Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Schlunz

English translation:

slob

Added to glossary by Chris Rowson (X)
Nov 21, 2002 15:19
21 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term

Schlunz

German to English Art/Literary Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
I just heard this word, from my lawyer, actually, who said of someone "Er ist ein Schlunz". My wife has tried explaining it to me, but I don´t get so good a grip on it. Can anyone elucidate for me please?

Proposed translations

+2
8 mins
Selected

slob

I think. This is based on the dictionary definition of schlunzig = unordentlich, nachlässig, schlampig. A Schlunze is unordentliche Frau.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-11-21 15:32:53 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sluggard, lardass.
Peer comment(s):

agree Sarah Downing : my dictionary confirms your definition
4 mins
agree Elisabeth Ghysels
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "We just discussed this, at some length, and with all of the help from all of you, I am still not really sure what the best translation is, even for the specific context we had. But my best shot is Kim´s "slob". Sarah´s guess - meaning 1 of schlunzig seems to fit pretty well - but what´s that in English? I thought from our context it was going to be Klaus´s "scoundrel" but we have established that that is not how we understand it. It definitely has to do with "nachlässig", and definitely does not imply criminality, even marginal. He´s a slob."
10 mins

scoundrel

is probably the closest you get to in English...
Something went wrong...
+1
11 mins

sloppy, slovenly person

It is a bit like the male equivalent of "Schlampe".
My Duden and Oxford-Duden only show the female version:

Schlun|ze, die; -, -n (landsch. abwertend für unordentliche Frau)

Schlunze /'/ die; Schlunze, Schlunzen (salopp abwertend, bes. nordd.) slut

Peer comment(s):

agree Elisabeth Ghysels
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
12 mins

No translation, but a couple of definitions - my guess is that it refers to meaning 1 of schlunzig .

Schlunz m

1. minderwertiges Essen; Wassersuppe; Gefängniskost; fades Getränk. Aus »ð schlunzen = schlendern« ergibt sich die Vorstellung von Schlaffheit und Kraftlosigkeit. Seit dem späten 19. Jh., sold und rotw.

2. Lazarett; Krankenstube in der Kaserne o. ä. Anspielung auf die unschmackhafte, kraftlose Verpflegung. Sold 1900 bis heute.

3. Arrestanstalt, Gefängnis. Vgl das Vorhergehende. Sold und rotw 1920 ff.

4. zerlumptes, durchlöchertes, verschmutztes Kleid; abgetragene Uniform. Fußt über die mit »-s-« erweiterte Form auf »schlumpen = schlaff herabhängen«. Seit dem 19. Jh.

6. Schlaf. ð schlunzen 2. 1920 ff.
[Wörterbuch: Schlunz, S. 1. Digitale Bibliothek Band 36: Wörterbuch der deutschen Umgangssprache, S. 24390 (vgl. Küpper-WddU, S. 722) (c) Marianne Küpper]
schlunzen intr

1. nachlässig gehen; schlendern; unordentlich tätig sein. Geht zurück auf »ð schlumpen 2« mit s-Erweiterung. 1700 ff.

2. schlafen; in der Sonne liegen und vor sich hinträumen. Aus der vorhergehenden Bedeutung weiterentwickelt zu »müßiggehen«. 1920 ff.
[Wörterbuch: schlunzen, S. 1. Digitale Bibliothek Band 36: Wörterbuch der deutschen Umgangssprache, S. 24391 (vgl. Küpper-WddU, S. 722) (c) Marianne Küpper]

schlunzig adj

unordentlich, ungepflegt, nachlässig. ð schlunzen 1. Seit dem 19. Jh.
[Wörterbuch: schlunzig, S. 1. Digitale Bibliothek Band 36: Wörterbuch der deutschen Umgangssprache, S. 24392 (vgl. Küpper-WddU, S. 722) (c) Marianne Küpper]

Just like you (and a whole handful of other translators!) I love learning about new words, especially slang ones.


Something went wrong...
+1
21 hrs

No translation, but

more of an addition to Sarah\'s very extensive statements... yes it\'s true all of the above *are* present in the semantics of Schlunz, but I think we\'re dealing here with a non-lexical usage, i.e. referring to a person. I wouldn\'t use the word myself in this connection, but to hear it said of someone that \"er ist ein rechter Schlunz\" gives me the immediate impression that it must be someone who works only lacklustre and sloppily, though not outright unwillingly. Results would be \"Schlendrian\" of some kind - there is some work done, but to a resaonable percentage it is done only half, superficially or even not.
- That much for the native speaker\'s associations with \"Schlunz\", now you tell me how to call such a person in English...
(And incidentally, there is a variety \"Schlonz\" that only relates to the food aspect in Sarah\'s entry.)
Peer comment(s):

agree allemande
3 hrs
Something went wrong...
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search