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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

"qué te importa, cara de torta, nariz larga, nariz corta ?"

English translation: That´s for me to know and for you to find out.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:"qué te importa, cara de torta, nariz larga, nariz corta ?"
English translation:That´s for me to know and for you to find out.
Entered by: Miguel Falquez-Certain

14:55 May 18, 2005
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Spanish term or phrase: "qué te importa, cara de torta, nariz larga, nariz corta ?"
Hola a todos! A alguien se le ocurre un equivalente en inglés para esto, o sea basically, a nice and humorous way of telling somebody he's asking too many questions. I know "curiosity killed the cat", but I was thinking there might be something else or a humorous way to evade questions. Gracias!!!
Desdemona
Local time: 23:21
That´s for me to know and for you to find out.
Explanation:
A lo mejor le sirve.
Selected response from:

Miguel Falquez-Certain
United States
Local time: 22:21
Grading comment
This is just what I need for the context. THANKS, everybody. I really liked Sheilann's too.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4That´s for me to know and for you to find out.
Miguel Falquez-Certain
5"Non-ya"
Patricia Parten
4 +1Are you writing a book?
tazdog (X)
5Well, look who's a Nosey Parker!!
María Teresa Taylor Oliver
5Mind your own bizwax!
Patricia Parten
4keep your nose out of my business
MSuderman
4mind your own beeswax
Christina Courtright
3Mind you own business
Sheilann
3Hello Snoopy!
Roberto Hall


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
qué te importa, cara de torta, nariz larga, nariz corta ?"
"Non-ya"


Explanation:
Well... not as colorful, LOL, but nonetheless, conveys the same sentiments and informal lingo.

Patricia

Patricia Parten
United States
Local time: 21:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Are you writing a book?


Explanation:
I've never heard the expression, but based on your description, maybe this will work. (In case you're wondering, the proper response to an affirmative answer is: "Then leave that chapter out.") :-)

tazdog (X)
Spain
Local time: 04:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 59

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  roneill: I love it!
6 mins
  -> thanks...can't take the credit for inventing it, but I've said it many a time ;-)
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
"qué te importa, cara de torta, nariz larga, nariz corta ?"
That´s for me to know and for you to find out.


Explanation:
A lo mejor le sirve.

Miguel Falquez-Certain
United States
Local time: 22:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 6
Grading comment
This is just what I need for the context. THANKS, everybody. I really liked Sheilann's too.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  hirselina: That's it!
5 mins
  ->  Thank you.
agree  MSuderman: now THAT'S what I used to say when I was ten :=)
6 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  sonja29 (X)
1 hr
  -> Thank you.
agree  Egmont
16 hrs
  -> Thank you
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
keep your nose out of my business


Explanation:
not as silly as the original, but it talks about noses
also:
what's it to ya?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2005-05-18 15:03:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Just an aside: the version of this phrase that I always hear kids saying is \"qué te importa, come torta con tu hermana la gordota.\"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 mins (2005-05-18 15:17:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To BAmary and asker: this is the Mexican version.

MSuderman
Local time: 19:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Qué te importa ...
Mind you own business


Explanation:
When I was a schoolkid, we used to say:

Mind you own business
And I'll mind mine.
Kiss our own boyfriend
And I'll kiss mine.

Sheilann
Spain
Local time: 04:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 39
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Hello Snoopy!


Explanation:
..just an idea

Roberto Hall
Local time: 23:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 15
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
qué te importa, cara de torta...
mind your own beeswax


Explanation:
another colloquialism

Christina Courtright
United States
Local time: 22:21
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 19
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
qué te importa
Well, look who's a Nosey Parker!!


Explanation:


O también: "You're a Nosey Parker, aren't you?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 32 mins (2005-05-18 16:28:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Main Entry: nosey par·ker Pronunciation Guide
Pronunciation: -pärkr
Function: noun
Usage: often capitalized P
Etymology: probably from a name Nosey Parker, from nosy (used as a nickname) + Parker (the surname)
: a meddlesome prying busybody



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 33 mins (2005-05-18 16:29:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

También se escribe \"Nosy\" sin la E.

http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19990420

Nosy Parker


Frances Thronson wrote:
Haven\'t been able to find the derivation of the phrase \"nosy parker.\" Any ideas?
The expression Nosy Parker is usually spelled that way, with capitals, although it is often spelled with the first word as Nosey, and the lowercase nos(e)y parker is a not infrequent variant. This chiefly British phrase is used to refer to an overly inquisitive person, a prying busybody.

Nosy Parker is an elaboration of the earlier nosy \'unduly curious about the affairs of others; prying; meddlesome\'. This nosy is itself a spinoff of various earlier phrases in which the nose, standing for one\'s self, suggests an interest in another person\'s private business. Samuel Johnson, in his great Dictionary of 1755, for example, defined \"To thrust one\'s Nose into the affairs of others\" as \"to be meddling with other people\'s matters, to be a busy body.\" In slang nose also referred to a paid police informer.

Nosy Parker elaborates nosy by personifying it, based on the common British family name Parker (which, before someone asks, is an occupation name for a person who works as a gamekeeper in a park). This sort of personification is common; examples based on other name elements are Joe Cool or Mr. Congeniality.

The stick (one\'s) nose into (something) expressions are first found in the early seventeenth century. Nosy dates from the late nineteenth, and Nosy Parker is from the first decade of the twentieth century.

Nosy Parker is sometimes said to refer to Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury in the sixteenth century, who was noted for his busybodiness, but the dates make this suggestion quite unlikely. The phrase is also attributed to a person or persons who snooped on canoodling couples in London\'s Hyde Park, which is a far more reasonable theory.




María Teresa Taylor Oliver
Panama
Local time: 21:21
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 36
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
"qué te importa, cara de torta, nariz larga, nariz corta ?"
Mind your own bizwax!


Explanation:
uh- uhhh!! I just thought of another one. I know I'm late, but what the heck! LOL

Patricia

Patricia Parten
United States
Local time: 21:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8
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