Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
herumlavieren
English translation:
to drag one's feet
German term
a job well done in a timely manner
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, German to English
herumlaviert
May 29, 2016 23:20: Cilian O'Tuama changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
Jun 16, 2016 12:59: Julia Burgess Created KOG entry
Jun 16, 2016 13:00: Julia Burgess changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/2129941">Julia Burgess's</a> old entry - "herumlaviert"" to ""drag one's feet""
PRO (3): Steffen Walter, Jonathan MacKerron, Cilian O'Tuama
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Proposed translations
United Kingdom
Experienced in the travel industry
Native in: English (Variants: British, US)
Works in: German to English
various options, my favourite: drag one's feet
dilly-dally
dither
be indecisive/irresolute, be undecided, be uncertain, be unsure, be doubtful
vacillate, waver, teeter, hesitate, oscillate, fluctuate, falter, drag one's feet
haver, hum and haw (British)
swither (Scottish)
dilly-dally, blow hot and cold, sit on the fence
Some more informal than others, some may not be understood by an international audience. Basic gist: failure to get on and make a decision!
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Note added at 2 hrs (2016-05-29 19:09:09 GMT)
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NB (ref discussion) "failure to get on" meaning "failure to get on with something", not "... someone". Apologies for any unintended misunderstanding. The key point is that the EU is failing to come up with/ decide upon a plan of action (could be about the migrant crisis?).
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Note added at 16 hrs (2016-05-30 09:04:23 GMT)
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Just to add to my long list... prevaricate is also a possibility - although loses the more colourful nature of the idiomatic options. In the end, it will be the fuller (missing) context that decides.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/shilly-shally?q=shilly
http://dict.leo.org/forum/viewUnsolvedquery.php?idThread=1004343&idForum=1&lang=de&lp=ende
| agree |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: Many nice ones
15 mins
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| agree |
Susanne Rindlisbacher
: Meine Favoriten sind shilly-shally und waver
4 hrs
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| neutral |
Michael Martin, MA
: With Susanne. It's important that you make up your mind here. Not all of these solutions are created equal.
4 hrs
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True, but without more context, it's difficult to make a final decision about what is more appropriate. If Björn's noz.de link is the original source, then I'm fairly happy with my fave: drag one's feet. EU needs to make up its mind & stop prevaricating!
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| agree |
Eleanore Strauss
: Drags its feet describes the situation. But my hands-down favorites: DITHER, vacillate, possibly shilly-shally, but that one is not as precise
5 hrs
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| agree |
Wendy Streitparth
: My first thought was dither
16 hrs
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Netherlands
M.Sc. in Architecture, B.A.
Native in: Dutch 
Works in: Dutch to German, German to Dutch, English to Dutch, and 5 more.
beat around the bush
| agree |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: Excellent!
17 mins
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Thanks!
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| agree |
philgoddard
: Lots of possibilities, but you were first. Not "she", though!
13 hrs
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Thanks!
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Retired as of Jan 2019!
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
passing the buck
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Note added at 4 hrs (2016-05-29 21:08:39 GMT)
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gridlock / unable to act
| neutral |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: Hi Jonathan, I understand passing the buck to refer to relegating responsibility, not owning up to failure or fault - which would also apply to the EU, but not necessarily to this context.
11 hrs
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| neutral |
Eleanore Strauss
: agree with Ramey
1 day 18 hrs
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United Kingdom
kicks the problem further down the road
17 examples here:
https://www.google.co.uk/?ion=1&espv=2#q="kick the problem f...
Especially this one:
Kick It as Far as You Can
http://www.stratequity.com/traders-blog/408-kick-it-as-far-a...
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Note added at 9 hrs (2016-05-30 02:12:56 GMT)
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Just seen Björn's latest rephrasing in the Discussion Box:
auf die lange Bank schieben
a perfect equivalent to
kicking a problem further down the road
kicking a problem into the long grass
http://www.idiomcenter.com/dictionary/kick-sth-into-the-long...
| agree |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: I can see it.
6 hrs
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| agree |
Björn Vrooman
: Neat choice, given the context. Hope the asker doesn't kick the question further down the road, only to end up with a dozen answers.
10 hrs
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| agree |
Eleanore Strauss
: If America one would say 'kicks the can down the road'....that's what our government does bes
1 day 14 hrs
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worked for int. orgs (IMF, OAS, IDB)
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, German to English
skirts round the subject/dillydallies
Define dillydally: to move or act too slowly : to waste time
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Note added at 10 hrs (2016-05-30 03:39:54 GMT)
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www.dictionary.com/browse/dillydally
Traducir esta página
Dillydally definition, to waste time, especially by indecision; vacillate; trifle; loiter. See more.
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Note added at 10 hrs (2016-05-30 03:40:57 GMT)
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so many options but this might fit the bill
| agree |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: Although it's on Julia's list, this deserves to be brought to the fore.
4 hrs
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shadow-box/evasive maneuvers
http://www.dict.cc/?s=herumlavieren&failed_kw=herumlaviert
Interesting is the root verb definition: http://www.dict.cc/?s=lavieren
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Note added at 15 hrs (2016-05-30 07:58:21 GMT)
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Simply- evade the issue
Should the EU continue to shadow-box/apply evasive maneuvers, this will only prove their inability to tackle problems
| agree |
Björn Vrooman
: I think "evasive" is good. "tiptoe" or "refusal to face something head-on" should also be on the list, IMO. If you want to be mean, you could say it's "All talk, no action."
2 hrs
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Oh! So you want to tell it like it is? Perish the thought!
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United States
Creativity wins in the long run
Native in: German (Variant: Germany) , English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
waver
Means to flip-flop or to be unreliable on certain issues.
Herumlavieren is not dragging one's feet as that just means to drag out making a decision. And it's most definitely not beating about the bush as being forthright is not the issue here either.
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Note added at 5 hrs (2016-05-29 21:51:22 GMT)
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http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=56912
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Note added at 18 hrs (2016-05-30 11:39:45 GMT)
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(The EU’s Wavering Over Russia}
Nothing I've seen here is sufficiently convincing to me to waver from 'waver'. The definition (be undecided between two opinions or courses of action; be irresolute) still fits the context provided:
Damit Athen den Teufelskreis aus Sparpolitik, ökonomischer Auszehrung und Schuldenbergen durchbrechen kann, müssen Tabus fallen. Dazu gehört ein wirklicher Schuldenerlass für Athen, wie ihn die Chefin des Internationalen Währungsfonds Lagarde fordert. Dass die Bundesregierung dies ablehnt, zeugt schlicht von Realitätsverleugnung. Auch eine abgefederte Pleite Griechenlands wäre eine Alternative. In jedem Fall muss bald etwas passieren. Wenn die EU jetzt herumlaviert, belegt sie nur erneut ihre Schwäche, Probleme zu lösen – Athens Schuldenberg: Sparpaket für Griechenland: Hört auf mit dem Irrsinn | noz.de - Lesen Sie mehr auf: http://www.noz.de/deutschland-welt/politik/artikel/710512/sp...
| neutral |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: Hi Michael, I don't think the context implies undecisiveness, more evasiveness. Your suggestion may be too specific?// So post keeps messing aournd - it may be too colloquial, but better than 'waver.'
10 hrs
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We're all putting too fine a point on this. The verb contains" herum" which has the same purpose as "around" in English: "Quit messing around."
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Discussion
One to three options would suffice. Without trying to offend anyone: Long lists may entice people to start quoting the entire thesaurus.com database.
None of the German examples have anyone waver. At the end of the day, it's not clear what the person actually wanted to say. The person can, but doesn't need to be indecisive or undecided. It's his or her intention not to be for or against something. It's what politicians do all day, although they call it "evolve."
In any case, the original article about Greece's debt says:
"Dass die Geldgeber das nicht zugeben wollen, ist politisches Kalkül. [...]
müssen Tabus fallen. Dazu gehört ein wirklicher Schuldenerlass [...] In jedem Fall muss bald etwas passieren. Wenn die EU jetzt herumlaviert,..."
[link see below]
So: "auf die lange Bank schieben." They don't waver or vacillate, they just don't want to deal with it. Actually, they DID decide not to listen. Lots of blah blah to calm down people, nothing concrete.
That's why I suggested "dodge": http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/dec/01/eu.politics
And here's the same lady you quoted from :D
http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=60740
http://www.sol.de/neo/nachrichten/saarbruecken/Bundestag-Lin...
Just as I said: No clear answers, only blah blah.
@Julia and Ramey
Popped into my head: What do you think about "dodging" as in "dodging questions"= Just to add one more suggestion.
The German sources should clearly corroborate what I said below:
"So "unsure, uncertain, indecisive, etc." would be overinterpretation."
BTW, here's the original source, I'd say:
http://www.noz.de/deutschland-welt/politik/artikel/710512/sp...
That could play into Julia's hands here regarding "drag one's feet" :) But "waver" is definitely out, in my opinion. It's no use for any of the references, nor for the source article.
It's as I said in my agreement with Ramey: All talk, no action.
It's: inability to act, agree on something, endless debates.
"hat jetzt namens des Kreisausschusses Antworten geliefert, die die Genossen nur 'teils, teils' zufriedenstellen, wie ihr Fraktionschef Karl Thumser formuliert. 'Einige sind aussagefähig, bei anderen wird eher herumlaviert', so Thumsers Einschätzung."
http://www.spd-main-taunus.de/aktuelles/aktuelles/klinikfusi...
"Im Herbst gibt es auf der Insel Kommunalwahlen – man darf gespannt sein wie um dieses heiße Eisen herumlaviert wird und welche Lippenbekenntnisse zum Besten gegeben werden."
https://magazin.norderney-zs.de/news/politik/altenheim-norde...
Best one yet:
"Verzögert, herumlaviert, geleugnet"
https://www.mainpost.de/regional/main-spessart/Standpunkt-Ve...
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/accounting/61162...
The last three discussion box posts will explain why I think LEO is NOT a group effort like KudoZ.
@Ramey
Thanks, I can agree with everything you say: "impulse givers" - spot on. There are just people in here who do use it as a solid reference. That's why I said don't take it personal (neither should Julia, since she didn't need any of that LEO stuff for her last answer).
Why not use "evasiveness" only?
As in (just an example):
"Her evasiveness and refusal to commit to continuing to fund Scottish agriculture should set alarm bells ringing"
http://www.fwi.co.uk/business/royal-highland-show-truss-subs...
In essence, the German term means that you make excuses (= sich herauswinden, herausmanövrieren) to not have to discuss an issue. Maybe you say nothing or maybe you say something totally irrelevant to buy time, to sit it out, to confuse, etc. The fact is you don't know the reason for "herumlavieren." So "unsure, uncertain, indecisive, etc." would be overinterpretation. "postpone" is only part of it. The refusal to face something head-on is "herumlavieren."
Best wishes
When you get enough articles from which you have to remove words because someone just happens to take the first word he or she can find on LEO, then you'd get PO'd after a while too.
I know you as someone who has enough creativity and knowledge to not require any of these sources, so I can't help but wonder why these alleged dictionaries are used as justification/confirmation at all.
RE: "shadow box"
"to act or speak unconvincingly, without saying what one means, etc ⇒ he's just shadow-boxing"
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/shadow-b...
That doesn't match the question. By the way: I'm not (!) disputing your knowledge in your native language, I am wary of the answerers' interpretation of the German source.
That's an entirely different matter.
PS: And even if you're not so fond of LEO (I, for one, don't believe you are), a lot of other people in this forum seem to be (which is why I don't post answers).
"tiptoe around something to avoid dealing directly with a problem
The government should stop tiptoeing around the issue of health care."
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/tiptoe...
Cf.:
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/britis...
E.g.:
"Das anhaltende Herumlavieren von Kretschmann beim Länderfinanzausgleich ist nicht nur peinlich, sondern auch eines Ministerpräsidenten, der die Interessen Baden-Württembergs zu vertreten hat, nicht mehr würdig. Seit seinem Amtsantritt weigert sich Kretschmann, zum ungerechten und leistungsfeindlichen Länderfinanzausgleich <b<eine klare Position zu beziehen."
http://fdp-dvp-fraktion.de/pressemitteilungen/ruelke-das-ern...
It doesn't just mean "postpone." It has little to do with "shadow boxing." And it's not "failure to get on," but "failure to face something head-on."
Duden:
http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/lavieren_segeln_sich_hin...
This is why LEO et al. are such bad sources.