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Duckmäuser der Kategorie "Ich-habe-es-ja-schon-immer-gesagt"

English translation: Lily-livered "I told you so" types

10:25 Mar 23, 2003
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
German term or phrase: Duckmäuser der Kategorie "Ich-habe-es-ja-schon-immer-gesagt"
Hello everyone!
I’m translating an anti-war play in the tradition of the theater of the absurd. Need a little help with some insults. Sure, I’ve got some ideas, but since I got so much help with the Generalmajor Schießmichtot I thought I’d post some of these … it’s a comical play, a bit dark too …
Thanks in advance

B: Du behauptest, dass diese Scheißhausfliege in ihrem früheren Leben eine Art Beamter war?

A: Ja, ein parteipolitischer Arschkriecher. Na, vielleicht auch einer von diesen Konzernsheriffs – apokalyptischer Globalplayer, oder ein verlogener Klatsch- und Abortredakteur, ein negerkindstreicheldes Vorstandsmitglied der Goldenen Bank, ein erzreaktionärer Mullah, oder ein Generalmajor Schießmichtot, ein Zuhälter aus der Gosse, ein Duckmäuser der Kategorie „Ich-habe-es-ja-schon-immer-gesagt“ ...
Gunilla Zedigh
Germany
Local time: 18:55
English translation:Lily-livered "I told you so" types
Explanation:
I reckon "lily-livered" could work quite well for "Dückmaus", which implies cowardice, especially of the moral kind.

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Note added at 2003-03-23 10:43:39 (GMT)
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Actually, it\'s singular, so \"A lily-livered \'I told you so\' type\". \"Lily-livered\" has nice alliteration and has a fairly scathing and contemptuous quality to it.
Selected response from:

Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
Local time: 04:55
Grading comment
wow! lots of good ones. thanks so much for all your help! i do like the sound of lily-livered!!! again... thanks everyone!! gz
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3Lily-livered "I told you so" types
Rowan Morrell
4 +1yellow-bellied 'know-it-all'
jerrie
4one of those" I-told-you-so" draft-dodgers
William Stein
4more ideas ...
Nicole Tata
4wimpy 'I told you so' types
gangels (X)
4a draft-dodging Cassandra
Nancy Arrowsmith
3wimps of the "I've always said so" type
Klaus Dorn (X)
3yes-men of the "I told you so"-type
Nicole Trebbin


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
wimps of the "I've always said so" type


Explanation:
maybe a solution

Klaus Dorn (X)
Local time: 19:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 1514
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17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Lily-livered "I told you so" types


Explanation:
I reckon "lily-livered" could work quite well for "Dückmaus", which implies cowardice, especially of the moral kind.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-03-23 10:43:39 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Actually, it\'s singular, so \"A lily-livered \'I told you so\' type\". \"Lily-livered\" has nice alliteration and has a fairly scathing and contemptuous quality to it.

Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
Local time: 04:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1459
Grading comment
wow! lots of good ones. thanks so much for all your help! i do like the sound of lily-livered!!! again... thanks everyone!! gz

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Uschi (Ursula) Walke: or spine-less to keep it anatomic.
13 mins
  -> Yes, "spineless" is pretty good as well.
agree  Andrea Nemeth-Newhauser
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Andrea.
agree  Ellen Zittinger
7 hrs
  -> Thanks EZ.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
yes-men of the "I told you so"-type


Explanation:
my go!

Nicole Trebbin
Germany
Local time: 18:55
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 44
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
one of those" I-told-you-so" draft-dodgers


Explanation:
I think Duckmaeuser in this context implies somebody who escaped from his duty by dodging the draft (in the Vietnam War, for example) and then after the war proves to be disaster says "I told you this was a stupid war"

William Stein
Costa Rica
Local time: 10:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1734
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
more ideas ...


Explanation:
A crybaby constantly whingeing ‘I always knew this would happen’

A mummy’s boy wagging his finger irritatingly, with the words: I told you so

A big girl’s blouse who always knew this would happen

Some doom-and-gloomster with never anything good to say

hope it helps

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Note added at 2003-03-23 14:23:25 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

a few more ...

a ducker and diver with his smart arse comments
… whose only contribution is “Told you so”
… who has an answer for everything


Nicole Tata
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 1326
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
yellow-bellied 'know-it-all'


Explanation:
chicken-livered 'told you so'

Grade A chicken of the 'told you so' genus / variety!

jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1469

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.: love the "yellow-bellied" !
5 days
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
wimpy 'I told you so' types


Explanation:
spineless..... or

jellyfish characters of the 'I told you so' camp

gangels (X)
Local time: 10:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 5559
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
a draft-dodging Cassandra


Explanation:
or one of those slippery "I-told-you-so"
draft-doging eels
an artful dodger of the "I-always-told-you-so" variety



Nancy Arrowsmith
Local time: 10:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 474
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