mit allen Wassern gewaschen

English translation: to know every trick in the book/of the trade

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:mit allen Wassern gewaschen
English translation:to know every trick in the book/of the trade
Entered by: Woodstock (X)

06:10 Oct 24, 2011
German to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: mit allen Wassern gewaschen
Der ist ja mit allen Wassern gewaschen. Sagt man zu jemandem, der sich gut auskennt, der viele Tricks beherrscht. Diese Redewendung kommt aus der Seefahrt. Das Leben der Seebären von früher, das galt als spektakulär, Sie bereisten die sieben Weltmeere, durften neue Länder, Kulturen und Schätze sehen. Und sie lernten dadurch, sich in einer fremden Welt zu behaupten.

British English, please.

Thank you!
Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 02:01
to know every trick in the book/of the trade
Explanation:
A couple of other variations:

to know all the dodges
to know all the tricks of the trade

Selected response from:

Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 02:01
Grading comment
Thank you.
I did choose: to know all the tricks of the trade, because it covers everything.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4to know every trick in the book/of the trade
Woodstock (X)
3 +2be a sly fox
Wendy Streitparth
3he knows all the dodges
Ramey Rieger (X)
3to know all the ropes
Susanne Schiewe
3a seasoned operator
Horst Huber (X)


Discussion entries: 10





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
to know every trick in the book/of the trade


Explanation:
A couple of other variations:

to know all the dodges
to know all the tricks of the trade



Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 02:01
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thank you.
I did choose: to know all the tricks of the trade, because it covers everything.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Vielen Dank, Woodstock. :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Phoebe Indetzki: best variation: to know all the tricks of the trade
1 hr
  -> Thank you!

agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X)
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Ingeborg.

agree  Inge Meinzer
6 hrs
  -> Thank you, Inge.

agree  Kim Metzger: Good selection of options. In the US, we might say "he's been around the block a few times"
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, Kim. I know the expression as " he's been around the block and back", too.
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33 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
he knows all the dodges


Explanation:
http://www.dict.cc/?s=mit allen Wasser gewaschen

he knows his stuff/latin
he's got it down pat
he's been there and back again
he's a survivor (in context, perhaps)
he's.....................

I think these will all work in BE.



Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 02:01
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 70
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Ramey. I will choose the one that works best with lip-sync.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Lancashireman: Asker: "British English, please." Unfortunately, I can't imagine Hugh Grant saying that someone "knows all the dodges".
6 hrs
  -> according to the dictionary, this IS BE - I've never heard it in the States, but who knows? Perhaps Hugh grant would say "dodgy dodges"?
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to know all the ropes


Explanation:
kommt auch aus der Schifffahrt ... hatten wir auch im Studium und der Dozent war Brite :-)

This term goes WAY back to sailing ships when sailors were 'rated' according to how well they knew a ship. Most would start off as 'landsmen' - total newbies, then work up to seaman and able body seaman as they progressed in their knowledge level. This is also where the term 'know the ropes' comes from since you had to know all the ropes on a sailing ship to be rated as a able body seaman.
http://forums.myarmedforces.com/topic/474/Ratings_jobs_educa...

Susanne Schiewe
Germany
Local time: 02:01
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
Notes to answerer
Asker: Vielen Dank, Susanne. Auch für die Ausführungen. Das passt wirklich gut in den Kontext. :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Armorel Young: I see "knowing the ropes" as a straightforward description of competence; it doesn't have the implications of "sehr gerissen sein, alle Tricks kennen" that the German phrase has
55 mins
  -> thanks - good point I wasn't aware of.

neutral  Jim Tucker (X): "know the ropes" yes -- but "all" of them? These are not tricks though, as Armorel says. It's just knowledge of a system.
3 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
be a sly fox


Explanation:
or a cool customer

going off on a different tack....

Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Local time: 02:01
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 11
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Wendy. :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Walter Blass: saying "to be a sly fox" do apply in any case, on sea and on shore
5 hrs
  -> Many thanks, Walter

agree  BrigitteHilgner: "Sly fox" is exactly the meaning of the expression as I know it.
22 hrs
  -> Thanks Brigitte
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18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a seasoned operator


Explanation:
May not be for delicate British ears, but I think this conveys my sense of the German expression.

Horst Huber (X)
United States
Local time: 21:01
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 11
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Horst. :)

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