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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Aus die Laus!

English translation:

Bust those bugs/lousy lice

Added to glossary by David Williams
Nov 4, 2009 09:01
14 yrs ago
German term

Aus die Laus!

German to English Marketing Medical: Health Care Parasites
As the title of an article about a new treatment for head lice, the LouseBuster:

http://www.laradasciences.com/
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20061108/mass-murdering-louse...

Obviously, a literal translation won't work at all here. I'm playing with ideas such as "Time up, lice!"/"You’re time is up, lice!"/"Lights out for lice!", but I'm not sure they quite hit the mark.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +2 Bust those bugs
3 +3 No more nits!
3 Paralice lost
3 sizzle the lice
3 bug them out, the not-so-nice lice !
3 Hit the road, lice!
3 Say good-bye to lice!
3 De-bugged for good!
3 Get rid of those lice
3 Say no to nits
2 Ice the lice
Change log

Nov 4, 2009 14:52: writeaway changed "Field" from "Science" to "Marketing"

Discussion

Anne-Marie Grant (X) Nov 4, 2009:
Bear in mind that the product is being marketed at parents and anything that suggests their little ones' brains are going to be fried, boiled or scrambled as part of the delousing treatment is not going to be popular.
franglish Nov 4, 2009:
@ John Dale right about trice (without h), so "lice gone in a trice", since you need a verb preceding 'in a trice'.
Michél Dallaserra Nov 4, 2009:
@Diana and David: I do not think that the pun "Parasite Lost" is reserved for a minority of highbrows. In fact, one does not have to follow the allusion in order to get the message which, in my view, is pretty straightforward.
British Diana Nov 4, 2009:
Please re-read my entry Sorry, I had second thoughts and prefer them to the first ones.
British Diana Nov 4, 2009:
Zeckenterror Pity they aren't "Zecken", we could have said "Gone in a tick".
David Williams (asker) Nov 4, 2009:
Good point John you're quite right about "in a trice"!
polyglot45 Nov 4, 2009:
or even.... louse nous
John Dale D.D. Nov 4, 2009:
re - gone in a thrice
just a note - the phrase is usually "in a trice" meaning in a short time.
would "flied lice" be more appetising ? :-)
polyglot45 Nov 4, 2009:
since heat is involved... You could perhaps say "Fried lice" !
David Williams (asker) Nov 4, 2009:
Thanks Yes, I am able to read it in the e-mail notification, although I can't see it here either. You're quite right though, "gone in a thrice" would work even for a single application as the "thrice" has more to do with the (very short) duration than the number of applications.
Michél Dallaserra Nov 4, 2009:
@franglish: It was there a couple of minutes ago. It has disappeared!
franglish Nov 4, 2009:
@David I'd just posted a note but somehow my contribution was hidden... Are you able to read it?
David Williams (asker) Nov 4, 2009:
Oops! Of course, "You’re time is up, lice!" should read "Your time's up, lice!"

Proposed translations

+2
2 hrs
Selected

Bust those bugs

Bugs is fine to use in this context I would say. Everyone refers to them as such. A very popular UK product for fighting head lice is the "Bug Buster". And please don't ask how I know :-(((
Peer comment(s):
agree Cetacea : I think (almost) everyone who's had (or been...) a kid knows. :-)
2 hrs
agree Anne-Marie Grant (X) : This works too
3 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks! It had to be a solution with 'bust' to go with the LouseBuster, really (as British Diana mentioned), although I liked "Parasite lost" a lot too! Many thanks for the lively discussion :-)"
5 mins

Paralice lost

:-D

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 Min. (2009-11-04 09:08:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Parasite lost" might be better.
Note from asker:
Yes, sounds good! Thanks :-)
Peer comment(s):
neutral Lirka : nice and very poetic; BUT too poetic for an average reader, trust me :)
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 mins

Ice the lice

just a vernacular suggestion :-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2009-11-04 09:24:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

@ asker
I see.
I used the word "ice" in the modern usage i.e. to kill, destroy......
that is why I stated "vernacular in this explanation :-)
Well what about
"beat them with heat"
Note from asker:
I think that gives the wrong impression really, considering this device works by killing them with hot air.
Hmmm, perhaps "Nuke the lice!" would work better for treatment using hot air? Or "Talking politics to lice"? ;-)
Peer comment(s):
neutral Lirka : sounds good, but i would NOT use it b/c it misleads, as the asker says. BUT I like your idea about heat/beat. Perhaps something like "Lice: heat them&beat them!"
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
1 hr

sizzle the lice

since hot air is involved and "frying" is usually associated with stench
Something went wrong...
1 hr

bug them out, the not-so-nice lice !

The other suggestions are brill, but who would understand the pun involved in paralice or parasite lost except a small, educated minority - or a bunch of translators?
Ice is a bit too cold and sizzle too culinary for comfort.

In everyday language I think people refer to any sort of nasty insects as "bugs" .
Before someone says lice aren't insects, I am only being as inexact as the general population would be !

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2009-11-04 10:45:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry, already an afterthought:


lice ain't nice, bust 'em out!<b/>

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2009-11-04 11:35:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, David, I now think you should keep the word "bust" in whatever you use.
Note from asker:
Why not "Bust those lousy lice!"?
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

Hit the road, lice!

Doesn't rhyme, but it retains the original meaning and it's colloquially catchy...
Something went wrong...
+3
4 hrs

No more nits!

http://nomorenits.co.nz/index.htm

I am a veteran delouser and in colloquial BE at least these little critters are known as nits not lice.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2009-11-04 13:31:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

'Nuke those nits' - not a serious suggestion, but one that gives me great pleasure!!
Peer comment(s):
agree Cetacea : Like it! Actually, both your suggestions... ;-) And you're right: You want to get rid of all those nits = eggs of lice. See e.g. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/lice.htm
57 mins
Thank you, Cetacea
agree Harald Moelzer (medical-translator) : mit Cetacea!!
1 hr
Thank you, Harald
agree Lancashireman : Very good. I suppose the exclamation mark is de rigeur in such a context... // Certainly more dynamic and assertive than my contemplative and rather wistful three dots.
7 hrs
Absolutely!
Something went wrong...
7 hrs

Say good-bye to lice!

or: Stop the lice!

It's not as creative as the other ones, but then it's not an ad but just the title of an article.
Something went wrong...
8 hrs

De-bugged for good!

... to add yet another one to the list...
Something went wrong...
8 hrs

Get rid of those lice

How's that for a plain Jane version ?
Something went wrong...
12 hrs

Say no to nits

Am I the only one whose head is itching?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2009-11-04 21:04:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Say "ciao baby!" to lice.
Something went wrong...
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