shake the Bursens burner at

14:42 Sep 19, 2018
English to Albanian translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Education / Pedagogy / General
English term or phrase: shake the Bursens burner at
You’ve memorized more formulae than you can shake a Bunsen burner at.
Astrite Humski
Slovenia
Local time: 03:30


Summary of answers provided
5mund të përgatiten me një djegës laboratorik
Denis Haska
3i tund furnelën Bunsen para syve (dikujt)
Ledja


  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
shake the Bunsen burner at
i tund furnelën Bunsen para syve (dikujt)


Explanation:
This is supposed to be referential humour derived from the phrase "shake/wave something at someone" as a way of scaring or intimidating them ( definition: wave at, shake something at, as when pretending to strike someone or when flagging someone down)

However, figuratively speaking, the phrase can also be used to show that you have the higher ground of knowledge or insist that you're right (e.g. wave a dictionary at someone - which often happens in our line of work :) )

Bunsen burners are used often by scientists in labs (they get used massively in science classes in secondary school labs), so a scientist would supposedly have got their hands on one on a daily basis during their work, therefore, it would be impressive to have a larger number of formulas memorised than the number of times a Bunsen burner is used.

Must emphasise, the joke is quite nerdy and would not translate well to an audience of no grasp of that background. Bunsen is the surname of the chemist that invented this piece of equipment, so it should not be changed.

Ledja
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:30
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Albanian
PRO pts in category: 16
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
shake the bursens burner at
mund të përgatiten me një djegës laboratorik


Explanation:
Very seldom used, almost never.
In this case it means "You know more (of something), than you can (action)".

I would leave "Bunsen" out of the translation, to avoid confusion.
Please find my whole translation of the sentence below:

Ke mësuar përmendsh më shumë formula sesa preparate mund të përgatiten me një djegës laboratorik.




    https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/431431/what-does-the-expression-you-can-shake-a-bunsen-burner-at-mean
    https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/read-enhance-general-knowledge.html
Denis Haska
Albania
Local time: 03:30
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in AlbanianAlbanian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  MSc Jonis Buzi: Pershtatja as qe i afrohet sintakses se shqipes.
13 days
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