This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. Poetry & Literature

hin oder her

English translation: or not

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:hin oder her
English translation:or not
Entered by: Claudia Krysztofiak

17:19 Nov 9, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Life Stories
German term or phrase: hin oder her
The whole sentence:
"Eheversprechen hin oder her, das mache ich nicht mit."

A young girl meets her future husband of an arranged marriage for the first time and finds him to be just everything she dislikes. So this is what she tells herself before running off.
Claudia Krysztofiak
Germany
Local time: 15:28
or not
Explanation:
I would say "Promised (in marriage) or not, I'm not going through with this." Or something like that.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2006-11-09 17:37:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Of course, if I were in that situation, I would probably say something more along the lines of "Screw the arrangement, I'm not marrying him." :-)
Selected response from:

Melanie Nassar
United States
Local time: 16:28
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone.
The F word and the second version were especially tempting. But the tone of the original ... :-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +7or not
Melanie Nassar
3 +4never mind ...
Cilian O'Tuama
3 +2promise of marriage or not
Trudy Peters
3 +1neither here nor there
Lancashireman
3only for better not for worse
Bernhard Sulzer
2give a whit about
Henry Schroeder


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
promise of marriage or not


Explanation:
IMO, you have to rephrase a bit

Trudy Peters
United States
Local time: 09:28
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Michele Fauble
2 hrs
agree  swisstell
3 days 6 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
never mind ...


Explanation:
as in
never mind what was promised (o.ä.)
I don't care about the Eheversprechen...
promise or no (promise)


Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 15:28
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 31

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BirgitBerlin: Never mind the promise of marriage, there's no way I'm going through with it.
10 mins
agree  Kim Metzger: promises schmomises
1 hr
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X)
3 hrs
agree  mill2: promise or no promise
17 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
neither here nor there


Explanation:
If a fact is neither here nor there, it is not important. (Whether they go or not is neither here nor there as far as I'm concerned.)
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/neither here nor there

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 159

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Thomas Schoenradt: We also would use this term in the US
9 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
or not


Explanation:
I would say "Promised (in marriage) or not, I'm not going through with this." Or something like that.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2006-11-09 17:37:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Of course, if I were in that situation, I would probably say something more along the lines of "Screw the arrangement, I'm not marrying him." :-)

Melanie Nassar
United States
Local time: 16:28
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone.
The F word and the second version were especially tempting. But the tone of the original ... :-)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lancashireman: With your second version // Actually I had considered 'Sod the engagement...' but then (unwisely) opted for the more genteel version above.
17 mins
  -> :-)
agree  Nesrin: Umm not so sure about the second version... :-)// That would certainly be more realistic!
17 mins
  -> I was considering the F word....
agree  Michele Fauble
2 hrs
agree  BrigitteHilgner: Spontaneously I thought "never mind ..." but I do like this better.
1 day 15 hrs
agree  Norbert Hermann: works with this audience :-)
1 day 16 hrs
agree  Rebecca Garber: I like the second version.
2 days 2 hrs
agree  Richard Benham: I hope you don't find yourself in that predicament, but I think your first version more closely matches the tone of the original.
2 days 3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

55 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
give a whit about


Explanation:
I don't give a whit about...

If you're not familiar with the phrase, it means something like: I don't care at all for...

You're going to have to work out some daedal phrase. I'll throw out this. If it's for an American audience you can even stress it (if that's necessary) by saying: I don't give two whits about...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 58 mins (2006-11-09 18:18:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another one along these lines would be:

I don't give a hoot about...

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:ubK93U_SQVoJ:idioms.the...

Henry Schroeder
United States
Local time: 09:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 88
1 corroborated select project
in this pair and field What is ProZ.com Project History(SM)?
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
only for better not for worse


Explanation:
just an idea and a stretch -

after she says that she runs off

Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 09:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 55
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search