Papierkorb

English translation: (proposal) was tossed (out)

11:07 Jun 14, 2014

German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Journalism

German term or phrase: Papierkorb

This is an extract from a magazine article to be translated for the USA market, so please - preferably US native speakers!

Wegen der zu großen Ähnlichkeit mit den vorigen Farben wanderte aber auch dieser Vorschlag – wie viele andere – wieder in den Papierkorb.

What would the US reader prefer to see?

Rubbish bin
Waste bin
Trash can
Waste basket
Paper bin
Waste-paper basket

Or perhaps something else?

David Moore (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 39 (none open) (3 closed without grading) Answers: 8962
Local time: 13:50

English translation:(proposal) was tossed (out)

Explanation:
Like many others, this proposal, too, was tossed/discarded/rejected/jettisoned

The discussion once again illustrates the drawbacks of being asked to focus on a single noun when a focus on the verb phrase might be more helpful. Instead, you get sucked into discussions of recepticles..

Selected response from:

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 07:50

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +4

"landed in the garbage" or simply "this proposal, too, was trashed"

Andrea Burde (X)

3 +4

(proposal) was tossed (out)

Michael Martin, MA

3 +3

waste basket

Yorkshireman

trash (can)

Ramey Rieger (X)

Discussion entries: 10

billcorno (X)

United States

23:47 Jun 16, 2014

Being ex-military, we used to say we put things in File 13 when they were tossed out. It probably wouldn't work here.

Nicole Schnell

United States

@Andrew

03:16 Jun 16, 2014

"a distinction seems to be made between the papers and the trash."

Uhm, well, "papers" refers to newspapers, and they go into the recycling, not into the trash.

Lancashireman

United Kingdom

Yakety Yak

22:44 Jun 15, 2014

Take out the papers and the trash
Or you don't get no spendin' cash
If you don't scrub that kitchen floor
You ain't gonna rock and roll no more
Yakety yak (don't talk back)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xAi80ShG0I

In this authentically American song, a distinction seems to be made between the papers and the trash.

Susan S-M

21:00 Jun 15, 2014

Clarification from a U.S. native: A "garbage can" is in the alley, a "wastepaper basket" in the office. "Trash" and "garbage" are regional choices. Of your submitted options, only "wastepaper basket" and "trash can" are correct U.S. English. If you want a verb, use "was rejected" or was "tossed out" (rather idiomatic).

Ramey Rieger (X)

Germany

@David

08:50 Jun 15, 2014

and the tone of the article? That would determine the proper expression.

David Moore (X)

ASKER

@ Ramey:

08:32 Jun 15, 2014

We're talking discussions to change something like 'corporate colö(u)rs', so as I stated earlier (see below), we are in an office...

Ramey Rieger (X)

Germany

@Nicole

07:37 Jun 15, 2014

True, true.
@David your context doesn't reveal WHERE the object is, but you can eliminate rubbish. If it's on a computer, I would go with trash can or wastepaper bastket (yes, it's quite AE). But if you're looking for the IDIOM and not the object itself, well, the tone will decide if it was tossed (rejected, unfortunately) or trashed (hurled in frustration).

Nicole Schnell

United States

I voted "Pro"

01:49 Jun 15, 2014

The proper use of idiomatic expressions in different variants of English is nothing that can be answered by dictionaries.

philgoddard

United States

15:16 Jun 14, 2014

As a Brit who's been living in the US for seven years, I still get hopelessly confused over what to call waste and waste containers. I find people have their own preferences and can be very inconsistent.Trash often becomes garbage when it goes through the front door, but not always, and people have different words for what we Brits call a wheelie bin.

David Moore (X)

ASKER

Now then,

13:29 Jun 14, 2014

does a US audience readily recognise a "wastpaper basket"? Because this is quite clearly something in an office, rather than an alley...

Answers

25 mins confidence:

trash (can)

Explanation:
We've never said anything else.

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 13:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20

32 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

"landed in the garbage" or simply "this proposal, too, was trashed"

Explanation:
The suggested terms, although appropriate, are not often employed in American language, with the possible exception of trash bin.

Andrea Burde (X)
Canada
Local time: 07:50
Native speaker of:

German,

English

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

(proposal) was tossed (out)

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 07:50
Native speaker of:

German,

English
PRO pts in category: 16

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

waste basket

Explanation:
This US site has wastebaskets and waste baskets.

http://www.bellacor.com/waste-baskets-office-and-desk-access...

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Note added at 9 mins (2014-06-14 11:17:17 GMT)
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Here too:

http://www.officedepot.com/a/browse/wastebaskets-and-trash-b...

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Note added at 10 mins (2014-06-14 11:18:18 GMT)
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The second site says they are wastebaskets only.

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Note added at 13 mins (2014-06-14 11:20:55 GMT)
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BTW: some people would also say "...this suggestion would also land in the trash."

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Note added at 2 hrs (2014-06-14 13:35:59 GMT)
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the following definitions apply.

Rubbish bin - British, aka dustbin, same as a US garbage can

Waste bin - International, industrial and household waste disposal container. Can be any size from a small container for kitchen waste to a fully-fledged skip.

Trash can - American, see dustbin

Waste basket - American/International/British usually made of wire, but sometimes wicker (at my school, they were all made of wicker), also applies to sheet metal bins, e,g. for office use

Paper bin - less common, used for both dustbins and waste paper bins/baskets.

Waste paper basket - British, should really only be used for wire or wicker baskets, but is often also described as a waste paper bin - which should, by definition, actually be made of sheet metal.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2014-06-14 13:39:41 GMT)
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In the US company I worked for, ideas and projects that turned out not to be feasible were also "junked" or dropped into the "big, round file"

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Note added at 2 hrs (2014-06-14 13:51:51 GMT)
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Staples, the big office supplies company has a product category headed metal trash cans, the "Papierkörbe" shown in it are described as waste baskets (or receptacles).

What they call trash cans almost all have lids and a pedal for opening (identical to Mülleimer).

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Note added at 1 day10 hrs (2014-06-15 21:16:33 GMT)
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Alternative suggestion:

"...wanderte aber auch dieser Vorschlag – wie viele andere – wieder in den Papierkorb."

"...this suggestion, like many others, found its way into the bin/ended up in the bin."

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Note added at 1 day10 hrs (2014-06-15 21:23:30 GMT)
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Quote from a Red Bull website:

"Architect and spacecraft designer Kristian von Bengtson used to work for NASA, but resigned when all his designs *ended up in the bin*. He had worked on the interiors of spacecraft for the Constellation Program, which aimed to send men back to the moon and was cut by President Obama in 2010."

Yorkshireman
Germany
Local time: 13:50
Native speaker of:

English

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English translation: (proposal) was tossed (out)

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