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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß...

English translation:

Rumpel better play it wise, or he'll be in for a surprise!

Added to glossary by Courtney Sliwinski
Sep 27, 2007 20:39
16 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term

Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß...

German to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Video game text
Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …

Obviously this needs to be translated as a whole. This line is delivered by someone trying to taunt their opponent. It is a play on the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale, though the translation need not be. I am drawing a complete blank here, is anyone feeling clever?
Proposed translations (English)
3 +1 it's just good nobody knows I like to bite a gremlin's/kobold's nose
3 +3 suggestion
3 +2 How sweet it is that I alone
3 Oh how convienient that nobody knows that I bite in RumpelsStielchen
3 Rumpelstilsken wasn't so smart! In a one-on-one, I'd have ripped him apart!
3 Rumpelstilsken is my name, biting (Kobolds?) is my game!
Change log

Sep 28, 2007 08:34: Steffen Walter changed "Term asked" from "Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …" to "Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß..."

Discussion

Steffen Walter Sep 28, 2007:
@ Francis - there is no other appropriate MAIN field to classify this question. "Art/Literary" comes closest IMHO. Would you regroup this under Tech/Eng ;-?
Courtney Sliwinski (asker) Sep 28, 2007:
I'm sensing a bit of frustration here, but I want everyone to know, that these are excellent suggestions, and I appreciate all the help! This is really getting the ball rolling for me too!
@LittleBalu: The line is delivered by a Kobold to the player's character (the gamer has a choice of which character they want to play with, so the opponents vary). There really isn't musch more context to go on, except that there is a fight, and the Kobold is trying to annoy the player. Since they're fighting, biting is mentioned.
@Francis: You are right! I need to watch that! I think this one fits however, the fairytale reference and all.
Francis Lee (X) Sep 28, 2007:
Courtney: can you tell me why all of your video-game questions are classified as "Art/Literary"? With all respect, I think the category needs changing. ;-)
seehand Sep 28, 2007:
Also ich würde Frank auch mit dem Stielchen zustimmen, auch wenn es sich nicht direkt um eine sexuelle Anspielung handelt, vielleicht eher als amüsanter Ausflug, so vielleicht "take a nip at Rumpelstiltskin' little dick" oder so was in der Art ...
Ulrike Kraemer Sep 28, 2007:
And who's saying the Rumpelstielchen bit to whom?
Ulrike Kraemer Sep 28, 2007:
You say there is no context, and go on immediately to tell us that there's a fight going on and that one of the fighters is a Kobold. Well, that's what I call context! ;-) Who or what is the Kobold's opponent in this fight?
Assem Mazloum Sep 27, 2007:
Oh how convienient, do not take me as a child!

does it help?
Assem Mazloum Sep 27, 2007:
A small child. Also applied to small dogs = ankle biter
Courtney Sliwinski (asker) Sep 27, 2007:
Perhaps something along the lines of being an ankle biter (what one could call a small child)?
Courtney Sliwinski (asker) Sep 27, 2007:
There is no more context! I can tell you that there are no sexual connotations here because they are fighting eachother. the metre does not need to be retained, it doesn't even ahve to rhyme. The character is a Kolbold, and this is probably why it was tied in to this particular fairy tale. I've drawn a complete blank here!
Frank Thomas Sep 27, 2007:
"in Rumpels Stielchen beißen" here means "to bite in Rumpel's little stick" which I see as a periphrasis for having oral sex. Sorry for being offensive but this is what it says.
Stephen Sadie Sep 27, 2007:
Hi Courtney, we definitely need more context here, please
Assem Mazloum Sep 27, 2007:
if bite isnt sufficient use sting, otherwise add more text plz.
Armorel Young Sep 27, 2007:
We need more context. What is said immediately before and after this? Do you need to retain the metre? What do you see Rumpels Stielchen referring to - how does this fit into the rest of the text?
writeaway Sep 27, 2007:
you have no ideas of your own?

Proposed translations

+1
2 hrs
German term (edited): Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …
Selected

it's just good nobody knows I like to bite a gremlin's/kobold's nose

teasing the little buggers/gremlins (short creatures)




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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-09-27 23:39:12 GMT)
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...Rumpel's nose

or, more neutral:

Rumpel better play it wise or he'll be in for a surprise
Little Rumpel play it wise (!) or you'll be in for a surprise

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 13:46:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this came to mind for Stielchen: toy (small weapon) or poss. other connotations


heck, I won't be very coy, I'll eat the little gremlin's/bugger's toy (for breakfast)

secretly it's my great joy - to eat the little bugger's toy.

nobody knows it's my great joy - to eat the little bugger's toy



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 13:55:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

..the gremlin's bugger's little toy


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 14:03:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

...the gremlin's/bugger's little toy



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day17 hrs (2007-09-29 14:05:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

breakfast is served.

the little bugger's tiny toy is what I most enjoy, for breakfast.
Peer comment(s):
agree inkweaver : I quite like this. It has to be "Rumpel´s nose" of course, since a gremlin is saying this who is just about to bite him.
7 hrs
thank you, inkweaver, I now think it's also possible to think of it as a tiny little weapon, a toy easily destroyed
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I chose the "Rumpel better play it wise ...""
4 mins
German term (edited): Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …

Oh how convienient that nobody knows that I bite in RumpelsStielchen

this is how I understand it

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2007-09-27 20:46:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

how Convenient

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 29 mins (2007-09-27 21:09:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oh how convenient that nobody in RumpelsStielchen knows that I bite !




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-27 22:24:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ankle-biter = small child yes

see link

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/ankle-biter.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-27 22:34:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

in this case it might be ok to say :

Oh how convienient that nobody take me as a child!


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-27 22:35:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or :

Oh how convienient, do not take me as a child!
Something went wrong...
2 hrs
German term (edited): Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …

Rumpelstilsken wasn't so smart! In a one-on-one, I'd have ripped him apart!

Some more grandstanding, Kobold style! ;-)
Something went wrong...
+2
2 hrs
German term (edited): Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …

How sweet it is that I alone

Know that I can bite you to the bone.
Peer comment(s):
agree Michaela Pschierer-Barnfather : Love the rhime!
12 hrs
Thank you, Michaela.
agree Brigitte Albert (X) : Nice way with the words and you kept the "Ach wie gut, ... ."
1 day 21 hrs
Thank you, Brigitte
Something went wrong...
2 hrs
German term (edited): Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …

Rumpelstilsken is my name, biting (Kobolds?) is my game!

don't what he's biting, nor whether the actually bite / eat/ nibble. But maybe something like that will work....

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-09-27 23:05:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

don't *know* what he's biting...

maybe also something like "biting / fighting / eating punks like you / (or some other degrading term) is my game....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-09-27 23:19:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

oh, "Stielchen"? Do they fight with swords? Or is the "stielchen referring to the opponen'ts neck / head?

Maybe something like:

Ain't it nice, biting these guys heads off / chomping those (whatever) into bits and pieces is my favorite passtime / what I do before breakfast ...
Something went wrong...
+3
1 hr
German term (edited): Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß, das ich in Rumpels Stielchen beiß …

suggestion

This is pure speculation...

First off, I imagine that Kobolds are physically tough opponents -- not too smart, but gleefully violent and never afraid of a fight.

Second, it would help to know what sort of weapon the Kobold's opponent is wielding in this situation -- in particular, whether it is weapon with a shank or shaft, such as a spear, hammer, or even arrows (any of which could be derisively called 'Stielchen').

Given all that, you could imagine the meaning as something like 'if you think that's a weapon, you're in for a surprise -- I eat weapons like that for breakfast and pick my teeth with the splinters!'.



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Note added at 16 hrs (2007-09-28 12:44:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hmmm -- in response to the other answers, maybe you could use 'I'm a master of martial arts, so you'd better watch your private parts!'
Peer comment(s):
agree Bernhard Sulzer : I like your thinking, but wouldn't it be the kobold-like creature that is being bitten? what do you think?
49 mins
agree Rebecca Garber : I like your last suggestion, which seems to match the context: kobold insulting player.
17 hrs
agree seehand : Dein letzter Vorschlag gefällt mir auch gut
18 hrs
Something went wrong...
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