This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. Business/Commerce (general)

an den Preisen schrauben

English translation: tinker with the prices

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:an den Preisen schrauben
English translation:tinker with the prices
Entered by: Boris Rogowski

09:11 Jun 13, 2007
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general)
German term or phrase: an den Preisen schrauben
The context is an e-mail.

"Das Projekt an sich ist profitmässig OK, solange der Kunde vor der endgültigen Unterschrift der Radioverträge nicht nochmals an den XXX Preisen schraubt."

I can't work out if these prices are being increased (cranked up) or decreased (screwed down to rock bottom). My guess is decreased....but the context gives little away....

Anyone?
(It is pretty urgent unfortunately.... so thanks for speedy thoughts!)
Lisa Davey
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:33
tinker with the prices
Explanation:
very little context indeed... "tinker with the prices" is what came to my mind first. This one might be a good idea for it is neutral as to the direction. But well... it's just a guess.
Selected response from:

Boris Rogowski
Germany
Local time: 04:33
Grading comment
Thanks to all for your very helpful suggestions. In the end, I put "change the prices" and agree with those who suggest that if the customer beats down the price, the profitability will decrease.
Difficult to award points but decided to give some to Boris as his suggestion was closest to the final version! Thanks everyone.
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2pulls down the prices
Robin Salmon (X)
3 +1put the screws on the prices
CMJ_Trans (X)
4rises the prices again
Martin Wenzel
4to reduce the prices
James Johnson
4put pressure on the prices
Kevin Lossner
2 +1tinker with the prices
Boris Rogowski
3pressure *us* to lower the prices
Michele Johnson


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Preise schrauben
tinker with the prices


Explanation:
very little context indeed... "tinker with the prices" is what came to my mind first. This one might be a good idea for it is neutral as to the direction. But well... it's just a guess.

Boris Rogowski
Germany
Local time: 04:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 2
Grading comment
Thanks to all for your very helpful suggestions. In the end, I put "change the prices" and agree with those who suggest that if the customer beats down the price, the profitability will decrease.
Difficult to award points but decided to give some to Boris as his suggestion was closest to the final version! Thanks everyone.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nicole Schnell
27 mins
  -> thanks nicole!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Preise schrauben
pulls down the prices


Explanation:
I think it means that the customer might try to push for lower prices for himself before the contract is signed, which would jeopardise the profitability of the project.

Robin Salmon (X)
Australia
Local time: 12:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kevin Lossner: yes, that's the sense of it
46 mins
  -> Thanks, Kevin.
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): my understanding,too
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Preise schrauben
put the screws on the prices


Explanation:
is what it says - so use it

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 04:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 147

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Boris Rogowski: How are you going to put the screws on a price? I only know it as "impose pressure on sb" - and then I don't think this is meant here
8 mins
agree  Kevin Lossner: This idiom is OK - it conjures the image in my mind of the customer applying thumbscrews to the supplier, which is sometimes close to reality....
42 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Preise schrauben
rises the prices again


Explanation:
Dear Lisa, from the context it is clear enough that he is not going to lower them, even though the German original may be interpreted as "changing" the prices, which you could also use. But it is pretty safe to say "rises" not tinker...sorry!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 29 mins (2007-06-13 09:40:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Stiffens the prices...to use a transitive verb and pacify Robin Salmon!!!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 30 mins (2007-06-13 09:42:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Raises, of course, never click before checking :=(

Martin Wenzel
Germany
Local time: 04:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 21

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Robin Salmon (X): You cannot "rise a price", Mr. Native Speaker.
4 mins
  -> Sorry, it was a typo, I meant raise...
neutral  Cilian O'Tuama: what's wrong with tinker?
13 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to reduce the prices


Explanation:
if the customer is playing around with the prices it will almost certainly be in order to decrease them.

"as long as the customer doesn't reduce the prices again"

James Johnson
Local time: 04:33
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
put pressure on the prices


Explanation:
This particular idiom can go in either direction, but in this case it's obvious that the push on prices is downward. Otherwise, I usually favor the "tinker"/"play" variant, which is what I do from time to time with my own prices as economic conditions change. So "...as long as the customer doesn't put pressure on the prices again...."

Kevin Lossner
Portugal
Local time: 03:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
pressure *us* to lower the prices


Explanation:
I think the concept of price pressure is fine for a truly analytical context, but here I would say pressure is on someone, not something. Tinker on the other hand is a bit too informal for my tastes. It also makes it sound like the customer has absolute free hand, like 'I'll pay $1 instead of $100,' which is surely not the case.

Isn't the idiom "to put the screws TO" something/someone? If I were using this, I would tend towards something like "put the screws to us with respect to prices" or similar. Just the word "screw" has an additional negative connotation (awfully close to "they're screwing us over") that I don't necessarily think is there in the original.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-06-13 11:19:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To be fair, my Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus American Edition does in fact say 'put the screws ON" = (colloq.) to exert pressure on, esp. to extort or intimidate. My feeling though is it would still be "put the screws on US" (with respect to prices) and not "put the screws on PRICES."

Michele Johnson
Germany
Local time: 04:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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.

Return to KudoZ list

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:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search