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From: jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: what's a "pantoffel-computer"
Message-ID: <804@rtech.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 29-Dec-85 02:27:06 EST
Article-I.D.: rtech.804
Posted: Sun Dec 29 02:27:06 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 30-Dec-85 03:24:04 EST
References: <4300001@konech.UUCP>
Organization: Relational Technology, Alameda CA
Lines: 22

> 
> I'm looking for an english (or american) phrase for the german
> word "pantoffel-computer".
> 
> In german there is a phrase "pantoffel-kino" which means home-made
> movies or TV. In general "pantoffel-..." is a devaluating phrase in the
> sense of worthy, home-made, not very professional, for everybody's use, ...
> 
> thomas kloeber

How about "Mickey Mouse"?  When used as an adjective, it means "cheap",
"shoddy", "unprofessional".  Sometimes it is applied to objects ("a Mickey
Mouse computer"), but more often it is used to describe the work that went
into an object or it's design ("a Mickey Mouse job of rebuilding an engine").
I'm not sure of the origin of this usage; maybe it came from Mickey Mouse
watches, which are not well built.
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
"Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent..."

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