Dumpfbacken

English translation: dimwits/dumbasses

16:13 Mar 30, 2019
German to English translations [PRO]
Government / Politics / Nachrichten - Überschrift - Politiker Sensationsausdruck
German term or phrase: Dumpfbacken
"... sagt 'rechten Dumpfbacken'Kampf an" z.B. ARD.de https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/csu-267.html
mir fällt nichts zufriedenstellendes ein zu einer (entsprechend deftig) treffenden übersetzung ins gegenwärtige US Englisch.
mit grossem Dank für wegweisende Ideen - wolfram
Wolfram Weinberg, PhD
United States
Local time: 09:27
English translation:dimwits/dumbasses
Explanation:
Not sure what register you want, but Dumpfbacke seems just as low as dumbass to me.
Selected response from:

Ted Wozniak
United States
Local time: 09:27
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5dimwits/dumbasses
Ted Wozniak
3 +2morons
Gordon Matthews
4morons
vptrans
3blockheads/airheads/imbeciles
Michael Martin, MA


Discussion entries: 14





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
dimwits/dumbasses


Explanation:
Not sure what register you want, but Dumpfbacke seems just as low as dumbass to me.

Ted Wozniak
United States
Local time: 09:27
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you! I like 'dumbass' - however, dumbasses (?) doesn't sound as good as 'dimwits', does it?

Asker: following the discussion with Björn Vrooman i am using "alt-right nitwits" to get close to the original meaning in the context. Thank you

Asker: thank you

Asker: thank you,


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway
2 mins

agree  Kim Metzger: right-wing imbeciles, blockheads, boneheads, numskulls, halfwits
3 mins

agree  franglish: ...not to forget dimwits
57 mins

agree  Ramey Rieger (X): airheads, idiots, nitwits, cretins, pinhead, simpletons....
58 mins

agree  Dr. Mara Huber
2 days 13 hrs
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
morons


Explanation:
I would be more confident, if I were familiar with the German term and if I knew US English better. My mother-tongue is British English. In the UK one would probably refer to "right-wing morons".

Gordon Matthews
Germany
Local time: 16:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Björn Vrooman: Cf. discussion. Nitwit is what a Democrat called Ronald Reagan; moron's good, too. Maybe Wolfram's example is just that: an example. If it's part of a speech given by a pol past his or her prime (*cough*), "contemporary" usage may not even count.
1 hr

agree  Michael Martin, MA: ​Considering we have our very own Moron In Chief, I'd say that label would work exceedingly well in the US, perhaps even better than in the UK.
7 hrs
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
blockheads/airheads/imbeciles


Explanation:
Another option.
Compare:
"Udo Lindenberg, a musical participant in the festival, explained: “We must stop the right-wing blockheads, that's why we're here." https://books.google.com/books?id=tqlrRJHwjKoC&pg=PA100&lpg=...
https://www.google.com/search?ei=chagXLq_IY2Y_QaAyqjgAQ&q="r...

It should be noted that Dumpfbacken can be used for idiots on both sides of the political spectrum. But it seems that it is more often applied to people right of center. If that's true, is that because the left in Europe (at least until recently) has been more successful in framing the domestic political narrative than their US counterparts? Not sure. But I would definitely not expect US liberals to try to stick the "right wing" label on the CSU. (After all, the traditional German parties including CSU are clearly left of the GOP). Doing that would rob liberals of one of their favorite epithets for Republicans.

By the way, how did you decide to translate "sagt den Kampf an" in this context? Isn't that a bigger translation challenge than "Dumpfbacke"?

Some ideas:

CSU declares war on/vows to fight/confronts/calls out 'right wing blockheads'


Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 10:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 76
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you

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1 day 4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
morons


Explanation:
dumb asses-dumme Esel. No go. Morons-better.

vptrans
Local time: 16:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you

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