h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

English speakers are of course aware of the phrase, regarding evolution. However the danish language has no decent word similar to "fittest", so the phrase instead ends up as "Survival of the Strongest". I think that in turn gives people with a casual knowledge of evolution, the impression that it's about being the biggest bully on the block. Rather than adaptability and cooperation being important.
I was wondering how that phrase is in other languages, if you have similar problems.

French apparently has "la survie du plus apte", survival of the most able/fittest, but I've never heard it used at all.
The phrase that's used more often in everyday life (as opposed to, say, scientific gatherings) is indeed "la survie du plus fort", survival of the strongest.
Then again, I'd say "sélection naturelle" instead (natural selection, in case you couldn't guess that one ).

Spanish: la ley del más fuerte. literally it means the law of the strongest. However that expression is found in everyday life with that meaning of the biggest bully.

adaptación al medio, adaptación para sobrevivir, selección natural... are the terms used in the science field.

sadly, that idea of "social Darwinism" is deeply rooted in the ideology of many politicians.

Poor Darwin, still misunderstood.

I've never encountered the concept in German, nor can I find a suitable succinct translation anywhere for the moment. Looks like I'm not one of the fittest and need weeding out.

If tailors had a language, would they say "Survival of the best fit?"

Can you get the book 'Tailoring For Dummies'?

Just wondered.

How about "Sewing for dummies" or "Reconstructing Clothes For Dummies?" There's also "Tailoring the easy way" and similar titles.

"Survival of the fittest". perhaps should be "Survival of the most "able" to make it clear, perhaps the fittest simply covers a multitude of things and means, the cleverest, and most dexterous, social, adept and having the opportunity to become the most numerous species of its kind on the planet.

That and a big slice of luck

"Survival of the best adapted." ?

My stereo system is the same way when I find the best adapter cord.

By the way, I asked my husband (a well-educated German ex-teacher) and he didn't know either. Mind you, he wasn't a biology teacher, but we're talking something here that (at least in the anglophone world) everyone is aware of.

Due to luck or social forces, many fit people do not survive, at least not well. Also, I would argue that survival is not necessarily proof of fitness, though it will seem like a good thing if you happen to be the organism that has survived.