grading for a while.
Francis Lee (X) Mar 8, 2006:
So it's a book originally written by Germans about things that non-Germans or Germans love about the place? And are any of the East's many great contributions included (Sandmännchen, the MuFuTi, Digedags, falscher Hase etc.)?
Richard Benham (asker) Mar 8, 2006:
Francis: Yes, but each chapter is about something different. So far I've translated about 45 of them, from Sauerkraut to Playmobil.... There's a coupla others working on it, which is just as well, since there's a total of 250 chapters.
Francis Lee (X) Mar 8, 2006:
What - there's more than one chapter, then?
Richard Benham (asker) Mar 8, 2006:
Wider context.... This is from a short article or rather book chapter, for a book of things we love about Germany. This article's about Kommissarin Charlotte and Frau Dr.-med. Furtwängler, not necessarily in that order.
Richard Benham (asker) Mar 8, 2006:
to Francis again: My first thought was "without overdoing it"; even "without making a point of it" could be misconstrued, although perhaps more so if we were dealing with a Herr Kommissar.

I would really like to hear whether the expression is used in that sense in German. Dictionaries tend to be a little behind the times with colloquial expressions.
Richard Benham (asker) Mar 8, 2006:
to Francis: I am trying to: "sexy without ???, intelligent without coming across as a know-all, vulnerable without a hint of hysteria", something along those lines.
Francis Lee (X) Mar 8, 2006:
Am I correct to assume you will be retaining the "X without being Y" format, Richard?

Proposed translations

+3
1 hr
Selected

without flaunting it

She is sexy without flaunting it.

I think that works well, though Brie and Francis have made some v. good suggestions too.
Peer comment(s):
agree Francis Lee (X) : ooh - that's a good'un as well! (although, like my own suggestion, it may be deviating slightly from the German)
23 mins
I agree, it's more like "trying too hard" or "making an effort"
agree Brian Wolfe : I think this is the best suggestion.
5 hrs
thanks!
agree Diana Loos : So do I.
13 hrs
thanks!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "As Nesrin herself has acknowledged, this is probably not 100% accurate as a translation, but it fits in very well. Thanks everyone!"
+5
11 mins

without trying to be

my choice

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Note added at 27 mins (2006-03-08 18:40:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

alternatively: without intending to be

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 44 mins (2006-03-08 18:57:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

es auf etwas anlegen: etwas genau planen; etwas in die Überlegung mit einbeziehen
http://www.redensarten-index.de/suche.php?suchbegriff=anlege...
Peer comment(s):
agree Francis Lee (X) : "without making an effort" (he says, contradicting his own suggesion)
34 mins
Thanks, Francis
agree Tradesca (X)
52 mins
Thanks, Tradesca
agree Bianca Jacobsohn
1 hr
Thanks, Bianca
agree Erik Macki : I think one could also drop "to be" and say simply: sexy without trying.
1 hr
Thanks, Erik
agree Terence Ajbro
11 hrs
Thanks, Terence
Something went wrong...
14 mins

unobtrusively sexy

Another option ;)

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Note added at 45 mins (2006-03-08 18:58:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To me, "ohne es darauf anzulegen" means that her being sexy comes naturally, that she doesn't have to act sexy because she just is sexy.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Francis Lee (X) : sure, but the solution here really does need to include a "without" construction
33 mins
Something went wrong...
54 mins

without shoving it in your face

Take a look at the google examples.

Sky without shoving it in your face, intelligent without appearing to be a know-it-all...
Reference:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=de&q=%22without+shoving+it+in+your+face%22&lr=

Something went wrong...
1 hr

casually sexy

...casually sexy...
Peer comment(s):
neutral Francis Lee (X) : subtly would be better, but you need a "without X" construction anyway
2 mins
Thank you for the comment, Francis :). - Carmen
Something went wrong...
+2
30 mins

without making a point of it

This was in fact my first thought, too, i.e. "without laying it on thick" or "without rubbing it in your face" (although the latter phrasing could be misconstrued, of course).

That said, Brie's suggestion could equally apply.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 45 mins (2006-03-08 18:58:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

- without overdoing it

Although having now seen a picture of the actress in question, I am unable to see quite what the author is referring to. But that's marketing for you, I suppose. (I mean - it can't be an objective assessment, can it?!)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2006-03-08 19:16:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

- sexy without being sleazy

What's the context here, anyway?
Peer comment(s):
agree Aniello Scognamiglio (X) : ja, sie hängt es nicht an die großen Glocken, äh, an die Glocke, pardon!
6 mins
steady ...
agree Henry Schroeder : woops, I didn't read through all your options; yes, "rubbing it in your face" would be my preference, though "shoving" popped into my head and...
26 mins
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

without hitting you over the head with it

The other answers are fine too, but oben drauf spatially always makes me think of this.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Brie Vernier : What does "oben drauf" have to do with it??
16 mins
agree Marcus Malabad : or "without being in-your-face about it"
57 mins
Something went wrong...
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