Lost in translation?

Here, I discuss a term, expression, or phrase that is tricky in a German-English context.

November 2010

Important Notice

The office is closed, as I am currently on parental leave. For quotes, please contact my colleague Sue Pickett (translator and proofreader).

"I called my superiors, Sally and Mike." Now who exactly did the speaker call? Sally and Mike, as well as the superiors? Or are Sally and Mike in fact the speaker’s superiors? By using an Oxford comma in this sentence, one could clarify that one means the former.

Dodge the/a bullet

The chances are high that you will come across this English idiom, even in a business context. However, I have found that many German speakers are not familiar with it.

“Self-confident” or “self-conscious”?

What is the correct English translation of “selbstbewusst”? “Self-conscious” or rather “self-confident”?

June 2009

“These data are …” or “This data is …”?

Especially in writing, the question arises whether to treat "data" as a plural noun or as an uncountable mass noun.

May 2009

Writing Numbers – Points or Commas?

When writing numbers, commas and points are used as separators both in German and English; they are, however, placed differently.