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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

buy the farm

Spanish translation: estirar la pata (Colombia, Panamá, Argentina, República Dominicana); colgar los tenis (México, República Dominicana); firmar par

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:buy the farm
Spanish translation:estirar la pata (Colombia, Panamá, Argentina, República Dominicana); colgar los tenis (México, República Dominicana); firmar par
Entered by: Michael Powers (PhD)

02:34 Dec 13, 2005
English to Spanish translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
English term or phrase: buy the farm
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.

Definition: die. N. American, informal

example:
Non story. Outside of the US and Iraq I can't see who would really care that much. Five soldiers died during wartime. That's unusual? Correct me if I'm wrong but don't soldiers die in war all the time? They knew the risks and bought the farm. Perhaps a better thing for their relatives to ask would be what the heck were they doing there in the first place?
Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 15:06
estirar la pata
Explanation:
Así se usa en Colombia, coloquialmente.
Selected response from:

Esteban Shuk
Local time: 14:06
Grading comment
gracias

Mike :)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2colgar los tenis
Henry Hinds
4 +3estirar la pata
Esteban Shuk
5piraron
Tadzio (X)
4 +1irse al otro barrio/pasar a mejor vida/palmarla
Ana Belen Postigo Pinazo
4 +1irse a la quinta del ñato
MitsukoD
4firmó para los Dodgers (Rep. Dom.)
Marcelo González
4entregar el equipo (México, El Salvador, Venezuela)//petatearse, chupar faros (México)
Oso (X)
4(igual) se lanzaron
Yvonne Becker


  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
colgar los tenis


Explanation:
Se usa en México.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2005-12-13 02:37:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Pasaron a mejor vida", otro.

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 13:06
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 58

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marcelo González: guindar/enganchar los tenis (en la Rep. Dom.) :-)
16 mins
  -> Gracias, Marcelo.
agree  teju: Pasar a mejor vida es universal.
43 mins
  -> Gracias, Teju.
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
estirar la pata


Explanation:
Así se usa en Colombia, coloquialmente.

Esteban Shuk
Local time: 14:06
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
gracias

Mike :)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marcelo González
10 mins
agree  Gabriela Rodriguez: Muy usado en Argentina. Greetings "E"!!!!!!!!!
15 hrs
agree  María Teresa Taylor Oliver: En Panamá también :)
2 days 1 hr
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
firmó para los Dodgers (Rep. Dom.)


Explanation:
En el país de Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martínez y Albert Pujols, quizás no sorprenda mucho que haya una expresión así de chistosa relacionada con el béisbol. :-)

Suerte, Mike!

Marcelo González
United States
Local time: 09:06
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 40
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
piraron


Explanation:
En México: "pirar" = morir. "Se fueron pa'l otro barrio".

Tadzio (X)
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
entregar el equipo (México, El Salvador, Venezuela)//petatearse, chupar faros (México)


Explanation:
Hola Mike,
Otras opciones La primera la he escuchado en México, y según el DRAE se usa también en los países mencionados arriba. Las otras dos se usan ampliamente en México en el lenguaje coloquial.

entregar alguien el equipo
1. fr. coloq. El Salv., Méx. y Ven. morir (llegar al término de la vida).
DRAE©

petatearse.
(De petate, estera).
1. prnl. coloq. El Salv. y Méx. morir (llegar al término de la vida).
DRAE©

Buena suerte y saludos del Oso ¶:^)

Oso (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 136

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Becker: Hola Oso. Jamás había escuchado la expresión que el DRAE dice que se usa en Venezuela
1 day 13 hrs
  -> Hola Yvonne, entonces habrá que mandarle una notita al DRAE ¶;^)
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
irse al otro barrio/pasar a mejor vida/palmarla


Explanation:
Las dos primeras creo que son más generales. La tercera es más coloquial.

Ana Belen Postigo Pinazo
Spain
Local time: 21:06
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gabriela Rodriguez: Me gusta pasar a mejor vida. Saludos!!!!!!
6 hrs
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
irse a la quinta del ñato


Explanation:
Una expresión coloquial muy simpática que suele usarse en la Argentina. (Obviamente, la quinta es el cementerio, y el ñato, los cráneos...)
Aunque no sé si cae muy bien en tu contexto, te la paso igual para tu colección.

MitsukoD
Local time: 16:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gabriela Rodriguez: También muy usado en Argentina. Saludos!!!!!!!
4 hrs
  -> Gracias, Gaby.
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1 day 17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(igual) se lanzaron


Explanation:
Según lo que entiendo, esto no significa que murieron, sino que conocían los riesgos e igual fueron para allá. Se lanzaron quiere decir que fueron osados y corrieron el riesgo

Yvonne Becker
Local time: 15:06
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 8
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