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træerne vokser ikke ind i himlen

English translation: there is an upper limit to everything

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Danish term or phrase:træerne vokser ikke ind i himlen
English translation:there is an upper limit to everything
Entered by: phil curry

06:24 Oct 13, 2013
Danish to English translations [PRO]
Other / proverbs
Danish term or phrase: træerne vokser ikke ind i himlen
Can anyone tell me a parallel proverb in English?
phil curry
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:12
there is an upper limit to everything
Explanation:
Doesn't sound wonderful, but it is one suggestion found in www.ordbogen.com.

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Note added at 31 mins (2013-10-13 06:55:56 GMT)
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P.S. Would something like 'that's just pie in the sky' work in your context?
Selected response from:

564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 10:12
Grading comment
As with many proverbs and sayings, there is not always a direct counterpart in English. I chose the more context-related option 'There is an upper limit to everything' for this reason.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +2there is an upper limit to everything
564354352 (X)
4all is not peaches and cream
Charles Ek
4 -1trees don't grow to the sky
Signe Golly
4 -1There is no such thing as a free lunch OR There but for the grace of God
Bodil Little
3what goes up must come down
Hans Wang


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
trees don't grow to the sky


Explanation:
I'm fairly certain that this one can actually be directly translated - check Google, lots of hits in English, too!

Signe Golly
Denmark
Local time: 10:12
Native speaker of: Native in DanishDanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: I know it says that in the dictionary but I've never, ever heard it in English! Besides, trees do grow to the sky...although perhaps not all the way to heaven! I know it can be translated, but it just doesn't ring true to my English (dog næsten danske) ears. Thanks, Signe


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  564354352 (X): I wonder whether those many Google hits are related to Danish translations?
1 hr
  -> I don't think they're related to Danish translations but on second glance it's possible that the use of the phrase is mostly limited to the (US?) world of finance/investments?
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +2
there is an upper limit to everything


Explanation:
Doesn't sound wonderful, but it is one suggestion found in www.ordbogen.com.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 31 mins (2013-10-13 06:55:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

P.S. Would something like 'that's just pie in the sky' work in your context?


564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 10:12
Native speaker of: Danish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
As with many proverbs and sayings, there is not always a direct counterpart in English. I chose the more context-related option 'There is an upper limit to everything' for this reason.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bodil Little: I disagree with the "pie in the sky" comment, however. ;-) IMHO, "træerne vokser ikke ind i himlen" is an expression you use after the fact, to comment on somebody's ill fortune, whereas "pie in the sky" is not.
10 mins
  -> I'm not sure I agree that one is factual and the other not. However, I do agree that pie in the sky might be off the mark, but I was looking for something that sounded more like a proverb/metaphor. :)
agree  Helen Johnson: This is what I've seen - not pie in the sky, since that means hoping for something good that isn't going to happen.
1 day 19 mins
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58 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
There is no such thing as a free lunch OR There but for the grace of God


Explanation:
The first saying is self-explanatory, whereas the other one just comments on someone's ill fortune, meaning that it could easily have happened to oneself (or to anyone at all).

My link might lead you in the right direction. Good luck.


    Reference: http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/gswithenbank/sayingst.htm
Bodil Little
Denmark
Local time: 10:12
Native speaker of: Danish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  564354352 (X): I'm sorry, Bodil, but I fail to see how either expression is remotely equivalent to the Danish saying.
16 mins
  -> Both sayings indicate that something is too good to be true, that there is a limit to everything, even your good fortune. Of course, the sayings are not identical, but I think the idea is to find a well known English idiom that conveys the meaning to some
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
all is not peaches and cream


Explanation:
See the llnks below for examples of the Danish phrase. Examples of the English one are at http://tinyurl.com/kbxoqzy

Example sentence(s):
  • Indikatoren kom i juli ud på 0,02, hvilket var en noget mindre fremgang end i juni, og det giver en lille advarsel om, at træerne ikke vokser ind i himlen.
  • Træerne vokser ikke ind i himlen, Kina er nemlig også verdens største producent af kopivarer.

    Reference: http://research.nordeamarkets.com/en/2013/08/13/traeerne-vok...
    Reference: http://tinyurl.com/lkdw8mg
Charles Ek
United States
Local time: 03:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 2
Notes to answerer
Asker: nice one Charlie and I'll note it down for future ref...I decided to go with Gitte's more prosaic suggestion about there being an upper limit to everything because it fits the context. No need to wax too lyrical.

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1 day 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
what goes up must come down


Explanation:
Usually with reference to prices for gold, real estate etc.

Hans Wang
Local time: 03:12
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in NorwegianNorwegian
PRO pts in category: 3
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