May 7, 2015 17:07
9 yrs ago
German term
Dahinwabbern
German to English
Bus/Financial
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
"Kultur des Dahinwabberns"
Schlagwort in einer Präsentation zu einer Meinungsumfrage bzgl. einer HR-Abteilung eines grossen Konzerns. Leider kein weiterer Kontext.
Ich denke in der Art wie "slow-moving" "cumbersome" "moving through molasses", liege ich da richtig?
Schlagwort in einer Präsentation zu einer Meinungsumfrage bzgl. einer HR-Abteilung eines grossen Konzerns. Leider kein weiterer Kontext.
Ich denke in der Art wie "slow-moving" "cumbersome" "moving through molasses", liege ich da richtig?
Proposed translations
(English)
References
| wabern |
Thomas Pfann
|
Change log
May 7, 2015 17:25: Steffen Walter changed "Field" from "Other" to "Bus/Financial"
Proposed translations
+5
54 mins
Steffen Walter
Germany
Germany
Native in German
Germany
Top-Notch Service | Direct Clients Only
Native in: German (Variant: Germany) 
Works in: English to German, German to English, French to German, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
85
German term (edited):
Kultur des Dahinwabberns
Selected
culture of 'muddling along' ['muddling through'] / culture of indifference [inertia]
Seems to be similar to '(mehr schlecht als recht/ohne Konzept/träge/antriebslos) durchwursteln'. 'Dahinwabbern' is highly unusual (perhaps a regionalism). My two suggestions put an emphasis on slightly different nuances. Let the further context be your guide :-)
For English usage, see, for example,
http://ask.metafilter.com/200404/Shining-a-light-into-the-da...
"I know that I, as a relatively junior employee in a random department, can do little to fix the global culture of muddling along that seems to afflict my organisation."
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Note added at 2 days13 hrs (2015-05-10 07:03:45 GMT)
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'Culture of apathy' might be another possibility (although this would be much stronger than just '... muddling along'). See, for instance, http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-Noble-Syste...
For English usage, see, for example,
http://ask.metafilter.com/200404/Shining-a-light-into-the-da...
"I know that I, as a relatively junior employee in a random department, can do little to fix the global culture of muddling along that seems to afflict my organisation."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days13 hrs (2015-05-10 07:03:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
'Culture of apathy' might be another possibility (although this would be much stronger than just '... muddling along'). See, for instance, http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-Noble-Syste...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Ingeborg Gowans (X)
: fits best (wabern), nicht wabbern as Jonathan pointed out
40 mins
|
| agree |
BrigitteHilgner
: "muddling along" finde ich gut.
11 hrs
|
| agree |
franglish
: with Brigitte
13 hrs
|
| agree |
Thomas Pfann
: „muddling along“ passt gut
18 hrs
|
| agree |
Horst Huber (X)
2 days 22 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "thank you!"
22 mins
Culture of Clumsiness/Ethic of Embarrassment/Folkways of Flummox
Culture of Flab
Bungling
Bungling
45 mins
Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
45 years experience
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: German to English, French to English, Spanish to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
11
laisser-faire mentality
suggestion
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Phoebe Indetzki
: "mentality" instead of "culture" is excellent! (But shouldn't it otherwise be laissez-faire?)
1 day 3 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Phoebe. IMO both versions are possible. http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/laisser-faire/... Attitude qui consiste à ne pas intervenir : Politique du laisser-faire.
|
+1
48 mins
Jonathan MacKerron
Native in English
Retired as of Jan 2019!
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
63
culture of waffelling
to coin a phrase
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Note added at 1 hr (2015-05-07 18:18:37 GMT)
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"culture of just barely getting by"
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Note added at 1 hr (2015-05-07 18:18:37 GMT)
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"culture of just barely getting by"
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Horst Huber (X)
: Wouldn't we spell it "waffling"? "Waffling along"? The dialect form "Wefel" for "Wabe" may suggest we are dealing with cognates?
21 hrs
|
| agree |
Lonnie Legg
: w. Horst.
3 days 2 hrs
|
10 hrs
David Hollywood
Native in English
Works in field
worked for int. orgs (IMF, OAS, IDB)
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
47
Getting there
I would say
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Note added at 10 hrs (2015-05-08 03:49:46 GMT)
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covers the element of doubt and puts a positive slant on it at the same time so ..
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Note added at 10 hrs (2015-05-08 03:50:50 GMT)
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the ambiguity works IMO
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Note added at 11 hrs (2015-05-08 04:12:00 GMT)
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just keep it short and sweet
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Note added at 10 hrs (2015-05-08 03:49:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
covers the element of doubt and puts a positive slant on it at the same time so ..
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2015-05-08 03:50:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
the ambiguity works IMO
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2015-05-08 04:12:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
just keep it short and sweet
+2
1 day 11 hrs
Michael Martin, MA
United States
United States
Native in German
&
English
Specializes in field
United States
Creativity wins in the long run
Native in: German (Variant: Germany) 
, English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
63
lethargic culture/culture of lethargic meandering
“Nice people, good compensation, lethargic culture"
http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-Blue-Shield...
http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-Blue-Shield...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Steffen Walter
: 'culture of lethargy'
1 day 2 hrs
|
| agree |
EK Yokohama
2 days 3 hrs
|
Reference comments
17 mins
Reference:
wabern
vom Verb „wabern“
Duden:
wabern
Gebrauch: landschaftlich, sonst gehoben
Bedeutung: sich in einer mehr oder weniger unruhigen, flackernden, ziellosen Bewegung befinden
Beispiel: wabernde Nebelschwaden, Flammen
http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/wabern
Ich würde meinen, das ist hier ähnlich wie „Dahinplätschern“ gemeint. Ein bisschen ziel- und antriebslos, man geht so seinen Gang und reagiert auf die Umstände, anstatt selbst die Initiative zu ergreifen.
Duden:
wabern
Gebrauch: landschaftlich, sonst gehoben
Bedeutung: sich in einer mehr oder weniger unruhigen, flackernden, ziellosen Bewegung befinden
Beispiel: wabernde Nebelschwaden, Flammen
http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/wabern
Ich würde meinen, das ist hier ähnlich wie „Dahinplätschern“ gemeint. Ein bisschen ziel- und antriebslos, man geht so seinen Gang und reagiert auf die Umstände, anstatt selbst die Initiative zu ergreifen.
Discussion
"culture of schlepping through"
http://www.pro-iure-animalis.de/index.php?option=com_content...