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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Kaffeeküchenkonferenzen

English translation:

water cooler gossip

Added to glossary by Rebecca Holmes
Aug 11, 2002 12:44
22 yrs ago
3 viewers *
German term

Kaffeeküchenkonferenzen

German to English Bus/Financial
The following appears on a PPT slide for a management training session for managers dealing with crisis situations in their companies. I am intested only in a snappy/ appropriate translation for "Kaffeeküchenkonferenzen“ but I have included the rest for context. My husband says Kaffeeküchenkonferenzen are when the employees stand around in the kitchen and talk instead of working, but how could you express that in a word or two in English?


Warnindikatoren für Krisenstimmung:

* Abwartende Haltung vorherrschend
*Alles wird nur noch kritisiert
*Überbordende „Kaffeeküchenkonferenzen“
Proposed translations (English)
4 +6 water cooler skuttlebut (or gossip)
5 +3 impromptu conferences / kitchen conferences
5 +1 upsurge in coffee cup huddles
4 +1 bull sessions or breakroom discussions or breaktime discussions
4 coffee and cakes
4 staffroom meetings
4 informal meetings
4 water cooler conferences
4 hallway chatter
4 unscheduled coffee breaks

Proposed translations

+6
35 mins
Selected

water cooler skuttlebut (or gossip)

anyway, at least Americans gather around the water cooler to gossip about others at work.

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Note added at 2002-08-11 13:22:18 (GMT)
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or \'water cooler conflab/conference/discussion/chitchat/conversation\'
Peer comment(s):
agree Trudy Peters : That was my first thought :-) Or water cooler talk
17 mins
thanks
agree gangels (X) : the one and only correct translation
36 mins
thanks
disagree Alexander Schleber (X) : what does "scuttlebut" (rumormongering) have to do with maangement training ??
38 mins
It's exactly what they want to avoid!!
agree Michaela Müller : That's equal to the German meaning! (and right:it is about gossiping about others, in this context maybe the boss)
49 mins
thanks
agree Joy Christensen : watercooler talk - scuttlebutt makes it judgmental
1 hr
althtough 'Überbordende „Kaffeeküchenkonferenzen' sounds pretty judgmental
agree Ulrike Lieder (X) : Absolutely.
1 hr
thanks
agree writeaway : water cooler conference
3 hrs
thanks
agree Steffen Walter : for US audience
18 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you everyone for all of your brilliant and creative ideas, I wish I could award points for each and every one of them. This seemed to find the most general acceptance in the form of agrees, however, and I could only pick one answer so this was it. Many thanks to you all."
3 mins

coffee and cakes

I know "Küche" and "Kuchen" are not the same, but I thought this had nice alliteration (which the German also does).

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Note added at 2002-08-11 12:56:32 (GMT)
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To include the \"Konferenzen\" bit, maybe \"chats over coffee\" would be better. Not such good alliteration, but then they may not necessarily have cakes in the kitchen. Well, that\'s another option anyway. About the best I can do without being long-winded.
Something went wrong...
9 mins

staffroom meetings

or staffroom discussions
Something went wrong...
+3
11 mins

impromptu conferences / kitchen conferences

I am of the opinion that you should forget the "Kaffeeküchen"-part, it is essentially untranslateable. However, such conferences (also in the German context) are unplanned, that is "impromptu". That gives 188 hits on Google, some of which seem to fit your context.

The only reference to "kitchen" that I remember from English, is to "kitchen cabinets". "Kitchen conferences" also delivers 21 hits.

A question of style and your preference.

HTH
Reference:

http://www.google.be/search?as_q=&num=10&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=impromptu+conferences&as_oq=&

http://www.google.be/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_qdr=all&q=+%22kitchen+conferences%22

Peer comment(s):
agree Richard George Elliott : yes, forget coffee and kitchens!
39 mins
agree Chris Rowson (X) : Forget the coffee and cakes, but keep the "kitchen conferences"! (I don´t care how many Googles, it´s just right.)
2 hrs
agree Steffen Walter : for UK audience
19 hrs
Something went wrong...
49 mins

informal meetings

informal gatherings/
ad hoc meetings/gatherings
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

bull sessions or breakroom discussions or breaktime discussions

or: breaktime conflabs
or: coffetime conflabs.
These are not just informal conferences; they involve employees shooting the bull while they drink a cup of coffe. Usually the discussions have nothing to do with work. They are just wasting timee.

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Note added at 2002-08-12 02:24:30 (GMT)
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on-the-job gab sessions
OR: coffebreak gab sessions
Peer comment(s):
agree Joy Christensen : bull sessions -- if mostly men ;) and a factory atmosphere
1 hr
bull sessions go on everywhere where men gather, but to be sure that women are included one can use "gab sessions."
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

water cooler conferences

Has a nice ring to it, and preserves the contradiction between informal (Kaffee und Kuchen/water cooler) and formal (Konferenzen/conferences).
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

hallway chatter

That's another place where people stop to pass news along.
Something went wrong...
5 hrs

unscheduled coffee breaks

lots of chatting and coffee drinking whether it's in a staff kitchen, around a coffee machine or in the staffroom.
Something went wrong...
+1
9 hrs

upsurge in coffee cup huddles

water cooler gossip may be fine for an American readership/hot climate offices but wouldn't mean much in UK/NZ environments where the cuppa or tea break, even tea room is the central point of staff discussions. My suggestion includes the ueberbordende bit and tries to convey the slightly clandestine nature of such informal chats where staff discontent and conspiracy theories are hatched.
Peer comment(s):
agree Steffen Walter : yep, my 2nd favourite for UK audience
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
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