Cock in a basket / Hahn im Korb

More G8-related translation problems: today's Independent has an article by Tony Paterson about the wives of the heads of state together with a lone man, Professor Sauer, Angela Merkel's husband.

He is further handicapped by a surname which literally means “sour” and has fuelled rumours that he is a humourless academic. Although the German media described him, somewhat bafflingly yesterday, as a “cock in a basket”, Professor Sauer was clearly doing his best to entertain the G8 wives. Wearing a casual shirt, he kissed his guests on both cheeks in a gesture that brought the warm appreciation of Cherie Blair. For the record, the only ones to copy Professor Sauer's look and wear trousers were Laura Bush and Ake Abe, the Japanese leader's wife.

As Pat says on the ITI GerNet mailing list, is the Independent really incapable of recognizing and translating an idiom? But of course, that's the thing about foreign - it is baffling, isn't it? And I haven't heard too much criticism of Professor Sauer or any comment on his not uncommon name.

This does rather take us back to the World Cup WAGs, who have apparently entered the new edition of the Collins English Dictionary.

(Hahn im Korb is translated by Muret-Sanders and Collins as cock of the walk, although Collins does add 'Mann unter Frauen' - I think the two expressions have drifted slightly apart).

I admit the expression used to make me wonder in the 1960s, when one of the highlights of the ENO performance of the Ring was chicken in a basket in the interval, which I think was deep-fried chicken and chips.