Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
Tauchte ich irgendwo auf, hießen auf einmal alle Hase.
English translation:
When I showed up, suddenly nobody knew anything
Added to glossary by
Hannah Gunasingh
Dec 26, 2014 14:11
9 yrs ago
German term
India
Accurate, Fast and Reliable
Native in: English (Variants: British, Indian, US) 
Works in: German to English, English to German, French to English, and 9 more.
Tauchte ich irgendwo auf, hießen auf einmal alle Hase.
German to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
This sentence is found in a text I am translating, in which when the journalist tries to interview people they suddenly disappear, or are evasive.
I couldn't understand this sentence and couldn't find the correct meaning so far. Any help would be appreciated.
I couldn't understand this sentence and couldn't find the correct meaning so far. Any help would be appreciated.
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Dec 27, 2014 08:39: Steffen Walter changed "Field" from "Other" to "Art/Literary" , "Field (write-in)" from "Literature " to "(none)"
Proposed translations
+5
1 hr
Selected
When I showed up, suddenly nobody knew anything
There is a saying "Mein Name ist Hase, ich weiß von nichts". It was even made into a bad song. :) It's what someone says when they don't want to say what they know, but it is impicitly understood that they do know something.
Reference:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_von_Hase#Mein_Name_ist_Hase.2C_ich_wei.C3.9F_von_nichts
Note from asker:
| Thanks, I selected this, since it was confirmed by other German friends as well. - Hannah |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Thomas Pfann
1 hr
|
| agree |
Horst Huber (X)
: That saying "Mein Name ..." is definitely the relevant point of reference.
4 hrs
|
| agree |
BrigitteHilgner
14 hrs
|
| agree |
Usch Pilz
: When I showed up they shut up.
17 hrs
|
| agree |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: I like that, Usch
20 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks - this was helpful and has been confirmed by other German friends.
Hannah"
2 hrs
The moment I turned up, they turned off.
...they headed for the hills
...they disappeared
...they ran for cover
...they thumped and ran like rabbits
...they scurried off
...mum's the word
...I couldn't get a word out of them
...no one wanted to talk
...run rabbit run
...I couldn't find hide nor hare of them (joking)
...I could have been talking to a wall
...they scuttled/darted (off) into their warrens
...they disappeared
...they ran for cover
...they thumped and ran like rabbits
...they scurried off
...mum's the word
...I couldn't get a word out of them
...no one wanted to talk
...run rabbit run
...I couldn't find hide nor hare of them (joking)
...I could have been talking to a wall
...they scuttled/darted (off) into their warrens
Note from asker:
| Thanks a lot - I liked these versions too. - Hannah |
+2
15 mins
Michael Martin, MA
United States
United States
Native in German
&
English
Works in field
United States
Creativity wins in the long run
Native in: German (Variant: Germany) 
, English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
43
Whenever I showed up (to interview them), they all copped out
That's what it looks like to me, at least. Compare with source below:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=114191431989096&st...
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Note added at 10 hrs (2014-12-27 00:14:16 GMT)
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The German term covers avoidance both in a physical and metaphorical sense. I see two basic choices here. We can try to replicate (or explain) the German as closely as possible which Susanne has done in a way that would be easily understood or we can look for a similarly idiomatic way of rendering the expression in the target language with the likely drawback that it would lose all or some of the flavor of the original. I usually go for the second option but if somebody comes up with a way to combine the two, that person should probably get the points.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=114191431989096&st...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2014-12-27 00:14:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The German term covers avoidance both in a physical and metaphorical sense. I see two basic choices here. We can try to replicate (or explain) the German as closely as possible which Susanne has done in a way that would be easily understood or we can look for a similarly idiomatic way of rendering the expression in the target language with the likely drawback that it would lose all or some of the flavor of the original. I usually go for the second option but if somebody comes up with a way to combine the two, that person should probably get the points.
Note from asker:
| Thanks for this answer, I liked this one too. - Hannah |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Rebecca Garber
: or ran like rabbits, or rabbited.
5 mins
|
|
Yes. Thanks, Rebecca!
|
|
| agree |
Donald Jacobson
: scampered like rabbits
1 hr
|
|
Vivid imagery. Thanks, Donald.
|
Discussion
http://www.dwotd.nl/2009/03/566-mijn-naam-i.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogan's_Heroes
<p>
In fact, the "ich heisse Hase" bit is from some sort of anecdote or urban legend, or maybe a movie scene, where the guy's name actually is Hase, or he says it is. At any rate there's a narrative of some sort behind the expression; it's not meant to allude specifically to rabbits. An old German told it to me fairly recently and that's how I know.