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Mukesaeckele

English translation: mosquito testicles

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Muckesaeckele (dialect)
English translation:mosquito testicles
Entered by: Trudy Peters

07:22 Sep 23, 2002
German to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering / speech of CEO
German term or phrase: Mukesaeckele
"well, I just turn the Muckesaeckele!" an anecdote rrcounted by a manager from the Swabian region of Gernamy using the dialect word for some sort of decice/dial on a machine that the Indian worker had obviously learnt from the Gernam Swabian technicians who set up the machine and so for him, this was the normal way of referring to the measuring scale.
Who can help with this?
Alison kennedy (X)
Local time: 16:05
mosquito testicles
Explanation:
well, you certainly got one nice translation to work with...basically, "Mückensäckele" (I think that's the proper spelling), is trying to express a very small part of something...not quite sure what we would use in English for that...certainly not what I used above.

But, what do we say? Maybe "that fiddly little thing we call (name of the dial)"
Selected response from:

Klaus Dorn (X)
Local time: 17:05
Grading comment
Yes, the translation was "nice!!!" - really pushed my German, too and just think I learnt it in Baden-Wuetemberg !
I could resist you answer, and given the context of my speech, I think the guy want to get a laugh for the audience. While the other answers were very helpful, yours fits the bill! (it made me laugh). I would like to see the face of the guy doing the English version V.O. on this !!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5Muggaeseggele (Muckesäckele) = less than nothing
Irene Fried
3 +1mosquito testicles
Klaus Dorn (X)
4gizmo
Trudy Peters
4Muckesäckele - mosquito testicles
Eckhard Boehle


  

Answers


15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
mosquito testicles


Explanation:
well, you certainly got one nice translation to work with...basically, "Mückensäckele" (I think that's the proper spelling), is trying to express a very small part of something...not quite sure what we would use in English for that...certainly not what I used above.

But, what do we say? Maybe "that fiddly little thing we call (name of the dial)"

Klaus Dorn (X)
Local time: 17:05
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 1514
Grading comment
Yes, the translation was "nice!!!" - really pushed my German, too and just think I learnt it in Baden-Wuetemberg !
I could resist you answer, and given the context of my speech, I think the guy want to get a laugh for the audience. While the other answers were very helpful, yours fits the bill! (it made me laugh). I would like to see the face of the guy doing the English version V.O. on this !!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gillian Scheibelein: Muke in s. Germany also = house fly, therefore, perhaps "fly balls"?
24 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Muggaeseggele (Muckesäckele) = less than nothing


Explanation:
Hi,

originally it should say muggaseggele, which the Swabians use to express that it is less than nothing.

I have attached a Swabian to English dictionary, which lists all interesting words :-)) (--> Go to vocabulary // Also including audio files on the pronunciation)

HTH,
Irene


    Reference: http://www.schwaebisch-englisch.de/
Irene Fried
Germany
Local time: 16:05
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in GreekGreek
PRO pts in pair: 102

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Gillian Scheibelein: in this case the term is used to describe something small
3 mins
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
gizmo


Explanation:
You could just say, "I'll just turn this little gizmo" (or similar word)

Trudy Peters
United States
Local time: 10:05
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 3087
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1 day 2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Muckesäckele - mosquito testicles


Explanation:
Dear Alison,

please note it's "MuCkesäckele"! The "c" HAS to be there.
By the way, I would prefer some commonly used slang expression for "tiny little thing".

"mosquito testicles" or "fly balls" are quite funny or hilarious expressions, but not good translations, as a Swabian would say "Muckesäckele" (or "Muggeseggele"), but no English, American or Irish would ever use in the same sense of small insignificant thing the expression "mosquito testicles".

Eckhard Boehle
Germany
Local time: 16:05
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in pair: 523
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