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line from an old Slade song (offensive!)

German translation: verbotene Karten- / Fingerspiele (zweideutig)

06:59 May 8, 2008
English to German translations [PRO]
Slang
English term or phrase: line from an old Slade song (offensive!)
A friend of mine who sings in a men's sextet (no pun intended!) asked me what the following line from the old Slade song "Far, far away" might mean (his son's piano teacher - an Englishwoman - refused to tell him!):

"I've had a red light off-the-wrist without me even getting kissed"

Being an innocent girl, I haven't got the slightest clue... ;-)

Can you help with a translation and/or explanation? I told him that in future he and his co-singers will probably either blush or burst into laughter every time they want to perform the song ...

Thanks in advance for enlightening me (and him) ...
Ulrike Kraemer
Germany
Local time: 17:04
German translation:verbotene Karten- / Fingerspiele (zweideutig)
Explanation:
Off the Wrist bezieht sich ursprünglich auf Kartenspiele, hat aber eine zweideutige Bedeutung angenommen. In den frühen 70ern waren solche nicht direkt nachweisbaren Zweideutigkeiten ganz arg beliebt... ganz nach dem Motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2008-05-08 13:16:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Die Lyrics:

I've seen the yellow lights go down the Mississippi
I've seen the bridges of the world and they are for real/
I've had a red light off-the-wrist without me even getting kissed
It still seems so unreal

I've seen the morning in the mountains of Alaska
I've seen the sunset in the East and in the West /
I've sang the glory that was Rome And passed the 'Hound Dog' singer's home

It still seems for the best
And I'm far, far a-way
With my head up in the clouds
And I'm far, far a-way
With my feet down in the crowds
Letting loose around the world
But the call of home is loud
Still as loud

I've seen the Paris lights from high upon Montmartre
And felt the silence hanging low in No Man's Land/ /
And though those Spanish nights were fine It wasn't only from the wine
It still seems all in hand

And I'm far, far away, &c...

I've seen the yellow lights go down the Mississippi
The Grand Bahama Island stories carry on
And though those aligator smiles Stay in your memory for a while
There still seems more to come

And I'm far, far away &c

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2008-05-08 13:29:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Ich war überzeugt, dass du schon den ganzen Text hast. Dein "quasi" ist perfekt... :-)))
Selected response from:

Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 08:04
Grading comment
Ganz herzlichen Dank, die Damen. Man lernt doch nie aus. ;-) Eigentlich hätte Ulrike zwei Punkte verdient gehabt, weil sie mit "off-the-wrist" auf dem richtigen Weg war, aber Teilen geht ja immer noch nicht. :-( Wünsche euch beiden ein schönes Wochenende.
Ulrike :-) (alias LittleBalu)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2s.u.
Ulrike MacKay
3 +1verbotene Karten- / Fingerspiele (zweideutig)
Nicole Schnell


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
line from an old slade song (offensive!)
s.u.


Explanation:
Ich denke es geht um Masturbation - die Hand vom Handgelenk abwärts ist schon ganz rot...

Keine falschen Rückschlüsse, bitte!! ;-)

Liebe Grüße,
Ulrike

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 Min. (2008-05-08 07:10:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

bzw. WAR rot (maybe his luck has changed...) ;-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 39 Min. (2008-05-08 07:38:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

s.o. (Entschuldigung, Antwort falsch platziert)

Ulrike MacKay
Germany
Local time: 17:04
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Danke für die Erklärung. Ich war bisher allerdings davon ausgegangen, dass "red light" was mit dem Rotlichtviertel (welcher Stadt auch immer) zu tun hat?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kathinka van de Griendt: as mother of three boys, I agree fully ;)
2 mins
  -> Oh my goodness! ;-)) Thanks!
agree  Katja Schoone: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=have one off ...
6 mins
  -> Danke, Katja!
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
line from an old slade song (offensive!)
verbotene Karten- / Fingerspiele (zweideutig)


Explanation:
Off the Wrist bezieht sich ursprünglich auf Kartenspiele, hat aber eine zweideutige Bedeutung angenommen. In den frühen 70ern waren solche nicht direkt nachweisbaren Zweideutigkeiten ganz arg beliebt... ganz nach dem Motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2008-05-08 13:16:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Die Lyrics:

I've seen the yellow lights go down the Mississippi
I've seen the bridges of the world and they are for real/
I've had a red light off-the-wrist without me even getting kissed
It still seems so unreal

I've seen the morning in the mountains of Alaska
I've seen the sunset in the East and in the West /
I've sang the glory that was Rome And passed the 'Hound Dog' singer's home

It still seems for the best
And I'm far, far a-way
With my head up in the clouds
And I'm far, far a-way
With my feet down in the crowds
Letting loose around the world
But the call of home is loud
Still as loud

I've seen the Paris lights from high upon Montmartre
And felt the silence hanging low in No Man's Land/ /
And though those Spanish nights were fine It wasn't only from the wine
It still seems all in hand

And I'm far, far away, &c...

I've seen the yellow lights go down the Mississippi
The Grand Bahama Island stories carry on
And though those aligator smiles Stay in your memory for a while
There still seems more to come

And I'm far, far away &c

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2008-05-08 13:29:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Ich war überzeugt, dass du schon den ganzen Text hast. Dein "quasi" ist perfekt... :-)))

Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 08:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 39
Grading comment
Ganz herzlichen Dank, die Damen. Man lernt doch nie aus. ;-) Eigentlich hätte Ulrike zwei Punkte verdient gehabt, weil sie mit "off-the-wrist" auf dem richtigen Weg war, aber Teilen geht ja immer noch nicht. :-( Wünsche euch beiden ein schönes Wochenende.
Ulrike :-) (alias LittleBalu)
Notes to answerer
Asker: Danke, den Text hatte ich schon. Also quasi verbotenermaßen ohne Fremdbeteiligung ... ;-)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ulrike MacKay: Ok, wenn schon, denn schon - jetzt will ich's bitte ganz genau wissen: "off-the-wrist" steht dann also doch für "selbst Hand anlegen", ja? Aber was "red light" angeht bin ich enttäusch - in der Bed.von "etwas Verbotenes" ist das ja fast schon plump... ;-)
49 mins
  -> Naja, red light ist eben nur das Gegenteil von green light.. Danke, Ulrike!
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