Säue durch das Dorf treiben

English translation: whip up flashy new measures

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	Säue durch das Dorf treiben
English translation:	whip up flashy new measures
Entered by:	Catherine Winzer

12:47 Jan 3, 2012

German to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

German term or phrase: Säue durch das Dorf treiben

From a report on a study about work and learning:
"Es wird verwiesen auf die allgemeine politische Verdrossenheit, welche durch eine mangelnde Verlässlichkeit der Politik hervorgerufen wird. Tagesaktuelle Änderungen der politischen Devisen gerade im bildungspolitischen Bereich sind keine Seltenheit und so werden im Nachgang von Vergleichstudien oftmals lieber neue „Säue durch das Dorf getrieben“ als langfristige Zukunftsperspektiven zu entwickeln."

I've not come across this idiom before and I haven't been able to find a definition or explanation anywhere. I'd be grateful for any help!

Catherine Winzer KudoZ activity Questions: 134 (1 open) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 158 Germany
Local time: 12:44

whip up new measures

Explanation:
or: features / wildfires / "goat herding" rules...

Take your pick, depending on how aggressive you want to go.

Selected response from:

Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 03:44

Grading comment

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions. After much deliberation I went for "whip up flashy new measures". Thanks, Nicole and Lonnie!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +3

make a fuss; cause a commotion

Cilian O'Tuama

3 +3

set (new) hares running

Helen Shiner

4 +1

whip up new measures

Nicole Schnell

3 +1

"kicking the bucket down the road"

Charles Teubner

3 +1

pushing through eye-catching initiatives

Lancashireman

flying kites

Clive Phillips

'Introducing new measures/initiatives with great fanfare' OR 'creating a furore with...'

Sophie Paterson

Summary of reference entries provided

Definitions/explanations

Erik Freitag

Answers

17 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

whip up new measures

Explanation:
or: features / wildfires / "goat herding" rules...

Take your pick, depending on how aggressive you want to go.

Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 03:44
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 64

Grading comment

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions. After much deliberation I went for "whip up flashy new measures". Thanks, Nicole and Lonnie!

17 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

set (new) hares running

Explanation:
I believe this is an equivalent expression. The idea being that the animals whizz off in all directions (and nothing gets consolidated/followed through, etc.).

The same day and ahead of his Leader’s speech shadow culture secretary Ivan Lewis set hares running with his half baked proposal for some kind of register for journalists who could then be “struck off” for malpractice.
http://davesmithson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2011/09/29/there’s-o...

Such risk registers record mitigating actions so that the risks identified do not become a reality. In our clear view, exposing that kind of information could cause needless concern, set hares running and seriously undermine confidence in the programme of work. No Government of any persuasion have routinely made risk registers of this type public for the very reason that to do so would undermine open and frank discussion among policy-makers for fear that the policy would be made public before it was fully developed.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?gid=2011-11-28a.17.1

Sly Bailey at Trinity Mirror late last year approached Mecom, the continental European newspaper group created by David Montgomery, with talk of a merger.

The approach was rebuffed because it was a "nil premium" merger. The Mecom board was not interested in such terms.

Now DMGT has set new hares running in the consolidation stakes. At the very least it is unlikely that the owners of the Daily Mail are going to invest much new capital in Northcliffe whatever happens.

The biggest question of all is whether consolidation is the answer to an industry's prayer - other than squeezing profits out of a slowing dying business?

http://mediatel.co.uk/regional/news/2011/02/16/is-there-no-g...

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:44
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 74

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

oa_xxx (X): hadnt heard this one before but sounds good!

36 mins

-> Thanks, orla

neutral

Nicole Schnell: Uiih, I hate to disagree with you, but "Säue durchs Dorf treiben" ist rather a major stampede than animals spreading in all directions.//It means: To make a big impression with nothing, only pigs.

1 hr

-> Pigs stampeding is a new one on me, but you probably know the GER term better than me. Stampeding new measures? - somehow it doesn't work for me./Ok, but then how best to render that in EN? I'll stay with my idea.

agree

Lancashireman: The closest parallel on offer. Sounds all too familiar: a never-ending sequence of new initiatives foisted on the teaching staff by pendulum politics. Not so much a 'fuss' as a grinding down process. HNY

1 hr

-> Thanks, Andrew and Happy New Year!/And hoorah, it is all behind us!! I think I am sticking with my first thoughts, since making a fuss doesn't really convey what is really going on without further explanation.

agree

philgoddard: Perfect!

4 hrs

-> Thanks, phil - Happy New Year!

neutral

Cilian O'Tuama: Can't say I ever heard it before or would understand it, though that doesn't mean it's not suitable.

10 hrs

-> Thanks, Cilian, Happy New Year. Have a feeling its a relatively new one.

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

"kicking the bucket down the road"

Explanation:
Extrapolating from the text, the phrase can be interpreted to mean:

that the focus is on short term solutions which in the long term do not work very well rather than focusing on long term solutions which can solve a particular problem ("kicking the bucket down the road").

Charles Teubner
Local time: 06:44
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

neutral

Lancashireman: Misses the reference to 'new'.

10 mins

neutral

Nicole Schnell: To "kick the bucket" in AE means: to die. //I know. But the brain will absorb "kick the bucket" first (simple psychology of writing). In modern context "kick the beer can or something down the street" might work better.

2 hrs

-> Nicole, yes to "kick the bucket" means to die but to kick the bucket down the road" as an expression means to postpone effective handling of a particular situation. It's not an exact equivalent to the phrase in question but it's relatively close.

agree

Horst Huber (X): I'd go with that; the closest I remember is the old saw "Do you want to make a fuss or a difference?"

3 hrs

neutral

Cilian O'Tuama: Nice image/explanation, though new to me. Prost.

7 hrs

7 hrs confidence:

flying kites

Explanation:
Wiki: "To Fly a Kite is a term used in politics to describe a tactic whereby a politician either directly themselves informally, or indirectly in the media, raises an idea to gauge the reaction to it. Depending on the reaction, the idea may be implemented (if the reaction was positive) or disowned and denied (if negative). The benefits of flying a kite is that it allows a controversial issue to be raised in a way that gives a government "deniability" if the reaction is negative, with the Government being able to say "the Minister was speaking personally, not for the Government" if necessary, and so distance itself from an issue that draws a negative response." US version: "raising the flag and seeing who salutes".

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_a_kite_(politics)

Clive Phillips
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:44
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

9 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

make a fuss; cause a commotion

Explanation:
sth. along those lines

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 mins (2012-01-03 12:58:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

eine Sau durchs Dorf treiben (fig) to create a lot of fuss (inf) ;

stolen straight from Collins

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2012-01-03 23:22:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

wow, a lot of input below!

I still don't see anything wrong with making a fuss/causing a commotion - they appear busy, although they're not actually tackling the problem.

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 12:44
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 109

19 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

pushing through eye-catching initiatives

Explanation:
Hi Catherine

You will presumably want to avoid any idioms that are specifically American or British so as not to lose half your readership, while retaining the colourful prose of the original.

I am reminded of a former PM's exhortation to his cabinet to come up with 'eye-catching initiatives':
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2001/apr/02/uk.election20...
"Tony Blair has ordered government departments to fill April with eye-catching announcements, in a bid to show the government is not in limbo or the victim of events."

I think this would be understood by American readers too. I also think it goes beyond making a fuss or 'flying kites' (UK idiom?)

Alternatively: contriving bright new initiatives

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:44
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 160

1 day 2 hrs confidence:

'Introducing new measures/initiatives with great fanfare' OR 'creating a furore with...'

Explanation:
Not really sure; was just what came into my head as regards attention-grabbing / commotion.

1) Or maybe something like: "trumpeting through new measures" / "blaring out new initiatives" (although I know you can't 'blare out' an 'initiative'!!!)

2) And also 'furore' suggests a negative reaction, so.... maybe not?!

Sophie Paterson
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:44
Native speaker of:

English

Reference comments

4 mins

Reference: Definitions/explanations

Reference information:
You might find definitions/explanations here:

http://dict.leo.org/forum/viewUnsolvedquery.php?idThread=262...

http://www.redensarten-index.de/suche.php?suchbegriff=eine S...[]=rart_ou

Erik Freitag
Germany
Works in field
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 4

Note to reference poster

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English translation: whip up flashy new measures

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