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The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2011-09-09 15:54:07 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
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Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Latin American Spanish | | Spanish term or phrase: no le di color | From a love letter written by someone originally from Chile. The whole sentence is:
"Y cuentame los sueños que tienes con migo no le di color"
Any ideas most welcome, thanks |
| Sandy CarpenterKudoZ activityQuestions: 29 (none open) ( 4 closed without grading) Answers: 11
| | Local time: 03:32
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| | don't hold back / don't be shy | Explanation:
I know this looks like a wild guess, but bear with me.
First, I think "di" is a colloquial Chilean verb form corresponding to standard "des": an imperative. I have looked at examples of "no le di color" in sites (especially Fotolog, a social network) in Chile and neighbouring countries, and in a number of cases the context makes it clear that this is the meaning, though I have not found confirmation in grammatical authorities.
People in Fotolog often ask each other to add their photos to their "Favourites", abbreviated to F/F. Here's an example (be warned that there's a rather naughty photo here which may offend some people):
"AGREGA A TUS EFESSITOS PO :$$ NO LE DES COLOR
BB QUE TE CUESTA AGREGAR A TUS AMIGOS/FAVORITOS:$$"
Lower down we find:
"AGREGAME A TUS FF PORFAVOR NO LE DI COLOR PO :$ VISTE QE NI ME TENI88 :$ AVISAMEPO"
http://www.fotolog.com.br/ezze_poke_leoooh/59171163
Here's another:
"AGREGAA A EFEE'S Y NO LE DI COLOR !!"
Which meets with the response:
"LINDA FOTO OLLE TE AGREGE A FF PO PARA QUE AGAS LO MISMO PO ESPERO QUE NO LE DES COLOR COMO TODOS ASI NO TE SAKO :Z"
http://www.fotolog.com.br/diegonomastedigo/53256525
It seems clear to me that they are saying the same thing. Here's a different example, from the lyrics of a pop song about smoking marihuana:
"Mis pulmones son suicidas sienpre acaban sin oxigeno
estan en orvitan ablan idiomas alienigenos
que deci que no, saca el papel y encendedor
no le di color asla corta y prendelo"
http://deletras.cl/music/Mic-Aberracion/_/Prendelo-Mic-Aberr...
What of "darle color"? Fiona's reference, suggesting it can mean "exaggerate", "blow things out of proportion", is confirmed by other sources. Here's an example of its use with a similar meaning: something like "don't worry about it":
"Que tanta diferencia fue un 2 - 1 no le des color."
http://m.redgol.cl/2011/2/manchester-united-sigue-como-lider...
But the examples quoted above, both about adding someone's photo to your favourites and about rolling a joint (and I've seen some other examples on sex sites that are a bit too naughty to quote) strongly suggest that "no le des/di color" can mean "don't hold back" or "don't be shy", which could be seen as an extension of "don't exaggerate the difficulty", via "don't be deterred". |
| Selected response from:
 Charles Davis
Local time: 04:32
| Grading comment Thanks again. I also thought that it might be an imperative but I couldn't find any examples to back this up. But "don't hold back" or "don't be shy" definitely fits the context here. Terrific research :-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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| Discussion entries: 0 |
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Automatic update in 00:
|
16 mins confidence:  
2 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +1 don't hold back / don't be shy
Explanation:
I know this looks like a wild guess, but bear with me.
First, I think "di" is a colloquial Chilean verb form corresponding to standard "des": an imperative. I have looked at examples of "no le di color" in sites (especially Fotolog, a social network) in Chile and neighbouring countries, and in a number of cases the context makes it clear that this is the meaning, though I have not found confirmation in grammatical authorities.
People in Fotolog often ask each other to add their photos to their "Favourites", abbreviated to F/F. Here's an example (be warned that there's a rather naughty photo here which may offend some people):
"AGREGA A TUS EFESSITOS PO :$$ NO LE DES COLOR
BB QUE TE CUESTA AGREGAR A TUS AMIGOS/FAVORITOS:$$"
Lower down we find:
"AGREGAME A TUS FF PORFAVOR NO LE DI COLOR PO :$ VISTE QE NI ME TENI88 :$ AVISAMEPO"
http://www.fotolog.com.br/ezze_poke_leoooh/59171163
Here's another:
"AGREGAA A EFEE'S Y NO LE DI COLOR !!"
Which meets with the response:
"LINDA FOTO OLLE TE AGREGE A FF PO PARA QUE AGAS LO MISMO PO ESPERO QUE NO LE DES COLOR COMO TODOS ASI NO TE SAKO :Z"
http://www.fotolog.com.br/diegonomastedigo/53256525
It seems clear to me that they are saying the same thing. Here's a different example, from the lyrics of a pop song about smoking marihuana:
"Mis pulmones son suicidas sienpre acaban sin oxigeno
estan en orvitan ablan idiomas alienigenos
que deci que no, saca el papel y encendedor
no le di color asla corta y prendelo"
http://deletras.cl/music/Mic-Aberracion/_/Prendelo-Mic-Aberr...
What of "darle color"? Fiona's reference, suggesting it can mean "exaggerate", "blow things out of proportion", is confirmed by other sources. Here's an example of its use with a similar meaning: something like "don't worry about it":
"Que tanta diferencia fue un 2 - 1 no le des color."
http://m.redgol.cl/2011/2/manchester-united-sigue-como-lider...
But the examples quoted above, both about adding someone's photo to your favourites and about rolling a joint (and I've seen some other examples on sex sites that are a bit too naughty to quote) strongly suggest that "no le des/di color" can mean "don't hold back" or "don't be shy", which could be seen as an extension of "don't exaggerate the difficulty", via "don't be deterred".
| Charles Davis
Local time: 04:32
Works in field
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 7
|
| | Grading comment | Thanks again. I also thought that it might be an imperative but I couldn't find any examples to back this up. But "don't hold back" or "don't be shy" definitely fits the context here. Terrific research :-) |
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