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dar cancha

English translation: if you give them (\'em) half a chance

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Spanish term or phrase:	dar cancha
English translation:	if you give them (\'em) half a chance
Entered by:	Lucy Williams

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10:40 Oct 2, 2009

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Linguistics

Spanish term or phrase: dar cancha

a sports coach talkng about why he doesn't involve his pupils parents in decision making...

si les das cancha, en cuatro días ya saben más que tú.

if you give them the chance, in no time they think they no more than you?

Lucy Williams KudoZ activity Questions: 24 (2 open) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 38 Spain
Local time: 04:05

if you give them ('em) half a chance

Explanation:
Think this a tad more idiomatic.

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Note added at 8 mins (2009-10-02 10:48:25 GMT)
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also reminds me of the saying: "if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile". Perhaps you could use the first half of that, as it seems pertinent in a sporting context.

Selected response from:

hjs45
Spain
Local time: 04:05

Grading comment

Thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +7

if you give them ('em) half a chance

hjs45

if you give them a chance

Smartranslators

give - sb. enough room / sb. free rein / sb. enough leeway

Alejandro Alcaraz Sintes

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +7

if you give them ('em) half a chance

hjs45
Spain
Local time: 04:05
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

Grading comment

Thanks

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks. I was also thinking of the give an inch...take a mile idiom.

21 mins confidence:

if you give them a chance

Explanation:
Suerte

Smartranslators
Spain
Local time: 04:05
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 24

38 mins confidence:

dar cancha a alguien give - sb. enough room / sb. free rein / sb. enough leeway

Explanation:
"dar cancha" es "darle la libertad para actuar". Según el DRAE: "Reconocerle la capacidad de actuar conforme a su voluntad en un determinado asunto."
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In the following I've written in bold the meaning that "cancha" has in your original text:
darle cancha a alguien (Col fam) to give somebody an advantage; dejarle la cancha libre a alguien (CS fam) to leave somebody room to maneuver; (hacerse a un lado) to leave the way clear for somebody;
(The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary. Ed. Nicholas Rollin. Oxford University Press, 1998. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 2 October 2009
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leeway -creo- expresa ese concepto, pero no es coloquial, como "cancha" en español.
(margin of freedom): I am given a lot of ~ me dan mucha libertad de acción; there isn't much ~ in the budget el presupuesto tiene poco margen de flexibilidad
The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary. Ed. Nicholas Rollin. Oxford University Press, 1998. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 2 October 2009
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Health Promotion Board - Your Baby's Mental Development
18 May 2009 ... Give him free rein to indulge his interest - prop him up on cushions so he can see more things around the room, allow him to see bright, ...
www.hpb.gov.sg/pregnancyparenting/article.aspx?id=2946 - Cached - Similar -

DARING TO DREAM: He Needs Space...How Much Do You Give Him?
24 Jun 2009 ... Give him room to clear his head and figure out what's in the upcoming cards for him. However, this time shouldn't be spent with him dating ...
latigar.blogspot.com/.../he-needs-spacehow-much-do-you-give-him.html - Cached - Similar -

Roxanna Samii blog: Battle of giants: Social media, web 2.0 vs ...
... them to ask questions at any point they feel unsure and give them enough room and opportunities to experiment and learn on their own during the class. ...
rsamii.blogspot.com/.../battle-of-giants-social-media-web-20-vs.html - Cached - Similar -

hgrv | maatschap van ervaren adviseurs en managers.
... and whether the intervention will give them enough room and perspective to work in. Roel does all of this in cooperation with his clients. ...
www.hgrv.nl/the-partnership/partner-details/8.../roel-geers - Cached - Similar -

Outdoor Injuries: Age 5-8 - Wellsphere
How is a parent to really give them enough leeway and independence to honor that , but then still check them out. What do you suggest? ...
www.wellsphere.com/children-s-health-article/.../80084 - Cached - Similar -

So have we decided [Archive] - RTG Sunderland Message Boards
You give them enough leeway and they become spoiled and lazy; tell them they're too good to prepare and dress like professionals, and soon enough you get ...
www.readytogo.net/smb/archive/index.php/t-395114.html - Cached - Similar -

Alejandro Alcaraz Sintes
Spain
Local time: 04:05
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 16