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cook you as cutlets

English translation: roast you on a spit like a quail

13:32 Jun 21, 2005
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / children's literature
English term or phrase: cook you as cutlets
“Who are you?” shouted the cook. “Who taught you to steal? Speak right away, or I’m going to cook you as cutlets or roast you on a spit like quail!”


Dear native English speakers!
I'm not really sure if the phrase sounds fine. Please give your suggestions.

The context:
The cook has caught a young thief in his kitchen.

This is my translation from Russian.
Thank you.
Andrew Vdovin
Local time: 05:40
Selected answer:roast you on a spit like a quail
Explanation:
This is more threatening and obliquely humourous too, than the other one, cook you like a cutlet, which sounds a cute expression, but is not threatening enough. My vote for "roast you...".

“Who are you?” shouted the cook. “Who taught you to steal? Speak right away, or I’ll roast you on a spit like a quail!”

Please note the changes:
1. I'll roast in place of I am going to roast (the former is more threatening)
2. like A quail [a added]

I assume that in the final version you will be keeping only one of the threats. Keeping both would weaken the effect.
Selected response from:

Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 04:10
Grading comment
Thank you for your help! Thanks everybody!!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +6roast you on a spit like a quail
Balasubramaniam L.
4 +3I'll make mincemeat out of you
Cilian O'Tuama
4 +3cook you like cutlets
Robert Donahue (X)
3 +2Speak right away, or I'll...
KathyT
4 +1speak up at once/answer me now or I'll fry you like a chop
CMJ_Trans (X)
4 +1or I'll pluck your feathers and roast you on a spit
Nick Lingris
4weird in use, but clearly understandable
Andrey Belousov (X)
2fry you in a pan
Norbert Hermann


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
fry you in a pan


Explanation:
or roast you on a spit ...

Norbert Hermann
Local time: 23:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
weird in use, but clearly understandable


Explanation:
!

Andrey Belousov (X)
United States
Local time: 18:40
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 8
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Speak right away, or I'll...


Explanation:
I would just say "or I'll" instead of "I'm going to"...

I think "cook you as cutlets" has a cute ring to it, but I would perhaps omit 'like quail', ie.

Speak right away, or I'll cook you as cutlets or roast you on a spit!

KathyT
Australia
Local time: 08:40
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anabel Martínez: I like this one :)
0 min
  -> Thank you, Anabel :-)
agree  Angela Dickson (X): I like 'I'll'.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Angela.
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
I'll make mincemeat out of you


Explanation:
an idiomatic expression - I reckon it fits

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 00:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  RHELLER
6 mins
agree  Olga Judina
1 hr
agree  jennifer newsome (X)
2 hrs
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
speak up at once/answer me now or I'll fry you like a chop


Explanation:
or...
I like the end of your sentence. It may be unusual in English but that is the whole point



CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 00:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 52

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Angela Dickson (X): I like 'fry'
1 hr
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41 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
roast you on a spit like a quail


Explanation:
This is more threatening and obliquely humourous too, than the other one, cook you like a cutlet, which sounds a cute expression, but is not threatening enough. My vote for "roast you...".

“Who are you?” shouted the cook. “Who taught you to steal? Speak right away, or I’ll roast you on a spit like a quail!”

Please note the changes:
1. I'll roast in place of I am going to roast (the former is more threatening)
2. like A quail [a added]

I assume that in the final version you will be keeping only one of the threats. Keeping both would weaken the effect.

Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 04:10
Native speaker of: Native in HindiHindi
PRO pts in category: 32
Grading comment
Thank you for your help! Thanks everybody!!!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Robert Donahue (X): You make a good point in your last sentence.
26 mins
  -> Thanks.
agree  Melanie Nassar: good idea
1 hr
  -> Thanks.
agree  Refugio: I agree with all of it except adding 'a', which makes the rhythm bumpy. The use of quail, plural, is amusing because it implies that a child would be the equivalent of a goodly number of quail.
1 hr
  -> The reason I had for this in my mind was that the person being threatened is only one person, so one quail!
agree  Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks.
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
4 hrs
  -> Thanks.
agree  Saiwai Translation Services: good answer
11 hrs
  -> Thanks.
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51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
I’m going to cook you as cutlets or roast you on a spit like quail
or I'll pluck your feathers and roast you on a spit


Explanation:
Considerable paraphrasing but I believe it sounds much more English.

Nick Lingris
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:40
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GreekGreek
PRO pts in category: 44

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou: Tons of work waiting fo you and you are still "Prozing"? I won't help you catch the deadlines again!
7 hrs
  -> OK shift breaker.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
cook you like cutlets


Explanation:
“Who are you?” shouted the cook. “Who taught you to steal? Speak up right now, or I’ll cook you like cutlets or roast you on a spit like a quail!”

Bala makes a good point about the extra threat weakening the effect. I offer this version should you decide to keep both.

Robert Donahue (X)
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 44

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Can Altinbay: I like it. Definitely preserve the cutlets. It's unusual and colorful.
7 mins
  -> Thanks Can!
neutral  Refugio: If only one threat is to be kept, 'cook' is a rather weak generic verb. I think 'fry' would be stronger.//but it's also important to preserve rhythmic language, which btw I think Andrew is doing a good job of.
1 hr
  -> And "charbroil" would be even stronger. Thanks Ruth. : )
agree  sarahl (X): or broil you on my BBQ to keep the parallel structure :-)
3 hrs
  -> Thank you Sarah. : )
agree  gtreyger (X): How about: "Rip your arms off and beat you with the bloody stumps", or "I will kill you until you die from it"? :-)))
9 hrs
  -> Haha...that would seem to stray a tad farther than the author's intent. It's certainly stronger than "cook" though. ;-) Thanks Gennadiy!
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