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hay demasiada gente para un solo pastel

English translation: too many people want a slice of the cake

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Spanish term or phrase:	hay demasiada gente para un solo pastel
English translation:	too many people want a slice of the cake
Entered by:	Simon Bruni

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11:14 Sep 28, 2011

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

Spanish term or phrase: hay demasiada gente para un solo pastel

Hello. This is from a magazine interview with a famous Spanish actress. She is referring to there being too many actors and not enough work to go round.

"Pienso que hay demasiada gente para un solo pastel."

Going into UK English.

Thanks for your help
Simon

Simon Bruni KudoZ activity Questions: 575 (3 open) (10 without valid answers) (18 closed without grading) Answers: 1177 United Kingdom
Local time: 03:33

too many people want a piece of the pie

Explanation:
maybe something like this

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2011-09-28 11:17:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The Great Retirement Experiment -- Apple Pie, Economic Growth ...
the-great-retirement-experiment.com/Products/Apple%20Pie.htmCached
The problem is, so do a lot of other people. ***How big of piece can you eat? That depends on three things: how big the pie is, how many people want a piece, and ...**

Dubai - A Piece of The Pie
www.davestravelcorner.com/journals/publish/article_315.shtm... -
25 Feb 2011 – ... **people from many countries who live here want a piece of the pie**. ... The desert is too hot during certain times of the year and besides the ski ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2011-09-28 11:31:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or "A SLICE OF THE CAKE"

Selected response from:

Lisa McCarthy
Spain
Local time: 04:33

Grading comment

Thanks everyone, some nice answers but I think Lisa's really hit the mark. I went for 'slice of the cake'
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +17

too many people want a piece of the pie

Lisa McCarthy

3 +1

too many hands in the cookie jar

Matthew Maddox

everybody want a piece of the action

Dr Neil Ashby

there are a lot of actors chasing few roles / there are not enough parts to go round

Deborah Lockett

There seems to be a gross imbalance between supply and demand.

Robert Forstag

Answers

7 mins confidence:

there are a lot of actors chasing few roles / there are not enough parts to go round

Explanation:
kind regards!

Deborah Lockett
Local time: 03:33
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 83

9 mins confidence:

Hay demasiada gente para un solo pastel. There seems to be a gross imbalance between supply and demand.

Explanation:
A less literal option that expresses the same idea.

Suerte.

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 22:33
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 80

1 min confidence:

peer agreement (net): +17

too many people want a piece of the pie

Lisa McCarthy
Spain
Local time: 04:33
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 44

Grading comment

Thanks everyone, some nice answers but I think Lisa's really hit the mark. I went for 'slice of the cake'

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

MedTrans&More: or depending on the wording "....not enough ......... to go around"

3 mins

-> Thanks!

agree

peter jackson: Sounds good.

12 mins

-> Thanks, Peter :)

agree

Carol Gullidge: retains the register and imagery of the ST

13 mins

-> Thanks, Carol :)

agree

polyglot45: slice of the cake

24 mins

agree

James A. Walsh

27 mins

agree

Gilla Evans: yes or "everyone wants a piece of the pie but there's not enough to go round" (probably a bit too longwinded)

33 mins

-> Thanks, Gilla, your suggestion makes perfect sense :)

agree

Jenni Lukac

39 mins

-> Thanks, Jenni :)

agree

Charles Davis: Yes: to my ear, "slice of the cake" is a bit more British and "piece of the pie" is a bit more American.

57 mins

-> Thanks, Charles - yes, 'American Pie' :)

agree

Ma.Elena Carrión de Medina

1 hr

-> Thanks, Elena :)

agree

rich.

2 hrs

-> Thanks, Rich :)

agree

Noni Gilbert: With Charles

2 hrs

agree

Adele Marie

2 hrs

-> Thanks, Adele :)

agree

Silvina P.

2 hrs

-> Thanks, Silvina :)

agree

Shilo Zapata: With MedTrans&More: "...not enough pie to go around"

3 hrs

-> Thanks, Shilo :)

agree

franglish

6 hrs

-> Thanks, Franglish :)

agree

anademahomar: Yup, not enough pie to go around

7 hrs

-> Thanks, Anna - shame, I loooove pie :)

agree

Kim Hewitt

1 day2 hrs

-> Thanks, Kim :)

29 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

too many hands in the cookie jar

Explanation:
seems appropriate

Matthew Maddox
Japan
Local time: 11:33
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish

5 hrs confidence:

everybody want a piece of the action

Explanation:
another suggestion, keeping the film theme.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2011-09-28 16:51:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

oops!! "everybody wants a piece of the action"

Dr Neil Ashby
Spain
Local time: 04:33
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English

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hay demasiada gente para un solo pastel

English translation: too many people want a slice of the cake

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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.

hay demasiada gente para un solo pastel

English translation: too many people want a slice of the cake

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

Answers

Sign in to your ProZ.com account...

Or create a new account

ProZ.com ideas

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.

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