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As if on cue

Arabic translation: كأنهم مندفعين بإشارة

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:As if on cue
Arabic translation:كأنهم مندفعين بإشارة
Entered by: Fuad Yahya

05:00 Dec 2, 2003
English to Arabic translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
English term or phrase: As if on cue
As if on cue, the guerrillas attacked. But according to American commanders, the Iraqis suffered a devastating defeat.
Amer al-Azem
Palestine
Local time: 14:16
كأنهم مندفعين بإشارة
Explanation:
A cue is "a signal, such as a word or action, used to prompt another event in a performance, such as an actor's speech or entrance, a change in lighting, or a sound effect" (American Heritage Dictionary).

To be "on cue" is to be responsive to such a signal. The guerrillas are supposed to have attacked "as if" on cue, i.e., as if they were being responsive to a signal from a coordinating entity. This could have been because of the seeming coordination or perfect timing of the attack.
Selected response from:

Fuad Yahya
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +5كأنهم مندفعين بإشارة
Fuad Yahya
5 +1رهن اشارة
Sam Shalalo


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +5
كأنهم مندفعين بإشارة


Explanation:
A cue is "a signal, such as a word or action, used to prompt another event in a performance, such as an actor's speech or entrance, a change in lighting, or a sound effect" (American Heritage Dictionary).

To be "on cue" is to be responsive to such a signal. The guerrillas are supposed to have attacked "as if" on cue, i.e., as if they were being responsive to a signal from a coordinating entity. This could have been because of the seeming coordination or perfect timing of the attack.

Fuad Yahya
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 7371
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alaa AHMED: على دفعات كما لو كانوامندفعين بإشارة
1 hr
agree  Spring2007 (X)
8 hrs
agree  sithanem
9 hrs
agree  AhmedAMS
7 days
agree  radwa abdel ghany
21 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 days 3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
رهن اشارة


Explanation:
هاجمت العصابات وكأنها كانت رهن اشارة...

Sam Shalalo
Australia
Local time: 21:16
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in pair: 33

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  AhmedAMS
5 days
  -> Thank you Ahmed
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