Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
mit der Zunge schnalzen
English translation:
guaranteed/bound to impress
Added to glossary by
Stephen Roche
Dec 6, 2005 17:58
18 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term
mit der Zunge schnalzen
German to English
Bus/Financial
Business/Commerce (general)
international marketing
Die Service Line XXX steckt augenblicklich in Ausschreibungen und Vorbereitungen für vier internationale Desktop-Deals, die auf Grund ihrer Größe jeden Marktbeobachter mit der Zunge schnalzen lassen.
Clicking their tongues? Can someone please fill me in here?
Clicking their tongues? Can someone please fill me in here?
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Dec 6, 2005 18:53: Steffen Walter changed "Field (write-in)" from "internationall marketing" to "international marketing"
Proposed translations
56 mins
Selected
guaranteed/bound to impress
Your suggestion of "impress" sounds good to me in one form or another (bound to impress, would leave any onlooker impressed (is the author referring to analysts and competitors, has thoroughly impressed a and c?); I also like Cilian's suggestions.
Two phrases that have more of a physical aspect as the German does seem too hackneyed or over the top: "knock your/their socks off" or a phrasing with "oohing and aahing with/oohs and aahs of admiration" (or depending on context possibly envious sighs ?)
For my taste, the self-congratulatory gambit via imagined observers is rather off-putting.
Good luck!
Two phrases that have more of a physical aspect as the German does seem too hackneyed or over the top: "knock your/their socks off" or a phrasing with "oohing and aahing with/oohs and aahs of admiration" (or depending on context possibly envious sighs ?)
For my taste, the self-congratulatory gambit via imagined observers is rather off-putting.
Good luck!
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I liked this best. Some of the others seemed a bit too dramatic."
8 mins
Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
Quality Translations since 1986
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, English, German, and 6 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
151
rub their hands in (o. with) glee (o. anticipation)...
praps, from the context it is hard to say whether it's positive or negative
8 mins
Melanie Nassar
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
dedicated, prompt, accurate
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, English, English to German, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
24
smack their lips
it made them smack their lips (in anticipation of the money to be made, apparently)
17 mins
Elif Ergoz
Native in English
Specializes in field
Reliability in quality and timing
Native in: English 
, Turkish
Works in: English to Turkish, German to English, German to Turkish, and 4 more.
snapping their tongue
in the sense that thay will feel astonished about the new development in the market.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
franglish
: It's 'snap their fingers' which doesn't suit the context.
2 hrs
|
+3
28 mins
Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
Quality Translations since 1986
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, English, German, and 6 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
151
stand back in amazement
maybe more neutral?
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
franglish
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Jane Luther
: I like this, too
16 hrs
|
| agree |
foehnerk (X)
: or "will be amazed" to keep it really simple
18 hrs
|
+8
41 mins
Make their eyes pop/jaws drop
In the Anglophone world, if something is amazing, it doesn't make you do anything with your tongue (unless it's a gorgeous person or delicious-looking food - this could make your tongue hang out, although lick your lips is more polite!). In general, though, something amazing makes your jaw drop or your eyes pop. Something can even be eye-poppingly or jaw-droppingly good, though this may be a bit colloquial
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Terry Gilman
: exactly ((despite the difference in times, I didn't see this or would have just agreed)), guess I have been spending too much time with the opposite (e.g., mind-numbing excel files)
17 mins
|
| agree |
silvia glatzhofer
: yes
53 mins
|
| agree |
Michele Fauble
1 hr
|
| agree |
Carolyn Brice
1 hr
|
| agree |
franglish
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Rebecca Garber
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Cilian O'Tuama
6 hrs
|
| agree |
Jane Luther
: prefer "jaws drop"
15 hrs
|
+1
1 hr
take a sharp intake of breath
Results 1 - 10 of about 625 for "take a sharp intake of breath".
This is what we do in GB (and quite probably the other side of the Irish Sea as well)
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Note added at 2 days 17 hrs 16 mins (2005-12-09 11:14:18 GMT)
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PS The verb that corresponds to 'schnalzen' here is not 'to click' but 'to cluck'. When people 'cluck their tongues' it is generally a sign of disapproval but there is also an element of amazement.
There are a tongue-clucking 10,300 direct hits for the exact phrase: "clucked his tongue".
This is what we do in GB (and quite probably the other side of the Irish Sea as well)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 17 hrs 16 mins (2005-12-09 11:14:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
PS The verb that corresponds to 'schnalzen' here is not 'to click' but 'to cluck'. When people 'cluck their tongues' it is generally a sign of disapproval but there is also an element of amazement.
There are a tongue-clucking 10,300 direct hits for the exact phrase: "clucked his tongue".
Discussion