ProZ.com global directory of translation services
 The translation workplace
Ideas
KudoZ home » Spanish to English » Poetry & Literature

culebrero

English translation: you could charm the hind legs off a donkey


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

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs
(or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:tienes mas labia que un culebrero
English translation:you could charm the hind legs off a donkey
Entered by: Amy Barter
Options:
- Contribute to this entry
- Include in personal glossary

12:24 Jan 8, 2007
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Spanish term or phrase: culebrero
Taken from a love letter written in Colombian Spanish: "Tienes mas labia que un culebrero"
Amy Barter
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:51
you could charm the hind leg of a donkey
Explanation:
Don´t know if this would be the appropriate register (there´s a touch of rather admiring criticism in this expression), or if your translation is for British English (suppose it is).


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2007-01-08 12:48:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

OFF, not OF - yikes!
Selected response from:

aceavila - Noni
Local time: 22:51
Grading comment
Great suggestion - nice and snappy and made me laugh! The general register is pretty colloquial so I've opted for this one but using "legs" instead of "leg". Thanks aceavila.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1cheater
Alfredo Tanús
4 +2you could charm the hind leg of a donkey
aceavila - Noni
5telenovela
YP - idiomatica
4you could talk the balls off a brass monkey
Carol Gullidge
4snake-charmer
patricia scott
4soap opera
Alan R King
4serial / soap opera
Smartranslators


  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
telenovela


Explanation:
Culebrero o culebrón. You speak more than someone in a telenovela.

YP - idiomatica
Local time: 22:51
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 12
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
soap opera


Explanation:
-

Alan R King
Local time: 22:51
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
cheater


Explanation:
A "culebrero" is someone who cheats. There is a phrase in Spanish saying that someone "puts his snake around you" meaning that he is telling lies for you to believe.

Alfredo Tanús
Local time: 18:51
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  patricia scott: pero ¿dónde se queda la labia?
21 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
snake-charmer


Explanation:
¿por qué no? un culebrero no podría ser un encantador de serpientes - el meaning es el mismo, que habla mucho y bien pero es engañoso

patricia scott
Spain
Local time: 22:51
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
serial / soap opera


Explanation:
telenovela - Diccionario Ingles-Español WordReference.comtelenovela f serial, soap opera - Diccionario Espasa Concise: Español-Inglés English-Spanish © Espasa-Calpe, S.A., Madrid 2000 ...
www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=telenovela - 10k - Cached - Similar pages

JS Online:Milos was one of the stars of "Desire," the telenovela (or serial) that aired every weeknight for nearly three months until it concluded at the start of ...
www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=547228 - 53k - Cached - Similar pages




Smartranslators
Local time: 22:51
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 84
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
you could charm the hind leg of a donkey


Explanation:
Don´t know if this would be the appropriate register (there´s a touch of rather admiring criticism in this expression), or if your translation is for British English (suppose it is).


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2007-01-08 12:48:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

OFF, not OF - yikes!

aceavila - Noni
Local time: 22:51
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 76
Grading comment
Great suggestion - nice and snappy and made me laugh! The general register is pretty colloquial so I've opted for this one but using "legs" instead of "leg". Thanks aceavila.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  patricia scott: You made me laugh a lot with this one! Who on earth comes up with some of these expressions?
3 mins
  -> Ah, but that´s why we love languages!

agree  Taña Dalglish: I agree with Patricia. At least you have made me laugh today!~ Saludos.
11 hrs
  -> I´ll try to keep them coming!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
you could talk the balls off a brass monkey


Explanation:
idiomatic, but depends on register required

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2007-01-08 12:56:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also, I forgot,

charm the pants off a snake/stone/...:



Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:51
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 271
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




Voters for reclassification
as
PRO / non-PRO
Non-PRO (1): Margarita M. Martínez


Return to KudoZ list


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.



See also: