This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. Business/Commerce (general)

mit seiner Giftspritze "in den Sack" haut.

English translation: jack it in / throw in the towel / have the wind taken out of his sails

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:mit seiner Giftspritze "in den Sack" haut.
English translation:jack it in / throw in the towel / have the wind taken out of his sails
Entered by: Paula Price

10:13 Feb 18, 2008
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general)
German term or phrase: mit seiner Giftspritze "in den Sack" haut.
Hr. XXX stimmt mir allerdings zu, dass wir den Stier bei den Hörnern nehmen und die Thematik in unserem groβen Eröffnungsplädoyer ansprechen sollten, damit der RA mit seiner Giftspritze "in den Sack" haut.
Paula Price
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:53
jack it in / throw in the towel / have the wind taken out of his sails
Explanation:
The vituperative attorney/lawyer is to have the wind taken out of his sails by being preempted by the other side.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day5 hrs (2008-02-19 15:27:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

alternatively: "burst his bubble"
Selected response from:

Colin Rowe
Germany
Local time: 05:53
Grading comment
Thanks a lot!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3give up / quit
Cetacea
3 +3jack it in / throw in the towel / have the wind taken out of his sails
Colin Rowe
4to make the lawyer let loose his venomous tongue
Ellen Kraus
3(the attorney's) acidic speech will start a fire
Nicole Schnell
3and let their lawyer make a fool of himself
Alastair Naughton (X)
3disarm
Hilary Davies Shelby
2 -2hit the RA in the sack with is lethal injection.
Roy Williams


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): -2
hit the RA in the sack with is lethal injection.


Explanation:
This is not a very nice phrase and difficult to translate politely. The sack refers testicles. Giftspritze is a needle filled with something posionous. It seems like a strange use of words for something business-related, but then again, Im a technician.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2008-02-18 10:26:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I mean "with his lethal injection" little typo there.

Roy Williams
Austria
Local time: 05:53
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Nicole Schnell: "Giftspritze" means "poison tongue". Please avoid dictionary translations for idiomatic phrases.//Also: it's not the RA who gets hit. And "sack" doesn't refer to certain male body parts.//Certainly not vulgar terms to be translated for international use
19 mins
  -> What does it refer to then
disagree  sylvie malich (X):
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(the attorney's) acidic speech will start a fire


Explanation:
An attempt.

Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 20:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 112

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Cetacea: IMHO, that's exactly what they don't want; they want to snuff out whatever fire the opposing party's attorney has... "in den Sack hauen" doesn't have the "sack of flour" meaning you mention above.
1 hr
  -> Reading it back and forth several times made me come up with this decision. The sack of flour-analogy was highly necessary to get minds of various genitals.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to make the lawyer let loose his venomous tongue


Explanation:

to let the lawyer or attorney (according to the circumstances) .....

Ellen Kraus
Austria
Local time: 05:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 88
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
in den Sack hauen
give up / quit


Explanation:
"in den Sack hauen" means to give up, to quit (one's job).

IMO, they're talking about the attorney of the opposing party (who's obviously known for his/her poisonous tongue), and by bringing the matter (whatever that may be..) up themselves in their big opening speech, they hope to make him/her abandon it.


    Reference: http://tinyurl.com/37a7yv
    Reference: http://www.graph-pinsel.de/ordner_seiten/main_site_kuenstler...
Cetacea
Switzerland
Local time: 05:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  seehand
25 mins
  -> Thank you, seehand.
agree  Andrea Hauer: so würde ich es auch verstehen, im Sinne von "ins Leere laufen lassen / auflaufen lassen"
1 hr
  -> Ja, genau, "ihn ins Leere laufen lassen" wäre sicher die gebäuchlichere Formulierung. Danke, Andrea.
agree  Hilary Davies Shelby: that's what I thought too (see my notes above), but wasn't sure, not being a native speaker!
4 hrs
  -> Thank you, Hilary.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
and let their lawyer make a fool of himself


Explanation:
The point is here that they want the other party's lawyer to say his piece, but to have this exposed as a piece of nonsense. It happens all the time in politics, where a dunce leader of the opposition is actually an asset for the party in power

Alastair Naughton (X)
Local time: 04:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
jack it in / throw in the towel / have the wind taken out of his sails


Explanation:
The vituperative attorney/lawyer is to have the wind taken out of his sails by being preempted by the other side.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day5 hrs (2008-02-19 15:27:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

alternatively: "burst his bubble"

Colin Rowe
Germany
Local time: 05:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Thanks a lot!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Hilary Davies Shelby: exactly what I was thinking, but SO much more elequently expressed! ;-)
20 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Cetacea: Nice selection! :-)
2 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Andrea Hauer: fine ones ...
3 hrs
  -> Thank you!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
disarm


Explanation:
Just another suggestion along the same lines - they want to "disarm" the other party's lawyer by getting in first.

Hilary Davies Shelby
United States
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search