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halar por los pelos

English translation: to pull someone's hair

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01:08 Dec 15, 2011

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / radio transcript from Puerto Rico

Spanish term or phrase: halar por los pelos

This phrase, possibly a colloquialism or slang expression, is used by one of the speakers in a Puerto Rican radio broadcast:

"Hoy por ejemplo est intento esta guerra del ventilador...yo veo la historia en [name of a local newspaper] de XX [a female individual's name] cayéndole a palos al comisionado de seguros, y tratando de **halar por los pelos** a como de lugar al comisionado de seguros de P.R. yo digo, wao, cualquiera que lea ésto se cree pero aquií hay un problema. "

steven fung KudoZ activity Questions: 33 (none open) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 0
Local time: 03:24

English translation:to pull someone's hair

Explanation:
Jalar y halar are the same , it is just a regional variation

Selected response from:

marcelo bajo
United States
Local time: 19:24

Grading comment

Gracias Marcelo!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +4

to pull someone's hair

marcelo bajo

grab/drag by the hair

Lydia De Jorge

take to task

David Hollywood

call on the carpet (or the mat)

Jenni Lukac

to rebuke

marcelo bajo

reprimand, call upon

Dominique Brown

to admonish / to bawl out

eski

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

to pull someone's hair

Explanation:
Jalar y halar are the same , it is just a regional variation

marcelo bajo
United States
Local time: 19:24
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Gracias Marcelo!

1 hr confidence:

reprimand, call upon

Explanation:
You are correct, the phrase "halar los pelos" is colloquial, it is calling upon that particular insurance establishment in P.R. on something specific because they might be providing an unfair or lazy service in the eyes of the individual that is complaining.

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-12-15 02:38:47 GMT)
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Halar por los pelos - in need of hair pulling (as a literal translation)

Example sentence(s):

The insurance establishment should be called upon to improve its service.
The insurance establishment should be reprimanded to improve its service.

Dominique Brown
United States
Local time: 22:24
Native speaker of:

Spanish

1 hr confidence:

to admonish / to bawl out

Explanation:
to admonish / to bawl out

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2011-12-15 02:52:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hey Jane... get me off this crazy thing... called love. Share this ..... You know,
when you come in, and you haul me into your office, and you bawl me out
because you're sick and tired of defending my screwball antics to the
Commissioner? ...

www.imdb.com/title/tt0108174/quotes - Cached - SimilarHut Tax Tokens issued by the British South Africa Company (1903 to ...
At nine o'clock, the Commissioner would blow long blasts on whistle, while the
Sergeant of the messengers marched around bawling out "Toulani Umsindo! ...

www.tokencoins.com/huttax.htm - Cached - SimilarSau - English translation - bab.la German-English dictionary
Results 1 - 7 of 7 ... Where you haul me in your office and bawl me out...... because you're tired of
defending me from the commissioner. gesengte Sau { adj. } [ pej. ] ...

en.bab.la/dictionary/german-english/sau - Cached - SimilarMurders in Wax, July 24, 1938
Weston is bawling out his men for not solving the murder. ... but the commissioner
thinks she was murdered for vengeance against Keegan, who had squealed ...

www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/shadow/radio39.html - Cached - Similar

Saludos
eski :))

eski
Mexico
Local time: 21:24
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 8

2 hrs confidence:

to rebuke

Explanation:
it could be a good option. it is a verb used to express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions.

marcelo bajo
United States
Local time: 19:24
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

4 hrs confidence:

take to task

Explanation:
my suggestion

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2011-12-15 05:44:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

tear a strip off

David Hollywood
Local time: 23:24
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 78

8 hrs confidence:

call on the carpet (or the mat)

Explanation:
Another option, based on the context. It means reprimanding someone and forcing him/her to give a clear account of something.
www.phrases.org.uk › Discussion Forum -
12 Aug 2003 – CALL ON THE CARPET or MAT - "to reprimand, to call to account. ... or to put a bill "on the table" is to take it out of action, out of consideration. ...
call on the carpet - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and ...
idioms.thefreedictionary.com/call+on+the+carpet - Traducir esta página
Definition of call on the carpet in the Idioms Dictionary. call on the carpet phrase. What does ... the carpet. Fig. to reprimand a person. ... call off the dogs · call on ...
reprimand - definition of reprimand by the Free Online Dictionary ...
www.thefreedictionary.com/reprimand - Traducir esta página
chew out To reprimand, scold, or give someone a tongue-lashing. .... on the carpet Summoned before one's superiors for a reprimand; called to account; taken to ...
reprimand (call on the carpet) - Memidex dictionary/thesaurus
www.memidex.com/reprimand call-on-the-carpet -
19 Sep 2011 – "reprimand" (call on the carpet) definition: to censure severely or angrily. Synonyms: bawl out, berate, bring to task, brush down, ...

Jenni Lukac
Local time: 04:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 142

13 hrs confidence:

grab/drag by the hair

Explanation:
see comment above

Lydia De Jorge
United States
Local time: 22:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish,

English
PRO pts in category: 187

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halar por los pelos

English translation: to pull someone's hair

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halar por los pelos

English translation: to pull someone's hair

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KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

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The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.