Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Swedish term or phrase:
vilda apor / lyfta apan
English translation:
Chattering monkeys\' pass the buck (banana skin)
Added to glossary by
Paul Lambert
Apr 17, 2012 11:56
12 yrs ago
Swedish term
Sweden
Always on time
Native in: English 
Works in: Swedish to English, Norwegian to English, Danish to English
vilda apor / lyfta apan
Swedish to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
regarding email habits at work
Context given:
"Sluta skicka iväg vilda apor. Alltför många använder e-post för all sin korrespondens till kollegor, kunder etc. Man lyfter apan från sin egen axel och ger den till någon annan..."
"Sluta skicka iväg vilda apor. Alltför många använder e-post för all sin korrespondens till kollegor, kunder etc. Man lyfter apan från sin egen axel och ger den till någon annan..."
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 | Chattering monkeys' pass the buck (banana skin) |
SafeTex
|
| 4 | monkey on your back |
Deane Goltermann
|
Proposed translations
19 hrs
Selected
Chattering monkeys' pass the buck (banana skin)
Man is known as 'the chattering monkey' sometimes and 'pass the buck' is a standard phrase meaning to pass on responsability to sm else. Does this fit in with the idea in the following lines of the text?
'banana skin' is to mix the metaphors for styistic reasons. Something for sm else to slip up on rather than you
I've given this high as it is rather inventive if you ask me
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Note added at 19 hrs (2012-04-18 07:19:16 GMT)
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no ' after Monkeys (it is a typo)
'banana skin' is to mix the metaphors for styistic reasons. Something for sm else to slip up on rather than you
I've given this high as it is rather inventive if you ask me
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Note added at 19 hrs (2012-04-18 07:19:16 GMT)
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no ' after Monkeys (it is a typo)
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks."
58 mins
Deane Goltermann
Sweden
Sweden
Native in Swedish
&
English
Sweden
Easy reading - Good writing
Native in: English 
, Swedish
Works in: Swedish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
monkey on your back
This is for the second part of your question --pretty straightforward, both languages use the same idiom in this context, though I wouldn't personally.
a monkey on somebody's back (American & Australian) - a serious problem that will not go away; as in 'The divorce proceedings are a monkey on her back.' -- but note the link below--it also means drug addiction in Eng.
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-04-17 13:30:05 GMT)
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Those 'wild monkeys' are another thing, though. Have seen 'rage e-mail', 'email rage' and combinations. Kind of like 'road rage' -- it's all the rage these days. But is this an idiom?
a monkey on somebody's back (American & Australian) - a serious problem that will not go away; as in 'The divorce proceedings are a monkey on her back.' -- but note the link below--it also means drug addiction in Eng.
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-04-17 13:30:05 GMT)
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Those 'wild monkeys' are another thing, though. Have seen 'rage e-mail', 'email rage' and combinations. Kind of like 'road rage' -- it's all the rage these days. But is this an idiom?
Example sentence:
get the monkey of their back
Note from asker:
| Thanks Deane. I am (provisionally) inclined to go with this since you provided relevant links. I was reluctant at first to use that phrase since I too associate it with bad habits generally, like drug abuse, and not just problems in a general sense. |
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