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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

Wer hat denn da an der Uhr gedreht?!

English translation: Where (on Earth) has the time gone?

15:27 Aug 26, 2008
German to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / an expression
German term or phrase: Wer hat denn da an der Uhr gedreht?!
This is in a conversational piece.
stephkg (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:35
English translation:Where (on Earth) has the time gone?
Explanation:
One option which seems to fit the meaning, i.e. surprise that it's later than the speaker thought.
Selected response from:

Caroline Devitt (X)
Local time: 23:35
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +8Where (on Earth) has the time gone?
Caroline Devitt (X)
3 +1who messed with the dial?
Ingeborg Gowans (X)
4Time just flew by! Where has the time gone? We/I/You lost tack of time.
AlienusLingua
2 +1Who has tampered with the clock?
casper (X)
Summary of reference entries provided
Nicole Schnell

Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
Where (on Earth) has the time gone?


Explanation:
One option which seems to fit the meaning, i.e. surprise that it's later than the speaker thought.

Caroline Devitt (X)
Local time: 23:35
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Inge Meinzer
1 min
  -> Thanks!
agree  Kathi Stock
41 mins
  -> Thanks!
agree  Fred Visagie: Fred Visagie. Idiomatic German. Time flies!
50 mins
  -> Thanks!
agree  Helen Shiner: Or 'where has all the time gone?'
1 hr
  -> Thanks! Your version's good too. :-)
agree  Lirka: with fred
3 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
5 hrs
  -> Thanks!
disagree  Ashima: Wer ist "who" auf english, nicht "where". Also, das ist falsch
5 hrs
  -> Thank you for your comment, but the idea here is to find an English expression that conveys the meaning of the German expression, not to give a literal translation. See also Aleksandra Paunovic's comment below.
agree  AlienusLingua: You cannot always translate literally, and in this case we have to use WHERE because as a phrase in the English Language one does not say it that way. I would have to think twice and maybe ask for clarification from you if you used WHO.
7 hrs
  -> Thank you very much for your comment, Aleksandra. :-)
agree  Sandra SAYN (X): Reminds me of the German version of Pink Panther/Paulchen Panther: "Wer hat an der Uhr gedreht, ist es wirklich schon so spät. Ich komm wieder, keine Frage...."
14 hrs
  -> Thanks! Nicole Schnell also posted your example from the Pink Panther. :-)
agree  babli: agree
15 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Who has tampered with the clock?


Explanation:
Perhaps?

casper (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ashima
5 hrs
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33 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
who messed with the dial?


Explanation:
a little freer, but maybe hits the tone;
"where has the time gone" as alternative

Ingeborg Gowans (X)
Canada
Local time: 18:35
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 27

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
5 hrs
  -> thanks again, Harald
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Time just flew by! Where has the time gone? We/I/You lost tack of time.


Explanation:
Time just flew by! We/I/You lost tack of time.
It has passed by you so fast that you didn't even notice.

Where has the time gone?
You were doing something and you ran out of time.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2008-08-26 22:46:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry I didn't notice that someone has already translated: Where has the time gone?

Example sentence(s):
  • As we were working on an interesting project, time just flew by.
  • I feel like i haven't completed my task, where has the time gone?
AlienusLingua
Local time: 17:35
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in GermanGerman
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Reference comments


9 mins peer agreement (net): +1
Reference

Reference information:
That's from the cartoon series "Der rosarote Panther" (Paulchen Panther):

"Wer hat an der Uhr gedreht, ist es wirklich schon so spät?

Heute ist nicht alle Tage, ich komm wieder, keine Frage!"

:-)


    Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVwIXOox3YQ
Nicole Schnell
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 64

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Klaus Herrmann: Ach, das waren noch Zeiten :)
7 mins
  -> Hach, ja! :-)))
neutral  Ken Cox: In that case this site might be useful: www.high-tech.com/panther/
7 mins
  -> Cute website! It's not the intro, though, but the squeaky children's choir at the end of the show. Thanks, Ken! :-)
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