den Hintern platt gessen

English translation: Shuffling papers, or shuffling papyrus (does 'papyrus' have a plural?)

15:25 Jun 6, 2013
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: den Hintern platt gessen
Hello dear Colleagues! Here's a fun one, and I'm counting on your suggestions to get just the right tone of sarcasm and humor. The figure speaking (musing) is a teenager in Gaul considering his - intensely deplored - future prospects in his hometown. Of course, he passionately wants to join the Legion....... The story takes place at the time of Emperor Tiberius. The language is modern, but not excessively colloquial - no "ass" or "butt" please!


Er würde zuerst zum Quästor gewählt werden und sich um die Stadtkasse kümmern. Wie aufregend! Damit gelangte er automatisch in den Stadtrat und würde dann, nachdem er sich ein paar Jahre lang den Hintern platt gesessen hatte, zum Ädil und in Folge zum Duovir gewählt werden.

My attempt:

He would first be elected quaestor, city treasurer, and tend to the city’s finances. How thrilling! As quaestor he would automatically sit on the city council and after a few years of broadening his buttocks, be elected Aedile and eventually, Duovir.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 21:59
English translation:Shuffling papers, or shuffling papyrus (does 'papyrus' have a plural?)
Explanation:
Alternatives: wearing the seat out of his pants, polishing the top of a chair...
Selected response from:

Edwin Miles
Germany
Local time: 21:59
Grading comment
Thank you ALL for your stunning help! It was a very difficult decision and I hope you'll forgive my going against the majority, but there's many factors that led to me finally deciding on the following: and after a few years of shuffling scrolls and wearing out the seat of his tunics......
since the context is very special, I have declined making a glossary entry. THANK YOU!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4pen pushing
Charlotte Bolton-Knight
4 +3sitting around til his bum got numb
AlmutD
4 +1Shuffling papers, or shuffling papyrus (does 'papyrus' have a plural?)
Edwin Miles
3 +1How about a couple more?
jccantrell
4worn out his backside
Pauline Alexiou
3a member of the broad bum brigade
Frosty
3wearing out his duff
Horst Huber (X)


Discussion entries: 9





  

Answers


36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
How about a couple more?


Explanation:
warming the bench (this is from American baseball)

doing his time (as if in prison)
paying his dues (implies everyone has to go through something like this to get ahead)

all I can think of at this time.


jccantrell
United States
Local time: 13:59
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 19
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi JC and thanks for the suggestions! Actually all of them would work in ancient Rome, as there's no modern utensils involved. Doing time? I don't know if it's not too modern. Hmmm, let's see where this takes us!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Usch Pilz: I like the ***dues*** one a lot. Shows how tedious the task is.
17 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
pen pushing


Explanation:
In this context I think the equivalent might be being a pen pusher, which can also mean not doing much other than sit at the desk ;-)
Hope this helps

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 44 mins (2013-06-06 16:10:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

haha, you're right of course. Quill pushing is excellent though, I think :-)

Charlotte Bolton-Knight
Germany
Local time: 21:59
Native speaker of: German
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you CBKLocalization! Unfortunately, there were no "pens" at that time. At least they weren't called as such, but "quills". I could consider "quill pushing" I suppose.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BrigitteHilgner: Sounds good to me.
3 mins

agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): in this context, this might be a better choice/ fits the tome
27 mins

agree  Kathi Stock
4 hrs

agree  philgoddard: I think the anachronism works.
6 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
worn out his backside


Explanation:
after having worn out his backside for a couple of years .....


Pauline Alexiou
Local time: 22:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: OOOOh Pauline Alexiou, now this is getting really close!! Thank you!

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a member of the broad bum brigade


Explanation:
Back in the days when I was continually traipsing around Europe at the steering wheel of a touring coach, I once remarked to a hotel manager, "I'm now a fully paid-up member of the flat-a**e brigade."

Perhaps it could be toned down to the broad bum brigade? Just think of the alliteration!


Frosty
Local time: 21:59
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you Frosty, but this much too idiomatic for my current project. You can be sure, though, that I'll save it for a more modern opportunity. The alliteration is simply rib-tickling!

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
den Hintern platt gesessen
sitting around til his bum got numb


Explanation:
... he would automatically become a member of the city council, and after a few years of doing nothing and sitting around til his bum got numb, he would ...

AlmutD
Local time: 20:59
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you AlmutD! the translation is into US English, but I could work around that with bottom, backside or buttocks. This is going to be a difficult decision!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  AllegroTrans
3 hrs

agree  philgoddard: This would work well if the asker wants UK English.
3 hrs

agree  Frosty: Indeed, I know the feeling!
10 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Shuffling papers, or shuffling papyrus (does 'papyrus' have a plural?)


Explanation:
Alternatives: wearing the seat out of his pants, polishing the top of a chair...

Edwin Miles
Germany
Local time: 21:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thank you ALL for your stunning help! It was a very difficult decision and I hope you'll forgive my going against the majority, but there's many factors that led to me finally deciding on the following: and after a few years of shuffling scrolls and wearing out the seat of his tunics......
since the context is very special, I have declined making a glossary entry. THANK YOU!!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Edwin! Yes, it's papyrii, but seldom used. I like wearing out the seat of his pants. Excellent suggestion!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cetacea: But wouldn't he rather be wearing out his tunic? ;-)
16 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
wearing out his duff


Explanation:
One more try. Seems to be the word when referring to bureaucracy.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 Tag18 Min. (2013-06-07 15:43:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I'd be delighted if I should by chance have hit on a British phrase. Yes, it is quite frequently used here among office dwellers. Usually the idea is to get someone "off their duff", to make them "do something". It is raining here, but here in the North not too heavily.

Horst Huber (X)
United States
Local time: 16:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 11
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Horst! Thank you for your suggestion, but isn't "duff" rather British? The "wearing out" part is close to what I'm looking for. How's the East Coast doing?

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search