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etwas aus den Angeln heben

English translation: unhinge, shake up, turn upside down

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:aus den Angeln heben
English translation:unhinge, shake up, turn upside down
Entered by: OlafK

22:57 Jan 13, 2003
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: etwas aus den Angeln heben
figuratively speaking, as in
"die Welt aus den Angeln heben"
Thanks for your suggestions
OlafK
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:54
disrupt / unhinge
Explanation:
unhinge (Merriam-Webster)
: UNSETTLE, DISRUPT *unhinge the balance of world peace* *pressure that would unhinge a less experienced person*
Selected response from:

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 06:54
Grading comment
Again a lot of good answers. I had thought of "unhinge" myself but have only ever come across it in the form of "unhinged" and wasn't sure if it was suitable. Since as an infinitve it is not in any my dictionaries (yet)I think Cilian derserves the points.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +5to shake things up
Norbert Hermann
4 +1disrupt / unhinge
Cilian O'Tuama
4fundamentally change
Kim Metzger
4to turn the world upside down
Stephan Meinke
4more suggestions:
Nicole Tata
4cast into chaos
jerrie


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
fundamentally change


Explanation:
Duden: etwas grundsätzlich verändern

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Note added at 2003-01-13 23:01:39 (GMT)
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fundamentally change the world


    Duden - Redewendungen
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 22:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 156
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to turn the world upside down


Explanation:
a suggestion

Stephan Meinke
Canada
Local time: 21:54
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +5
to shake things up


Explanation:
figurativly speaking

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-14 00:33:03 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

to reshape the world

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-14 00:38:08 (GMT)
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to overthrow something (ideas) completely

Norbert Hermann
Local time: 05:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters: I like it. I wish we had more context, though.
20 mins
  -> isn't that always the case :-)
agree  Ellen Zittinger
1 hr
  -> thanks
agree  Eva Blanar: I'm for shaking things up - I wonder what's the nature of the asker's project, anyway...
4 hrs
  -> thanks and good morning :-)
agree  Susan Geiblinger
21 hrs
agree  Giusi Pasi
21 hrs
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
more suggestions:


Explanation:
As I understand it, you are looking for lots of ideas, well here goes:

to blow/throw off course
to throw off the rails, off balance
to throw into confusion
to unseat (as in: firmly held beliefs)
to turn topsy-turvy
to send haywire
to throw a spanner in the works, spoke into the wheels
and I am sure there are many more ...

hope it helps



    my trusty Thesaurus - perhaps you should get one?
Nicole Tata
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:54
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 16
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
disrupt / unhinge


Explanation:
unhinge (Merriam-Webster)
: UNSETTLE, DISRUPT *unhinge the balance of world peace* *pressure that would unhinge a less experienced person*

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 06:54
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 109
Grading comment
Again a lot of good answers. I had thought of "unhinge" myself but have only ever come across it in the form of "unhinged" and wasn't sure if it was suitable. Since as an infinitve it is not in any my dictionaries (yet)I think Cilian derserves the points.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dirgis (X): unhinge renders it best, since it also uses the same image, and has the same connotation of insecurity without a firm anchor point or attachment, putting… at risk of tilting, falling etc.
12 hrs
  -> tbanks
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
cast into chaos


Explanation:
radically change
cast adrift
set free from its moorings
free from the restraints that bind
untie the cords that bind
liberate from its straitjacket
unlock the restraints/manacles/shackles (anarchy)
throw off kilter
throw caution to the wind
go into freefall

The definitions/images I have are:
taking a door from its frame, ie removing the world from its framework

radically change, throw into chaos to start again (like Milton's Paradise Lost where the world is linked to Paradise/Heaven by a chain...cut it loose..)


hth!!


jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 44
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