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allotted space at a farmer's market?
close encounter
Jan 21, 2016 10:15
8 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term

Short Term - Short Time

Non-PRO English Marketing Retail UK vs US English
Hi Translators!

I'm working with a German company who has had non native speakers translate their latest marketing headline for the UK.

The translation came out to be "25% off on top. For a short term only".

As a native English speaker from the US, this sounds very odd to me. I would say "take an additional 25% off. For a short time only".

Does this make more sense to a reader in the UK? I don't want to tell them their translation is wrong if it's common in the UK.


Thanks!
Ian
Responses
4 +3 short time / limited period
2 +5 Extra 25% off. For a short time only.

Discussion

magdadh Jan 21, 2016:
take the 'take' off @ philgoddard - As a gone-almost-native long-term UK resident, I'd say that 'Take x% off' sounds off to my ears too. That's why I removed it in my suggestion and replaced with 'extra xx% off' which is common and sounds natural.

Nothing technically wrong with 'take off' and 'on top', but they lack the right feel and I'd say would take more fractions of the second to process.
philgoddard Jan 21, 2016:
One other thing In my experience as a Brit living in the US, "take X% off", in the context of special offers, is an American construction. I'm not sure, but it may sound slightly odd to British ears.
B D Finch Jan 21, 2016:
Short time/term Same in UK English, "short term" is wrong here. Short-term contract: because a contract has either a fixed or indefinite term. Short-term solution: the term is unspecified, we just know the solution will need replacing with a long-term one. However, it's not as much a question of logic, as of general usage.
Charles Davis Jan 21, 2016:
@Ian Like you (though the other way round) I constantly wonder whether things that sound wrong to me are right on the other side of the Atlantic, but here, as Tony says, "term" is wrong in UK English too. You can be elected for a short term, of course, and things can happen in the short term, but here it should quite definitely be "time", or "period".

Responses

+3
10 mins
Selected

short time / limited period

You're quite right, even for EN-GB!

In similar expressions, we might well say 'offer available for limited period only' (euphemising away just HOW short that might be!)

Not to sure about your 'take off...' — can't quite see how the expression is being used overall, but I'd probably says something like 'additional 25% discount currently available, for a limited period only'
Peer comment(s):
agree Charles Davis
11 mins
Thanks, Charles!
agree magdadh
12 mins
Thanks, magdadh!
agree acetran
50 mins
Thanks, Ace!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks! "Take off" is something I see a lot in US marketing materials so that's where my head jumped to. Good to know my hunch was correct."
+5
8 mins

Extra 25% off. For a short time only.

Just an idea.

The 'extra xx% off' is pretty common, 'short time' better than short term imo in this context, 'limited offer' also a possibility, but not quite the same meaning.
Peer comment(s):
agree Charles Davis
13 mins
agree B D Finch : Two for the price of one with the correction of "25% off on top".
15 mins
agree acetran
52 mins
agree philgoddard
5 hrs
agree Alok Tiwari
7 days
Something went wrong...
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