Spielball

English translation: economic football

12:59 Jul 17, 2005
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Economics
German term or phrase: Spielball
kein Spielball der Ökonomie... saying ball of the economy or cue-ball of the economy sounds a bit odd. Any suggestions?
SpreeSarah
United States
Local time: 19:42
English translation:economic football
Explanation:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q="political football"&...
@ 93,400 ggl
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q="economic football"&hl=en&l...
@380 ggl
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q="political or economi...
@ 2ggl
Selected response from:

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:42
Grading comment
I chose this one as it worked well in the context.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1playball
swisstell
4 +1ping-pong ball
Stephen Sadie
4 +1subject to the whims of economy
kostan
3 +1plaything
Kieran McCann
3 +1economic football
Lancashireman
4pawn
Hilary Davies Shelby


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
playball


Explanation:
why not a straight translation in this context?

PDF] The Market Economy and the State


Dateiformat: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
ordoliberal conception of the state and the market economy. ... opinion on what
is just and fair but would become the „playball of group interests“, a ...
www.dundee.ac.uk/cepmlp/journal/ assets/images/Streit-onHayek97.pdf t

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 01:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Frosty
23 mins
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
plaything


Explanation:
assuming the sense of something abused/undervalued by economic processes

Kieran McCann
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 40

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ENGSOL: agree! -- http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q="plaything...
20 mins

neutral  Stephen Sadie: apologies i didn't see your plaything!!
30 mins
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
ping-pong ball


Explanation:
or possibly toy
or plaything

Stephen Sadie
Germany
Local time: 01:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  franglish: toy is what seems to be meant here, kids fighting over a toy
6 mins
  -> thanks franglish
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39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Spielball der Ökonomie
economic football


Explanation:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q="political football"&...
@ 93,400 ggl
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q="economic football"&hl=en&l...
@380 ggl
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q="political or economi...
@ 2ggl


Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 57
Grading comment
I chose this one as it worked well in the context.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Conroy Fritz
4 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
subject to the whims of economy


Explanation:
as an alternative

kostan
Austria
Local time: 01:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 15

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BrigitteHilgner: Sounds good to me - but I think the asker should have given more context and told us who or what is no Spielball.
49 mins
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8 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
pawn


Explanation:
Just had this come up in my translation and used "pawn". I'm adding it here for future reference.

Hilary Davies Shelby
United States
Local time: 18:42
Native speaker of: English
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