Glossary entry

Swedish term or phrase:

gnetande - in a positive sense

English translation:

nitpicking (looking for trouble to sort out)

Added to glossary by Christine Andersen
Jun 25, 2008 12:46
15 yrs ago
Swedish term

gnetande - in a positive sense

Swedish to English Marketing Management company strategy
"...vägen till ytterligare framgångar går genom att sätta kunden än mer i centrum än tidigare. Att vara medveten om kundens krav, kanske krav som kunden själv inte vet om.
Det finns ett gammalt svenskt ord; **gnetande,** som passar bra. Det handlar om uppsökande verksamhet hos kunden, lösa vardagsproblem och vara med och offerera... skapa tillväxt både hos kunden och för oss."

I don't get a positive image with *gnetande* - more of a fusspot, or someone pinching and scraping.

I could perhaps make 'a stickler for details' fit the context. Simply 'attention to details' is not really strong enough.

What is meant is a company strategy of finding those little details that make all the difference between good enough and really brilliant. I have already used 'meticulous', and in fact this is heavy industry, (welding), so ideally I need an element of power in the fine adjustments.

Grateful for any suggestions!

Proposed translations

-1
12 mins
Selected

nitpicking

This is not a particularly positive term - but it has the same basic meaning (gnet = nit)
Otherwise maybe something like "careful attention to detail" would work.
Peer comment(s):

disagree George Hopkins : nit-picking: a concern with insignificant details, esp. with the intention of finding fault. (Collins).
24 mins
I suppose - but really, that is more or less the meaning of the Swedish term as well. I like your suggestion, though :)
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3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Actually, this was the suggestion that came closest! I turned it around to 'nitpicking on the customer's behalf', and actually wrote 'looking for trouble (to sort out'). 'The tiny details' are a major theme in this text, and this worked quite well."
7 mins

ensuring every detail/aspect comes together smoothly

Going with the welding/joining metaphor maybe?

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Note added at 12 mins (2008-06-25 12:59:17 GMT)
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Or "seamlessly" instead of "smoothly"- has more to do with welding!

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Note added at 15 mins (2008-06-25 13:02:33 GMT)
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Or that all aspects are "covered seamlessly" (more welding)
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+3
34 mins

keeping at it

Or perhaps: being keen.
Peer comment(s):

agree De Novi
56 mins
Thank you Zanne.
agree Ingrid Abramson : Being keen is good.
1 hr
Thank you Ingrid.
agree Peter Johansson (X)
8 hrs
Thank you Peter.
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4 hrs

stick-to-it-iveness

"gnetande" is not an old expression, it has come into vogue during the last 30 years or so, and of course it means that you have to keep pushing in order to get what you want.
Note from asker:
Thanks - I really liked this one too!
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6 hrs

exacting

a strategy of being exacting with regards to....

seems dynamic, forceful.... appropriate with regards to a company
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