det är icke mycket med

English translation: is not very good

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Swedish term or phrase:det är icke mycket med
English translation:is not very good
Entered by: Timoshka

18:59 Apr 24, 2020
Swedish to English translations [Non-PRO]
Social Sciences - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Swedish term or phrase: det är icke mycket med
In a letter from Malmö, dated 1917, a Swedish girl responds to her Swedish-American fiancé's request to bring her violin and guitar with her when she immigrates to the U.S. "Du önskar att jag tar min fiol och guitar med mig. Ja, fiolen hade jag tänkt ta' med, men guitarren är det icke mycket med, så den får bli kvar i Sverige. Det är icke mycket music i den."
Timoshka
Local time: 00:22
is not very good
Explanation:
The last sentence seems to be the key.

Until that point, "Nothing special" works fine.

After that you have to ask why there is not a lot of music in it.
Why would there not be a lot of music in it simply because there is nothing special about it?
The answer, to me at least, is that it is not very good.


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Note added at 1 hr (2020-04-24 20:27:07 GMT)
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"is not in a good condition" is perhaps even better, since it agrees better with the more general sense of an object (or person) not being in good shape.


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Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2020-04-25 20:41:47 GMT)
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"is much the worse for wear" is a better match for the style of the writing.
Selected response from:

Leif Ohman
United States
Local time: 22:22
Grading comment
Tack så mycket!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2is not very good
Leif Ohman
3on its last legs, all washed up, has seen better days
Paul Gratwick
2it hasn't got a lot going for it
Adrian MM.


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
det är icke mycket med (sig)
it hasn't got a lot going for it


Explanation:
Nothing to write home about - but that is exactly what she was doing.


Example sentence(s):
  • Det är mycket viktigt att staden har kulturen *med sig* | Göteborgs stadsmuseum.

    Reference: http://goteborgsstadsmuseum.se/gallery/2660
Adrian MM.
Austria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 10
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
is not very good


Explanation:
The last sentence seems to be the key.

Until that point, "Nothing special" works fine.

After that you have to ask why there is not a lot of music in it.
Why would there not be a lot of music in it simply because there is nothing special about it?
The answer, to me at least, is that it is not very good.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2020-04-24 20:27:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"is not in a good condition" is perhaps even better, since it agrees better with the more general sense of an object (or person) not being in good shape.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2020-04-25 20:41:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"is much the worse for wear" is a better match for the style of the writing.


Leif Ohman
United States
Local time: 22:22
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Tack så mycket!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Catherine Brix
10 hrs
  -> Thanks, Catherine!

agree  Deane Goltermann: or 'not much to have'
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, Deane!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 days 13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
on its last legs, all washed up, has seen better days


Explanation:
Just a couple of colloquial alternatives!

Paul Gratwick
Sweden
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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