What significant things have I done today?

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I'd be interested in a write-up and a few photos of that relic of the Cold War days.

I'm quite old enough to remember the re-unification of the German peoples, and I, for one, celebrated it as a good thing.

[pieces o nine]

I'd like to see your photos as well, Swato. This is a part of history I didn't know about.

This slideshow was an interesting mental compare & contrast to the WWII Cabinet War Rooms in London.







~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I remember the images of people in Berlin reaching over the Wall to lift each other up -- not something I ever expected to see.

[Swatopluk]

The pictures are a bit of a mixed bag and I think one or two are missing (which would mean that I pressed enough for autofocus but not actual exposure). I expected the flash not to have much effect but in most pictures it looks like everything was well lit, which it definitely wasn't. But there are some that give the right impression. A video would have been best but a) I forgot how to switch between the functions and did not have the manual with me and b) The video would have been totally dark.
I think I'll upload some in the morning. Not an easy choice given that it's about 75 of them.

[pieces o nine]

The pictures are a bit of a mixed bag...

  This phrase jumped out at me; is it just English slang, or does German have a close equivalent?

[Swatopluk]

I am not aware of any direct German equivalent. The direct translation has a different meaning not carrying the negative connotations.
As I understand it 'mixed bag' in English is a slightly euphemistic term for 'there is also something really rotten in the mix' and generally describes something ambiguous. In German Gemischtwaren (mixed goods) carries the notion of mediocre, i.e. nothing really good and nothing really bad, not hot or cold but lukewarm.

[Opsa]

I never thought of it as having a negative connotation. To me it just means that you don't know what you'll get.

"Life is like a box of chocolates..."

[Aggie]

I'd say "mixed bag" implies a full spectrum, although perhaps a Gaussian distribution.   Lots of Gemischtwaren with a few real gems and stinkers thrown in.

[pieces o nine]

[still off-topic and shamelessly promoting thread drift]

Thanks, Swato.

I'm intrigued when an ESL  [English as a Second Language]  speaker uses American/English idioms, since few translate properly unless there's a strong common cultural/linguistic heritage. "Mixed bag" struck me as something distinctly Amerkin; if  a German equivalent existed I expected it to be a much longer word -- and it is!   

Zono: if you see this, what is the [South American] Spanish take on an idiom for "mixed bag"?

[/thread drift]

[Aggie]

I'm intrigued when an ESL  [English as a Second Language]  speaker uses American/English idioms, since few translate properly unless there's a strong common cultural/linguistic heritage.

I think you'd be surprised how many parallels there are in idioms between non-related languages*, and at how much of the flavour carries over without there being a directly translated equivalent.  Sometimes the wording is similar (accounting for grammatical differences) and sometimes it's worded completely different but means the same thing.  I think we tend to use idioms to express concepts that can't be easily expressed in literal language, and that those concepts are archetypal enough to demand idioms in several languages.

It's the modern and sub-regional slang that tends to be mutually indecipherable unless explained.  I know bits of British Columbian that produce blank looks on the face of any other Canadian; the most powerful Quebecois swearwords refer to Catholicism and are strange if you don't have the cultural background. Don't get me going on Newfie....  


_{*my most extensive reference is Korean/English, which are not commonly rooted for the purpose of this discussion.}

[Swatopluk]

There are lots of parallel idioms in different languages that use the same structure/basic image but differ in detail.
There are lots of idioms involving animals that mean the same but use different critters: e.g. bull in a china store vs. Elefant im Porzellanladen (both depict destructive animals in the same fragile environment).
To put all eggs in one basket vs. alles auf eine Karte setzen (put=bet everything on single card)
Give him an inch, he takes a yard vs. Gib ihm den Finger, er nimmt die ganze Hand/denm ganzen Arm (give him a finger, he#Ll take the whole hand/arm).

[Opsa]

This is a good discussion and should have it's own thread. Hint, hint.

[Sibling DavidH]

Seems to me 'a mixed bag' is pretty close to eine bunte Mischung - what do you say, Swato?

I'd like your opinion on rendering the following:

Nu skal vi se wat Köh kann spring op dat Heck.  (Kartoffeldänisch)

and

Aber trotzdem ist der Kopf dicker als der Hals,
Und die Beine so gestellt, daß der Arsch nicht runterfällt.

[Aggie]

Significantly started work again today, for three months only.  Mah nose was gettin' too big; best put it back to the grindstone.

[Opsa]

Probably will do wonders for your wallet, too. Good luck!

[Swatopluk]

Went to a job exchange in Bremen (distance by train about 150 miles/240 km) today. I may have gotten some useful contacts.

I think 'bunte Mischung' carries no negative connotation at all. It either signifies diversity in a positive way or it says that the valuable parts are difficult to separate from the shiny but useless. Variety shows were also known as "Kessel Buntes", originally meaning a large cooking pot/cauldron with a brew containing many different vegetables. (bunt = colourful, divers)

----

Jetzt wollen wir doch mal sehn, ob die Kuh über die(se) Hecke springen kann = Now let's see whether the cow can jump over that hedge. If that's a common phrase (quite possible) it has not yet crossed my path (and it's not in my phrase/proverb/idiom dictionary).
But there are numerous phrases expressing the same. Often seen form the other side = who would have thought that this is possible/impossible. Wer sagt denn, daß der Hund kein Schmalz frißt = Who says that dogs don't eat lard. Typically used after an implausible feat has been achieved.

The head's still thicker than the neck
and the legs are put there so the arse does not drop (to the ground)

That one is close to a number of common sayings I know. For example it is said about really stupid people that they have their heads only to prevent the rain from falling down into the neck (damit's nicht reinregnet) and that otherwise they would have to carry all the straw under theri arms (Strohkopf/Stroh im Kopf = head filled with straw = stupid).