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non facciamo la figura dei polli

English translation: make fowls of ourselves / make a cat laugh


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12:56 Mar 9, 2009
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Slang
Italian term or phrase: non facciamo la figura dei polli
è un gioco di parole perchè nel testo si parla proprio di un allevamento di polli. come potrei tradurlo?
grazie mille in anticipo!
Marika Costantini
Italy
Local time: 05:54
English translation:make fowls of ourselves / make a cat laugh
Explanation:
due ipotesi

nel primo caso giochi sulla pronuncia di fool-fowl

nel secondo, se il contesto più ampio te lo permette, dici qualcosa come "alleviamo polli, cerchiamo di non far ridere i gatti" (visto che in inglese per dire "far ridere i polli" si usano i gatti)

io le trovo entrambe divertenti, ma come sai non sono madrelingua

nb non coniugo i verbi perché non è chiara la coniugazione in italiano (è esortativo o cosa?)

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Note added at 25 mins (2009-03-09 13:21:47 GMT)
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o anche "facciamo ridere i polli, mica i gatti!"
Selected response from:

luskie
Local time: 05:54
Grading comment
grazie mille luskie. e grazie mille anche a tom e a oliver. preferisco questa proposta, nonostante tutte e tre fossero perfette, perchè volevo in qualche modo mantenere la parola "pollo" e questo mi sembra un modo molto carino e spiritoso per dirlo, anche perchè l'articolo è abbastanza serio (nonostante il titolo..): parla di influenza aviaria, della crisi del settore.. quindi la proposta di oliver, per quanto molto originale, mi sembra un po' troppo colloquiale nel contesto. grazie ancora a tutti quelli che sono intervenuti e buona giornata!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +11we don't want to get egg on our faces
Oliver Lawrence
4 +2let's try not to make fools of ourselves
Tom in London
3 +1make fowls of ourselves / make a cat laugh
luskie
4We don't want to act like turkeysSilvestro De Falco


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
let's try not to make fools of ourselves


Explanation:
I don't think there's any way to translate the Italian meaning of "pollo" into anything in English that involves poultry. So I wouldn't bother. I'd "lose it in translation".

Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Susanna Garcia
14 mins

agree  forli: We used to have the ghost of a chicken in our house. apparently it was a poulrty geist!
1 hr
  -> < groan >
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
make fowls of ourselves / make a cat laugh


Explanation:
due ipotesi

nel primo caso giochi sulla pronuncia di fool-fowl

nel secondo, se il contesto più ampio te lo permette, dici qualcosa come "alleviamo polli, cerchiamo di non far ridere i gatti" (visto che in inglese per dire "far ridere i polli" si usano i gatti)

io le trovo entrambe divertenti, ma come sai non sono madrelingua

nb non coniugo i verbi perché non è chiara la coniugazione in italiano (è esortativo o cosa?)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2009-03-09 13:21:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

o anche "facciamo ridere i polli, mica i gatti!"

luskie
Local time: 05:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
grazie mille luskie. e grazie mille anche a tom e a oliver. preferisco questa proposta, nonostante tutte e tre fossero perfette, perchè volevo in qualche modo mantenere la parola "pollo" e questo mi sembra un modo molto carino e spiritoso per dirlo, anche perchè l'articolo è abbastanza serio (nonostante il titolo..): parla di influenza aviaria, della crisi del settore.. quindi la proposta di oliver, per quanto molto originale, mi sembra un po' troppo colloquiale nel contesto. grazie ancora a tutti quelli che sono intervenuti e buona giornata!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kate Chaffer: love the idea of fowl but fowls isn't the plural - maybe make a fowl of ourselves
2 mins
  -> yes, and with a single fowl I like it even more - thank you!

disagree  Peter Cox: not an English expression!
1 hr
  -> which one of the two? the 1st one was not meant to be!

agree  carly: "make a fowl of ourselves" is brilliant! Nice one!
1 hr
  -> thank you so much, carly!
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
We don't want to act like turkeys


Explanation:
Or we don't want to be turkeys.
Turkey is the equivalent of pollo.

Silvestro De Falco
Local time: 05:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +11
we don't want to get egg on our faces


Explanation:
pardon the pun :o)

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Note added at 31 mins (2009-03-09 13:27:52 GMT)
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Don't agree with voting this non-pro, it's not the meaning that's at issue, it's how to do it with a play on words and a smile

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Note added at 3 hrs (2009-03-09 16:10:53 GMT)
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P.S. please disregard my earlier note above about non-Pro, must've got a crossed wire in the old brain there.

Oliver Lawrence
Italy
Local time: 05:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 32

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  wordgirl: ha ha ha - Nice one! And yes, I will pardon the pun, this time! :)
6 mins
  -> phew, got away with it then!

agree  Barbara Toffolon: I like this one...I can see it work well in the context...stay away from "polli" and at the same time remain in theme....Bravo Oliver
7 mins
  -> grazie Barbara

agree  Kate Chaffer: I like this one too. By the way, the asker rated the question non-pro and it's actually been voted pro for the reasons you mentioned.
24 mins
  -> Ok thanks, must've got the wrong end of the stick there :o)

agree  Silvia Nigretto: I like it too!
51 mins
  -> :o)

agree  Panagiotis Andrias: astuto...
1 hr

agree  Peter Cox
1 hr

agree  carly: great suggestion.
1 hr

agree  cfraser
1 hr

agree  potra: Good one
2 hrs

agree  Umberto Cassano
2 hrs

agree  claire restivo: Like it:)
6 hrs
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Voters for reclassification
as
PRO / non-PRO
PRO (3): Rossella Tramontano, luskie, Kate Chaffer


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Changes made by editors
Mar 9, 2009 - Changes made by Kate Chaffer:
LevelNon-PRO => PRO


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