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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

Serruchar el piso

Spanish translation: pull the rug (out) from under

13:05 Nov 1, 2004
English to Spanish translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
English term or phrase: Serruchar el piso
In Argentina this means to try to do what it takes to make someone look so bad that they may lose their job (and you get it).
Is there something similar in American English?
Spanish translation:pull the rug (out) from under
Explanation:
diom: pull the rug (out) from under someone
To leave them without defence, support, etc, especially as a result of some sudden discovery, action or argument.
http://www.allwords.com/word-pull the rug (out) from under s...

pull the rug (out) from under Informal
To remove all support and assistance from, usually suddenly.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pull out all the st...
Selected response from:

colemh
Local time: 10:57
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2pull the rug (out) from under
colemh
4undermine someone's position/efforts
sonia_martinez
4to undermine somebody's position
blackwidow


  

Answers


28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
serruchar el piso
pull the rug (out) from under


Explanation:
diom: pull the rug (out) from under someone
To leave them without defence, support, etc, especially as a result of some sudden discovery, action or argument.
http://www.allwords.com/word-pull the rug (out) from under s...

pull the rug (out) from under Informal
To remove all support and assistance from, usually suddenly.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pull out all the st...


    Reference: http://m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=pull
colemh
Local time: 10:57
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Pablo Roufogalis (X): That's it.!
1 hr
  -> muy agradecida, 8-)
disagree  Roxana Cortijo: "serruchar el piso" no es simplemente quitar apoyo/asistencia, sino actuar en contra de alguien para desprestigiarlo
2 hrs
agree  claudia16 (X)
3 hrs
  -> muchas gracias Cloudy
agree  Martin Harvey: I agree with Roxana C, but I cannot seem to come across anything more to the point than pull the rug out from sb. By the way, we've all seen the cartoons when one character literally saws a circle on the floor around the other ....
8 hrs
  -> muchas gracias, Harvey63
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
serruchar el piso
undermine someone's position/efforts


Explanation:
to undermine someone's position/efforts
to stab someone on the back

suerte,
sonia

sonia_martinez
Local time: 17:57
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in CatalanCatalan
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1 day 22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
serruchar el piso
to undermine somebody's position


Explanation:
To undermine the position of sb.
To undermine one's position
To backstab

blackwidow
Local time: 17:57
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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