Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
abgerissener Künstler
English translation:
unkempt artist
Added to glossary by
monbuckland
Aug 20, 2008 12:06
15 yrs ago
German term
United Kingdom
abgerissener Künstler
German to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
This is from a text describing a theatre piece:
"Sieben Figuren sind unterwegs. Die rigorose Frau im Morgenrock, der schüchterne Totengräber, das schusslige Mädchen, der abgerissene Künstler, die einsame Lehrerin, der tollpatschige Kofferträger und der Reiseleiter werfen sich aufeinander und rütteln sich durcheinander, bis sie sich endlich finden."
"Sieben Figuren sind unterwegs. Die rigorose Frau im Morgenrock, der schüchterne Totengräber, das schusslige Mädchen, der abgerissene Künstler, die einsame Lehrerin, der tollpatschige Kofferträger und der Reiseleiter werfen sich aufeinander und rütteln sich durcheinander, bis sie sich endlich finden."
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | unkempt artist |
Stephen Gobin
|
| 3 +2 | tattered or scruffy artist |
babli
|
| 3 +2 | dishevelled artist |
Dave 72
|
| 4 | shabby artist |
Nicholas Krivenko
|
| 3 +1 | ragged artist |
Helen Shiner
|
| 3 | washed out artist |
Olaf (X)
|
| 3 | ragamuffin artist |
Paul Cohen
|
Change log
Aug 20, 2008 14:13: Steffen Walter changed "Term asked" from "abgerissene Künstler" to "abgerissener Künstler" , "Field (specific)" from "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters" to "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings"
Proposed translations
+1
1 hr
Stephen Gobin
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Soaring over the language barrier
Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
16
German term (edited):
abgerissene Künstler
Selected
unkempt artist
HTH
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks folks - I wish I could award points to you *all*!
This is the one I went with, though it was a close run with "ragamuffin", which I think is a great word. And in other contexts I may well have used any of the other suggestions."
7 mins
Nicholas Krivenko
Ireland
Ireland
Native in German
&
English
Ireland
30 years in translation & interpreting!
Native in: German , English
Works in: German to English, English to German, Russian to English, and 5 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
German term (edited):
abgerissene Künstler
shabby artist
This comes to mind very quickly. :-)
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Note added at 11 mins (2008-08-20 12:18:11 GMT)
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Here is a better one I think:
SHAGGY-LOOKING ARTISTS
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Note added at 15 mins (2008-08-20 12:22:30 GMT)
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Have a look under: www.starving-artists.net/sa2/showphoto. php?photo=6452&sort=1&cat=all --> STARVING ARTISTS presented by Mike Sibley Fine art Caricature of Mike ... dog13 years old and was a shaggy looking mess Not a good candidate foradoption But ...
OR
... but Charleston ’s Clay Center has drawn its share of legendary artists. ... When their set was finished, two shaggy looking dudes (one of which was ...
whoopingllama.com/?cat=11&paged=2
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Note added at 11 mins (2008-08-20 12:18:11 GMT)
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Here is a better one I think:
SHAGGY-LOOKING ARTISTS
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Note added at 15 mins (2008-08-20 12:22:30 GMT)
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Have a look under: www.starving-artists.net/sa2/showphoto. php?photo=6452&sort=1&cat=all --> STARVING ARTISTS presented by Mike Sibley Fine art Caricature of Mike ... dog13 years old and was a shaggy looking mess Not a good candidate foradoption But ...
OR
... but Charleston ’s Clay Center has drawn its share of legendary artists. ... When their set was finished, two shaggy looking dudes (one of which was ...
whoopingllama.com/?cat=11&paged=2
+2
6 mins
German term (edited):
abgerissene Künstler
dishevelled artist
Just an idea
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Note added at 11 mins (2008-08-20 12:18:34 GMT)
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Or thinking about it, maybe it is more to do with the artist themselves, rather than simply their appearance- meaning something like "incoherent" (in that nobody else understands what they are on about!)
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Note added at 24 mins (2008-08-20 12:30:59 GMT)
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There does seem to be quite a few google references to "dishevelled artist"
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Note added at 33 mins (2008-08-20 12:40:21 GMT)
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http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1B_sNG-umxgC&pg=PA254&dq=...
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Note added at 36 mins (2008-08-20 12:43:31 GMT)
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Sorry- that link might not be much help (just clicked it, and it doesn't have the same quote from the book as when I pasted it).
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Note added at 11 mins (2008-08-20 12:18:34 GMT)
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Or thinking about it, maybe it is more to do with the artist themselves, rather than simply their appearance- meaning something like "incoherent" (in that nobody else understands what they are on about!)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2008-08-20 12:30:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
There does seem to be quite a few google references to "dishevelled artist"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 33 mins (2008-08-20 12:40:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1B_sNG-umxgC&pg=PA254&dq=...
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Note added at 36 mins (2008-08-20 12:43:31 GMT)
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Sorry- that link might not be much help (just clicked it, and it doesn't have the same quote from the book as when I pasted it).
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
TonyTK
: Or "scruffy". Your first idea's the right one - it's about his appearance.
11 mins
|
|
Thanks, Tony!
|
|
| agree |
Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
1 day 17 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Harald!
|
+1
57 mins
Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Arts/Academic translator - Art historian
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
74
German term (edited):
abgerissene Künstler
ragged artist
Another suggestion. Some instances of its usage:
"The Central City Opera House Association hired me to do a series of paintings and sketches of the famous mining town, which they were then rejuvenating as an opera center and tourist attraction. I stayed at the Teller House while working up there, and the whim struck me to paint a face on the floor of the old Teller House barroom. In its mining boom heyday it was just such a floor as the ragged artist used in d’Arcy's famous old poem."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Face_on_the_Barroom_Floor_(...
As used in a quiz:
"2. How was Athena "born"?
A ragged artist chiseled her from stone and breathed life into her.
She materialized from a rainbow.
She sprung, fully-grown out of her father's head.
She was born of sea foam."
http://www.queendom.com/tests/quiz/index.htm?idRegTest=839
"First, it has a one of the only distinguishable guitar riffs on the album. Paired with Billy's voice singing about "My Old Heart," it is comforting. Second, Mina Loy is the Modernist, Feminist author of the novel Insel, a book about a ragged artist with crooked teeth who is indescribably mesmerizing to everyone that comes into contact with him. I have always thought that Insel was written about Billy in a past life."
http://www.ugo.com/channels/music/features/billycorgan_thefu...
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Note added at 58 mins (2008-08-20 13:05:05 GMT)
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Or even 'artist in rags'.
"The Central City Opera House Association hired me to do a series of paintings and sketches of the famous mining town, which they were then rejuvenating as an opera center and tourist attraction. I stayed at the Teller House while working up there, and the whim struck me to paint a face on the floor of the old Teller House barroom. In its mining boom heyday it was just such a floor as the ragged artist used in d’Arcy's famous old poem."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Face_on_the_Barroom_Floor_(...
As used in a quiz:
"2. How was Athena "born"?
A ragged artist chiseled her from stone and breathed life into her.
She materialized from a rainbow.
She sprung, fully-grown out of her father's head.
She was born of sea foam."
http://www.queendom.com/tests/quiz/index.htm?idRegTest=839
"First, it has a one of the only distinguishable guitar riffs on the album. Paired with Billy's voice singing about "My Old Heart," it is comforting. Second, Mina Loy is the Modernist, Feminist author of the novel Insel, a book about a ragged artist with crooked teeth who is indescribably mesmerizing to everyone that comes into contact with him. I have always thought that Insel was written about Billy in a past life."
http://www.ugo.com/channels/music/features/billycorgan_thefu...
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Note added at 58 mins (2008-08-20 13:05:05 GMT)
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Or even 'artist in rags'.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
hazmatgerman (X)
: Auch meine erste Eingebung.
43 mins
|
|
Danke, hazmatgerman! I can't get the ragged-trousered philanthropist out of my head now!!
|
3 hrs
washed out artist
Another possibility.
10 mins
Paul Cohen
Greenland
Greenland
Native in English
Greenland
Will work for blubber
Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, French to English, Danish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
32
German term (edited):
abgerissene Künstler
ragamuffin artist
Another idea.
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Note added at 8 hrs (2008-08-20 20:29:50 GMT)
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I have to admit that I love the word "ragamuffin" - and I'm not the only one:
Carl Hiner is a self-described ragamuffin artist, using unique old windows to frame his original photographs. Comparing the art to his own life, Carl says, "I've been beaten up, dirty and discarded and God has resurrected me from the dumpster."
"http://www.tgnn.com/updates.html"
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Note added at 8 hrs (2008-08-20 20:29:50 GMT)
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I have to admit that I love the word "ragamuffin" - and I'm not the only one:
Carl Hiner is a self-described ragamuffin artist, using unique old windows to frame his original photographs. Comparing the art to his own life, Carl says, "I've been beaten up, dirty and discarded and God has resurrected me from the dumpster."
"http://www.tgnn.com/updates.html"
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