Sep 30, 2011 15:27
12 yrs ago
Norwegian term
Norway
gikk som en maskin
Norwegian to English
Other
Agriculture
About a cow. The phrase is used twice, first in a headline of an article: Eik-mora gikk som ei maskin. (Eik is the name of a bull), and then in a quote - something a farmer said: Hun gikk som ei maskin, og kalvet regelmessig ni ganger med 12 måneders mellomrom.
I know what it means --that this cow was a great cow, functioned well, etc.-- but I can't think of a corresponding idiom or natural way of saying this in English. I can't get the image of the Duracell bunny out of my head (takes a lickin' but keeps on tickin') out of my head, and that's not appropriate!
Ideas?
I know what it means --that this cow was a great cow, functioned well, etc.-- but I can't think of a corresponding idiom or natural way of saying this in English. I can't get the image of the Duracell bunny out of my head (takes a lickin' but keeps on tickin') out of my head, and that's not appropriate!
Ideas?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 | bred like a rabbit |
eodd
|
| 3 | was breeding like a clockwork |
Leif Henriksen
|
Proposed translations
19 mins
Selected
bred like a rabbit
or just use prolific breeder
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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-09-30 18:49:49 GMT)
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Yes, I agree I was on the wrong track. How about "topper", as in "that cow was a topper."
Topper in this case means
One that is exceedingly or surpassingly good of its kind.
b. Slang Something, such as a witticism, that surpasses all that has gone before
Ref.: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/topper
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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-09-30 18:49:49 GMT)
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Yes, I agree I was on the wrong track. How about "topper", as in "that cow was a topper."
Topper in this case means
One that is exceedingly or surpassingly good of its kind.
b. Slang Something, such as a witticism, that surpasses all that has gone before
Ref.: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/topper
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, I used the "topper" answer. It's not the type of thing I personally say, but I looked at how it's used and decided tht it fit in well."
2 hrs
Leif Henriksen
Norway
Norway
Native in Norwegian
Norway
Experienced - accurate - on time
Native in: Norwegian 
, Norwegian (Bokmal)
Works in: English to Norwegian, German to Norwegian, English to Norwegian (Bokmal), and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
was breeding like a clockwork
tick tick tick, every twelve months :)
Discussion
Here, the following sentence appeared earlier and says pretty much the same thing:
Mor til 10540 Eik melket bra, kalvet ni ganger med 12 måneders mellomrom og hadde nesten ikke dyrlegebesøk.