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a salto de manta

English translation: as they come along

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:a salto de manta
English translation:as they come along
Entered by: Casey Butterfield

17:11 Feb 6, 2005
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / govt meeting
Spanish term or phrase: a salto de manta
"estar cada ejercicio presupuestario resolviendo estas situaciones a salto de manta."

obviously it means something like "at short notice" but I was wondering if anyone knew of the proper corresponding English phrase.

TIA!
Casey Butterfield
United States
as they come along
Explanation:
Firstly, if I'm not mistaken, the Spanish phrase should in fact be "a salto de mata".

The meaning of this expression depends a little on the context. For example, "hacer las cosas a salto de mata" means to do things in a haphazard way, whilst "vivir a salto de mata" is used to mean that someone takes each day (or job, or challenge etc.) as it comes. It could be similar to "at short notice", but there is a subtle difference: the phrase comes from the image of someone running and jumping over each little shrub (mata) that comes in their way.

Best of luck,

Antoine Cassar.




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 39 mins (2005-02-07 17:51:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another option would be to use both meanings of the expression simultaneously. Thus, for example:

\"... haphazardly dealing with each of these situations as they came along\".

Do let us know you\'re decision!

Regards,

Antoine.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 41 mins (2005-02-07 17:53:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry for the little typo hiccup there... I obviously meant to write \"your decision\" (la niebla del lunes...)

Un saludo.
Selected response from:

Antoine Cassar (X)
Local time: 05:23
Grading comment
This fit into the text exactly, Antoine. I used it immediately but wanted to give everyone a chance to answer before grading just in case. Thanks, everyone!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3as they come along
Antoine Cassar (X)
4 +2a salto de mata - haphazardly
tazdog (X)
5in a wink of an eye
Lillian van den Broeck
4Hand to mouth
Martin Harvey
3at random, randomly.
Juan Jacob


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
in a wink of an eye


Explanation:
-

Lillian van den Broeck
Mexico
Local time: 21:23
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jo Mayr: debe ser algo así ;)
7 mins
  -> Gracias Johannes.
disagree  Juan Jacob: No lo creo: andar a salto de mata quiere decir corriendo, de un lado para otro, sin rumbo fijo.
10 mins
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
at random, randomly.


Explanation:
Not at short notice.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 mins (2005-02-06 17:22:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A salto de mata, not manta.

Juan Jacob
Mexico
Local time: 21:23
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
a salto de mata - haphazardly


Explanation:
I think it's mata rather than manta, and this is one possible translation given in Collins.

tazdog (X)
Spain
Local time: 05:23
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Refugio
27 mins
agree  Sheilann: Hi, Cindy!
16 hrs
  -> hi Sheila! :-)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Hand to mouth


Explanation:
"To live from hand to mouth" means to manage to survive, eat, having very little. There is a book by Paul Auster tittled "Hand to mouth" that has been appropriately translated into "A salto de mata" (no manta, que no tiene nada que ver y que probablemente es un error de tipeo.

www.prometeolibros.com/ libros/2/asaltodemata_843396700.asp - 35k


    www.paulauster.co.uk/handtomouth.htm - 6k - Cached - Similar pages
    weeklywire.com/ww/10-27-97/boston_books_3.html - 12k - 4 Feb 2005 - Cached - Similar pages
Martin Harvey
Argentina
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
a salto de mata
as they come along


Explanation:
Firstly, if I'm not mistaken, the Spanish phrase should in fact be "a salto de mata".

The meaning of this expression depends a little on the context. For example, "hacer las cosas a salto de mata" means to do things in a haphazard way, whilst "vivir a salto de mata" is used to mean that someone takes each day (or job, or challenge etc.) as it comes. It could be similar to "at short notice", but there is a subtle difference: the phrase comes from the image of someone running and jumping over each little shrub (mata) that comes in their way.

Best of luck,

Antoine Cassar.




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 39 mins (2005-02-07 17:51:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another option would be to use both meanings of the expression simultaneously. Thus, for example:

\"... haphazardly dealing with each of these situations as they came along\".

Do let us know you\'re decision!

Regards,

Antoine.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 41 mins (2005-02-07 17:53:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry for the little typo hiccup there... I obviously meant to write \"your decision\" (la niebla del lunes...)

Un saludo.


Antoine Cassar (X)
Local time: 05:23
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in MalteseMaltese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
This fit into the text exactly, Antoine. I used it immediately but wanted to give everyone a chance to answer before grading just in case. Thanks, everyone!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Juan Jacob: We do agree, indeed. Ya veo: donde vives, la expresión es "¡A salto de Malta!"
2 mins
  -> Je je, y aquí, ¡a poco que saltas acabas en el mar!
agree  María Roberto (X)
49 mins
agree  Andrée Goreux
4 hrs
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