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trailer coach
split tunneling connection
Mar 2, 2008 20:49
16 yrs ago
English term

off song

English to Polish Art/Literary Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Pan A żywi ogromny szacunek dla swego pracodawcy, pana B., choć wie, że pan B. sie starzeje i już jest nie taki jak dawniej. Ale nagle pan B. robi coś, co zupełnie nie pasuje do jego charakteru i w dodatku jest nie do przyjęcia.
"That was the moment when [Mr A] had known that the Old Man was off song".
"Off song" w tekście oryginalnym jest napisane kursywą.
Any ideas?
Proposed translations (Polish)
4 +3 nie byl w dobrej formie

Discussion

Caryl Swift Mar 2, 2008:
' (...) the Old Man was singing off key.' But 'off song...'?
Caryl Swift Mar 2, 2008:
I was wondering, you see, if this was rather like one of my favourite multi-variant euphemisms for saying that someone's a bit wanting, the 'one sandwich short of a picnic/one straw short of a haystack' etc. expression - but then I'd expect it to be:
Caryl Swift Mar 2, 2008:
Hi! I'm flabbergasted - never has my flabber been more gasted - as another writer of that era would have said. I've really never come across this one before. Especially in that epoch. Why "song", I wonder (even in italics)?
Barbara Gadomska (asker) Mar 2, 2008:
Hi, Caryl! The author is British. Mr B is a very influential and respected politician (Prime Minister, actually), and Mr A is his trusted butler. Time of action - mid-1940s.
Caryl Swift Mar 2, 2008:
who Misters A & B are (socially)?
Caryl Swift Mar 2, 2008:
I've never come across that before! Do you mind if I ask - is the original text UK/American/Australian/Canadian/New Zealand/South Afircan (have I forgotten any - my apologies if I have)? Or if it's a text coming from e.g. India or China - and if so,

Proposed translations

+3
7 mins
Selected

nie byl w dobrej formie

ew. nie byl soba
moze tak...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 mins (2008-03-02 21:05:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

według Oxford-PWN - "on song" w brytyjskim angielskim oznacza "byc w dobrej formie"
Peer comment(s):
agree Mariusz Kuklinski : Passing the start finish line Mike Hayward thought Neil’s Ric Wood motor was off song. It was, there was a sudden loss of power and Neil pulled off -http://tinyurl.com/yu9koj; 1.3kG
57 mins
dziekuje
agree Caryl Swift : 'on song British informal performing well' (Oxford Dictionary) - we live and learn! :-)
1 hr
dziekuje
agree Tomasz Poplawski : Brawo Marta - dystans jest duszą piękna! Caryl, która zna brytyjski angielski tak, jak my go nie poznamy nigdy, patrzyła na ten tekst jakby ze zbyt małej odległości; inne warianty: postarzał się, stracił rytm, itp. sprowadzają sie do tego samego
9 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Wielkie dzieki, Marto. Wybrałam "nie był sobą", najlepiej mi pasuje do ogólnego klimatu"
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