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"Kopf hoch, wenn einen das Wasser bis zum Mund steht"

English translation: Chin up, when the water's up to your neck

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Kopf hoch, wenn einen das Wasser bis zum Mund steht
English translation:Chin up, when the water's up to your neck
Entered by: Kim Metzger

16:26 Dec 20, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: "Kopf hoch, wenn einen das Wasser bis zum Mund steht"
Quote in a commercial brochure, context seems to be the ability to provide quality service, even under the most adverse conditions.
Thanks in advance
Jonathan MacKerron
Chin up, when the water's up to your neck
Explanation:
Maybe?
Selected response from:

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 13:51
Grading comment
Thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5Keep your chin up, even if you're in up to your neck
Alison Schwitzgebel
3 +4Chin up, when the water's up to your neck
Kim Metzger
5Shake it off and step up
Dipl.-Ing. Robert Bach (X)
3Keep up the good work, even if
Nancy Arrowsmith


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
"Kopf hoch, wenn einen das Wasser bis zum Mund steht"
Keep your chin up, even if you're in up to your neck


Explanation:
would be a literal translation, but how about

When the going gets tough, the tough keep (right) on going

Alison Schwitzgebel
France
Local time: 21:51
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 26

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ariser: sounds great or "When the going gets tough, the tough get going"
1 min
agree  Sven Petersson: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going"
7 mins
agree  Hilary Davies Shelby: even the literal translation sounds good! now please all go and answer my welding question...
35 mins
agree  jccantrell
41 mins
agree  Orla Ryan
2 hrs
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Chin up, when the water's up to your neck


Explanation:
Maybe?

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 13:51
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 156
Grading comment
Thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anne Schulz
19 mins
agree  Nesrin
47 mins
agree  Fantutti (X): Hold your head high when the water's up to your neck....
4 hrs
agree  Shane London: Yea. Simple and correct I think
17 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Kopf hoch, wenn einen das Wasser bis zum Mund steht
Shake it off and step up


Explanation:
This is not for points, just for fun. Perhaps some of you do not know the following story:

Shake it off and step up

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule.
The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the old mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving.
Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the first hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on the mule that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, he should shake it off and step up!
This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up!" He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!
As you may have guessed, it wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him, all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.


    Reference: http://www.captaincynic.com/thread.php3/thrdid=26543-u-frmid...
    Reference: http://first-hand.org/hardship/shake.htm
Dipl.-Ing. Robert Bach (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Keep up the good work, even if


Explanation:
you're up to your neck in water!/up the creek without a paddle!

Nancy Arrowsmith
Local time: 13:51
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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