the Wally with the Brolly

German translation: Steve McSchirm, Trottel ohne Hirn

23:44 Dec 29, 2010
English to German translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Steve McClaren's nickname
English term or phrase: the Wally with the Brolly
Hi All,

This one has been haunting me on and off for a couple of years. There must be a better translation than the seemingly official "Trottel mit dem Schirm".

I'm sure someone can come up with something which has a nicer ring to it?
Well, maybe not. But you could at least try! :-)

Yes, it's about Steve McClaren, former England football manager.
If you need more info, please read e.g.:
http://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/von-sir-alex-zu-dieter-hoen...

TIA,
Cilian

(And no, there's no context as such. I don't have a specific text. But it's mentioned so often in the sports media, and gets me thinking every time.)
Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 03:15
German translation:Steve McSchirm, Trottel ohne Hirn
Explanation:
ohne Gewähr - spiele eher selten Fußball
Selected response from:

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 19:15
Grading comment
The more literal translations don't do it for me, sound too forced. I think the simple McSchirm is best. Thanks all round.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2Steve McSchirm, Trottel ohne Hirn
Johanna Timm, PhD
4der Schirm- und Hirnlose
Thayenga
3der Wally hat sie nicht alle
Ramey Rieger (X)
3wenn der Steven mit dem Schirme
Joan Hass
3der Knallkopf mit dem Parapluie
Bernhard Sulzer
3Kleines Hirn mit großem Schirm/Platzheld (Superheld) mit Regenzelt
Susanne Schiewe
3der Trainer, der trotz Schirm mit seiner Mannschaft baden ging
Stephanie Busch
2der Blödel mit dem Regenknödel
David Hollywood
2der Riesentrottel mit dem Riesenschirm
Katia DG
Summary of reference entries provided
Stevey Poppins
Barbara Wiebking

Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
the wally with the brolly
der Blödel mit dem Regenknödel


Explanation:
rhymes and with a wee bit of poetic licence .....

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Note added at 4 hrs (2010-12-30 04:21:15 GMT)
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imaginative thinkers will maybe see the image :)

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Note added at 4 hrs (2010-12-30 04:24:03 GMT)
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i.e large round things like an umbrella ... bit far fancied I admit ...

David Hollywood
Local time: 23:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  BrigitteHilgner: If I read the word "Regenknödel" I would have no idea what you mean by this.
2 hrs
  -> I hear you Brigitte and I did say it was far fetched :)
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
the wally with the brolly
Steve McSchirm, Trottel ohne Hirn


Explanation:
ohne Gewähr - spiele eher selten Fußball

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 19:15
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 86
Grading comment
The more literal translations don't do it for me, sound too forced. I think the simple McSchirm is best. Thanks all round.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you. Maybe just (Steve) McSchirm would even suffice, although a lot kinder than the English.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood: klingt nicht übel :)
15 hrs

agree  Susanne Schiewe
2 days 8 hrs

neutral  Bernhard Sulzer: nur als Frage: was ist ein Trottel mit Hirn? Ein intelligenter Idiot? ;0)
40 days
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
the wally with the brolly
der Schirm- und Hirnlose


Explanation:
Hits the tone of the original

Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 03:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hmm, you don't seem to have read the Q properly.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  British Diana: Leider geht es darum, dass er MIT einem Schirm auftritt
14 hrs
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the wally with the brolly
der Wally hat sie nicht alle


Explanation:
just as silly

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 03:15
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hmm, you don't seem to have read the Q properly.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  British Diana: "Wally" muss man schon übersetzen
11 hrs
  -> I was afraid of that!
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the wally with the brolly
wenn der Steven mit dem Schirme


Explanation:
auf entsprechende Person bezogen, mit Hinweis auf meinen Beitrag zu kiddl:
ich denke mal da kommt der Ausdruck her und sollte so auch stehen bleiben schmunzeln musste ich weil der Ausdruck von Steven P. kommt und der betroffene "Fussball-Manager" Steve heisst. Die Bilder passen perfekt ;-)

könnte man es meiner Ansicht nach scherzhafterweise mit:
"wenn der Steven mit dem Schirme" .... "übersetzen" besser deuten,
denn es scheint sich ja auf den Manager zu beziehen.


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Note added at 14 hrs (2010-12-30 13:57:32 GMT)
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bin kein Fussballkenner, aber in Zusammenhang mit einem Fussballmanager
find ich Begriffe wie Trottel etc... nicht angebracht, mögen in gewisser Weise gerechtfertigt sein , wenn sein Management zu wünschen übrig lässt, aber da hab ich keine Ahnung von.



Joan Hass
Germany
Local time: 03:15
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
the wally with the brolly
der Riesentrottel mit dem Riesenschirm


Explanation:
riesig komisch? ;-)

Katia DG
Italy
Local time: 03:15
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian, Native in GermanGerman
Notes to answerer
Asker: macht einen Riesenunterschied :-)

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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the wally with the brolly
der Knallkopf mit dem Parapluie


Explanation:
my suggestion as a similarly funny-sounding phrase (at least I tried):)
or a picture of a man that appears quite silly under a big umbrella.
In Anlehnung an McClown:

der (Trainer)Clown mit dem großen, bunten (Regen)Schirm

http://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/startseite/detail/-/spec...

http://de.eurosport.yahoo.com/fussball/mauertaktik/article/3...
Fantasie-Parapluie


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Note added at 6 hrs (2010-12-30 06:43:13 GMT)
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PS: ich versteh Parapluie schon, aber wenn es jemandem zu veraltet ist, dann halt "Regenschirm"

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Note added at 7 hrs (2010-12-30 06:46:37 GMT)
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...was aber nicht origineller wäre als die überall verbreitete Übersetzung. "Parapluie" macht's m.E. bunter und komischer.

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Note added at 1 day1 hr (2010-12-31 01:31:10 GMT)
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der Heini -- ja, aber der Gedanke mit dem Schirm muss m.E. erhalten bleiben. "Im Trockenen" bringt das nicht rüber.


Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 22:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 35
Notes to answerer
Asker: der trockene Hirt / der Heini im Trockenen... ?

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2 days 14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the wally with the brolly
Kleines Hirn mit großem Schirm/Platzheld (Superheld) mit Regenzelt


Explanation:
Flachhirn unter'm Regenschirm

noch ein paar Vorschläge ...

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Note added at 2 Tage14 Stunden (2011-01-01 14:14:40 GMT)
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Vollpfosten mit Schirm/Vollpfosten auf Regenwachposten
Vollhorst mit Schirm/Schirmhorst/Schirmdepp
Dummbauer auf Regenlauer

Susanne Schiewe
Germany
Local time: 03:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 26
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3 days 11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the wally with the brolly
der Trainer, der trotz Schirm mit seiner Mannschaft baden ging


Explanation:
or:

der Trainer, der zusammen mit seiner Mannschaft im Regen stand

The first wordings that came to my mind were:

Steve McClaren und seine Mannschaft standen als begossene Pudel da
Steve McClaren und seine Mannschaft gaben keine gute Figur ab

But somehow I think this is too hard. After all there can be only one winner to a game, even if the media like to treat losers as utter failures. Steve McClaren surely is no brainless idiot; rather he was out of luck in having this photo circulate on top of losing an important match.

I hesitated a long time over whether I should add any more translation suggestions to the existing ones - some of which I find really funny, though on the whole I think they do justice neither to the person nor to the situation. Expressions like "Trottel" should be handled with care - "wally" was probably mainly used because it rhymes nicely with "brolly". And in the absence of a "considerate" rhyme in German, using a metaphor might be a neat solution.

Stephanie Busch
Germany
Local time: 03:15
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
Notes to answerer
Asker: We're translators, not dipomats. :-)

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Reference comments


9 hrs peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: Stevey Poppins

Reference information:
Ein Bild zum Thema! Finde allerdings den eingebürgerten Trottel mit dem Regenschirm ganz ok. Knirps passt ja leider weder auf den Schirm noch auf den Mann...


    Reference: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thesparrowman/4592917680/
Barbara Wiebking
Germany
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8
Note to reference poster
Asker: Yes, thanks. Something along these lines might be best.


Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Joan Hass: ich denke mal da kommt der Ausdruck her und sollte so auch stehen bleiben schmunzeln musste ich weil der Ausdruck von Steven P. kommt und der betroffene "Fussball-Manager" Steve heisst. Die Bilder passen perfekt ;-)
4 hrs
  -> Danke & guten Rutsch! :-)
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