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Prellbock

English translation: (pos.) sounding board; (neg.) punchbag / Aunt Sally, BrE

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Prellbock
English translation:(pos.) sounding board; (neg.) punchbag / Aunt Sally, BrE
Entered by: Adrian MM.

13:14 Apr 28, 2022
German to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
German term or phrase: Prellbock
I don't have any context for this. A Prellbock (a person or a situation?), as far as I am aware, is what happens when you get in touch with a person who is in a really stinky mood and you don't get any response from this person. (so this has nothing to do with trains!!) My initial feeling would be to say that it is like banging your head against a brick wall speaking to this person. But Prellbock is a word I've not heard before in all my years living in Germany and I was just wondering whether someone could explain how to use it in German and give me an Enlish equivalent. Thanks.
Michael Alger
Local time: 10:51
(pos.) sounding board; (neg.) punchbag / Aunt Sally, BrE
Explanation:
A positive interpretation: a sounding board to bounce ideas off.

negatively : Aunt Sally that can also be applied to males or e.g. the Police as a body:

Austria > kurierzeitung : Polizei als Prellbock = Aunt Sally def. as a scapegoat, as per Kim M.

'Gerade in der Flüchtlingsfrage zeige sich eine generelle Problematik. „Was viele Polizisten auch emotional sehr unangenehm zu spüren bekommen, ist dass sie für das Versagen politischer Entscheidungsträger als *Prellbock* = as a punchbag auf der Straße herhalten müssen“, sagt Herbert.'

Otherwise, the asker's (questionable / mistaken) exposition points to a 'stonewaller'.

Cut to our ProZ regulars...
Selected response from:

Adrian MM.
Austria
Grading comment
I posted this request on Thursday and having seen the comments from answerers that ensued I contacted my client on Friday morning for further clarification (bad idea). I've only got a reply now on this Monday and I'm recognising Adrian's answer of 'punchbag' as the most helpful - basically in line with a definition provided by Kim and Johanna. Yes, I did suggest that there was no reponse from those with the stinky mood, and yes being a punchbag does imply that there has been some response, but even silence can be thunderous under certain circumstances. Thank you all for bearing with my lack of context and for making the effort to help me and the community out.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3scapegoat
Kim Metzger
3 +2(pos.) sounding board; (neg.) punchbag / Aunt Sally, BrE
Adrian MM.
4brick wall
Cillie Swart
4lightning rod
Michael Martin, MA
3(like a) blank wall, block of stone/ice
Bourth
2buffer
Brianna Finley (X)
Summary of reference entries provided
Prellbock
Johanna Timm, PhD
Prügelknabe / Blitzableiter
Veronika Neuhold

Discussion entries: 9





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
buffer


Explanation:
just an idea

Brianna Finley (X)
Ireland
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: This is the usual meaning, but we need some context.
23 mins
neutral  AllegroTrans: too literal, not a term that could fit a person, if that is what the Asker is looking for
1 hr
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
scapegoat


Explanation:
or doormat, whipping boy

〈in übertragener Bedeutung:〉 als Prellbock dienen (derjenige sein, bei dem alle Sorgen abgeladen werden und der für alles einstehen muss) https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Prellbock

2) umgangssprachlich, übertragen: jemand, der bei Konflikten (anderer) die Verärgerung abfedern muss oder der die Konsequenzen fremden Handelns zu tragen hat
https://www.wortbedeutung.info/Prellbock/

(Rail) buffers pl, buffer stop
der Prellbock sein (fig) to be the scapegoat or fall guy (esp US inf)
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/german-english/...



Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 03:51
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 100

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: "a person who is in a really stinky mood and you don't get any response from this person" is hardly a scapegoat
1 hr
  -> Agree that it wouldn't work for Michael's specific example.
agree  writeaway: https://en.langenscheidt.com/german-english/prellbock he always has to bear (od take) the blame (od he is always blamed) for everything immer ist er der Prellbock FIG U
3 hrs
agree  Cillie Swart: Yes Definitely. Thanks !!
19 hrs
agree  Cilian O'Tuama: Seems best IMO - but Asker has the context.
1 day 12 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
brick wall


Explanation:
you said it and i think it works.

Cillie Swart
South Africa
Local time: 11:51
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
(pos.) sounding board; (neg.) punchbag / Aunt Sally, BrE


Explanation:
A positive interpretation: a sounding board to bounce ideas off.

negatively : Aunt Sally that can also be applied to males or e.g. the Police as a body:

Austria > kurierzeitung : Polizei als Prellbock = Aunt Sally def. as a scapegoat, as per Kim M.

'Gerade in der Flüchtlingsfrage zeige sich eine generelle Problematik. „Was viele Polizisten auch emotional sehr unangenehm zu spüren bekommen, ist dass sie für das Versagen politischer Entscheidungsträger als *Prellbock* = as a punchbag auf der Straße herhalten müssen“, sagt Herbert.'

Otherwise, the asker's (questionable / mistaken) exposition points to a 'stonewaller'.

Cut to our ProZ regulars...

Example sentence(s):
  • Aunt Sally a game played in some parts of Britain in which players throw sticks or balls at a wooden dummy. a dummy used in the game of Aunt Sally. plural noun: Aunt Sallies a person or thing set up as an easy target for critic
  • But beyond the functional, PAs counsel and can act as *sounding boards*, coaches and counsellors. randstad.com Über das Funktionale hinaus betätigen sich persönliche Assistenten als Berater und können als *Prellbock*, Coach und Ratgeber fungieren.

    Reference: http://www.linguee.de/deutsch-englisch/uebersetzung/prellboc...
    Reference: http://kurier.at/chronik/wien/polizisten-und-der-hang-zur-fp...
Adrian MM.
Austria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
Grading comment
I posted this request on Thursday and having seen the comments from answerers that ensued I contacted my client on Friday morning for further clarification (bad idea). I've only got a reply now on this Monday and I'm recognising Adrian's answer of 'punchbag' as the most helpful - basically in line with a definition provided by Kim and Johanna. Yes, I did suggest that there was no reponse from those with the stinky mood, and yes being a punchbag does imply that there has been some response, but even silence can be thunderous under certain circumstances. Thank you all for bearing with my lack of context and for making the effort to help me and the community out.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Edith Kelly: punchbag, and yes, it is negative
4 hrs
  -> Merci vielmals, Edith ! Not quite the same as Sündenbock and the asker could be barking up the 'wrong tree'.
agree  Anne Schulz: with punchbag
1 day 19 hrs
  -> Danke schön, Anne ! Bei den österr. Massenmedien wird es fast immer nur so verwendet.
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(like a) blank wall, block of stone/ice


Explanation:
If the meaning in German, by analogy with the railway buffer, is something you cannot go beyond, get past, and therefore affect emotionally or arouse a response from, then how about 'blank wall' or 'block of stone', 'block of ice"
'Brick wall' could work too, but for me the association with 'banging one's head against a ~" might distort the intended meaning.

Bourth
France
Local time: 11:51
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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1 day 14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
lightning rod


Explanation:
Definition:
"a person or thing that attracts a lot of criticism, especially in order to divert attention from more serious issues or to allow a more important public figure to appear blameless."
https://www.google.com/search?q=lightning rod meaning&ei=oal...

"Hayward acknowledged Friday that he's become a lightning rod for criticism. He says that allows his lieutenants to go about their work."
https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/business/2010/06/04/b...

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 05:51
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 98
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Reference comments


9 hrs peer agreement (net): +3
Reference: Prellbock

Reference information:
[2] umgangssprachlich, übertragen: jemand, der bei Konflikten (anderer) die Verärgerung abfedern muss oder der die Konsequenzen fremden Handelns zu tragen hat.
https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/Prellbock

someone who takes/bears the brunt

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 67

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Edith Kelly
17 hrs
agree  Cilian O'Tuama: This would support Kim's scapegoat
1 day 2 hrs
agree  Veronika Neuhold
1 day 11 hrs
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1 day 21 hrs
Reference: Prügelknabe / Blitzableiter

Reference information:
...


    https://www.redensarten-index.de/suche.php?suchbegriff=~~der+Prellbock+fuer+etwas+%2F+jemanden+sein&bool=relevanz&sp0=rart_ou
Veronika Neuhold
Austria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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