Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
«Aazelle, Bölle schelle, d’Chatz ghat uf Walliselle»
English translation:
count down, peel onions, the cat goes to Wallisellen
Added to glossary by
Rolf Keiser
Mar 17, 2010 09:12
14 yrs ago
2 viewers *
German term
Strong Law + Business+Tech Background
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, Hebrew to English
«Aazelle, Bölle schelle, d’Chatz ghat uf Walliselle»
German to English
Art/Literary
Folklore
This about an attempt by 300 Swiss school pupils to break a Guiness record for the largest number of participants in a public sculpture lesson!!! The motif for the high relief mosaic that will emerge is the Wallisser cat
Projekt im Rahmen von «Wallisellen macht Schule»
Die Rekord-Bildhauerei-Unterrichtsstunde ist eingebettet in den «Gestaltung und Musik»-Unterricht der vier beteiligten Schulen. Vor dem Rekordversuch am 26. März 2010 hält die Künstlerin und Kulturmanagerin Piroska Szönye in jeder der 15 teilnehmenden Klassen eine Doppel-Lektion in angewandter Kunst. Die Künstlerin sagt: «Mit Kindern Kunst zu machen, ist wundervoll. Alle sind begeistert und wollen unbedingt dabei sein und ihr Bestes geben, um den Weltrekord zu schaffen!»
Gefragt, weshalb das Kunstprojekt rund um die Katze gestaltet wird, erklärt der Areal-Entwickler und Unternehmer Hans Hänseler, der die Idee dazu hatte: «Jedes Schweizer Kind kennt den Abzählreim *«Aazelle, Bölle schelle, d’Chatz ghat uf Walliselle*». Für ein Projekt mit Walliseller Schülerinnen und Schüler musste es die Katze sein.»
Projekt im Rahmen von «Wallisellen macht Schule»
Die Rekord-Bildhauerei-Unterrichtsstunde ist eingebettet in den «Gestaltung und Musik»-Unterricht der vier beteiligten Schulen. Vor dem Rekordversuch am 26. März 2010 hält die Künstlerin und Kulturmanagerin Piroska Szönye in jeder der 15 teilnehmenden Klassen eine Doppel-Lektion in angewandter Kunst. Die Künstlerin sagt: «Mit Kindern Kunst zu machen, ist wundervoll. Alle sind begeistert und wollen unbedingt dabei sein und ihr Bestes geben, um den Weltrekord zu schaffen!»
Gefragt, weshalb das Kunstprojekt rund um die Katze gestaltet wird, erklärt der Areal-Entwickler und Unternehmer Hans Hänseler, der die Idee dazu hatte: «Jedes Schweizer Kind kennt den Abzählreim *«Aazelle, Bölle schelle, d’Chatz ghat uf Walliselle*». Für ein Projekt mit Walliseller Schülerinnen und Schüler musste es die Katze sein.»
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Mar 22, 2010 09:29: Rolf Keiser Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+2
12 mins
Rolf Keiser
Switzerland
Switzerland
Native in German
&
English
Switzerland
Translate complexity through simplicity
Native in: English (Variants: US, British) 
, German (Variants: Germany, Swiss)
Works in: German to English, English to German, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
3
Selected
count down, peel onions, the cat goes to Wallisellen
this is the literal translation which is a commonly known verse in the German part of Switzerland and which counts out or eliminates persons taking part in e.g. a specific play group or group of children, whereby Wallisellen is a town on the outskirts of Zurich
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Note added at 4 hrs (2010-03-17 13:53:05 GMT)
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"rock, paper, scissors" would be an appropriate term or analogy to signify the meaining behind the rhyme
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Note added at 5 days (2010-03-22 09:29:05 GMT) Post-grading
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Thanks, Jonathan
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Note added at 4 hrs (2010-03-17 13:53:05 GMT)
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"rock, paper, scissors" would be an appropriate term or analogy to signify the meaining behind the rhyme
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Note added at 5 days (2010-03-22 09:29:05 GMT) Post-grading
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Thanks, Jonathan
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
LegalTrans D
: aazelle war mir klar, Goldcoaster, aber "Bölle schelle", das war neu. Man lernt doch jeden Tag!
27 mins
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Tja, dieses "Schwiizerdüütsch" hat's in sich! Danke, Volkmar
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Michele Johnson
: Of course very helpful to understand the dialect, but look at the bigger picture. This is absolute nonsense in English and it doesn't rhyme anymore - the only relevant thing is the cat and the place name. Native readers would be scratching their heads.
3 hrs
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the implication has nothing to do with a cat going to Wallisellen
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| agree |
Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
1 day 12 hrs
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Danke, Harald
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3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
1 hr
British Diana
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
enthusiast
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: German to English, English to German, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been? I've..
As in my Discussion entry, I favour leaving the original and just saying that it has to do with their town and a cat, and then give an English example with a cat, such as this one.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Rolf Keiser
: sorry, Diana, but your response has absolutely nothing to do with the meaning behind and object of the rhyme
51 mins
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The meaning behind is Wallisellen and its connection to a cat, I suggested explaining this and just adding an equally typical English children's rhyme also connected with a cat. The point would be to add something English, just for the "flavour".
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Michele Johnson
: Could not agree with you more Diana. Do Brits know "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe"?
1 hr
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Yes, of course, that is a genuine counting-out rhyme but you have a tiger and mine at least a "cat" cat.!
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| agree |
CArcher
8 hrs
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+1
3 hrs
Michele Johnson
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
American engineer, Dip. Trans IOL, BDÜ
Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, English
A beloved Swiss children's counting rhyme about a cat going to Wallisellen
There's really no point in a literal translation, because it makes no sense and doesn't rhyme. I don't think I'd even quote the original. You could just cite him instead of putting what he says in actual quotes, or partially quote him literally, i.e.:
Hans Hänseler explained that the theme originates from a beloved Swiss children's counting rhyme about a cat going to Wallisellen, adding: "For this project with local pupils, the obvious choice was therefore a cat."
I also thought about something with the rhyme "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe; catch a tiger by the toe", but it seems a bit unwieldy.
Hans Hänseler explained that the theme originates from a beloved Swiss children's counting rhyme about a cat going to Wallisellen, adding: "For this project with local pupils, the obvious choice was therefore a cat."
I also thought about something with the rhyme "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe; catch a tiger by the toe", but it seems a bit unwieldy.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
itla
: I'm sorry, Michele. Totally agree with "eenie, etc.", neglected to scroll down this far.
41 mins
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No worries itla :)
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| disagree |
Rolf Keiser
: the implication is not a matter of counting, but a matter of eliminating/vde. my note
52 mins
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Well as a native speaker of English you would of course know that this is an "elimination rhyme"?
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| agree |
CArcher
6 hrs
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3 days 21 hrs
Barbara Wiebking
Germany
Germany
Native in German
Works in field
Germany
Translations from EN, FR, IT into German
Native in: German
Works in: English to German, French to German, Italian to German
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Do your numbers, peel the onions, cat goes to Wallisellen ...
Found this on the Net:
Do your numbers
Peel the onions
Cat goes to Wallisellen
Home again she comes
On crookes legs she runs
Piff paff puff
Cross my heart and you are out.
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Note added at 3 days21 hrs (2010-03-21 06:34:25 GMT)
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Oh, on crooked legs, of course!
Here's another reference where you can listen to the Swiss version: http://cornelia.siteware.ch/blog/wordpress/2009/06/23/schwei...
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Note added at 3 days22 hrs (2010-03-21 07:19:47 GMT)
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This is a translation by Catherine Schelbert.
Do your numbers
Peel the onions
Cat goes to Wallisellen
Home again she comes
On crookes legs she runs
Piff paff puff
Cross my heart and you are out.
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Note added at 3 days21 hrs (2010-03-21 06:34:25 GMT)
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Oh, on crooked legs, of course!
Here's another reference where you can listen to the Swiss version: http://cornelia.siteware.ch/blog/wordpress/2009/06/23/schwei...
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Note added at 3 days22 hrs (2010-03-21 07:19:47 GMT)
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This is a translation by Catherine Schelbert.
Example sentence:
The surface banality of the counting out rhyme A ZELLA PÖLLA SCHELLA / KATZ GOT UF WALLISELLA / KHUNNT SI WIDER HEI / HÄT SI KRUMMI BEI / PIFF PAFF PUFF / UND DU BISCH EHR UND REDLICH DUSS is belied by a fascinatingly profound and complex phenomenon.
Reference comments
9 mins
Camilla Seifert
South Africa
South Africa
Native in German
&
English
South Africa
Professional, experienced, high quality
Native in: English , German
Works in: German to English, English to German
Reference:
Wonderful reference of Swiss German words
http://www.dialektwoerter.ch/ch/a.html
Bölle schelle - means peeling onions and you are right about the Chatz - cat goes to Wallisellen. Not too sure about Aazelle.... could be abbreviation of Appenzell..... but it appears to be a children's rhyme.
http://itunes.apple.com/ch/album/aazelle-bolle-schelle-e-gsc...
Bölle schelle - means peeling onions and you are right about the Chatz - cat goes to Wallisellen. Not too sure about Aazelle.... could be abbreviation of Appenzell..... but it appears to be a children's rhyme.
http://itunes.apple.com/ch/album/aazelle-bolle-schelle-e-gsc...
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| agree |
Johanna Timm, PhD
: aazelle=abzählen?
5 hrs
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You could well be right.... reading all the other answers - abzählen would make sense. Thanks!
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Discussion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eeny,_meeny,_miny,_moe
http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cache:pbR8n96v188J:en.wikiped...
My knowledge of Swiss dialects isn't really good, but "d' Chatz gaht uf Walliselle" means "die Katze geht nach Wallisellen" (a town in Kanotn Zurich). You might want to check out Wallisellen.