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\"schrikkeljaar\" versus \"schikkeljaar\"
antwoordkaart
Mar 30, 2018 15:16
6 yrs ago
Dutch term

dan kan niemand je iets maken

Non-PRO Dutch to English Social Sciences General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters colloquial expression/in a transcript of an interview with a young offender
This comes from an interview in which a young offender explains how he got drawn into crime.

The whole sentence is:

Op een gegeven moment... mensen kregen aanzien voor mij, want ik was er goed in [good at breaking into properties] en dan voel je stoer, tof en dan kan niemand je iets maken.

I only need help with the last part of the sentence: ... en dan kan niemand je iets maken
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 and then no one can touch you
3 +4 then you (start believing you) can get away with everything
4 +2 You're invincible
4 +2 Then you're untouchable
Change log

Mar 30, 2018 17:32: writeaway changed "Field (write-in)" from "Transcript of an interview with a young offender" to "colloquial expression/in a transcript of an interview with a young offender"

Discussion

Barend van Zadelhoff Apr 7, 2018:
:-) What about this one?

Have some fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D97gP-1zyqQ
Barend van Zadelhoff Apr 7, 2018:
Imo in this specific case both 'everything' and 'anything' are possible, where 'everything' is the stronger variant of 'anything'.

You may be right that when you add can (can get away...) 'anything' becomes more likely, but everything would still be an option (see site uk).
Michael Beijer Apr 7, 2018:
ho ho, very funny ;-) no, with writeaway, philgoddard, Bryan Crumpler, John Holloway, Richard Purdom, etc.
Barend van Zadelhoff Apr 7, 2018:
:-) The Fingerspitzengefühl you share with your native English speaker friend FF, you mean?

--> MB: have to agree with freek here, everything definitely doesn't sound right to me either. should be anything
Michael Beijer Apr 7, 2018:
Fingerspitzengefühl Barend, as a native speaker, I just don't think I would use "everything" in this specific context. And I think most other native speakers would agree with me. In any case, it's not an argument that can be won or lost, it's just a feeling. If something doesn't sound right, it just doesn't sound right. Not much else I can say really.
Barend van Zadelhoff Apr 7, 2018:
I think EVERYone agrees. What's wrong about him? Everything!

The Man Who Gets Away With Everything.

Only Donald Trump would continue sponsoring campaign-style rallies, a full month after Election Day.

etc.

https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/man-who-gets-away...
Barend van Zadelhoff Apr 7, 2018:
Anyway, the claim that it does not sound right does not sound right.
Barend van Zadelhoff Apr 7, 2018:
It is just a matter of what you want to say.

As explained to FF

'anything' OR 'everything' 'everything' is more definite/positive and 'anything' is more indefinite/negative/random ; everything - G = 553000, anything - G = 573000. It's a matter of choice.
Lianne van de Ven Apr 7, 2018:
All crime In your example, Barend, men getting away with everything, it's already specified by the context (i.e. all crime).
Barend van Zadelhoff Apr 7, 2018:
So your argument that 'everything' does not sound right is not right.

"get away with everything" site:uk G-hits = 210.000



Where does it go from here? Up its own bottom, I suspect. An explanation of how the sexist criminal justice system always fails women and allows men to get away with everything, including probably murder.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/09/everything-on-television...
Lianne van de Ven Apr 7, 2018:
Anything I have to agree with the anything. I would say it's unspecified, a generalization, while everything implies specification.
Michael Beijer Apr 7, 2018:
@Barend: yeah, but there is a difference.

"get away with everything" is used to mean stuff like: person X in fact gets/got away with everything (they try/tried/do/did etc.)

"get away with anything" is used to mean stuff like: person X thinks that they can get away with anything (they try/do etc.)
writeaway Mar 30, 2018:
Asker is in the UK So I doubt that US slang is needed. And why is the double negative 'moronic' in a colloquial context? I ain't done got no idea.....
Erik van Vliet Mar 30, 2018:
American slang would be something like "and then no'one got nothing on you" or something similar moronic with a double negative ;)

Proposed translations

+1
30 mins
Selected

and then no one can touch you

a variant of Kirsten's answer.
Peer comment(s):
agree Kitty Brussaard
15 mins
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks Michael, this is the answer I chose as it fitted best into the rest of the sentence. The other suggestions were also good and contributed to a helpful discussion. Thanks to all who contributed."
+2
7 mins

You're invincible

It reflects the sense of being invincible. You're above everyone. More literally: no one can harm you. Van Dale: hij kan mij niets ma­ken - hij kan mij niet scha­den = (he/they) can't harm me.
Peer comment(s):
agree Kitty Brussaard
37 mins
Thanks. I am not sure this is the best phrasing if it is supposed to reflect slang, but it's the one word that covers the meaning.
agree philgoddard : Many possible answers, but you were first. I'm not sure this is slang, is it?
1 hr
Nope, it's not slang. But it reflects the meaning :-)
Something went wrong...
+2
14 mins

Then you're untouchable

I think I'd put it like that if it fitted the style of the interview. There are a lot of other expressions you could use though.
Peer comment(s):
agree Kitty Brussaard : Another good option.
31 mins
agree writeaway : no pointzzzzz for posting the original I guess
8 days
Something went wrong...
+4
20 mins

then you (start believing you) can get away with everything

no pun intended :-)
Peer comment(s):
agree Kitty Brussaard : Ook een mooie oplossing binnen de gegeven context.
24 mins
Thank you. Indeed, who is 'niemand' in 'niemand kan je iets maken? 'criminal justice' of course.
agree Kirsten Bodart : I quite like the very British feel of this, though it depends on the style of the translation too.
28 mins
Thank you very much, Kirsten.
agree Lianne van de Ven : Good one!
13 hrs
Thank you very much, Lianne.
neutral freekfluweel : anything / You're so Dunglish! / "get away with anything"site:uk G-hits = 24 800 000 https://tinyurl.com/yamkhdhw
16 hrs
'anything' OR 'everything' 'everything' is more definite/positive and 'anything' is more indefinite/negative/random ; everything - G = 553000, anything - G = 573000. It's a matter of choice. / Not in this case, as far as I am aware of./use quotation marks
agree Verginia Ophof
1 day 8 hrs
Thank you very much, Verginia.
neutral Michael Beijer : have to agree with freek here, everything definitely doesn't sound right to me either. should be anything
7 days
"get away with everything" site:uk G-hits = 210.000 / just one example https://tinyurl.com/ycvnnyot .
Something went wrong...
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