Flachpfeife

07:55 Dec 16, 2009 

Well, if the target term (which was unknown to me) may have both a "dumbbell" and a "physically challenged" meaning as indicated in my remarks, then I could agree. However if "flaccid pipe" is current usage that might fight better IMO. Best, and thanks for the discussion.
@Cilian O'Tuama: I hope the term made you think of the translator's workplace because of the high-quality linguistic discussions going one here, right? Best.

07:06 Dec 15, 2009 

Ausdruck kann man durchaus auch als abfällige Bezeichnung für einen, aus Sicht der anderen, unzureichend ausgestatteten potentiellen LAP sehen.

22:52 Dec 14, 2009 

esp. @MMUlr: Thanks very much for sharing your personal experience with the word (no one else seems to even know it!). That gives a hint as to where it originated. Dumm wie Brot/Müsli, eine Niete. In my context it's clear it's more than that, and the more I think about it... "know all" or "know-it-all" seems to hit the bill.

10:59 Dec 14, 2009 

Da hab' ich Flachpfeife in Wikipedia nicht richtig gesucht ... ok, die Lexikon-Autoren haben den Begriff nach ihren Recherchen mit der Bedeutung "will überall mitreden" gefunden, und es ist nur mein persönliches Gefühl von der anderen Bedeutung (allerdings ist die Quelle hinter Wikipedia nicht eindeutig, finde ich; Canoo.net sagt nichts über Bedeutungen und die andere Quelle (Leipzig) schweigt sich in der Richtung auch irgendwie aus ...).

10:30 Dec 14, 2009 

10:06 Dec 14, 2009 

for your posting - but pls. would you provide the Wikipedia link? Searching the term there, you only get the message that it is not included in Wikipedia (?).

07:57 Dec 14, 2009 

Until Cilian posted the question, I'd never come across the term. But since Wikipedia defines a 'Flachpfeife' as a 'know-all' kind o' type, I guess there must be some Germans out there who use the word in that way. There's an irreverent entry on Stupidedia (is that allowed here? the humour is very crude, some might say, typically German). But it may help shed more light on usage: http://www.stupidedia.org/stupi/Flachpfeife

They apply it to politicians, and I'm wondering if 'Flachpfeife' could be traced back to the saying 'nach jemandes Pfeife tanzen' - - only that this tune is flat ('flach' = 'ausgedehnt'; 'oberflächlich'; 'platt').

13:05 Dec 13, 2009 

... don't see any "Besserwisser" part of Flachpfeife - would pls. somebody from the German native fraction confirm or argue against the "Volltrottel" understanding of Flachpfeife (NOT "will überall mitreden", "will alles besser wissen", "heiße Luft"!)?

12:02 Dec 13, 2009 

Hi, we used to describe people like this as "smart alecs , know-alls, smart-ass" etc, something like a Besserwisser.

04:06 Dec 13, 2009 

Maybe I didn't provide enough context. sorry 'bout that.
Maybe I should simply ask the sender exactly how she meant it.

I had never heard the term before but it made me think of proz. So I posted it here.

"cowboy" and "prat" so far come closest to my (mis?)understanding, but they don't include the "know-all" aspect. What would you call someone who can't let a topic go by without commenting on it, always believing s/he's in the know?
Just general interest. Thanks again for your thoughts.
c

08:50 Dec 12, 2009 

I used to have the US dictionary of slang and euphemisms, but just like some other books, it got lost ... but is was just as "outdated" as MMUJlr's link, but a real treasure trove.
By the way, there are several further euphemisms in German starting with Flach..., some very much below the belt (some Germans of my generation will think of Flachwi*****). I thought Vollhorst is a regional post-reunification invention, because I have only heard that being used by ex-GDR contacts. But who was the original Horst?

08:47 Dec 12, 2009 

...then simply "clueless." This would not generally be used by the older generation(s).

08:44 Dec 12, 2009 

http://www.dooyoo.de/zeitschrift/spotlight-englisch/ - -> first statement by Maexle - "Ich, in der Schule eine absolute Flachpfeife in Sachen Sprachen, ..." meaning: I had no idea, no talent at all for languages, "nichts gepeilt" :-) .

08:38 Dec 12, 2009 

@Cilian, entschuldige, aber deutsch kann ich das jetzt besser erklären:
Egal, ob die vorgeschlagenen Begriffe inhaltlich das Richtige wiedergeben - nämlich NICHT "viel heiße Luft", "viel reden, nichts dahinter", sondern -> kompletter Depp, dummer Mensch, von nichts Ahnung, kein gesunder Menschenverstand "schnallt nichts" (das ist nach meine Recherche und eigenem Verständnis die Bedeutung) - wichtig ist die *Aktualität* des Begriffs. Im Deutschen ist der Begriff Pfeife für so jemanden schon etwas länger bekannt, bei älteren Leuten - vor allem im Rheinland - -> "Flitzpiepe", hat aber hier in der Jugendsprache die Erweiterung "Flach-" erhalten. Etwas in der Richtung wie "Flachzange".

Am ehesten kann man die Flachpfeife m.E. mit -> Vollhorst gleichsetzen. Voll- als Erweiterung für Horst, Inbegriff des dummen Menschen.
Zum Einlesen: http://www.t-wie-teenager.de/jugendsprache/index.html (dort ist Flachpfeife oder Vollhorst aber nicht vertreten, mein Sohn würde diese Auflistung sicher schon als veraltet und "mainstream" bezeichnen ... :-) ) Im Engl. muss hier also ein ganz aktueller Jugendbegriff her, nichts, was eure Eltern schon gebraucht haben ...

21:42 Dec 11, 2009 

Yes, you're quite right, there's no reason why you shouldn't post this as a question.
I don't think bullshitter is that crude - you might not say it to your grandmother, but it does seem to fit the bill.

19:34 Dec 11, 2009 

I read it today in a mail, addressed to (but not at) me. And I wondered what we'd say in English.

Anyway, thanks for your suggestion, though it's not necessarily a crude equivalent I'm looking for. The German is harmless enough in itself.

19:19 Dec 11, 2009 

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a real question if it's just something you read in Wikipedia! But it sounds like the equivalent of a bullshitter.