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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Ihre Schäfchen ins Trockenen bekommen

English translation:

to get your (financial?) ducks in a row

Added to glossary by Williamson
Jul 12, 2011 07:13
12 yrs ago
2 viewers *
German term

Ihre Schäfchen ins Trockenen bekommen

German to English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Is there an equivalent English idiom?
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 to get your (financial?) ducks in a row
4 +4 to take care of number one
4 to look after your own skin
4 to make sure one is safe and sound
3 pull the chestnuts out of the fire
References
Pls see here
Change log

Jul 13, 2011 06:13: Astrid Elke Witte changed "Term asked" from "Ihre Schäfchen ins Trockenen bekommen." to "Ihre Schäfchen ins Trockenen bekommen"

Discussion

Williamson (asker) Jul 14, 2011:
The asker uses Kudoz mostly to ask for idioms which he hears when watching German, Spanish, French and English tv-chains, mostly news-channels. He writes those expressions/idioms down and posts them here. Here meaning was to be financially safe and sound. Perhaps this is the equivalent expression/idiom.
Ramey Rieger (X) Jul 12, 2011:
@ Helen After having read your links, I'm still a bit skeptical as to how widespread this expression is. It has never crossed my literary or spoken path. Still really like the image, it is clear regardless of which slant one takes on it. Thank-you for the "wiseGeek", I do believe I'll be having aromp there soon!
Helen Shiner Jul 12, 2011:
@ Ramey My links are all AE.
Ramey Rieger (X) Jul 12, 2011:
@ Helen When I hear "ducks in row", I am immediately aiming to shoot them, an easy kill or catch - which why I think it could apply - "to have it made", or as I said before "sitting pretty". Perhaps there are slight nuances in the interpretation from BE to AE?
Helen Shiner Jul 12, 2011:
@ Phil / @ Ramey Thanks, Phil and Ramey. I had understood this to be an AE expression originally - see my links which corroborate this, although it is in use in BE and well understood across the board.
Ramey Rieger (X) Jul 12, 2011:
Helen yes, that sounds good if that's the context AND it for a BE audience - "ducks in a row" wouldn't be directly understood in AE, something like "were sitting pretty" would be the AE equivalent.
philgoddard Jul 12, 2011:
Helen Assuming this is about financial products (and I really don't think the asker has understood the need for context), your "ducks in a row" suggestion is excellent. You could insert "financial" before "ducks". Why don't you post it as an answer?
Helen Shiner Jul 12, 2011:
@ Jutta Yes, that's what it sounds like to me too. These are not toxic hair products, but presumably financial ones! I don't know whether 'having all your ducks in a row' might be an equivalent.
Jutta Scherer Jul 12, 2011:
Often has a financial connotation "Seine/ihre Schäfchen im Trockenen haben" often means that someone has their finances "home and dry", no more worries in that regard. Don't know whether that would fit here, though
Helen Shiner Jul 12, 2011:
Context Even with the extra bit of context, it is not really clear how this phrase is being used in your source text, but perhaps you are not able to quote it directly. It sounds as if it might mean the elderly people in question thought they were 'on the home straight' (i.e. safe and no longer to be exposed to whatever these toxic products were) but nonetheless they got stung.
Ramey Rieger (X) Jul 12, 2011:
Then perhaps a gentler variation on Jeux de Mots' answer "taken care of themselves" or "had covered all that".
Williamson (asker) Jul 12, 2011:
The source is the German television and the sale of "toxic products" to eldery people who thought that they had "ihre Schäfchen ins Trockene bekommen hätten". With thanks to Steffen Walter for the correction :).
Ramey Rieger (X) Jul 12, 2011:
Hello Williamson This question has already been asked, BUT there are of course many styles of translation. Jeux de Mots' is quite correct. What would interest me, is in which context is this found and which tone it is written. The kudoz answer is "cover their own butts" which is rather (c)rude, but must have fit the context. Can you elaborate?
Steffen Walter Jul 12, 2011:
Grammatical error This has got to be "ihre Schäfchen ins Trockene bekommen".

Proposed translations

+1
8 hrs
German term (edited): Ihre Schäfchen ins Trockenen bekommen.
Selected

to get your (financial?) ducks in a row

This is an AE expression but well understood and used in BE:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/get ducks in a row

As this suggests, it means to be prepared for all eventualities:

To get one's ducks in a row essentially means to ensure all of the small details or elements are accounted for and in their proper positions before embarking on a new project. A defense attorney, for example, may spend much of his or her time making sure all of the evidence and witnesses are presented in a precise, effective order. A salesman may get all of his or her "ducks in a row" by rehearsing his sales presentation beforehand. When a person is fully prepared for any eventuality and has every element in place, he or she can indeed be said to have his or her ducks in a row.
http://www.wisegeek.com/where-did-the-term-get-your-ducks-in...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2011-07-16 13:15:38 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Williamson
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard
13 hrs
Thanks, Phil
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "The meaning was to have enough money put aside not to have to worry at old age. Unfortunately the bank sold those old people toxic products. As I was looking for an equivalent proverb, your answer approaches what I was looking for. "
+4
15 mins
German term (edited): Ihre Schäfchen ins Trockenen bekommen.

to take care of number one

To look after ones own interests, to feather ones own nest.

http://www.redensarten-index.de/suche.php?suchbegriff=~~sein...
Peer comment(s):
agree Ramey Rieger (X) : Yes, my first thought, too. Enjoying the sun?
9 mins
Thanks Ramey. Lovely sun thanks, shame to be inside.
agree Steffen Walter : one's
15 mins
Thank you Steffen. Yes, one's - sorry
agree Thayenga
49 mins
Thanks Thayenga
agree Nicola Wood
1 hr
Thank you Nicola
neutral Lonnie Legg : Can't think of a better match myself. The one aspect of the source idiom that's missing though is: "taking one's advantage *before it's too late*".
1 hr
neutral philgoddard : I don't think this works given the meagre extra context we've been given.
7 hrs
neutral Marinus Vesseur : The people concerned thought they had "feathered their nests" alright, but "taking care of no. 1" doesn't seem to fit the bill here.
7 hrs
Something went wrong...
20 mins
German term (edited): Ihre Schäfchen ins Trockenen bekommen.

to look after your own skin

..
Something went wrong...
2 hrs
German term (edited): Ihre Schäfchen ins Trockenen bekommen.

to make sure one is safe and sound

I do not mean to monopolise, but what a difference context makes....

Although the expressions already suggested are the literal translations of your phrase, "looking after number one" and "feathering one's own nest" have slightly negative connotations. It sounds like the elderly people were looking out for themselves, without necessarily intending to cause anybody else any harm along the way.

Perhaps something along the lines of "making sure they were safe and sound" would be more appropriate, and certainly fits in line with the idea of protecting one's sheep.
Something went wrong...
7 hrs
German term (edited): Ihre Schäfchen ins Trockenen bekommen.

pull the chestnuts out of the fire

The only similar phrase I can think of, not quite the same import.
Peer comment(s):
neutral jccantrell : Also, don't you usually pull someone else's chestnuts out of the fire, not usually your own?
4 mins
Quite.
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

9 mins
Reference:

Pls see here

Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree Amanda A : Well done, Yuri! & I vote: 'to secure/protect one's interests'
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
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