slå på fingrarna

English translation: left our competitors in the dust

09:57 Feb 10, 2014
Swedish to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Swedish term or phrase: slå på fingrarna
A nice idiomatic phrase here! How would you go about translating it professionally in the following context?

"Resultatet är återigen att vi lyckas slå omsättningsrekord men framför allt har vi åter slått våra konkurrenter på fingrarna."

Thanks in advance!
Richard
Richard Green
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:53
English translation:left our competitors in the dust
Explanation:
Might work in this context

Another possibility could be "showed them who's boss"
Selected response from:

shewid
Sweden
Local time: 22:53
Grading comment
In this context, yes
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +1rap over the knuckles
J Tomkowicz
3 +1left our competitors in the dust
shewid
3humiliate
Sven Petersson


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
rap over the knuckles


Explanation:
Could work.

J Tomkowicz
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian, Native in SwedishSwedish
Notes to answerer
Asker: To "rap someone's knuckles" is usually something disciplinary, I think, when they have done something wrong. I did consider it, because of the imagery of hands, but I don't think it will work here.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anna Herbst: This is a correct translation of the term used rather questionably here, and in response to the askers note, the Swedish expression has the same disciplinary connotations as the English.
15 hrs
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
left our competitors in the dust


Explanation:
Might work in this context

Another possibility could be "showed them who's boss"

shewid
Sweden
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
In this context, yes
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, I like those!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Michele Fauble
8 hrs

neutral  Anna Herbst: If you take on the role of editor of the Swedish text and assume that this is what the intended meaning of a badly used metaphore is, this would work, but is this the translator's role?
15 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
humiliate


Explanation:
"humiliate our competitors"

Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 118
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