# How to say this catchy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196 "2011-09-30T20:17:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/1 "2011-09-30T20:17:00Z")
Native speakers please advise: I’m correcting some subtitles and I’m trying to translate the name of a game show. Literally it says “if you said it well, you are halfway to victory”, or, “Gut gesagt ist halb gewonnen”. I’d be grateful for any suggestions how to make this catchier / shorter. The following don’t seem to be it. “half the battle is how you say it” “saying it right is half the battle” “well spoken is half won” “well said, halfway there” There must be something better but still more or less literal? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/2 "2011-09-30T20:36:05Z")
I think"half the battle" is a natural-sounding translation of the “halb gewonnen” part, but I’m not sure that there is any established English phrase that corresponds to all of it. I think if it were an English-language game show they’d use a more recognisable phrase with a related meaning, like “Gift of the Gab” or “Silver Tongue” or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/3 "2011-09-30T20:38:26Z")
Maybe “It’s All In How You Say It”; that’s fairly idiomatic, although it loses the word “half”. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/4 "2011-09-30T20:52:48Z")
Hm… _A phrase well said is a battle half won_ Please note, this not a common US saying. I’m just trying to make it pithy while keeping the meaning. ETA: for a game show name, I really like **Hogarth** ’s suggestion, although it’s much less literal, it IS a common saying. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/5 "2011-09-30T20:57:35Z")
For a name of a game show? I’d probably call it “Say It Well”, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/6 "2011-09-30T23:27:41Z")
I’d suggest “Speaking well is half the battle”. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/7 "2011-09-30T23:50:01Z")
Would you guys keep it down in this thread? I can’t hear myself think with all the “GI JOE!” sound bites echoing around the board. **Hello Again** ’s got the pithiest saying so far. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/8 "2011-10-01T02:15:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’d suggest “Speaking well is half the battle”. I think “Speaking good is half the battle” has a much better ring to it. And don’t get pithy with me. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/9 "2011-10-01T03:11:07Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > I think “Speaking good is half the battle” has a much better ring to it. > > And don’t get pithy with me. "Speaking good"is _not_ speaking well! * * * Unless the “halfway” part is literally true, and a key and prominent part of the structure of the game, I would drop it and go with one of the other suggestions that omit it. Or maybe just “Well said!”. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/10 "2011-10-01T03:33:42Z")
“Well said is half won.” The list in the OP dances all around this, but doesn’t use this exact combination of words. It’s as short as you can get and still retain the complete original meaning. It’s probably an exact translation of the German. It’s entirely one syllable words, which gives it a nice brisk flow. If you want what I think you want (catchy short translation), I don’t believe you can do better. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/11 "2011-10-01T03:41:26Z")
_Half Wits_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/12 "2011-10-01T11:14:08Z")
Thanks for the ideas. > [@hogarth](#): > > Maybe “It’s All In How You Say It”; that’s fairly idiomatic, although it loses the word “half”. That doesn’t sound bad. It covers the intention well enough. I may go with that one. > [@Bosstone](#): > > all the “GI JOE!” sound bites echoing around the board. ??? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/13 "2011-10-01T11:22:12Z")
Shut the Fuck Up ---
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/14 "2011-10-01T11:39:03Z")
Hogarth’s suggestion is the only one so far which sounds gameshow-y. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/15 "2011-10-01T12:54:24Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Would you guys keep it down in this thread? I can’t hear myself think with all the “GI JOE!” sound bites echoing around the board. > [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](#): > > ??? - [G.I. Joe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.I._Joe:_A_Real_American_Hero_%281985_TV_series%29)\* is a 1980s cartoon about U.S. Soldiers that always ended with a public service announcement. After imparting the practical lesson, it would always end with the following exchange: Kid(s): “Now I [or we] know” Soldier: “And knowing is half the battle!” After this, the a short version of the theme music would play, the only lyric being the name of the show. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/16 "2011-10-01T13:05:59Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > “Well said is half won.” The list in the OP dances all around this, but doesn’t use this exact combination of words. It’s as short as you can get and still retain the complete original meaning. It’s probably an exact translation of the German. It’s entirely one syllable words, which gives it a nice brisk flow. If you want what I think you want (catchy short translation), I don’t believe you can do better. That is a literal translation and I think it works quite well. Or, for a non-literal translation, how about Word Wars or Articulation? (You couldn’t use Articulate because there’s a board game with that name). ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/17 "2011-10-01T14:01:32Z")
BTW, when you say catchy, do you mean catchphrase? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/18 "2011-10-02T08:52:28Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > - > > Soldier: “And knowing is half the battle!” Oh right. Must have seen it, but didn’t remember. > [@Gary\_T](#): > > “Well said is half won.” The list in the OP dances all around this, but doesn’t use this exact combination of words. It’s as short as you can get and still retain the complete original meaning. It’s probably an exact translation of the German. It’s entirely one syllable words, which gives it a nice brisk flow. If you want what I think you want (catchy short translation), I don’t believe you can do better. Yes, “well said is half won” IS more literal, but when I google “(is) half won” I’m not sure it’s what a native speaker (US/UK) would say. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/19 "2011-10-02T13:31:28Z")
> [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](#): > > Oh right. Must have seen it, but didn’t remember. > Yes, “well said is half won” IS more literal, but when I google “(is) half won” I’m not sure it’s what a native speaker (US/UK) would say. Most of us here are native speakers, and the full sentence would sound fine - poetic, rather than casual everyday speech, but that’s an advantage for a quiz show title. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196/20 "2011-10-02T15:08:52Z")
> [@George\_Kaplin](#): > > Hogarth’s suggestion is the only one so far which sounds gameshow-y. Yeah, most of the suggestions here sound too literal for something that is supposed to be the title of a gameshow. In other words, they sounds like translated titles, rather than a clever or natural sounding name in English for a gameshow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-this-catchy/598196.md?page=2)