Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
pingelig / {'pingelich' is incorrect spelling}
English translation:
persnickety / fussy
German term
pingelich
(Text within an email)
5 +9 | persnickety / fussy | KARIN ISBELL |
3 +8 | picky | Kevin Fulton |
5 +4 | pedantic / fussy | Stephen Sadie |
4 +1 | finicky | Eddy Coodee |
3 +1 | meticulous | Andrea Winzer |
4 | anal | Sibylle Gray |
Dec 8, 2008 14:51: Steffen Walter changed "Field (specific)" from "Business/Commerce (general)" to "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings"
Dec 17, 2008 11:01: Steffen Walter changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/33392">Paula Price's</a> old entry - "pingelich"" to ""persnickety / fussy""
Non-PRO (2): Sabine Akabayov, PhD, Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
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Proposed translations
persnickety / fussy
agree |
palilula (X)
1 hr
|
Thank you, Petra!
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|
agree |
Ulrike Kraemer
: with fussy
2 hrs
|
Thank you, LittleBalu!
|
|
agree |
franglish
: fussy
4 hrs
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Thank you, franglish!
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agree |
Charles Rothwell (X)
: In UK Eng. we lose the 's', thus 'pernickety'
6 hrs
|
Thank you, Charles!
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agree |
David Moore (X)
: Looks like an "either/or" in US usage too, Charles; but definitely no "s" in UK usage.
6 hrs
|
Thank you, David! Yes, I had the choice between the UK and US Versions and opted for the US version
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agree |
Maureen Millington-Brodie
8 hrs
|
Thank you, mbrodie!
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agree |
Yasdnil1
: but pernickety, no 's'
10 hrs
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Thank you, Yasknil1! Cf. my comment on David
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agree |
Lori Dendy-Molz
: I've never seen or heard it without an 's' in the US. Good to know it's different in the UK.
10 hrs
|
Thank you, Lori!
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|
agree |
Helen Shiner
13 hrs
|
Thank you, Helen!
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meticulous
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=meticulous
agree |
Ingeborg Gowans (X)
: even "painfully meticulous"
22 mins
|
Vielen Dank, Ingeborg :))
|
|
agree |
Camilla Seifert
: Also agree with Ingeborg...
41 mins
|
Thank you, Camilla :))
|
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neutral |
Ulrike Kraemer
: pingelig hat einen negativen Beigeschmack, der mir bei meticulous en bisschen fehlt ...
3 hrs
|
neutral |
interpr8er
: pingelig hat auf alle Fälle einen negativen Beigeschmack, stimme LittleBalu zu
7 hrs
|
disagree |
David Moore (X)
: Sorry Andrea, but to me, "pingelig" (not "pingeli*CH*) does have a negative implication, which meticulous does not.
7 hrs
|
neutral |
Jim Tucker (X)
: "fastidious" might be closer, as meticulous is too positive
1 day 11 hrs
|
picky
agree |
palilula (X)
1 hr
|
agree |
Lyn Dunk
4 hrs
|
agree |
David Bertelsen
5 hrs
|
agree |
Sibylle Gray
: I like this one the best.
10 hrs
|
agree |
Gunilla Zedigh
14 hrs
|
agree |
Kitty Maerz
14 hrs
|
agree |
Rob2031
18 hrs
|
agree |
Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
4 days
|
pedantic / fussy
agree |
suew
1 hr
|
thanks sue
|
|
agree |
Stephen Old
: Yes, the term is quite pejorative and similar to "Haarsplitterei". My German teacher in the sixth form used to tell me that my questions which revealed my need for absolute precision in using the correct terms would be described as "pingelig" in Germany!
3 hrs
|
precisely!!
|
|
agree |
interpr8er
4 hrs
|
thanks C.H.
|
|
agree |
Inge Meinzer
: perfect!
10 hrs
|
thanks inge
|
anal
neutral |
Lyn Dunk
: I woud say that anal is extremely colloquial and you would have to be very careful using it. Which is why I would go with very picky
2 hrs
|
Agree. That's why it depends on the context and text type. I also like "picky".
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Discussion