Spanish: a salto de mantaEnglish translation: as they come along 
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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! |
| | Clarification request(s) and responseCasey Butterfield (asker): 5:29pm Feb 6, 2005: thanks everybody. transcribers should check their work for typos! arrrrgh!
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| | 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.
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Note added at 1 day 39 mins (2005-02-07 17:51:20 GMT)
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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.
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Note added at 1 day 41 mins (2005-02-07 17:53:00 GMT)
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Sorry for the little typo hiccup there... I obviously meant to write \"your decision\" (la niebla del lunes...)
Un saludo.
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| Selected response from:
Antoine Cassar
Malta
| Note from asker to answererThis 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 |
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5 mins confidence:  |
| in a wink of an eye
Explanation:
-
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7 mins confidence:  |
| at random, randomly.
Explanation:
Not at short notice.
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Note added at 10 mins (2005-02-06 17:22:28 GMT)
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A salto de mata, not manta.
| Juan Jacob
Mexico
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:  Spanish, French
PRO pts in category: 4
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| | Login to enter a peer comment (or grade) |
10 mins confidence: 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.
|  Cindy Chadd
Spain
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 24
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10 hrs confidence: |
| 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: English, Spanish
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| | Login to enter a peer comment (or grade) |
13 mins confidence: 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)
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Sorry for the little typo hiccup there... I obviously meant to write \"your decision\" (la niebla del lunes...)
Un saludo.
| Antoine Cassar
Malta
Works in field
Native speaker of: English, Maltese
PRO pts in category: 4
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| Note from asker to answerer| 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! |
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The translation workplace 
