Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Norwegian term or phrase:
tett på ballen
English translation:
on the ball
Added to glossary by
jeffrey engberg
Jan 20, 2011 06:46
13 yrs ago
Norwegian term
Norway
Fast, accurate & efficient translations
Native in: English (Variants: UK, US) 
Works in: Norwegian to English, Swedish to English, Danish to English
tett på ballen
Norwegian to English
Art/Literary
Folklore
idioms and expressions
I møte med *** var Anne tett på ballen.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 2 +2 | on the ball |
Thomas Deschington (X)
|
| 3 | close behind |
Andrew Alix
|
Proposed translations
+2
18 mins
Selected
on the ball
The Norwegian version gets about 6 hits in Google, which shows it is not a common Norwegian expression. Maybe a translated or imported one of sorts?
on the ball - To be alert; in command of one's senses.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/on-the-ball.html
Could this possibly fit your context?
on the ball - To be alert; in command of one's senses.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/on-the-ball.html
Could this possibly fit your context?
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
6 hrs
Andrew Alix
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Engineering - electrical, instrumentatio
Native in: English (Variants: US, UK) 
Works in: Norwegian to English, Danish to English
close behind
I heard this expression a few times when I lived in Norway. In the context, I heard it, several were competing for a position. The second runner was "tett på ballen" or close behind.
I admit though the context of your sentence (the *** could mean anything) could mean "on the ball", which is the direct translation in English
I admit though the context of your sentence (the *** could mean anything) could mean "on the ball", which is the direct translation in English
Discussion
Oh, can the translation of these go very wrong sometimes.
Wouldn't it be fun someday to make a list of misinterpreted idioms?