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is i magen

English translation: nerves of steel

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Swedish term or phrase:is i magen
English translation:nerves of steel
Entered by: Roger Matthews

18:47 Feb 22, 2012
Swedish to English translations [PRO]
Business/Commerce (general)
Swedish term or phrase: is i magen
This is from a training manual. I am looking for a clever way to get the same imagery. There is a list of three characteristics necessary for dealing with conflict:
Varmt hjärta
Kall hjärna
Is i magen

So far I have "a warm heart" and "a cool head", but what is the third? "Ice in the soul" doesn't work, but it is the closest "ice" image I have come to so far. The other option is "nerves of steel" but then I lose the temperature idea! Any brainwaves?
TAI
Roger Matthews
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:11
nerves of steel
Explanation:
A suggestion

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2012-02-22 19:07:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oh, I was too quick, sorry. How 'bout "icy nerves" instead, since icy can be used to mean steely. See e.g. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icy
Selected response from:

Åsa Schoening
United States
Local time: 05:11
Grading comment
Thanks for all the helpful comments too.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +8nerves of steel
Åsa Schoening
4a calm mind
Barry Appleby
3Coolly unconcerned
Christine Andersen


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
nerves of steel


Explanation:
A suggestion

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2012-02-22 19:07:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oh, I was too quick, sorry. How 'bout "icy nerves" instead, since icy can be used to mean steely. See e.g. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icy

Åsa Schoening
United States
Local time: 05:11
Native speaker of: Swedish
PRO pts in category: 34
Grading comment
Thanks for all the helpful comments too.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, nice idea, thanks! Although I think I still prefer your (and my) first suggestion - and just forget the ice thing!

Asker: Those responses are pretty convincing - thanks everyone.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Michele Fauble: 'Nerves of steel' or 'nerves of cold steel'.
54 mins
  -> Thanks, Michele!
agree  Sven Petersson: Don't try to improve on perfection; the perfect translation is "nerves of steel".
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Sven!
agree  Alice Menzies (X): 'Nerves of steel' is much more idiomatic than trying to use anything with 'ice' - stick with that
1 hr
  -> Thanks, anmenzies!
agree  Kathy Saranpa
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Kathy!
agree  Paul Lambert: If by that you mean an ability to stay calm, then I agree.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Paul. Yup, that's what I meant - the opposite of being jittery/nervous and ruled by your nerves.
agree  Bianca Marsden-Day: Excellent suggestion!
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Bianca!
agree  Anna Herbst: Stay with the existing idiom - nerves of steel
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Anna!
agree  Nina Engberg
12 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Coolly unconcerned


Explanation:
I like the ´nerves of steel´ too, but there are alternatives just for the record.

Coolly unconcerned
Cool, calm and collected
Keeping your cool

Frigidly unfazed
(I invented that on the spot, and it doesn´t give a single hit, so it doesn´t have the proverbial ring of nerves of steel/is i magen..)

Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 11:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 33

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Michele Fauble: It also breaks with the body part repetition.
41 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
a calm mind


Explanation:
The Swedish Wikipedia article referenced below gives the following
definition of 'Ha is i magen'
– Inte få panik i en besvärlig situation där normalt andra blir nervösa. Jämförbart med "kallsinnig".
The closest English equivalents are 'to keep one's head" or "to keep a cool head', but the latter has already been used for 'kall hjärna".
Hence, my suggestion.



    Reference: http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lista_over_svenska_idiomatiska_...
Barry Appleby
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 22
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