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Frühstücksdirektor

English translation: figurehead

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Frühstücksdirektor
English translation:figurehead
Entered by: Kim Metzger

15:20 Mar 29, 2003
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Marketing / Market Research / marketing
German term or phrase: Frühstücksdirektor
A letter from a consultant advertising for his services:

"Ich arbeite für meine Mandanten also keineswegs als eine Art „Frühstücksdirektor“, der hier und da die Honneurs macht – sondern leiste ausschließlich stetige, zielorientierte Arbeit."

The customer writes the following in his e-mail about the use of Frühstücksdirektor:
Mit dem "Frühstücksdirektor" will ich ja ausdrücken, daß es meiner Meinung nach etliche Kollegen gibt, die für Ihr Geld m.E. einfach zu wenig tun, sich offiziell pompös gebärden, aber keine zählbaren Ergebnisse vorweisen.

Is there any equivalent expression in English that captures the essence of what he's trying to say here?
Rebecca Holmes
United States
Local time: 03:27
figurehead executive
Explanation:
Rebecca, take a look at the previous KudoZ question. This is one of the possibilities.
Selected response from:

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 01:27
Grading comment
Dear Kim, Christiane, Sueg, EZBless and Ron - may the powers that be protect all translators from customers of this sort. The man drove me up a wall on this term - he called me three times on Sunday and turned down at least 10 different written suggestions and even more verbal suggestions on my part (including all suggestions from Proz) one after the other - only to then lecture me on the "filigrane deutsche Sprache" and how English simply couldn't capture its essense. In the end he decide to go with "a representative for my clients in name only" - accompanied by loud protest as to how this just didn't really express what he wanted to say - I wasn't about to waste my time with more fruitless effort, however.
I think all of your answers come very close, personally I would have simply chosen "figurehead" in this context - but heaven knows I am only a native English speaker and unable to comprehend the essense of the "filigrane deutsche Sprache."
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3figurehead executive
Kim Metzger
5 +1entertainment director
Dr. phil. Christiane Bohnert
5hospitality host (or hostess)
Ron Stelter
4Showmaster
Susan Geiblinger
3bloated presentations by an embellisher
Ellen Zittinger


  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
figurehead executive


Explanation:
Rebecca, take a look at the previous KudoZ question. This is one of the possibilities.


    Reference: http://www.proz.com/?sp=h&id=219900&keyword=Fr%FChst%FCcksdi...
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 01:27
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 215
Grading comment
Dear Kim, Christiane, Sueg, EZBless and Ron - may the powers that be protect all translators from customers of this sort. The man drove me up a wall on this term - he called me three times on Sunday and turned down at least 10 different written suggestions and even more verbal suggestions on my part (including all suggestions from Proz) one after the other - only to then lecture me on the "filigrane deutsche Sprache" and how English simply couldn't capture its essense. In the end he decide to go with "a representative for my clients in name only" - accompanied by loud protest as to how this just didn't really express what he wanted to say - I wasn't about to waste my time with more fruitless effort, however.
I think all of your answers come very close, personally I would have simply chosen "figurehead" in this context - but heaven knows I am only a native English speaker and unable to comprehend the essense of the "filigrane deutsche Sprache."

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters: Just figurehead may do
1 hr
agree  Sándor Sárecz
2 hrs
agree  David Moore (X): I go with this, and with Trudy: "Figurehead"
23 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
entertainment director


Explanation:
Rebecca, a "Frühstücksdirektor" is really a person chosen because of his/her name (Graf von..., Prinz von und zu..., etc.) who receives a highsounding company title but is really only there to impress the customers, taking them out to meals, etc. Hence, my suggestion
"entertainment director". Perhaps you can work from there.

Dr. phil. Christiane Bohnert
United States
Local time: 02:27
Native speaker of: German

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Сергей Лузан
36 mins
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
bloated presentations by an embellisher


Explanation:
methods a good sales con artist would use to pocket money without delivery of all that which was elaborated upon as either as exaggerated or bloated presentatios



Ellen Zittinger
Local time: 00:27
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Showmaster


Explanation:
Thinking about show,sham, putting on a show.Think it would fit well here.

Susan Geiblinger
Austria
Local time: 09:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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1 day 8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
hospitality host (or hostess)


Explanation:
I think the author is trying to point out that he doesn't just fill people's water glass or make sure they get a fancy business lunch or night out, but that he really provides them a bonafide service-he doesn't just "wine-and-dine" them

Ron Stelter
Local time: 02:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 3
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