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Rums

English translation: Kerplunk! Wham! Bang!

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Rums
English translation:Kerplunk! Wham! Bang!
Entered by: Rowan Morrell

13:05 Mar 17, 2007
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang / Historical Trail Audio
German term or phrase: Rums
Wir haben den ersten Traktor in [town] gehabt, einen 180er Steyr. Mit dem haben wir das Holz heraus gefahren. Das waren 400 bis 500 Festmeter Holz, die die Lawine mitgerissen hat.

Wir haben alles mit der Hand aufgeladen. Der Weg war noch nicht so gut wie heute. Es ging bergauf und bergab. Da sind wir hängen geblieben. Der Tunnel war noch verflucht klein. Rumms, da sind wir stecken geblieben. Kein Licht im Tunnel, alles war blockiert. Aber es ist alles gut ausgegangen."

Talking about the aftermath of a big avalanche. I can't find a translation for "rumms" anywhere, and don't have much of an idea what it means - what a bummer, maybe??? TIA for your assistance.
Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
Local time: 17:16
boof / whallop / wham / thud !
Explanation:
Duden expresses it very well:
lautm. für das Geräusch, das bei einem dumpf tönenden Aufprall entsteht

Duden-Oxford gives:
bump; (lauter, heller) bang; (beim Zusammenstoß) crash

But considering this is about an avalanche and bearing in the mind the "dumpf" aspect, I think "bang" or "crash" are wide of the mark here. Hence the above suggestions ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-03-17 14:27:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Then there's "whoosh!" as well ...
Selected response from:

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 07:16
Grading comment
Thanks Francis. Wham is great! Kerplunk wasn't bad either. I'll add both of those to the glossary, but I'll put in "bang" as well, because it would be appropriate in some other contexts. Wham is what I'm going to use here though. Thanks to everyone who contributed - appreciate your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +6boof / whallop / wham / thud !
Francis Lee (X)
3 +3bang
Dagmar Jenner
3 +1bang!
Tim Jenkins


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
rumms
bang


Explanation:
Correct spelling would be "rums" (interjection).

Dagmar Jenner
Local time: 07:16
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ulrike Kraemer
5 mins
agree  Edith Kelly
9 mins
agree  BrigitteHilgner: Es machte knall, es machte bumm ...
39 mins
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
rumms
bang!


Explanation:
I think it might be a variation on "rums", meaning the noise of an accident:

ums <Interj.>: a) lautm. für das Geräusch, das bei einem dumpf tönenden Fall, Aufprall entsteht: r., lag der ganze Segen auf der Erde; r., war der Wagen aufgefahren; r., ein Unfall!; b) Ausdruck für ein plötzliches Ereignis, eine schnelle Bewegung: Rums, in die Zelle zurück, ein neues Verfahren (Kempowski, Uns 138).

Duden

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2007-03-17 13:18:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"CRASH!"

Tim Jenkins
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:16
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ulrike Kraemer
5 mins
  -> or "Crash", as you found
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
boof / whallop / wham / thud !


Explanation:
Duden expresses it very well:
lautm. für das Geräusch, das bei einem dumpf tönenden Aufprall entsteht

Duden-Oxford gives:
bump; (lauter, heller) bang; (beim Zusammenstoß) crash

But considering this is about an avalanche and bearing in the mind the "dumpf" aspect, I think "bang" or "crash" are wide of the mark here. Hence the above suggestions ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-03-17 14:27:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Then there's "whoosh!" as well ...

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 07:16
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks Francis. Wham is great! Kerplunk wasn't bad either. I'll add both of those to the glossary, but I'll put in "bang" as well, because it would be appropriate in some other contexts. Wham is what I'm going to use here though. Thanks to everyone who contributed - appreciate your help.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): any of these would do : a onomatopoeia at its best:))
19 mins
agree  Nicole Schnell
36 mins
agree  Susan Keller: i would certainly go for one of these instead of bang
38 mins
agree  gfish
55 mins
agree  John Jory: wham is my preference
4 hrs
agree  Lancashireman: 'Kerplunk' would be my preference
9 hrs
  -> I'd certainly give 'kerplunk' an Agree. But what happend to the various colleagues who agreed with 'bang' etc.?
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