# spin in het web



## Diasy

Heeft iemand een leuke vertaling voor 'spin in het web' in het Engels?​


----------



## Suehil

Literally, 'spider in its web' - did you have any special meaning in mind?


----------



## Diasy

Really? That easy? ;-)

It's about an international project for students to know more about different cultures etc. they should see themselves as a 'spin in het web' ..


----------



## Suehil

So yes, it's that easy.


----------



## flowobject

spider in THE web, not its...

tell us more about the project...


----------



## Suehil

flowobject said:


> spider in THE web, not its...


That is the literal translation, yes, but it is more common in English to say '... in its web'


----------



## sound shift

As far as I know, "a spider in its/the web" is not a set phrase/idiom in English (wél in het Nederlands?).

The singular possessive adjective "its" does not belong with "students" in the plural: _They should see themselves as a spider in its web _

If you make this grammatically correct - _They should see themselves as spiders in their own webs _- the impression is of students who look after their own interests in and around the home, rather than of people who venture out into the world (although native speakers are unlikely to use the expression at all).

If somebody said to me, "Be a spider in the web", I would not know what they meant.

I have a strong impression that a literal translation of "spin in het web" is unsuitable for figurative contexts such as this.


----------



## Joel Smit

> Really? That easy? ;-)



Haha...
It comes as a surprise when you find something easy in Dutch, isn't it?


----------



## sound shift

Joel Smit said:


> Haha...
> It comes as a surprise when you find something easy in Dutch, isn't doesn't it?


(For future reference )


----------



## Joel Smit

> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Joel Smit*
> Haha...
> It comes as a surprise when you find something easy in Dutch, isn't doesn't it?
> 
> 
> (For future reference )


Thanks 
(Learning two languages in one place, It can't get any better....)


----------



## sound shift

Back to the original task - a suitable translation.

Diasy,

Gaat het om een geschrevene of om een gesprokene uitdrukking?


----------



## Baunilha

sound shift said:


> Back to the original task - a suitable translation.
> 
> Diasy,
> 
> Gaat het om een geschrevene of om een gesprokene uitdrukking?




Good luck with the translation.
I wouldn't pick a possesive pronoun either


----------



## Joannes

sound shift said:


> As far as I know, "a spider in its/the web" is not a set phrase/idiom in English (wél in het Nederlands?).


Not at all. Actually I could only guess what it would mean for students learning more about "different cultures etc.", that "they should see themselves as a 'spin in het web'".


----------



## Diasy

Thanks everyone! Translation has been sent & processed I'm afraid..


----------



## MerelBlackbird

The previous translations in the thread for "spin in het web" were not correct.  It is a figurative term that means is someone who is at the center of things, who knows what's going on on all parts of a project or team. For instance, a project manager is often the "spin in het web" for the project. I hear the phrase most often used in the context of job descriptions and CVs.

Anyone know a good equivalent in English?  Thanks.


----------

