Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Danish term or phrase:
blålys
English translation:
non-starter, hopeless case
Added to glossary by
Christine Andersen
Jan 19, 2007 05:56
17 yrs ago
Danish term
Spain
Had I but world enough, and time!
Native in: Catalan 
, Spanish (Variant: Standard-Spain)
Works in: Dutch to Spanish, Danish to Spanish, English to Spanish, and 10 more.
blålys
Danish to English
Art/Literary
Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
Fra en dialog i Direktøren for det hele, af Lars von Trier:
[Kvinden] Var du overhovedet nogensinde glad? Ja jo, for fanden, når du sad og savlede over ham Gambini….min fede røv! Hold kæft et ***blålys***, som der jo, rimeligt nok, heller ikke er noget levende væsen der kender!
[Manden] Hvis Gambini var et ***blålys***, så var han et ***blålys*** i syvmilestøvler…med Gambini der er katastrofen allerede sket!
Tak på forhånd!
[Kvinden] Var du overhovedet nogensinde glad? Ja jo, for fanden, når du sad og savlede over ham Gambini….min fede røv! Hold kæft et ***blålys***, som der jo, rimeligt nok, heller ikke er noget levende væsen der kender!
[Manden] Hvis Gambini var et ***blålys***, så var han et ***blålys*** i syvmilestøvler…med Gambini der er katastrofen allerede sket!
Tak på forhånd!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +2 | non-starter, hopeless case |
Christine Andersen
|
| 4 | powerful firecracker |
Christian Schoenberg
|
| 4 | flash in the pan |
Jens Kaestel
|
Proposed translations
+2
1 hr
Christine Andersen
Denmark
Denmark
Native in English
Denmark
the message, not just the words
Native in: English (Variant: UK) 
Works in: Danish to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
non-starter, hopeless case
www.ordbogen.dk gives 'pie in the sky, non-starter'
How you can be a 'hopeless case in seven-league boots' is a good question!
'A retroactive non-starter - the disaster was already complete!'
??
'had been a hopeless case from the beginning of time...'
??
Literal translation is not a lot of help here.
Best of luck!
How you can be a 'hopeless case in seven-league boots' is a good question!
'A retroactive non-starter - the disaster was already complete!'
??
'had been a hopeless case from the beginning of time...'
??
Literal translation is not a lot of help here.
Best of luck!
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "1000 tak"
1 hr
Christian Schoenberg
United States
United States
Native in Danish
&
English
United States
Nordic Legal Language Solutions
Native in: Danish , English
Works in: Danish to English, Swedish to English, Norwegian to English, and 1 more.
powerful firecracker
I might not remember this correctly but I believe we used 'blålys' when I was in the Danish Army - they are extremely powerful, and loud firecrackers (almost like a small stick of dynamite). You light it by striking it like a match, and they were - needless to say - an extremely sought-after item among post-adolescent young men. Does this help you...? You may have to rewrite there :-)
6 hrs
Jens Kaestel
Australia
Australia
Native in Danish
&
English
Australia
Accurate & well researched translations
Native in: Danish , English
Works in: English to Danish, Danish to English, German to Danish, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
flash in the pan
Da jeg først så dette spørgsmål, kunne jeg ikke huske udtrykket, men jeg var uenig med ordbøgerne. Nu kom jeg lige i tanker om det. Se vedhæftede link for definitionen. Jeg synes også det passer fint ind i det ret farverige sprog her.
Example sentence:
Something which disappoints by failing to deliver anything of value, despite a showy beginning
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