Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß...

English translation: Rumpel better play it wise, or he'll be in for a surprise!

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß...
English translation:Rumpel better play it wise, or he'll be in for a surprise!
Entered by: Courtney Sliwinski

20:39 Sep 27, 2007
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Video game text
German term or phrase: Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß...
Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …

Obviously this needs to be translated as a whole. This line is delivered by someone trying to taunt their opponent. It is a play on the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale, though the translation need not be. I am drawing a complete blank here, is anyone feeling clever?
Courtney Sliwinski
Local time: 10:13
it's just good nobody knows I like to bite a gremlin's/kobold's nose
Explanation:
teasing the little buggers/gremlins (short creatures)




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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-09-27 23:39:12 GMT)
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...Rumpel's nose

or, more neutral:

Rumpel better play it wise or he'll be in for a surprise
Little Rumpel play it wise (!) or you'll be in for a surprise

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Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 13:46:29 GMT)
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this came to mind for Stielchen: toy (small weapon) or poss. other connotations


heck, I won't be very coy, I'll eat the little gremlin's/bugger's toy (for breakfast)

secretly it's my great joy - to eat the little bugger's toy.

nobody knows it's my great joy - to eat the little bugger's toy



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Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 13:55:26 GMT)
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..the gremlin's bugger's little toy


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Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 14:03:06 GMT)
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...the gremlin's/bugger's little toy



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 14:05:33 GMT)
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breakfast is served.

the little bugger's tiny toy is what I most enjoy, for breakfast.
Selected response from:

Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 05:13
Grading comment
I chose the "Rumpel better play it wise ..."
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3suggestion
Ken Cox
3 +2How sweet it is that I alone
Dr. Fred Thomson
3 +1it's just good nobody knows I like to bite a gremlin's/kobold's nose
Bernhard Sulzer
3Oh how convienient that nobody knows that I bite in RumpelsStielchen
Assem Mazloum
3Rumpelstilsken wasn't so smart! In a one-on-one, I'd have ripped him apart!
Brigitte Albert (X)
3Rumpelstilsken is my name, biting (Kobolds?) is my game!
Susan Zimmer


Discussion entries: 15





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …
Oh how convienient that nobody knows that I bite in RumpelsStielchen


Explanation:
this is how I understand it

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Note added at 6 mins (2007-09-27 20:46:16 GMT)
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how Convenient

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Note added at 29 mins (2007-09-27 21:09:16 GMT)
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Oh how convenient that nobody in RumpelsStielchen knows that I bite !




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Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-27 22:24:28 GMT)
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ankle-biter = small child yes

see link

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/ankle-biter.html

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Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-27 22:34:26 GMT)
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in this case it might be ok to say :

Oh how convienient that nobody take me as a child!


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Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-27 22:35:21 GMT)
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or :

Oh how convienient, do not take me as a child!


Assem Mazloum
Germany
Local time: 10:13
Works in field
Native speaker of: Arabic
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …
Rumpelstilsken wasn't so smart! In a one-on-one, I'd have ripped him apart!


Explanation:
Some more grandstanding, Kobold style! ;-)

Brigitte Albert (X)
Local time: 05:13
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …
How sweet it is that I alone


Explanation:
Know that I can bite you to the bone.

Dr. Fred Thomson
United States
Local time: 03:13
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 37

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Michaela Pschierer-Barnfather: Love the rhime!
12 hrs
  -> Thank you, Michaela.

agree  Brigitte Albert (X): Nice way with the words and you kept the "Ach wie gut, ... ."
1 day 21 hrs
  -> Thank you, Brigitte
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …
Rumpelstilsken is my name, biting (Kobolds?) is my game!


Explanation:
don't what he's biting, nor whether the actually bite / eat/ nibble. But maybe something like that will work....

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-09-27 23:05:36 GMT)
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don't *know* what he's biting...

maybe also something like "biting / fighting / eating punks like you / (or some other degrading term) is my game....

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-09-27 23:19:56 GMT)
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oh, "Stielchen"? Do they fight with swords? Or is the "stielchen referring to the opponen'ts neck / head?

Maybe something like:

Ain't it nice, biting these guys heads off / chomping those (whatever) into bits and pieces is my favorite passtime / what I do before breakfast ...

Susan Zimmer
United States
Local time: 05:13
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …
suggestion


Explanation:
This is pure speculation...

First off, I imagine that Kobolds are physically tough opponents -- not too smart, but gleefully violent and never afraid of a fight.

Second, it would help to know what sort of weapon the Kobold's opponent is wielding in this situation -- in particular, whether it is weapon with a shank or shaft, such as a spear, hammer, or even arrows (any of which could be derisively called 'Stielchen').

Given all that, you could imagine the meaning as something like 'if you think that's a weapon, you're in for a surprise -- I eat weapons like that for breakfast and pick my teeth with the splinters!'.



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Note added at 16 hrs (2007-09-28 12:44:10 GMT)
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Hmmm -- in response to the other answers, maybe you could use 'I'm a master of martial arts, so you'd better watch your private parts!'

Ken Cox
Local time: 10:13
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bernhard Sulzer: I like your thinking, but wouldn't it be the kobold-like creature that is being bitten? what do you think?
49 mins

agree  Rebecca Garber: I like your last suggestion, which seems to match the context: kobold insulting player.
17 hrs

agree  seehand: Dein letzter Vorschlag gefällt mir auch gut
18 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …
it's just good nobody knows I like to bite a gremlin's/kobold's nose


Explanation:
teasing the little buggers/gremlins (short creatures)




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-09-27 23:39:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

...Rumpel's nose

or, more neutral:

Rumpel better play it wise or he'll be in for a surprise
Little Rumpel play it wise (!) or you'll be in for a surprise

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 13:46:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this came to mind for Stielchen: toy (small weapon) or poss. other connotations


heck, I won't be very coy, I'll eat the little gremlin's/bugger's toy (for breakfast)

secretly it's my great joy - to eat the little bugger's toy.

nobody knows it's my great joy - to eat the little bugger's toy



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 13:55:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

..the gremlin's bugger's little toy


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 14:03:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

...the gremlin's/bugger's little toy



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Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 14:05:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

breakfast is served.

the little bugger's tiny toy is what I most enjoy, for breakfast.

Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 05:13
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 52
Grading comment
I chose the "Rumpel better play it wise ..."

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  inkweaver: I quite like this. It has to be "Rumpel´s nose" of course, since a gremlin is saying this who is just about to bite him.
7 hrs
  -> thank you, inkweaver, I now think it's also possible to think of it as a tiny little weapon, a toy easily destroyed
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