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die with your boots on

German translation: FYI Karl May used the term

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:die with your boots on
German translation:FYI Karl May used the term
Entered by: Sarah Paris (X)

02:17 Sep 18, 2004
English to German translations [PRO]
Journalism
English term or phrase: die with your boots on
"in den Stiefeln sterben" is the literal translation and seems to be in some use, but I doubt whether it's really a "German" expression, and I am wondering if any of you who are native Germans know of alternative sayings that mean the same thing, i.e. "go down fighting".
Sarah Paris (X)
Local time: 23:52
FYI Karl May used the term "In den Stiefeln sterben"
Explanation:
The expression 'to die with one's boots on' still has the ring of the Wild West in the US and the great German author Karl May, who wrote prolifically about the West, used the term 'in den Stiefeln sterben'. It seems that by changing the term to a modern phrase you would lose the feel that the original phrase carries with it, to wit a specific region of the US that is still not conquered.
Selected response from:

Protradit
Local time: 23:52
Grading comment
Wenn Karl May das geschrieben hat, dann kann ich es wohl auch uebernehmen, denn fuer meine Zwecke (Uebersetzung eines Interviews mit einem amerikanischen Umweltschuetzer) passt es sehr gut.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +9FYI Karl May used the term "In den Stiefeln sterben"
Protradit
4 +5" Bis zum bitteren Ende"
Dr.G.MD (X)
4im Stehen sterben
Robert M Maier


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
" Bis zum bitteren Ende"


Explanation:
also "Treu bis in den Tod" would be those alternative sayings.

Dr.G.MD (X)
Local time: 08:52
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  swisstell: yep!
11 mins
  -> Thank you, Swisstell
agree  Wenjer Leuschel (X): "Bis zum bitteren Ende" ist schon sehr genau.
12 mins
  -> Thank you, Wenjer
agree  Lydia Molea: Bis zum bitteren Ende
1 hr
agree  Kathinka van de Griendt: ...und darüber hinaus!
3 hrs
agree  shineda: oder: bis zum Schluss (so dass es nicht unbedingt gleich bitter ist)
1 day 8 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +9
FYI Karl May used the term "In den Stiefeln sterben"


Explanation:
The expression 'to die with one's boots on' still has the ring of the Wild West in the US and the great German author Karl May, who wrote prolifically about the West, used the term 'in den Stiefeln sterben'. It seems that by changing the term to a modern phrase you would lose the feel that the original phrase carries with it, to wit a specific region of the US that is still not conquered.

Protradit
Local time: 23:52
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Wenn Karl May das geschrieben hat, dann kann ich es wohl auch uebernehmen, denn fuer meine Zwecke (Uebersetzung eines Interviews mit einem amerikanischen Umweltschuetzer) passt es sehr gut.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Siegfried Armbruster: has an original ring to it.
2 hrs
agree  dieter haake: im Sinne von:: es hat ihn mitten aus dem Leben gerissen (und nich nur:bis zum bitteren Ende)
3 hrs
agree  Martina Frey: Ich denke dabei sofort an Abenteuer, Mut, Kameradschaft - echte Cowboys eben
3 hrs
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
3 hrs
agree  Giselle Chaumien: Ja, mit Dieter einverstanden.
5 hrs
agree  Marian Pyritz: im letzten Gefecht und nicht im Krankenbett
5 hrs
agree  Thomas Bollmann
6 hrs
agree  Annika Neudecker
7 hrs
neutral  shineda: I have been told though that Karl May is hardly known outside of Germany (and the Netherlands: I too read them all); http://german.about.com/library/weekly/aa020408a.htm
1 day 7 hrs
agree  Robert M Maier: shineda's concerns about May's international readership: true but irrelevant
2 days 6 hrs
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2 days 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
im Stehen sterben


Explanation:
Not Karl May this one, but Reinhard Mey (the singer and Liedermacher, yes).
About the same degree of vigour and resilience, but less full of fighting spirit than "die with your boots on", though. I still prefer the Karl May expression, but to give an alternative...


    Reference: http://www.janko.at/Musik/Reinhard%20Mey/Wie%20ein%20Baum,%2...
Robert M Maier
Local time: 08:52
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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