Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
Ich mache der Welt Dampf!
English translation:
I make the world go steam full steam ahead!
Added to glossary by
Carolyn Brice
Nov 16, 2006 08:34
17 yrs ago
German term
Ich mache der Welt Dampf!
German to English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
This is from a small text with guessing games for 18th century personalities. This is for James Watt, and the whole phrase is "Mit einem Satz: Ich mache der Welt Dampf!". Other onformaiton includes born/died etc... not much else.
I have found two translations for this expression:
1) To kick someone in the pants (Leo)
2) To get someone to make a move on (Collins)
Don't like either, any other (bright) ideas? (pun intended...)
I have found two translations for this expression:
1) To kick someone in the pants (Leo)
2) To get someone to make a move on (Collins)
Don't like either, any other (bright) ideas? (pun intended...)
Proposed translations
(English)
| 2 +2 | I helped the world gather/pick up steam |
Francis Lee (X)
|
| 3 +1 | Thanks to me, it was full steam ahead! |
Serena Dorey (X)
|
| 3 +1 | I got the world all steamed up. |
Ken Cox
|
| 4 | I got the world to put on steam |
David Moore (X)
|
Proposed translations
+2
7 mins
Selected
I helped the world gather/pick up steam
Should be OK whatever readership you have. As I said above, the word "steam" definitely has to be in there. Otherwise:
- I had the world positively steaming
- I ensured the world would not run out of steam
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Note added at 9 mins (2006-11-16 08:44:20 GMT)
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- I put the world under its own steam
- I put the world at full steam (ahead?)
- I had the world positively steaming
- I ensured the world would not run out of steam
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Note added at 9 mins (2006-11-16 08:44:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
- I put the world under its own steam
- I put the world at full steam (ahead?)
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Rachel Ward
: I like your 1st and 3rd options best.
57 mins
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Thanks, Rachel. I suppose anything with "steam" would do here, although I myself like "positively steaming" and "full steam ahead"
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| agree |
Bernhard Sulzer
: with "I helped the world pick up steam" as in 'the world was definitely moving faster' (from then on ) great wording for the guessing game, should be CL 5
11 hrs
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Thou art too kind, sir. But OK, CL should be 3 or even 4 perhaps (I only post a 5 on my birthday)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "This (see glossary entry) is what I used, thanks for your help!"
+1
59 mins
Thanks to me, it was full steam ahead!
Still sticking with the "steam" clue...
+1
1 hr
I got the world all steamed up.
reasonably close to the original, and with the pun.
4 hrs
I got the world to put on steam
To put on steam = to get a move on...which he did, that was the basis of the Industrial Revolution, after all...
More correctly, from a tenses point of view is "I GET the world to put on steam". Depends on your context, I guess...
More correctly, from a tenses point of view is "I GET the world to put on steam". Depends on your context, I guess...
Discussion