> what is the best thing to do then - you have things like this happening

Often worth asking Google.

http://visindavefur.hi.is/svar.asp?id=2791

Orðasambandið að berja í brestina er notað um tvennt. Í fyrsta lagi er
merkingin 'afsaka eða breiða yfir galla einhvers', til dæmis „Móðirin
reyndi alltaf að berja í brestina þegar sonur hennar átti í hlut." Í
öðru lagi er merkingin 'reyna að gera gott úr einhverju', til dæmis
„Stjórn félagsins reyndi að berja í brestina þegar hún kynnti skýrsluna."

The expression 'to beat in the cracks' is used in two ways. In the
first, the meaning is "excuse or play down someone's faults", e.g.
"the mother always tried to 'berja í brestina' where her son was
involved." Secondly, the meaning may be "try to make the best of
something", e.g. "the leadership of the society tried to 'berja í
brestina' when she announced the report."

Orðasambandið er sótt til gull- og silfursmíði. Smiðurinn reynir að
gera við brest eða sprungu í hlut með því berja á rifuna og loka henni
þannig.

The expresion has its origins in gold- or silversmithing. The smith
tries to mend a crack or split by hammering on the crack to close it.

LN



--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "Patricia" <originalpatricia@...>
wrote:

>
> Saell LN
> what is the best thing to do then - you have things like this happening
> CV agrees with Zoega - balanced AGAINST two translations - MM&HP and

the C.S.I

> and neither group agrees with the other - too much of a lottery
> Or is it a case of being unable to translate an idiomatic form
> CV used clearly to pull by the hair for what I might use "assault"

was it a specific

> form of an insult to pull a person by the hair - well - it does hurt
> Kveðja
> Patricia - the-not-very-happy-with-this
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: llama_nom
> To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 3:54 PM
> Subject: [norse_course] Re: Njal 22 second part / Alan's Translation
>
>
>
> > hafa það uppi af er verst er og berja í brestina
>
> MM & HP "showing all the worse articles and trying to disguise their
> defects."
>
> > gefist honum eigi vel
>
> MM & HP "are rude to him"
>
> > óæðra bekk
>
> See the diagram in Gordon: An Introduction to Old Norse, p. 229.
>
> > Ærinn hafa þeir klækiskap
>
> MM & HP (paraphrasing) "A lot of perverts, that's about all."
>
> > Hann mun spyrja hvað þú færir til þess að eigi megi koma maður í
> stað hans.
>
> MM & HP "Hrut will ask you what makes you think that no one can fill
> his place."
>
> > að aldrei varð á um hans höfðingskap
>
> MM & HP "that his chieftainship was quite faultless." Is this the
> idiom 'e-m verðr á' "one makes a mistake, blunder"?
>