- Thread starter Matilda
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The Spanish equivalent of English sayings
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How do I say I am as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof???
I tried como un gato arriba de un techo de zinc caliente - and they all laughed at me!!
this is the reverso translation of what you wrote..
cat it(he,she) arrives of a roof of warm zinc
this is the wording they gave for your words...
Soy tan nervioso como un gato sobre una azotea de lata caliente
I tried como un gato arriba de un techo de zinc caliente - and they all laughed at me!!
this is the reverso translation of what you wrote..
cat it(he,she) arrives of a roof of warm zinc
this is the wording they gave for your words...
Soy tan nervioso como un gato sobre una azotea de lata caliente
How do I say I am as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof???
I tried como un gato arriba de un techo de zinc caliente - and they all laughed at me!!
this is the reverso translation of what you wrote..
cat it(he,she) arrives of a roof of warm zinc
this is the wording they gave for your words...
Soy tan nervioso como un gato sobre una azotea de lata caliente
remind me never to use on line translation things!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My personal favorite: mucha espuma, poco chocolate. We have various ways of saying this in English, but all boil down to the idea of all show, little substance. As you might imagine, the phrase can be used often in the DR, especially with regards to politicians...
Not sure it's exclusively Dominican, but I have been asked by locals in a couple of other Latin American nations where I picked up that phrase, they'd like to use it....
Not sure it's exclusively Dominican, but I have been asked by locals in a couple of other Latin American nations where I picked up that phrase, they'd like to use it....
"quisiera ser cartera para ir siempre en tu ombro"
"pensaba que las estrella salian de noche"
No idea about these
"pensaba que las estrella salian de noche"
No idea about these
From Bad to Worse
For "When the cat is away the mice will play" I like to use "Cuando el gato esta de vacaciones bailan los ratones"
Doubt that this is strictly Dominican, but when things go from bad to worse I've always heard "La cosa se fue de Guatemala a Guatapeor"Different strokes for different folks I guess.
The meaning I know the expression to have and commonly used is:
'las cosas empeoran' or 'van de mal en peor' (which is what I meant by going downhill)
I have never heard the expression used any other way.
Your interpretation can also be another meaning, I have just never it used in that context.
I would use a different expression in Spanish for the scenario you described.
-MP.
For "When the cat is away the mice will play" I like to use "Cuando el gato esta de vacaciones bailan los ratones"
Responding-
The equivalent saying in Spanish is:
? 'estar sobre ascuas'. If you look up the meaning of 'ascuas' you will see it makes sense. (I used a good resource (dictionary) to get the equivalent.
The problem I had first was I had to look up the English meaning to understand what it meant simply because it's not one that I use or hear very often ('in my neck of the woods'- an idiom)
? It's definitely not exclusively Dominican. De Guatemala a Guatepeor is a common saying in Spanish in general. The equivalent and maybe a bit more regional or used by Spaniards is Salir de M?laga y meterse en Malag?n.
? Another equivalent general expression to mean the same is Del sart?n al fuego which means 'To go from the frying pan into the fire'.
? In summary: all convey the idea 'to go from bad to worse'.
-MP.
The equivalent saying in Spanish is:
? 'estar sobre ascuas'. If you look up the meaning of 'ascuas' you will see it makes sense. (I used a good resource (dictionary) to get the equivalent.
The problem I had first was I had to look up the English meaning to understand what it meant simply because it's not one that I use or hear very often ('in my neck of the woods'- an idiom)
? It's definitely not exclusively Dominican. De Guatemala a Guatepeor is a common saying in Spanish in general. The equivalent and maybe a bit more regional or used by Spaniards is Salir de M?laga y meterse en Malag?n.
? Another equivalent general expression to mean the same is Del sart?n al fuego which means 'To go from the frying pan into the fire'.
? In summary: all convey the idea 'to go from bad to worse'.
-MP.
That's just wrong...but funny.
That reminds me of the French expression:
Honor? de Balzac - no hitting below the belt.
I have a friend who lives in Albacete in Spain. He describes the city as "Albacete, cagar y vete".
There's an interesting variation that I once heard from Balaguer; "Resolver un tollo con un disparate".
I know this is an old thread but a few years ago my husband found a book of these phrases, along with their explanation (all in Spanish) in Santo Domingo.
We no longer have the book but would love to get another one. I have asked in a few book shops in Puerto Plata but had no luck. Does anyone know where I might find one - without travelling back down to Santo Domingo!!
Thanks,
Nikki
We no longer have the book but would love to get another one. I have asked in a few book shops in Puerto Plata but had no luck. Does anyone know where I might find one - without travelling back down to Santo Domingo!!
Thanks,
Nikki
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