English: a brick short of a loadSpanish translation: le falta un tornillo (Argentina, España, Cuba); le faltan cinco minutos de horno (o de cocción) (Argentina); le falta un jugador 
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| GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW) | | English term or phrase: | a brick short of a load | | Spanish translation: | le falta un tornillo (Argentina, España, Cuba); le faltan cinco minutos de horno (o de cocción) (Argentina); le falta un jugador | | Entered by: | Michael Powers (PhD) |
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English to Spanish translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / eat (have) someone for breakfast | | English term or phrase: a brick short of a load | I have decided to compile a somewhat thorough English-Spanish glossary, a long-standing goal I have had for many years but never actually done. In approximately 10% of the cases, I am recurring to you, my colleagues on Proz, to ask you to help me get appropriate translations into Spanish of a number of idioms.
I want to assure everyone that ALL TRANSLATIONS WILL BE SHARED on the open forum we have in Proz. The way I guarantee this is by choosing “one answer” to which I incorporate many of the other answers, and then I click to save the question and answer on the open Proz forum.
Selection criteria: 1) extensive usage throughout the Spanish-speaking world. I am counting on your help, and since usually colleagues simply agree without adding where they know the translated term to be used, I am not able to specify this in the answers. This is not a commercial enterprise, but rather an informal exercise for the benefit of all of us. 2) Many times there are really creative idioms that are used which, although not used necessarily through the Spanish-speaking world, would be readily understood by all. I am particularly happy to include these in the open forum so that we can all enjoy them in our use, whether literally, or perhaps with an adaptation to the degree that each translator deems appropriate for that particular target population.
Please, when you agree with an answer, mention the countries in which you know such idiom to be used, if not already mentioned by another colleague. Since this project is so time-consuming and endless, and since, like you, I have such a heavy load of translations and interpreting jobs to do and cannot spend umpteen million hours on it, I must count on your help. And although simply listing countries because another translator says so is in no way scientific, at least it is an interesting start.
Finally, I know context is everything. Quite often I will give the meaning(s) in which I am interested, and I will attempt to include a sample. Some sources, such as the Random House Dictionary, already have an example, so there is no need for me to do this, since time is of essence.
Thank you for your help.
Of course, this is an informal way of stating that someone is stupid or lacks the full complemelnt of wits.
This is humerous in English and I would like a creative way of being humerous in this sense in Spanish also, while maintaining the overall sense of stupidity.
Example:
With a lot of synonyms here.
SO...
Bush is off his trolly?
One brick short of a load?
Lost in space?
Out to lunch?
Fell out of his tree?
Off his rocker?
One sandwich short of a picnic?
One fry short of a Happy Meal?
Bonkers?
The lights are on but nobdy's home?
Porch light's burned out?
Cheese fell off his cracker a long time ago?
One wave short of a flood?
The lights are on and EVERYBODY's home?
Lost it?
Gone 'round the bend?
Mind like a steel trap....all rusted shut?
Looney-tunes?
Who knew? |
| | | Selected response from:
Chelin
Argentina
| Note from asker to answerermuchísimas gracias
Mike :)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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4 mins confidence:   peer agreement (net): +1 |
| corto de entendederas
Explanation:
o corto de luces.
Por ejemplo, en España
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Note added at 10 mins (2005-12-11 13:22:53 GMT)
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Ser más tont@ que Abundio / que Perico de los palotes :)
| urst
Germany
Works in field
Native speaker of:  German, Spanish
PRO pts in category: 8
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| | Login to enter a peer comment (or grade) |
11 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +3 |
| le falta un tornillo
Explanation:
widely used in Argentina
| Chelin
Argentina
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English, Spanish
PRO pts in category: 40
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| Note from asker to answerermuchísimas gracias
Mike :) |
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The translation workplace 
