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  3. Philosophy

auf den Leib zugeschnitten

English translation: goes hand in hand with / a perfect/born bedfellow etc.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:auf den Leib zugeschnitten
English translation:goes hand in hand with / a perfect/born bedfellow etc.
Entered by: Michael Smith

13:33 Dec 13, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Philosophy / raciology
German term or phrase: auf den Leib zugeschnitten
"Hönigswald kommt aus der
Schule des Neukantianismus, der eine Philosophie vertreten hat, die dem Liberalismus auf den Leib zugeschnitten ist." This occurs in a letter by Martin Heidegger to a university administrator in 1933, opposing the promotion of the Jew Hönigswald. Heidegger opposes both Neo-Kantianism and Liberalism.
I am not too sure how to translate "auf dem Leib geschnitten" Is it something like "part and parcel of liberalism?" Subservient to liberalism?, tributary to liberalism? Made to order for liberalism? The spitting image of liberalism? Under the thumb of liberalsim? Made to order for liberalism? Or something else entirely.
Michael Smith
goes hand in hand with / a perfect/born bedfellow etc.
Explanation:

- goes hand in hand with liberalism
- a perfect bedfellow of ...
- quintessentially/inevitably a strain of ...
- part and parcel of ...
(yes, could also work)

I like "bedfellow" because it gets across that suspicious aspect, although the brand of philosophy referred to here was obviously born after liberalism.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2006-12-18 11:15:06 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

@ Michael
Yes, you're probably right that "bedfellow" would be a tad OTT. He may have been thinking along those lines, but - crucially - he didn't say so.
Selected response from:

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 05:33
Grading comment
Dear Francis,
I chose "goes hand in hand with" because I was afraid that "perfect" or "born" bedfellow" was too perfect. By that I mean that it may "orient" the text more than the original. I don't want my translation to seem tendentious.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +6goes hand in hand with / a perfect/born bedfellow etc.
Francis Lee (X)
3 +3tailor-made
Günther Toussaint
2 +1fitting a glove like a hand
Stephen Sadie
2a 100-percent/perfect/full match
trans-agrar


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
fitting a glove like a hand


Explanation:
just an idea

Stephen Sadie
Germany
Local time: 05:33
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anne Schulz
59 mins
  -> thanks anne
neutral  Armorel Young: surely the expression is "to fit like a glove" not "to fit like a hand"?
3 hrs
  -> oops, that was meant
neutral  Erin McGann: I agree with Armorel here
23 hrs
  -> oops, that was meant
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
tailor-made


Explanation:
..., which was just tailor-made for liberalism...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 Min. (2006-12-13 13:43:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Why not KISS?

Günther Toussaint
Local time: 05:33
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  casper (X): Cool!
5 mins
  -> thx, Chetan
agree  Parzival
17 mins
  -> thx, Walter
neutral  Francis Lee (X): This may be the Duden/Oxford translation, but I'm not sure it works here.
2 hrs
agree  GT-Translations
21 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
a 100-percent/perfect/full match


Explanation:
How about this? Something like ... who supports a philosophy that fully matches ...

trans-agrar
Germany
Local time: 05:33
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +6
goes hand in hand with / a perfect/born bedfellow etc.


Explanation:

- goes hand in hand with liberalism
- a perfect bedfellow of ...
- quintessentially/inevitably a strain of ...
- part and parcel of ...
(yes, could also work)

I like "bedfellow" because it gets across that suspicious aspect, although the brand of philosophy referred to here was obviously born after liberalism.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2006-12-18 11:15:06 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

@ Michael
Yes, you're probably right that "bedfellow" would be a tad OTT. He may have been thinking along those lines, but - crucially - he didn't say so.

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 05:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 11
Grading comment
Dear Francis,
I chose "goes hand in hand with" because I was afraid that "perfect" or "born" bedfellow" was too perfect. By that I mean that it may "orient" the text more than the original. I don't want my translation to seem tendentious.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Paul Cohen: Absolutely, "born bedfellow" brings across the idea that Hönigswald is not to be trusted.
17 mins
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X)
3 hrs
agree  Lesley Burgon: I also like the asker's own suggestion 'part and parcel of'
18 hrs
agree  Steffen Walter: I believe the German phrase is slightly "contaminated" - I'd normally say "auf den Leib *geschneidert*".
18 hrs
agree  Erin McGann
23 hrs
agree  Julia Lipeles
1 day 5 hrs
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