This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
Ruheposition
das Binde- und Stützgewebe haben

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

die Jungs von links überholen

English translation:

beat them fair and square

Added to glossary by Steffen Walter
Jun 1, 2009 06:12
15 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term

von links überholen

German to English Art/Literary Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
"Als Frau wird man anfangs belächelt, dann bekämpft“, sagt sie. Respekt erfahre eine Pokerspielerin erst, wenn sie „die Jungs von links überholt“ habe.

Overtake on the left - or am I missing some knifflige Redewendung. After all in Germany don't you always overtake on the left - unlike in England.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +11 Beat them fair and square
3 +8 beat them at their own game
5 overtake on the inside
4 +1 beat them on their own terms
3 +1 beat them in a fair fight
Change log

Jun 3, 2009 08:18: Steffen Walter changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/9285">Gillian Searl's</a> old entry - "von links überholen"" to ""Beat them fair and square""

Discussion

Ulrike Kraemer Jun 1, 2009:
@AbdulRahiem: Not enough space in the "Peer comments" box to reply, so I'll do it here. How can a female poker player win the respect (!!) of her male co-players by cheating? That doesn't make any sense. You don't win somebody's respect by cheating them. The source text talks about overtaking the guys on the left side, i.e. according to the rules, and NOT by cheating!
Penny Hewson (X) Jun 1, 2009:
Query Why would you gain respect by underhand means? Surely you would have to beat them by playing to the rules to gain respect as a player
Christina Bergmann Jun 1, 2009:
Das Problem ist, dass mit *rechts überholen* oftmals angedeutet wird, dass es nicht so ganz regelkonform geschieht. Vielleicht wollte der Autor genau das Gegenteil ausdrücken: Dass man die Herren nur beeindrucken kann, wenn man gewinnt UND sich dabei an die Regeln hält.
Bernd Runge Jun 1, 2009:
Strange Ich glaube, dass der "Autor" dieses Textes wahrscheinlich gerade 20 Jahre alt ist und Redewendungen nur vom Hörensagen kennt. Von rechts überholen bedeutet, dass man "ungewöhnliche" Mittel einsetzt oder sich über allgemein gültige Gepflogenheiten hinwegsetzt.
Christina Bergmann Jun 1, 2009:
Maybe she's means 'Overtaking by playing by the rules' ...

Proposed translations

+11
2 hrs
Selected

Beat them fair and square

In response to QualityLanguage's post about "überholen von rechts" implying that cheating may have been involved.

Peer comment(s):
agree Helen Shiner : I think this would also work, but because there is no underhand method being employed - perhaps that is what you meant?
15 mins
agree Anne-Marie Grant (X)
1 hr
agree Lonnie Legg : "Von links" would certainly be "fair and square".
2 hrs
agree BrigitteHilgner : I actually like this better than my own suggestion.
2 hrs
agree Jim Tucker (X)
3 hrs
agree babli : agree
3 hrs
agree Inge Meinzer
3 hrs
agree Anja C.
6 hrs
agree robin25
7 hrs
agree Paul Cohen
8 hrs
agree Ingrid Moore
11 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks everyone. I knew I was missingsomething."
25 mins

overtake on the inside

In Britain, the standard phrase for illegal overtaking, i.e. on the left instead of on the right, is overtaking on the inside. The 'in'side is the side of the road nearest to you. This can also be seen, when the cabbie is instructed to 'pull in here, please'.
Peer comment(s):
agree Bernd Runge
34 mins
neutral BrigitteHilgner : But this is not about illegal overtaking!
45 mins
disagree Ulrike Kraemer : Sorry, but I beg to differ - quite the opposite is true. "Links überholen" here means beating someone at their own game, according to the rules (because overtaking on the left IS the rule on GERMAN motorways!).
2 hrs
Yes, so in Germany overtaking on the right would be overtaking on the inside. And, I believe, subterfuge is implied in the given phrase.
Something went wrong...
+1
42 mins

beat them in a fair fight

I agree with the discussion entry it means you are playing by the rules but still "overtake" them
Peer comment(s):
agree Ulrike Kraemer : I'd prefer game to fight, though
1 hr
Something went wrong...
+8
1 hr

beat them at their own game

(in a fair way)
Peer comment(s):
agree Ulrike Kraemer : Genau! Wolkenlose Pfingstgrüße aus dem Rheinland nach Wien!
1 hr
Danke schön, Ulrike. Na, so wolkenlos ist es hier nicht - das Pfingstwetter hier ist eher aprilmäßig (8°C am Samstag, inzwischen aber wieder wärmer). Ehrlich gesagt: Mir lieber als 30°C wie vor einer Woche. Noch einen schönen Feiertag!
agree Helen Shiner : I think this is the correct meaning.
1 hr
Thank you.
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : das trifft es ganz genau, obwohl ich keine Pokerspielerin bin :))
3 hrs
Danke schön, Inge. Vom Pokern habe ich auch keine Ahnung, und es wundert mich immer wieder, wenn ich zufällig mitbekomme, dass Pokerspiele sogar im Fernsehen übertragen werden - es muss also doch eine Fangemeinde geben! Schönen Tag noch! :-)
agree Lonnie Legg
4 hrs
Thank you, Lonnie.
agree Kieran Sheehan
6 hrs
Thank you, Kieran.
agree Anja C.
7 hrs
Dane schön.
agree Ingrid Moore
13 hrs
Thank you Ingrid. Have a pleasant day.
agree Anja Wulf (X)
17 hrs
Danke schön, Anja. Frohes Schaffen!
Something went wrong...
+1
3 hrs

beat them on their own terms

sounds to me like the writer is saying that women will be respected if they can win without using (or being perceived to use) their feminine charms.
Peer comment(s):
agree Jim Tucker (X)
6 hrs
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search