May 14, 2018 12:31
6 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term

Halb-Irren

Non-PRO German to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Film transcription caption
This is the total of information I have here - the text is a film transcription without the pictures.

My question is: can anyone tell me what a Halb-Irren is?

"Ach! Hier gefällt´s mir!
Na frag doch den Halb-Irren! – Dich hat wohl ein wilder Gamsbock gebissen!
Herrlich!"

many thanks
Change log

May 14, 2018 14:23: Kim Metzger changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (3): Thomas Pfann, philgoddard, Kim Metzger

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Discussion

Michael Martin, MA May 15, 2018:
Halfwit ​It all depends how seriously you want to take this. We will all act like half-wits in some situations. Irrer is a stronger expression as it often carries the implication that the person poses a potential danger to his surroundings. I've heard of people being chased by lunatics, but not by half-wits. I'd probably laugh if some half-wit were chasing me. With a lunatic - ​not so much...​
Laura Massey (asker) May 15, 2018:
Yes, I went back and asked the client. They sent me the original video and it made it very clear all of a sudden. A couple clearly in the 1960s being chased by what looks like a 'halfwit'. So random, but at least it makes the context clear. Thank you for all the suggestions.
Sonja Marks-Terrey May 14, 2018:
Laura, can you get the pictures? I think it would be much clearer for you with images. Perhaps there is a second/third person she is referring to who is behaving a bit crazily on camera? In which case I'd say, "Ask the nutcase."
Thomas Pfann May 14, 2018:
Kein ganzer, sondern nur ein halber Irrer Ein Halb-Irrer ist jemand, der halb irr ist - a half lunatic? I guess your translation would very much depend on the context (which you have and we don't) - ie. why the person is considered halbirr. It might be someone with mental health issues, it might be a bit of a weirdo, it might be a reckless skier (if it's the same context as your other question), it might even be used as a term of endearment to describe a friend.
freekfluweel May 14, 2018:
nutcase, mental case, crackpot, wacko, crazy loon semi-retard

Proposed translations

+6
19 mins
Selected

halfwit

another neat suggestion that includes the "half" bit
Peer comment(s):

agree franglish
4 mins
agree Sarah Lewis-Morgan
5 mins
agree philgoddard
7 mins
agree writeaway : idiomatic English that is actually a term used
28 mins
agree Andrea Garfield-Barkworth
48 mins
agree AllegroTrans
1 hr
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "This is the version I've gone for here as it fits the context best. All the suggestions were excellent, so many thanks"
6 mins

Someone who is half-crazy

I think this is what it means. I can't find the expression ”Dich hat wohl ein wilder Gamsbock gebissen” but it's probably some reference to going mad.
Something went wrong...
21 mins

semi-lunatic

Just ask any semi-lunatic. Or semi-idiot. That's the milder version.
Something went wrong...
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