Kostgänger

English translation: a poor cousin

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Kostgänger
English translation:a poor cousin
Entered by: AllegroTrans

08:10 Jun 21, 2007
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Government / Politics / regional competition
German term or phrase: Kostgänger
Describing how Bavaria has developed into one of the richer regions in Germany. Schließlich hat das heutige Vorbild Bayern auch mal klein angefangen und war bis 1986 Kostgänger der damals starken Bundesländer.

riding on the back of the richer states?

Any suggestions welcome
Patricia Will
Australia
Local time: 06:03
a poor cousin
Explanation:
...of its wealthier neighbours
Selected response from:

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:03
Grading comment
Thanks, I am going to go with this one.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4a poor cousin
AllegroTrans
3 +1had to be funded/financed
Steffen Walter
3Schnorrer
lindaellen (X)
3had to look up to
Max Masutin


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
kostgaenger
Schnorrer


Explanation:
I am using poetic licence here. And whether Yiddish slang fits your context is another story.

lindaellen (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, scrounger, someone who doesn't pay their way, is a possibility. We have a lovely Australian slang word for that - bludger!

Asker: Thanks, good idea but wrong register


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  BrigitteHilgner: I find this derogatory.
50 mins
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
had to look up to


Explanation:
economically stronger states at the time; might be just another way of putting it

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Note added at 32 mins (2007-06-21 08:42:23 GMT)
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take the back seat, has been sidelined, was on the sidelines, wait in the wings, piggyback, ride pillion, play second fiddle

Max Masutin
Ukraine
Local time: 00:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway: didn't really fit in with Bayern... and is not really what the German says
1 min
  -> perhaps just depended, had to rely on then
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
kostgaenger
a poor cousin


Explanation:
...of its wealthier neighbours

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Thanks, I am going to go with this one.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway
4 mins
  -> thank you

agree  Darin Fitzpatrick: Good imagery, and captures the tone of the original.
12 mins
  -> thanks!

agree  Steffen Walter: Probably better than my rather neutral suggestion.
25 mins
  -> thanks!

agree  Paul Skidmore: although a lot depends on the target audience of the piece. For a government report it sounds a little informal.
31 mins
  -> Thanks! The German term seems equally informal
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
had to be funded/financed


Explanation:
I'd paraphrase as above:

Until 1986, Bavaria had to be funded/financed by the then wealthier/economically stronger federal states.

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Note added at 1 hr (2007-06-21 09:11:50 GMT)
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@ Darin: See also http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Länderfinanzausgleich

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Note added at 4 hrs (2007-06-21 12:40:45 GMT)
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@ Darin (2): Not quite (2) - solely for explanatory purposes, I was hinting at the content/background IMPLIED in the source term "Kostgänger".

Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 23:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 149

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Darin Fitzpatrick: Did it? I'm not sure that's what the original says. "Kostgaenger" implies that it had to pay them, but that they were richer.//OK, but you're adding content that's not in the original sentence.
5 mins
  -> Not quite. This is about the changes in the so-called Länderfinanzausgleich: Bavaria used to get funds/assistance from other fed. states until the mid-1980s. Today, it's the reverse - Bavaria has become a "rich" state and provides funds to other states.

neutral  writeaway: that's what it means but you do lose the register of the original. and I wouldn't fly this past any Bavarians.... ;-)
5 mins
  -> You do have a point here.

agree  BrigitteHilgner: Good morning, Steffen. I am for precision - and this describes precisely the situation in the past - which has changed quite considerably.
16 mins
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