Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Apr 8, 2010 13:56
14 yrs ago
English term
Italy
skilled in books translation
Native in: Italian 
Works in: English to Italian, German to Italian, French to Italian, and 4 more.
over the head
English
Art/Literary
Journalism
Finance
Fuld even persuaded George Walker, a non-executive director of Lehman who was a
cousin of President Bush, to put in a call to the Oval Office with a last-ditch appeal for a bailout, ***over the head*** of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
Could you please explain what "over the head" means in this context?
Thanks!
f
cousin of President Bush, to put in a call to the Oval Office with a last-ditch appeal for a bailout, ***over the head*** of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
Could you please explain what "over the head" means in this context?
Thanks!
f
Responses
+2
3 mins
Norbert Hermann
Native in English
&
English
YOUR COMPETITIVE EDGE - over 40 YEARS!
Native in: English , German
Works in: English to German, German to English, Portuguese to German, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
by-passing
ignoring
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães
: Yes, ignoring Paulson's authority. Quite a curious use of an otherwise common idiom.
2 mins
|
| agree |
Camille Rosier
5 mins
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
6 mins
straight to
He persuaded Walker to go directly to the Oval Office rather than to the Treasury Secretary, which would be the normal chain of command.
Going above someone's head means to go to the next person up, quite often because there may not be the support required from the immediate superior. (This may not have been the case in this instance, it is just a suggestion of how the term is often used.)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2010-04-08 14:04:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Edited: sorry, I mean "over someone's head", not above!
Going above someone's head means to go to the next person up, quite often because there may not be the support required from the immediate superior. (This may not have been the case in this instance, it is just a suggestion of how the term is often used.)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2010-04-08 14:04:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Edited: sorry, I mean "over someone's head", not above!
+7
9 mins
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
40
Bypassing the official chain of command
The appeal Fuld persuaded Walker to make should have been made to
Poulson, but it was made higher up the chain of command directly to the President, Poulson's boss, breaching the official procedure presumably because there was a better chance of success this way.
Poulson, but it was made higher up the chain of command directly to the President, Poulson's boss, breaching the official procedure presumably because there was a better chance of success this way.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Veronika McLaren
46 mins
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Rolf Keiser
: or routine channels
1 hr
|
|
Thank you. Yes.
|
|
| agree |
Ildiko Santana
1 hr
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Robert Forstag
2 hrs
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Lingua.Franca
6 hrs
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães
: well explained
10 hrs
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Phong Le
4 days
|
|
Thank you.
|
7 hrs
Alexandra Taggart
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Russian Federation
proficient translation
Native in: English , Russian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, English
behind Paulson's back / secretly
"over the head" - this expression came from school, schoolmates exchange messages (during school exams) by throwing tightly folded paper pieces right over their teacher's head, so, the teacher may sense something dodgy, but he can never understand what his students were giggling at.
P.S. "Over my head" means - "not to have any clue - why".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2010-04-08 21:51:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
another interpretation - "leaving Henry Paulson to wonder"
P.S. "Over my head" means - "not to have any clue - why".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2010-04-08 21:51:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
another interpretation - "leaving Henry Paulson to wonder"
Discussion