Set words, statements or phrases with meanings other than the literal sum of their parts.
6
votes
4answers
118 views
Is there a translation for “He thumbed his nose at them”?
In English if you "thumb your nose at someone" you are ignoring their authority..
Is there an expression in Spanish that conveys that same sort of disrespect?
Edit: adding example.
Many ...
0
votes
2answers
422 views
Translating “Me la paso pensándote”
In Wisin y Yandel's "Estoy Enamorado," the chorus contains the following line:
Me la paso pensándote, nunca voy a soltarte
What does "Me la paso pensándote" mean? Is "me" a reflexive or indirect ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
Translation of “ni modo”
The phrase ni modo is used in many varieties of Spanish to mean many different things. What are its possible meanings? Which meaning is most common (i.e. which meaning would you assume if ni modo was ...
1
vote
2answers
84 views
Translation of “to play favorites”
What is the best Spanish translation of the English idiom "to play favorites" (as in favoring individuals in a group instead of treating everyone equally)?
4
votes
2answers
320 views
Translation of “to talk behind someone's back”
What is the typical Spanish translation of the English idiom "to talk behind someone's back" (as in saying something bad about another person to others instead of to them directly)?
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Translating “paying one's (final) respects”
In English, if someone visits a grave or goes to a funeral of someone who has died, we can say he is going "to pay his respects" or "to pay his last respects." While it's hard to explain what this ...
7
votes
3answers
314 views
Idiomatic translation of “Dame tu luz”?
In the song Pequeño Amor by the Chiquitas, there is the following chorus:
Pequeño amor,
por siempre tú
pequeño amor,
dame tu luz
The song is a duet, and the above is sung by members of the ...
4
votes
3answers
234 views
How can I translate the expression “sour grapes” to Spanish?
From the Oxford dictionary:
sour grapes
used to refer to an attitude in which someone adopts a negative attitude to something because they cannot have it themselves:
government officials ...
5
votes
1answer
206 views
Origin of the phrase “la quinta …” to denote an undesirable or faraway place
The Colombian phrase la quinta porra denotes an undesirable or faraway place. For example,
¡Váyase a la quinta porra!
conveys the same meaning as
Go to hell!
The earliest use I could find ...
6
votes
2answers
219 views
Origin and use of “echar de menos”
I've always found peculiar that the phrase echar de menos is synonymous of the verb extrañar. For example:
Te echaré de menos.
is equivalent to:
Te extrañaré.
Based on TV, its use is most ...
4
votes
2answers
171 views
Understanding “desde ya”
I have heard the phrase "desde ya" used to mean "in advance." Literally, it means "since already." How is it understood to mean "in advance," or is it simply an idiom with a nonsense literal meaning? ...
5
votes
1answer
117 views
Usage of “donde la espalda cambia de nombre”
In this answer to this previous question of mine, the answerer used the phrase
Antonio se hirió donde la espalda cambia de nombre.
as an example of a milder version of
Antonio se hirió en ...
8
votes
2answers
439 views
How to translate “make it count”
This evening a friend saw a poster in English that said something like:
If you have only one chance at opportunity, make it count.
She asked me what it meant. She knew enough English to make out ...
5
votes
2answers
251 views
How should we translate “everything but the kitchen sink” or “the whole enchilada”?
There is an idiom that is popular (and old) in English that states "everything but the kitchen sink". This is a phrase that means "everything that could be conceived".
Som examples:
"I realized ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Forma correcta de “nisiquiera”
Al escribir siempre he tenido la duda de cuál es la manera apropiada del término o frase.
¿Es "ni si quiera", "ni siquiera" o todo junto "nisiquiera"?.
When writing I've always worred about which ...
4
votes
1answer
121 views
How to interpret “dar a” or “dar a conocer”?
I only know "dar" in its literal sense of "to give".
And I know "conocer" in its literal sense of "to know" or "to get to know".
But in reading Cien años de soledad I came to this passage:
... y ...
7
votes
4answers
109 views
How to translate “open source” and “free software” and keep the distinction?
In English, when describing software you say "open source" to refer to software that's source code has been made available under a license.
"Free software" refers to 'truly free' software that can be ...
