May 2, 2012 11:12
12 yrs ago
German term
Kopierschlampe
German to English
Other
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Derogatory term
A derogatory term supposedly spread on the Internet about someone in business in Germany.
Proposed translations
(English)
3 +4 | file bitch | Nicole Schnell |
4 | lackey/yes-man/groveller | Ramey Rieger (X) |
3 +1 | office slave | Michael Martin, MA |
3 +1 | dogsbody (UK) | Colin Rowe |
3 | copy-cat | Wendy Lewin |
3 | office slut | Max Hellwig |
3 -1 | wannabe | Edwin Miles |
Proposed translations
+4
1 hr
Selected
file bitch
Suggestion.
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-05-02 12:49:00 GMT)
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file bitch
A derogatory term for a secretary, assistant, or intern that does the most demeaning and menial office work. This person is almost always at the bottom of the company ladder, making them a living target for all their coworkers.
Jim: God, I really don't want to have to copy all of this crap. Then it's got to get filed. It's gonna take all night.
Mike: Well, just give it to the file bitch. She's not a real person anyway.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=office slave
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-05-02 12:49:00 GMT)
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file bitch
A derogatory term for a secretary, assistant, or intern that does the most demeaning and menial office work. This person is almost always at the bottom of the company ladder, making them a living target for all their coworkers.
Jim: God, I really don't want to have to copy all of this crap. Then it's got to get filed. It's gonna take all night.
Mike: Well, just give it to the file bitch. She's not a real person anyway.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=office slave
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
philgoddard
: This may well be the perfect answer, but we don't have any context.
56 mins
|
neutral |
Max Hellwig
: I agree with Phil...
1 hr
|
agree |
Michael Martin, MA
: Weighing the "evidence", that seems to be the best bet!
4 hrs
|
agree |
Usch Pilz
: brutal term - but yes!
5 hrs
|
agree |
Johanna Timm, PhD
: perfect
11 hrs
|
agree |
Dipl.-Kfm. Bernhard Aicher MBA
11 days
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
-1
49 mins
wannabe
As Ramey says, we need more info, but I'm going to throw this out there anyway.
"Wannabe" suggests someone unable to come up with anything original and who therefore resorts to merely copying those with more imagination. At the same time, though, "wannabe" suggests that the person is not actually successful and probably never will be.
Is this "Kopierschlampe" successful? If so, don't use "wannabe"... history is full of successful copycats and unsuccessful first-movers.
"Wannabe" suggests someone unable to come up with anything original and who therefore resorts to merely copying those with more imagination. At the same time, though, "wannabe" suggests that the person is not actually successful and probably never will be.
Is this "Kopierschlampe" successful? If so, don't use "wannabe"... history is full of successful copycats and unsuccessful first-movers.
1 hr
lackey/yes-man/groveller
to name a few, take your pick
OR
low man/woman on the totem pole
OR
low man/woman on the totem pole
+1
57 mins
office slave
I could be mistaken of course but I have a feeling that this is more of a reference to poorly paid office personnel assigned to "lowly" copying duties.. Seems to be used in blogs a lot.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2012-05-02 13:48:34 GMT)
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That's an evolving term with context being even more key than usual. Also, with "Schlampe", sexual connotations could play into it.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2012-05-02 13:48:34 GMT)
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That's an evolving term with context being even more key than usual. Also, with "Schlampe", sexual connotations could play into it.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Robin Salmon (X)
1 hr
|
Thanks but I am not sure that I agree any more..
|
2 mins
copy-cat
suggeestion, though not quite as derogatory
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Note added at 3 hrs (2012-05-02 14:21:42 GMT)
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jsut shows you how important context is. Depending on what is meant, copy-cat may be completely wrong,as Phil suggests
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Note added at 3 hrs (2012-05-02 14:21:42 GMT)
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jsut shows you how important context is. Depending on what is meant, copy-cat may be completely wrong,as Phil suggests
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Michael Martin, MA
: A native speaker suggested that use in this sense is becoming more popular whereas my suggestion seems to reflect a more "traditional" use of that expression....
1 hr
|
thanks!
|
|
disagree |
philgoddard
: This doesn't work - copycat means something quite different.
2 hrs
|
+1
3 hrs
dogsbody (UK)
I like the emphatic sound of "file bitch", but have never heard it in the UK.
The British equivalent of a "gofer", i.e. someone who performs menial or trivial tasks for others, would be a "dogsbody".
For an office-specific context, it can also be qualified: "the office dogsbody".
This term is not specific to females, however, and can be applied equally to men or women.
Examples:
"She basically is the office dogsbody – making the tea; doing the filing; fixing the photocopier etc. But however lowly and menial her office tasks may be at the ..."
http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q="office dogsbody" "pho...
"It's all very well putting yourself forward for the odd task, but do it all the time and you risk becoming the office dogsbody.
http://www.microsofttraining.net/article-1126-how-say-no-and...
"The trials and tribulations of an office dogsbody"
http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q="office dogsbody"&sour...
"He was gofer and general office dogsbody for the first year, coming in at around five and leaving at around ten."
http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q="office dogsbody"&sour...
The British equivalent of a "gofer", i.e. someone who performs menial or trivial tasks for others, would be a "dogsbody".
For an office-specific context, it can also be qualified: "the office dogsbody".
This term is not specific to females, however, and can be applied equally to men or women.
Examples:
"She basically is the office dogsbody – making the tea; doing the filing; fixing the photocopier etc. But however lowly and menial her office tasks may be at the ..."
http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q="office dogsbody" "pho...
"It's all very well putting yourself forward for the odd task, but do it all the time and you risk becoming the office dogsbody.
http://www.microsofttraining.net/article-1126-how-say-no-and...
"The trials and tribulations of an office dogsbody"
http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q="office dogsbody"&sour...
"He was gofer and general office dogsbody for the first year, coming in at around five and leaving at around ten."
http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q="office dogsbody"&sour...
3 hrs
office slut
Schlampe used to be someone who can't keep order, but with time became 'slut'. If the context suggests something sexual, that's the way I'd go.
Discussion
HOW ABOUT SOME CONTEXT????? How derogatory? Obscene? Ironical? Spiteful? Envious? Blasphemous?
I throw the ball to you............