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FICAR NA MÃO

English translation: to be caught off guard

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Portuguese term or phrase:	FICAR NA MÃO
English translation:	to be caught off guard
Entered by:	Clara Duarte

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19:00 Jan 9, 2007

Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Advertising / Public Relations / advertising, catchphrase

Portuguese term or phrase: FICAR NA MÃO

NUNCA FIQUE NA MÃO. Escolha um XXX* e dirija em qualquer terreno.

???????. Choose a XXX* and drive on any surface.

*car make

Meaning, this brand of car is very reliable. I'm not at all sure about the phrase "to be left in the lurch" as I don't think it quite suits this context.

Any ideas?

Thank you all in advance

edupa KudoZ activity Questions: 100 (2 open) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 37
Local time: 00:38

to be caught off guard

Explanation:
"Don't be caught off guard."

You can be caught off-guard by technology, the flu, a car crash, etc.

Another suggestion.

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Note added at 1 dia1 hora (2007-01-10 20:40:18 GMT) Post-grading
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I'm glad I could help :)

Selected response from:

Clara Duarte
Portugal
Local time: 04:38

Grading comment

Thank you all for taking the time! Clara, your suggestion was a perfect fit! Tks heaps!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +3

Be left holding the bag / be left in the lurch

Cybeles Lehner

3 +4

xxx will never let you down

Irina Dicovsky

to be caught off guard

Clara Duarte

to be left to your own devices

Braz

remain static/standing

R-i-c-h-a-r-d

Answers

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

xxx will never let you down

Explanation:
Claro q não é a tradução literal! Just a suggestion...

Irina Dicovsky
Argentina
Local time: 00:38
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese

1 hr confidence:

remain static/standing

Explanation:
The phrase wants to say..

"Don't remain static/standing. Choose the XXX car and drive wherever you want."

Of course, there are other ways to express the feeling of the phrase but this is the right gist.

Cheers,

R-i-c-h-a-r-d
Brazil
Local time: 00:38
Native speaker of:

English

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

Be left holding the bag / be left in the lurch

Explanation:
It means to abandon or desert someone in difficult straits.

Example 1:
Hundreds of students were left in the lurch, as the supply of food to the hostel has been stopped abruptly for the last few days

Example 2:
One of the country's biggest residential property developers was put into provisional liquidation over the weekend leaving more than 500 home-buyers in the lurch in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Example 3:
Don't be left holding the bag !!!

Example 4:
When his partner skipped town, Harry was left holding the bag.

Example sentence(s):

Her friends said they were too busy to help with cleaning up, and left Lucy holding the bag
When they quit without giving notice, Lucy was left holding the bag.

Cybeles Lehner
Brazil
Native speaker of:

Portuguese

14 hrs confidence:

to be left to your own devices

Explanation:
Don't be left to your own devices

Braz
Native speaker of:

Polish

2 hrs confidence:

to be caught off guard

Clara Duarte
Portugal
Local time: 04:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Portuguese
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thank you all for taking the time! Clara, your suggestion was a perfect fit! Tks heaps!

Voters for reclassification
as
PRO / non-PRO

Non-PRO (1): Flavia Martins dos Santos

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FICAR NA MÃO

English translation: to be caught off guard

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FICAR NA MÃO

English translation: to be caught off guard

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