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Bezuschlagung
hydraulische Folgesteuerung

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

schnapp-ab

English translation:

cutting things fine / winging it

Added to glossary by Lancashireman
Mar 10, 2020 02:07
4 yrs ago
37 viewers *
German term

schnapp-ab

German to English Art/Literary Idioms / Maxims / Sayings Interview with a high-flying businessman
Ausgangstext:

Frage: Musterschüler oder Faulenzer?
Antwort: Immer „schnapp-ab“, kurz vor der Abgabe lief ich zu Höchstform auf. Das zog sich durch bis ins Studium – ich habe lieber kopiert als mitgeschrieben. Die Praxis lag mir immer mehr.


Works well under pressure? Google doesn't seem to have any good matches.
The „quote marks“ are the author's.
I'm also puzzled by the reference to lieber *kopiert* als mitgeschrieben, which does not show the interviewee in a good light.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 (Always) winging it/taking things to the edge/being a last-minute hero
5 -1 firefighting
3 shooting from the hip
3 cut-off
3 last gasp

Discussion

Lancashireman (asker) Mar 12, 2020:
Thanks to all contributors 'Winging it' would have been my second choice. What's more, Michael has the endorsement of three esteemed site users.
Michael Martin, MA Mar 10, 2020:
I could be wrong but my own sense is that, while a great idea, 'cutting it fine' sounds a trifle too realistic. "Schnapp-ab" suggests to me that someone is always courting with disaster but has created this myth or expectation about himself that he will always be able to pull things out of the fire in the end.
Lancashireman (asker) Mar 10, 2020:
Thanks all An esteemed site user (German native) has PMed the following suggestion: cutting it close. My inclination is to go with the more BE version: cutting it fine. This incorporates the idea of cutting/snipping (Wendy).
Thanks to Antje for confirming what the ESU also suggested, namely that he borrowed other students' notes. Not quite so disreputable after all, especially if he actually attended the lectures but was concentrating on listening to and absorbing the message rather than just taking it all down in dictation.
Ramey: Yes, I also get the impression that he prides himself on having been a 'lazy genius' at uni.
Ramey Rieger (X) Mar 10, 2020:
Hey there Andrew It's quite possible that he wants to underscore his innate brilliance, that his success cannot be due to formal learning but to his inborn abilities. Hence, improvising and copying in school.
polyglot45 Mar 10, 2020:
what about brinkmanship?
Antje Matthaeus Mar 10, 2020:
"kopiert" means that he copied other students' lecture notes rather than writing his own
philgoddard Mar 10, 2020:
I wonder if "kopiert" means he was a follower rather than a leader.

Proposed translations

+3
1 hr
Selected

(Always) winging it/taking things to the edge/being a last-minute hero

"Answer: Always winging it. I get up to top form right before the deadline."

This person wants everyone to know, he or she always steps up - but only at the last minute (auf dem letzten Drücker).

Compare with the following sources:
"Ob er die Songs wieder backstage geschrieben hat, ist nicht überliefert. Bei frühen Konzerten seiner Band war es ein Running Gag von Eddie Argos, so zu tun, als hätte er neue Stücke immer schnapp-ab zwischen Soundcheck und Auftritt zusammengeschustert." https://kreuzer-leipzig.de/rezensionen-musikgenre/bangbangro...

"Du machst also Stundendienste, startest immer schnapp-ab (also so zeitnah wie möglich) neu und schaffst es jedesmal innerhalb von 2 (!) Sekunden auf Dienst starten, Captcha klicken, Eventseite klicken, 10 Schuss abzugeben?" https://board.unikatmedia.de/schulterglatze/index.php?/topic...
Note from asker:
Thanks for the two web refs. The second one is particularly useful.
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : Three good suggestions. "Taking it to the wire" is another possibility.
19 mins
agree Edith Kelly : but "auf den letzten Drücker"
3 hrs
agree Thayenga
11 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
7 hrs

shooting from the hip

improvising or ad-libbing, which would make sense of the 'copying' bit.
Something went wrong...
-1
7 hrs

firefighting

I would use "firefighting" in this context because it is often used in office settings.
Peer comment(s):
disagree Kim Metzger : How on earth would you use "firefighting" in the asker's sentence? Please explain.
3 hrs
Something went wrong...
12 hrs

cut-off

A cut-off or a cut-off point is the level or limit at which you decide that something should stop happening.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/de/worterbuch/englisch/cut...

Laut Duden:

abschnappen - im letzten Augenblick noch erreichen, plötzlich abbrechen

Something went wrong...
13 hrs

last gasp

As in:
with me it was always last minute (o. last gasp) – reaching my full potential (o. producing my A-game) just before the finishing line (o. deadline o. whatever you’re using for Abgabe)
Something went wrong...
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