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von wegen

English translation: You wish! Dream on! In your dreams! Forget it! No way! Pah! Yeah, right! Oh, please! As if!

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:von wegen
English translation:You wish! Dream on! In your dreams! Forget it! No way! Pah! Yeah, right! Oh, please! As if!
Entered by: Erik Macki

05:44 Aug 1, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / teen terminology
German term or phrase: von wegen
I'm hoping for some ideas as to the real sense of "von wegen" in the following passage from a novel. I don't need the dictionary translation; I need some idiomatic ideas for this context, or at least some explanation of what may be meant.

The context is: an 18-year-old girl is thinking about the different ideas she and her parents have about her career path. They think she should attend university and study something practical so she can take over the family business. She has other ideas.

Das Geschäft, denkt Johanna, bei uns dreht sich immer alles um das Geschäft. Sie weiß schon lange, dass sie nicht so leben möchte, sie hat es schon vor ihrer Reise nach Israel gewusst, auch wenn sie sich noch immer nicht für etwas Bestimmtes entschieden hat, es gibt so viel, was sie machen könnte. Daniel wird Physik studieren, Kerstin will Ärztin werden, Melanie Bibliothekarin, und sie weiß nur, dass sie nicht ins Geschäft eintreten wird, auch wenn ihre Eltern das so selbstverständlich erwarten, dass es noch nicht einaml zu einem Thema wird, das man diskutiert. Natürlich kann sie studieren, Betriebswirtschaft wäre nicht schlecht, wenn sie schon nicht die Modefachschule besuchenwill, sogar Jura kommt in Frage. **VON WEGEN,** sagt Johanna laut, ihr werdet euch noch wundern.

I kind of think an American teenager would say something like "Oh, please," in this same context, perhaps with a roll of the eyes, expressing irritation with the parents' assumptions, but if you have any other ideas or explanations of the connotation(s) here, I'd much appreciate it.
Erik Macki
Local time: 08:28
You wish! Dream on! In your dreams! Forget it! No way! Pah! Yeah, right!
Explanation:
Just to add to the suggestions above.
Selected response from:

Jalapeno
Local time: 17:28
Grading comment
I wish I could give points to everyone, since all the suggestions were right on and helpful! Thanks again to eveyrone for taking the time to respond.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5(!) Yea, sure! [sarcastic] (2) You've got to be kidding!
Tom Funke
3 +6You wish! Dream on! In your dreams! Forget it! No way! Pah! Yeah, right!
Jalapeno
4 +1not a chance! No way!
Monika Leit
3 +2As if!
HarryHedgehog
3 +2Puh-leeze
Lori Dendy-Molz
2Like hell (I will)
Francis Lee (X)


  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
(!) Yea, sure! [sarcastic] (2) You've got to be kidding!


Explanation:
8 American children, 20 grandchildren, 12 great-grand kids (if I'm not mistaken). Tom

Tom Funke
Local time: 11:28
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  IanW (X): I think "Yea(h), sure" works very well here
36 mins
agree  Francis Lee (X): or "Get outta here!", "Yeah, right!"
1 hr
agree  Rachel Ward: "Yeah, right!"
2 hrs
agree  HarryHedgehog: should we get orf your lawn then?
3 hrs
agree  Henry Schroeder
4 hrs
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
not a chance! No way!


Explanation:
Ich verstehe das so. Zudem im Anschluss kommt: Ihr werdet euch noch wundern. Von wegen bedeutet quasi, dass sie auf keinen Fall das tun wird, was ihre Eltern erwarten.

Monika Leit
Local time: 17:28
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Francis Lee (X): auch ne Möglichkeit
1 hr
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
As if!


Explanation:
Teen-speak at its best... Immortalized in Amy Heckerling's "Clueless" (1995) and has become even more popular since.

HarryHedgehog
Germany
Local time: 17:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Francis Lee (X): and then there's also "Hell-OHHH!"
1 hr
  -> Yep, but that's sooooo 80s... Hell-OHHHHHHHH, Mc-FLYYYYYYYYYY
agree  mill2
2 hrs
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
You wish! Dream on! In your dreams! Forget it! No way! Pah! Yeah, right!


Explanation:
Just to add to the suggestions above.

Jalapeno
Local time: 17:28
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
I wish I could give points to everyone, since all the suggestions were right on and helpful! Thanks again to eveyrone for taking the time to respond.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  IanW (X): "Yeah, right!" does it for me
7 mins
agree  BrigitteHilgner: That's what you think!
9 mins
agree  Francis Lee (X): Any of the above, or "Think again!"
37 mins
  -> "Think again" is excellent.
agree  Rachel Ward: "Yeah, right!"
1 hr
agree  HarryHedgehog: Yeah, right
3 hrs
agree  Henry Schroeder
3 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Like hell (I will)


Explanation:
Although this'd probably rank further down than the rest ...

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 17:28
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 80
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Puh-leeze


Explanation:
...a slight variation on your own "Oh, please"

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Note added at 12 hrs (2006-08-01 18:38:37 GMT)
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Or: Get real!

Lori Dendy-Molz
Germany
Local time: 17:28
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 22

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  HarryHedgehog: like, totally
18 mins
  -> like, thanks dude.
agree  Francis Lee (X): Stop it, HH - you're gonna gimme a relapse (I'm a recovering former Valley resident)
25 mins
  -> Had a roommate in college from La Jolla. She was like, a total airhead!
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