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the powers that be

English translation: a superior being/ a force which controls everything

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:the powers that be
Selected answer:a superior being/ a force which controls everything
Entered by: Nadia Ayoub

13:41 May 10, 2011
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Games / Video Games / Gaming / Casino
English term or phrase: the powers that be
Pick up your guns, your explosives, your swords!
We'll do whatever it takes to defend this land! We hold the future!
And by the powers that be, we'll die protecting it!

Thank you for your help!
Nadia Ayoub
Egypt
Local time: 16:30
a superior being/ a force which controls everything
Explanation:
Such as a master (Masters of the Universe) or a deity/god or demon
Selected response from:

Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 15:30
Grading comment
Many thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +6a superior being/ a force which controls everything
Thayenga
5important people who have authority over others
Ahmad Kabiri
3 +1the Powers to Be
Stephanie Ezrol


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
important people who have authority over others


Explanation:
Those who are in power.

Ahmad Kabiri
Iran
Local time: 17:00
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in Persian (Farsi)Persian (Farsi)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Jack Doughty: This is the usual meaning, but here I think a higher power, God, or the gods, is being invoked/
2 mins
neutral  Ketty Federico: I agree with Jack
3 mins
agree  Judith Hehir: I also agree with Jack, the clue being the preposition "by"
48 mins
disagree  Polangmar: Games/Video Games/Gaming/Casino, not Government/Politics
3 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
a superior being/ a force which controls everything


Explanation:
Such as a master (Masters of the Universe) or a deity/god or demon

Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 15:30
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Many thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
1 min
  -> Thank you, Tina. :)
agree  Oliver Simões: It makes sense.
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Oliver. :)
agree  Arabic & More
4 hrs
  -> Thank you, Amel. :)
agree  Kay Barbara
17 hrs
  -> Thank you, Kay. :)
agree  Thuy-PTT (X)
1 day 17 hrs
  -> Thank you, Thuy-PTT. :)
agree  Phong Le
1 day 22 hrs
  -> Thank you, again Phong Le. :)
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
the top bosses that exist
the Powers to Be


Explanation:
I think that this is most probably a reference to the use of the common phrase in a popular video game called Afterlife. In that game the Powers to Be are the bosses of an angel and a demon who can help the video game player.

"Afterlife is a god game released by LucasArts in 1996 that places the player in the role of a semi-omnipotent being known as a Demiurge, with the job of creating a functional Heaven and Hell to reward or punish the citizens of the local planet. In order to do so, the player must keep tabs on these citizens' sins and good deeds. Players are accountable for the job that they do, however, because their bosses, The Powers That Be, check in from time to time. The player also has the assistance of two advisors—Aria Goodhalo, an angel, and Jasper Wormsworth, a demon. Aria and Jasper provide warnings when things are going wrong with the afterlife, and offer tips on how to fix the problems"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterlife_(video_game)





Stephanie Ezrol
United States
Local time: 09:30
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Polangmar: The Powers That Be?
1 hr
  -> Yes that be. I thought that my answer was the the top bosses that exist. I'm not sure how the first line got there
agree  Veronika McLaren
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Veronika !
disagree  Kay Barbara: "Powers that be" is a fairly generic phrase so I doubt that it is a referece back to Afterlife.
17 hrs
  -> Do you mean that is is a common phrase in general, or common in video games?
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