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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

den inneren Schweinehund überwinden

English translation: overcome one\'s baser instincts

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:den inneren Schweinehund überwinden
English translation:overcome one\'s baser instincts
Entered by: Edith Kelly

06:27 Mar 1, 2012
German to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Idiom
German term or phrase: den inneren Schweinehund überwinden
This is usually rendered as "to conquer/overcome one's weaker self". I am wondering whether anyone knows another expression that is both idiomatic and also reflecting the German a bit better.

Schweinehund as such would be bastard but this is not the issue here.

TIA
Edith Kelly
Switzerland
Local time: 05:39
overcome one's baser instincts
Explanation:
Langenscheidt lists "innerer Schweinehund" as "baser instincts"
Selected response from:

Clarissa Hull
Switzerland
Local time: 05:39
Grading comment
Very difficult to come to a decision and overcome my inner "pigdog". Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, much appreciated.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2overcome/beat your inner daemons
Wendy Lewin
4 +1overcome one's baser instincts
Clarissa Hull
4 +1to overcome (or fight/battle) one's inner couch potato
Lonnie Legg
3 +1overcome ones lack of willpower
Martina Kilgo
3 +1break the beast within
Nicola Wood
3 +1light a fire under one's own butt/ass/rear/behind
Ramey Rieger (X)
4"push beyond your comfort zone"
Michael Martin, MA
3come to grips with oneself
Wendy Streitparth
2to get (yourself) into gear (or such)
Randall Nall
Summary of reference entries provided
...und so sieht er aus :-)
Johanna Timm, PhD

Discussion entries: 9





  

Answers


44 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
overcome ones lack of willpower


Explanation:
I found several examples on Linguee.com This or alternatively "inner demon", or " go beyond ones comfort zone" might be an option to reflect the German expression a bit


    Reference: http://www.linguee.de/deutsch-englisch/uebersetzung/den+inne...
Martina Kilgo
United States
Local time: 23:39
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: not sure about anything one finds on Linguee e.g. the spelling, should be one's .....


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BrigitteHilgner: I prefer your first suggestion (and would not opt for "comfort zone").
25 mins
neutral  Kim Metzger: "one's" and maybe it's not willpower that's lacking but courage, for example.
33 mins
neutral  Lonnie Legg: w. Kim re spelling. Willpower, drive...
4 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
to get (yourself) into gear (or such)


Explanation:
Or, maybe:
light a fire under your ass
get moving
get a move on
do something even if its wrong
get off your ass and do something
grit your teeth
take a deep breath and
man up
context...context...context

Randall Nall
Local time: 05:39
Native speaker of: English
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
overcome one's baser instincts


Explanation:
Langenscheidt lists "innerer Schweinehund" as "baser instincts"

Clarissa Hull
Switzerland
Local time: 05:39
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Very difficult to come to a decision and overcome my inner "pigdog". Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, much appreciated.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rebecca Garber
7 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
overcome/beat your inner daemons


Explanation:
this is what immediately springs to mind for me

Wendy Lewin
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:39
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters: I like this. 'demons' for the US.
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Trudy!
agree  Melanie Meyer
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Melanie!
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
come to grips with oneself


Explanation:
get (a) hold of oneself

Not so idiomatic but conveys the meaning



Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Local time: 05:39
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 11
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
break the beast within


Explanation:
or alternatives to break such as beat, overcome, subdue

Nicola Wood
Austria
Local time: 05:39
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lesley Robertson MA, Dip Trans IoLET
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Lesley
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
light a fire under one's own butt/ass/rear/behind


Explanation:
just another one to spice the soup with

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 05:39
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 70

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  opolt: I like this one best among all of the proposals. Maybe we could add a little qualifier to that badonkadonk, e.g. "lazy, slothful".
3 hrs
  -> sluggish? loathing? Thanks, opolt, have a good evening!
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
to overcome (or fight/battle) one's inner couch potato


Explanation:
If the particular "innere Schweinehund" is lethargy/laziness....

Example sentence(s):
  • I battled my inner couch potato.

    Reference: http://luckytiff.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/inner-couch-potato...
Lonnie Legg
Germany
Local time: 05:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cilian O'Tuama: or lethargy
12 hrs
  -> Thanks, Cilian.
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
"push beyond your comfort zone"


Explanation:
As others have noted, context is everything, as always. This one works best for physical challenges but perhaps less so for internal conflicts.

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 23:39
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 63
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Reference comments


11 hrs
Reference: ...und so sieht er aus :-)

Reference information:
http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:Cogito_Inner...

nice wiki article with a bit of background:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innerer_Schweinehund

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 90
Note to reference poster
Asker: Super und danke, Johanna

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