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geen kat(je) om zonder handschoenen aan te pakken

Engels translation: someone to handle with kid gloves

TREFWOORD VOOR WOORDENLIJST (AFGELEID VAN VRAAG HIERONDER)
Nederlands term of zin:geen kat(je) om zonder handschoenen aan te pakken
Engels vertaling:someone to handle with kid gloves
Ingevuld door: panzercreuzer

12:11 Jul 30, 2010
Nederlands naar Engels vertalingen [PRO]
Art/Literary - Algemeen / conversatie / begroetingen / brieven / expressions
Nederlands term of zin: geen kat(je) om zonder handschoenen aan te pakken
Does anyone know a suitable English expression for the Dutch expression 'dat is geen kat(je) om zonder handschoenen aan te pakken' (literally: that is no cat/kitten to tackle without gloves), i.e. to describe a person with a difficult character (usually applied to a woman with fierce behaviour, like the stereotype of Latina women)
panzercreuzer
Nederland
Local time: 17:22
someone to handle with kid gloves
Uitleg:
handle with kid gloves

1. (idiomatic) (US) To treat something very delicately or carefully.

The campaign staff cautioned the candidate to handle the issue with kid gloves.



suggestion
Geselecteerde reactie van:

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 09:22
Grading comment
Thanks for this one. I prefer this solution because of the gloves. It comes very close to the original expression in Dutch. In combination with another phrase I can make it clear that the person is hard to handle, for example: 'She clearly had quite a character. Someone to handle with kid gloves.'
4 KudoZ-punten zijn toegekend aan dit antwoord



Samenvatting van gegeven antwoorden
3 +4She should come with a warning label: 'handle with care'
Johan Venter
4 +1someone to handle with kid gloves
Verginia Ophof
4 +1she is not to be trifled with
ineke meijer
3she is not a cat to be trifled with
Barend van Zadelhoff


  

Antwoorden


39 min   vertrouwen: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 eens / oneens (netto): +4
She should come with a warning label: 'handle with care'


Uitleg:
I can't think of a comparable idiom in English, but depending on the text you could perhaps be creative with this one? How about:

She should come with a warning label: 'handle with care'

Johan Venter
Tsjechië
Local time: 17:22
Werkzaam in dit vakgebied
Moedertaal: Engels
PRO-punten in categorie: 2

Commentaar van collega's op dit antwoord (en reacties van beantwoorder)
eens  writeaway: one of umpteen ways to express this in English (meaning one of the umpteen good ways.. ;-) )
23 min
  -> Thank you
eens  Chris Hopley: I think "she should come with a warning label" works really well on its own here without the second bit.
1 uur
  -> Thank you
eens  philgoddard: Great answer - and it avoids being sexist.
2 uren
  -> Thank you
eens  Kitty Brussaard
1 dag 12 uren
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6 uren   vertrouwen: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 eens / oneens (netto): +1
someone to handle with kid gloves


Uitleg:
handle with kid gloves

1. (idiomatic) (US) To treat something very delicately or carefully.

The campaign staff cautioned the candidate to handle the issue with kid gloves.



suggestion


    Verwijzing: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/handle_with_kid_gloves
Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 09:22
Gespecialiseerd in dit vakgebied
Moedertaal: Engels
PRO-punten in categorie: 44
Grading comment
Thanks for this one. I prefer this solution because of the gloves. It comes very close to the original expression in Dutch. In combination with another phrase I can make it clear that the person is hard to handle, for example: 'She clearly had quite a character. Someone to handle with kid gloves.'

Commentaar van collega's op dit antwoord (en reacties van beantwoorder)
neutraal  writeaway: but that doesn't reflect the meaning that the person is hard to handle. just that they have to be handled delicately.
14 uren
  -> good point writeaway. Thanks !!
eens  Barend van Zadelhoff: perhaps it reflects the meaning that the person needs to be handled carefully :-) (I had a look at the definition.)
4 dagen
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1 dag 5 uren   vertrouwen: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 eens / oneens (netto): +1
she is not to be trifled with


Uitleg:
veel hits op Google

ineke meijer
Nederland
Local time: 17:22
Moedertaal: Nederlands
PRO-punten in categorie: 4

Commentaar van collega's op dit antwoord (en reacties van beantwoorder)
eens  Frank van Thienen (X): short and to the point
1 dag 2 uren
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52 min   vertrouwen: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
she is not a cat to be trifled with


Uitleg:
I am not sure if your text allows for it, but I do think people may get the gist

van Dale offers "she is not to be trifled with" but I would prefer to leave the cat in place

As an adult, though, Rogue is not a particularly affectionate cat. She spends most of her time outside, coming in mostly to eat. She keeps to herself, an introvert amongst the cats in the household, and she will hiss at anyone who does not respect her space. She is not a cat to be trifled with. Our vet claims that she is the only cat who has ever bit him.

http://writingasjoe.blogspot.com/2007/10/friday-cat-blogging...



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Note added at 2 days3 hrs (2010-08-01 16:01:09 GMT)
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what about this adaptation

she is like a cat not to be trifled with

(she is like a cat on hot bricks)

Barend van Zadelhoff
Nederland
Local time: 17:22
Moedertaal: Nederlands
PRO-punten in categorie: 89

Commentaar van collega's op dit antwoord (en reacties van beantwoorder)
neutraal  Anne Lee: Cat is not appropriate here, unless you'd say: she is catty and not to be trifled with. As to your answer: Not in English, no.
1 dag 19 uren
  -> Hi Anne, do you still believe this when you compare it with: she is not a person to create enemies figures, for instance (I mean, you can consider a person to be a cat?) / What is incorrect?
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