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das blonde Heimchen am Herd

English translation: faithful blonde Hausfrau at home

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:das blonde Heimchen am Herd
English translation:faithful blonde Hausfrau at home
Entered by: Dr Andrew Read

19:31 Jan 24, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Journalism
German term or phrase: das blonde Heimchen am Herd
"Die Frauen der Nazis". Dokumentation, Deutschland, 2001. **Das "blonde Heimchen am Herd"**, das dem "Führer" zahlreiche Kinder schenken sollte; die ideologisch gestählte Frau und Mutter, die fanatisch dem Nationalsozialismus dient: so sah das Idealbild der Frauen im Dritten Reich aus.
Olaf Reibedanz
Colombia
Local time: 18:08
faithful blond Hausfrau
Explanation:
I think there's a good argument for adding the extra adjective "faithful", as somehow the English needs an extra adjective for the rhythm, as some of the answers imply; and "faithful" fits in well with the description afterwards.

As for "Hausfrau" this is quite often used in English in a gently disparaging way about certain type of German woman.

Look at this quote from the first ref:
"I thought that, if I went with Werner, I would be better hidden: a little Hausfrau in a kitchen living with a member of the Nazi party who worked for the company that made the planes which were dropping the bombs on London"

And this from the second one:
"Oddly enough, it was Clemens's main concern that Bettina should marry well and become a proper hausfrau. He was afraid that his sister would hook up with a mad poet. "

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-25 01:29:58 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or for nice rhythm: \"a faithful, blond-haired Hausfrau\", or \"a loyal, blond-haired Hausfrau\"...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-25 01:31:45 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Both \"little\" and \"proper\" also go with \"Hausfrau\" as in the two quotes above.
Selected response from:

Dr Andrew Read
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:08
Grading comment
Thank you all for your creative input :)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3faithful blond Hausfrau
Dr Andrew Read
2 +4perfect blond housewife
Jonathan MacKerron
4Background info
Kim Metzger
3 +1happy little homemaker
NGK
3 +1(ordinary) housewife
Cilian O'Tuama
4dedicated housewife
IanW (X)
4dedicated blonde guardian of the kitchen stove
David Moore (X)
4blonde-haired little cookie baker at the hearth
gangels (X)
3"perfect little wife and homemaker"
writeaway
3blond, good little wife / wifie
heikeb
3blonde little housewife
vishoy


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Background info


Explanation:
Duden - Heimchen am Herd: eine naive, nicht emanzipierte Frau, die sich mit ihrer Rolle als Hausfrau und Ehefrau zufrieden gibt. Nach dem Titel der Erzaehlung von Ch. Dickens "Cricket on the Hearth"

Maybe the loyal housewife at the kitchen stove?


    Duden Universalw�rterbuch
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 17:08
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
happy little homemaker


Explanation:
I'd leave out blonde here to make it more organic in English. (You could make the children blonde ...)

NGK
United States
Local time: 18:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 22

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lars Helbig
7 mins
neutral  Ulrike Lieder (X): Leaving "blonde" out may be more organic, but given the specific context, it should most definitely be included. The Arian ideal (blonde, blue-eyed) was an important aspect of Nazi ideology.
4 hrs
  -> Hence my suggestion to make the children she bears for the Führer blonde. Same effect.
neutral  Dr Andrew Read: agree with Ulrike's comment
5 hrs
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
(ordinary) housewife


Explanation:
(verächtlich) ein Heimchen (am Herd) (just a) housewife, an ordinary housewife

Lanenscheidt

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 01:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Brandis (X)
1 hr
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50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
"perfect little wife and homemaker"


Explanation:
from an era when men referred to their wives as 'the little woman'.

Although Hitler praised the prolific "Aryan mother as the equal of the Aryan soldier, National Socialism rendered German women invisible except as child bearers and child raisers. The ideal Nazi wife was the wholesome, athletic, peasant type—a domestic mother and helper to her husband: "Her whole world is her husband, her family, her children, her house."
http://www3.sympatico.ca/mighty1/essays/lessons1.htm



    Reference: http://www3.sympatico.ca/mighty1/essays/lessons1.htm
writeaway
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
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52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
dedicated housewife


Explanation:
I agree with Norbert regarding the word "blonde", but feel that "happy little homemaker" is a little too frivolous for this context. Rather than being happy, I think that they were expected to be "dedicated" - to their family, the Führer and the Cause. So I would suggest "dedicated housewife" or "dedicated homemaker"

IanW (X)
Local time: 01:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +4
perfect blond housewife


Explanation:
seems to fit the context

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 32 mins (2004-01-24 21:04:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

given the Nazi context it seems to me that \"blond\" should be kept in the translation

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 18

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ulrike Lieder (X): I agree that "blond" should definitely be kept in the translation
3 hrs
agree  Johanna Timm, PhD: w. Ulrike."blonde" is part of the job description here
4 hrs
agree  Mario Marcolin
15 hrs
agree  Nancy Arrowsmith: maybe industrious. Blond is definitely part of the Aryan "Wunschvorstellung."
1 day 5 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
faithful blond Hausfrau


Explanation:
I think there's a good argument for adding the extra adjective "faithful", as somehow the English needs an extra adjective for the rhythm, as some of the answers imply; and "faithful" fits in well with the description afterwards.

As for "Hausfrau" this is quite often used in English in a gently disparaging way about certain type of German woman.

Look at this quote from the first ref:
"I thought that, if I went with Werner, I would be better hidden: a little Hausfrau in a kitchen living with a member of the Nazi party who worked for the company that made the planes which were dropping the bombs on London"

And this from the second one:
"Oddly enough, it was Clemens's main concern that Bettina should marry well and become a proper hausfrau. He was afraid that his sister would hook up with a mad poet. "

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-25 01:29:58 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or for nice rhythm: \"a faithful, blond-haired Hausfrau\", or \"a loyal, blond-haired Hausfrau\"...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-25 01:31:45 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Both \"little\" and \"proper\" also go with \"Hausfrau\" as in the two quotes above.


    Reference: http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/heads/l...
    Reference: http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,1027455,00....
Dr Andrew Read
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thank you all for your creative input :)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Johanna Timm, PhD: Given the fact that a Heimchen is really a cricket, maybe 'ever-busy' or something along those lines would work, as well- with busy+blond making for a nice alliteration
51 mins
  -> I didn't know that "Heimchen" meant "cricket"! Thought it was just to do with "Heimat", etc. :-)
agree  Mario Marcolin
10 hrs
agree  Textklick: I think that within the context of such a book, Andrew's suggestion is by far the best.
11 hrs
  -> Thanks very much!
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
blond, good little wife / wifie


Explanation:
"housewife" and "homemaker" are not derogatory enough. "Heimchen am Herd" is the opposite of an emancipated woman. Something like "good little wife" comes IMO much closer.

On almost any television show there is always the good little wife that waits until the husband comes home to make any important decisions.
http://www.instant-essays.com/cinema_&_television/women-on-t...

Dina Merrill is good as Emily, but her role is terribly dated. She plays it as if she were a Stepford wife, a good little wife who will patiently wait until her husband stops boozing it up and whoring around.
http://www.movbuy.com/Classics-Movies/Butterfield-8.asp


cf:
In other words, Ida hasn't set up her University simply to educate women, but because she is foolishly dissatisfied with the world as it is: the "happy ending" occurs when Hilarion convinces her that the world is fine as it is ("I see my error now"), and leaves the follies of women's education to become a good little wifie. (You see that I haven't abandoned my conviction that Ida is an anti-feminist piece in essence.)
http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/princess_ida/discussion/pi5-1...

Sadly, some women really choose to play a dumb, incompetent little wifie ("don't you worry your pretty little head over that"), afraid that learning skills and achieving something in the world would destroy their marriage.
http://www.antiaging.com/cyberhealth/CyberHealth_13.htm

the males look upon it as their job to support the family while the little wifie picks up all the household chores.
http://oii.net/Forum/messages/26146.shtml


heikeb
Ireland
Local time: 00:08
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
dedicated blonde guardian of the kitchen stove


Explanation:
deliberately just a tiny bit flippant; might fit - who knows....
Incidentally, and importantly, the HOUSEWIFE will be BLOND*E*, not blond! This I think may be the only English adjective gender-modified in this way.

David Moore (X)
Local time: 01:08
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
blonde-haired little cookie baker at the hearth


Explanation:
cookie baker comes closest to the meaning of Heimchen (US)

gangels (X)
Local time: 17:08
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12
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1 day 10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
blonde little housewife


Explanation:
just an alternative

vishoy
Local time: 04:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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