best-laid plans

Hungarian translation: jól/alaposan kidolgozott tervek

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:best-laid plans
Hungarian translation:jól/alaposan kidolgozott tervek
Entered by: Andrea Szabados

20:37 Jun 7, 2006
English to Hungarian translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general)
English term or phrase: best-laid plans
A mondat így hangzik (üzletiterv-tanácsadásról van szó):

"show your clients how to present their best-laid plans"

Jól kidolgozott terv?
Ez olyasmi kifejezés lenne, mint a "best practice"?

Köszönöm.
Andrea Szabados
Local time: 06:21
...
Explanation:
It's a strange turn of phrase, which is derived from a poem by the famous Scottish Poet Robert Burns:

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promised joy

I say strange because as in the poem it is generally used in the sense that the "best-laid plans gang aft a-gley", i.e. "the most carefully prepared plans may go wrong".

In this context, they have taken the original meaning and changed it somewhat, since here, as you suggest, it means plans that are well thought through and elaborated.

Shame the author did not know his Scottish history....
Selected response from:

Douglas Arnott
Local time: 06:21
Grading comment
Thank you so much for the "best laid" explanation.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +4...
Douglas Arnott


  

Answers


16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +4
...


Explanation:
It's a strange turn of phrase, which is derived from a poem by the famous Scottish Poet Robert Burns:

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promised joy

I say strange because as in the poem it is generally used in the sense that the "best-laid plans gang aft a-gley", i.e. "the most carefully prepared plans may go wrong".

In this context, they have taken the original meaning and changed it somewhat, since here, as you suggest, it means plans that are well thought through and elaborated.

Shame the author did not know his Scottish history....

Douglas Arnott
Local time: 06:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you so much for the "best laid" explanation.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  juvera: Csillagos ötös. A kifejezés már átment a köztudatba. Itt valszeg azt akarja mondani, hogy még a legjobb terveknek is megfelelő bemutatás/előadás kell, hogy sikeresek legyenek.
3 hrs

agree  Eva Blanar: jól/ alaposan kidolgozott tervek :)
9 hrs

agree  Andras Mohay (X): Talán tréfásan értendő: "világmegváltó üzleti terveiket" - Egyébként egy krimi címe is, magyarul: "Ember tervez"
9 hrs

agree  Elizabeth Rudin
10 hrs
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