Glossary entry

Swedish term or phrase:

Vilken bromssträcka har du på kostnadssidan?

English translation:

How fast/quickly can you cut costs?

Added to glossary by Deane Goltermann
Oct 1, 2013 23:04
10 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Swedish term

Vilken bromssträcka har du på kostnadssidan?

Swedish to English Bus/Financial Finance (general)
Hello

A lovely expression that we understand immediately but how would you translate it?

*braking distance of costs* is the literal translation but this is not a typical English collocation and Google confirms this

*stopping distance of costs* gives the same result (not usual and not in Google)

How about if I put it one of the above in "" to show that it is used in a novel way?

Any ideas welcome

PS Pleeeassee do not ask me for more context. This is a question in a long list of questions about borrowing money from banks. Each question is unrelated to the others except for the general context of borrowing
Change log

Oct 3, 2013 14:23: Deane Goltermann Created KOG entry

Discussion

SafeTex (asker) Oct 3, 2013:
@ Anna + Chris Hello

Thanks for the confirmation that the term is not your every day Swedish

Thought your suggestion Chris was excellent but the job has already been returned (but I'll remember that for next time)

My solution was in fact to translate it with 'braking distance' but between '' to show that it was indeed a novel expression.

Thanks everyone
Christopher Schröder Oct 3, 2013:
At odds This says "leeway" to me
Anna Herbst Oct 2, 2013:
It's up to you... Not a common Swedish collocation either, so you are quite free to play with whatever metaphors you feel would work in the context.

Proposed translations

+3
8 hrs
Selected

How fast/quickly can you cut costs?

This is basically the idea here, I'd say, without the slang that, IMHO, has no business being used in any formal business setting. Any time you put this idea or similar in a novel way, you will get asked 'What exactly do you mean?'
Peer comment(s):

agree Mats Wiman : A good interpretation
1 hr
Thanks, Mats! And yours is the novel approach? ;-)
agree Kristian Andersson : Or maybe cut your spending!
2 hrs
Thanks, Kristian! Yes -- cut costs, spending, or expenses
agree Sven Petersson
5 hrs
Thanks, Sven
Something went wrong...
2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I used another solution but this solutions sounds fine. Thanks"
9 hrs

How long is your debit side?

Equally unclear...
Something went wrong...
9 hrs

How long is your expenses braking distance?

;-)

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Note added at 1 day15 hrs (2013-10-03 14:05:08 GMT) Post-grading
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Coul be OK beween two auto managers :-)
Something went wrong...
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