Kapriolen schlagen

English translation: (the swallows were) cavorting (in the air)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Schwalben schlugen Kapriolen
English translation:(the swallows were) cavorting (in the air)
Entered by: swisstell

00:20 Jan 15, 2011
German to English translations [PRO]
Zoology
German term or phrase: Kapriolen schlagen
Die Schwalben schlugen ihre Kapriolen....

The swallows were making their turnes in the air...(?)
Diaphenia (X)
Local time: 16:42
(the swallows were) cavorting (in the blue sky/in the air)
Explanation:
or: the swallows were swooping and looping

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Note added at 32 mins (2011-01-15 00:53:28 GMT)
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About 334,000 results (0.43 seconds)
Search ResultsBrisingr, or, The seven promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira ... - Google Books Result
Christopher Paolini - 2009 - Juvenile Fiction - 800 pages
... turned to watch a pair of swallows cavorting in the blue sky. In profile, his delicate, slanted features reminded Eragon of a hawk or a sleek cat. ...
books.google.com/books?isbn=0375854819...Rookwood Iris vase, swallows , Reed, 1896, 589 F, Jun 6, 2004 ... Early Iris Glaze 7 3/8 inche vase decorated with swallows cavorting around the shaded blue and gray background by Olga Reed
Selected response from:

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 16:42
Grading comment
Liebe Kollegen, vielen Dank für die hilfreichen Antworten!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1(the swallows were) cavorting (in the blue sky/in the air)
swisstell
4 +1were flaunting their acrobatics
Ramey Rieger (X)
3 +1looping
Johanna Timm, PhD
4swallows flitting through the air
Gabriella Bertelmann
3 +1circling /wheeling / performing aerobatics
Lancashireman
3(swallows) frolicking in the air
adamgajlewicz
3swirling
Wendy Streitparth
3cutting capers
Anna Grynfeld Smith


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
(the swallows were) cavorting (in the blue sky/in the air)


Explanation:
or: the swallows were swooping and looping

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2011-01-15 00:53:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

About 334,000 results (0.43 seconds)
Search ResultsBrisingr, or, The seven promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira ... - Google Books Result
Christopher Paolini - 2009 - Juvenile Fiction - 800 pages
... turned to watch a pair of swallows cavorting in the blue sky. In profile, his delicate, slanted features reminded Eragon of a hawk or a sleek cat. ...
books.google.com/books?isbn=0375854819...Rookwood Iris vase, swallows , Reed, 1896, 589 F, Jun 6, 2004 ... Early Iris Glaze 7 3/8 inche vase decorated with swallows cavorting around the shaded blue and gray background by Olga Reed

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 16:42
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Liebe Kollegen, vielen Dank für die hilfreichen Antworten!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Lancashireman: Skylarking? I've just put "cavorting with" into everyone's favourite search engine and Page 1 suggests "with the enemy", "with strangers" and "with the Devil". Unfortunate associations...
4 mins
  -> looking at swallows cavorting, no negative meaning comes to my mind.

agree  British Diana: Andrew, look in the Oxford Dict: "jump or dance around excitedly" the negative meaning is an additional one which not everyone will associate with this lovely old English word! The Asker could use "to curvet" with the same meaning and noone wd understand.
6 hrs
  -> thank you, Diana!w
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
looping


Explanation:
or soaring

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Note added at 2 hrs (2011-01-15 02:43:18 GMT)
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Hi Andrew.
On a splendid summer day last that I spent frolicking in the lovely rolling hills of East Sussex, UK - what did I see: two distinctly British swallows looping and soaring around the roofs of those lovingly restored thatched cottages. That’s exactly what they did. Cutting capers. Doing loop-de- loops. How’s that for a reference :-)

Redewendung “Kapriolen schlagen”
Bedeutung/Anwendungsgebiet:
vor Erregung/Freude umherspringen

Herkunft/Ursprung:

Das italienische Wort "capriola" bedeutet "Bocksprung".

http://www.woher-stammt.de/details-Kapriolen-schlagen-id-73-...


Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 08:42
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Lancashireman: Soaring only? Or plummeting too? // I frolicked gaily as a lamb … When all at once I saw a couple … A pair of grey-blue swallows … Looping and soaring in the eaves (Wordsworth?)
5 mins

agree  Helen Shiner: This would be my preference - it keeps the original intent of the Kapriolen.
6 days
  -> Thanks:-)
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
swallows flitting through the air


Explanation:
another option

Gabriella Bertelmann
Local time: 16:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(swallows) frolicking in the air


Explanation:
http://www.google.pl/search?q=birds frolicking in the air&hl...
"birds frolicking in the air"

A flock of swallows and gamebirds frolicking and flying throughout the airport vicinity waiting for an engine ingestion which will make your approach much more challenging.

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Note added at 11 hrs (2011-01-15 12:02:24 GMT)
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another option

Example sentence(s):
  • A flock of swallows and gamebirds frolicking and flying throughout the airport vicinity waiting for an engine ingestion which will make your approach much more challenging.
  • Birds are singing impossible tunes and frolicking in the air.

    Reference: http://www.google.pl/search?q=birds+frolicking+in+the+air&hl...
adamgajlewicz
Local time: 16:42
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
swirling


Explanation:
and plunging

Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Local time: 16:42
Native speaker of: English
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
were flaunting their acrobatics


Explanation:
They are show-offs!

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 16:42
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Horst Huber (X): This answer (also the asker!) has noted the operative word, "their", meaning, they are doing what they by nature and habit do. The rest is ad lib.
12 hrs
  -> Thanks, Horst! Have a nice Sunday, the sun is shining over Germany for once!
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
cutting capers


Explanation:
"It was courting during our entire stay, and we frequently saw one bird feeding another solidtously, two birds prancing about together in the snow, or several birds cutting capers high in air. " see ref 1

So, maybe a literal translation would work here:
"The swallows were cutting capers in the air"

Kapriole means caper.
According to Leo: to cut a caper" = "einen Luftspring machen"
See explanation below from wiki.

It seems to be a very old expression that isn´t used very much these days, but on the other hand the meaning seems to be the same in German and English.

Example sentence(s):
  • Cut a caper: 1.To frolic or romp; to dance about in a frantic or ridiculous manner.

    Reference: http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/issues/v048n02/p00...
    Reference: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cut_a_caper
Anna Grynfeld Smith
Switzerland
Local time: 16:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
circling /wheeling / performing aerobatics


Explanation:
Try googling "the swallows were" and see what other combinations you come up with.

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Note added at 16 mins (2011-01-15 00:36:57 GMT)
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'turns' without an 'e'

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Note added at 20 mins (2011-01-15 00:41:27 GMT)
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turning cartwheels
frolicking (though more appropriate to newborn lambs)
...

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Note added at 6 days (2011-01-21 23:37:36 GMT) Post-grading
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It was good that you came back to thank us for our suggestions. It would have been even better to get some feedback on why you chose 'cavorting' over all the other options on offer.
Since this question was closed, I came across this definition of 'cabriole':
cabriole, ballet jump, formerly performed only by men, in which the dancer beats the calves of the legs together in the air, with a scissors-like movement. When the beat occurs, the legs are extended at either a 45° or 90° angle to the body at the front, side, or back. The dancer may land on one foot, then bring the second foot down to fifth position—cabriole fermée (“closed cabriole”)—or may complete the step with the second foot in the air—cabriole ouverte (“open cabriole”).
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/87738/cabriole

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  swisstell: circus artists?
25 mins
  -> Yes, all eight of us.

agree  Kim Metzger: Frolicking works for me. http://www.tankaonline.com/TG Archive Fielden 08 1.htm
2 days 22 hrs
  -> Yes, maybe I was confusing it with 'gamboling' (lambs).
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