Jun 14, 2004 02:40
20 yrs ago
German term
Fantutti (X)
Popelfritze
German to English
Other
Slang
Excerpt from a letter:
A little girl adds a few lines about her brother:
R. ist ein richtiger **Popelfritze**. In der Schule ist er auch nicht gut. Gestern hat er eine Arbeit geschrieben. Er hat jetzt schon Angst, dass er alles falsch gemacht hat....
Don't really know what a Popelfritze is. Does the boy like to pick his nose, or is he a little slow on the uptake? Or dirty? I'm not sure at all.
TIA!!
A little girl adds a few lines about her brother:
R. ist ein richtiger **Popelfritze**. In der Schule ist er auch nicht gut. Gestern hat er eine Arbeit geschrieben. Er hat jetzt schon Angst, dass er alles falsch gemacht hat....
Don't really know what a Popelfritze is. Does the boy like to pick his nose, or is he a little slow on the uptake? Or dirty? I'm not sure at all.
TIA!!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | R. is simply disgusting, picking his nose |
Renate FitzRoy
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| 3 +4 | twit; snotty-nosed brat |
Rowan Morrell
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| 4 +1 | slob, dirtball, slimeball |
Kim Metzger
|
| 4 | nitpicker |
Gillian Scheibelein
|
Proposed translations
+1
6 hrs
Selected
R. is simply disgusting, picking his nose
Popel is definitely what you find up your nose, and to get it out you have to popeln. I think the little girl is just giving a graphic description on how disgusting her brother is. I don't think class snobbery (in the sense of Prolet) is involved.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you all!!! Rowan, I'm so r r y !!!! I conducted a little investigation of my own today by asking Germans (native speakers) about the Popelfritze. 12 out of 12 (!!) answered without hesitation that a Popelhannes, Popelheini or a Popelfritze is a compulsive nosepicker. I'm convinced now that Renate's answer is correct. Thanks again! Enjoy your dinner, folks!"
+4
13 mins
Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
New Zealand
Native in English
New Zealand
Committed to the Customer
Native in: English (Variant: New Zealand) 
Works in: French to English, German to English, Spanish to English
twit; snotty-nosed brat
The Fritze part of the word just means guy, chap, bloke etc. So Popelfritze is essentially the same as Popel. One translation for Popel in Collins that might fit here is "pleb" or "prole".
However, I think something like "twit" might work rather better. "R. is a real twit" sounds more like the sort of thing a sister might write about her brother than "pleb".
"Snotty-nosed brat" might be closer in some ways to Popel, but is possibly a little too unkind. Also worth considering, though.
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Note added at 29 mins (2004-06-14 03:09:21 GMT)
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In view of Kim\'s comments, maybe something like \"R. is just pathetic\" or \"utterly pathetic\" might be a little closer to the mark than my initial suggestions.
However, I think something like "twit" might work rather better. "R. is a real twit" sounds more like the sort of thing a sister might write about her brother than "pleb".
"Snotty-nosed brat" might be closer in some ways to Popel, but is possibly a little too unkind. Also worth considering, though.
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Note added at 29 mins (2004-06-14 03:09:21 GMT)
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In view of Kim\'s comments, maybe something like \"R. is just pathetic\" or \"utterly pathetic\" might be a little closer to the mark than my initial suggestions.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
: Great expressions!
5 mins
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Thanks Wenjer.
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| neutral |
Kim Metzger
: Wahrig and the Duden define Popel as "schmutziger kleiner Kerl, armseliger Mensch." I'd say twit and brat are out.
5 mins
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Hmm, maybe something like "R. is utterly pathetic" might be closer to the mark then.
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| agree |
Teresa Reinhardt
: This is a somewhat dated expression; in addition to "twit" it has overtones of unmanliness, utter untrendiness with an anal bent - a dweeb? loser?
30 mins
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Dweeb is rather good. "R. is a total dweeb" sounds like just the sort of thing a sister might say about her brother. Thanks Teresa.
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| agree |
Ingrid Blank
: twit is just fine and a sister would definitely say something like that, cf "Doofkopp" in Oxford Duden = dope, dummy, twit
53 mins
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Thanks Ingrid.
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| agree |
Nancy Arrowsmith
: twit seems a little dated here, snivelling brat might help to get the pathetic part across
1 hr
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Twit is a bit dated, but according to Teresa, the German is also dated, so it might be all right. Snivelling brat isn't too bad though. Thanks Nancy.
|
+1
36 mins
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Mexico
Native in English
Mexico
Committed to Quality and Service
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
20
slob, dirtball, slimeball
Since the Duden and Wahrig define Popel as "schmutziger kleiner Kerl, armseliger Mensch" I think we need something filthy to describe the girl's brother. Popel is also of course, booger or snot - verdickter Nasenschleim. But a snot is an arrogant kid.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Teresa Reinhardt
: "Popel" is not to be taken literally; my recollection is that it was meant to indicate something like "beancounter" - definietely not a hip, macho , with-it guy (see my comments above)
9 mins
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Beancounter makes sense.
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| neutral |
Rowan Morrell
: If you look at the rest of the sister's comments, she's not really saying her brother is a slimeball, which implies he's a nasty character, and he's not a slob either. If anything, he seems to be rather anxious and uptight.
13 mins
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Yes, you're right.
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| agree |
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
: Weiste wat, Kim, ich sage meiner Frau oftmals, "Du hast recht und ich habe links, wie immer."
37 mins
|
3 hrs
Gillian Scheibelein
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
25 years' technical translation, CHEMIST
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, English
nitpicker
aka I-Tüpfelchenscheisser, Erbsenzähler, Korinthenkacker.
Someone who goes into aaalll the details
just asked my husband to make sure.
Someone who goes into aaalll the details
just asked my husband to make sure.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Renate FitzRoy
: No, Jill, this does not look like a description of a pedant, but of a disgusting little brat!
2 hrs
|
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