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tender

English translation: tender parts / fragile emotions

14:41 Nov 4, 2008
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: tender
This comes from a TV show. The girl is a waitress in a restaurant. She is tired of all the secrets and lies she has been force-fed by her friends. All these secrets she has to keep are a real burden for her. So she decides to quit the restaurant and all these people to start a new life elsewhere.
Girl : I'm tendering my resignation. And RESIGNING MY TENDERS TO THE the cold, harsh reality of what's not meant to be.
How do you understand the last sentence ? Could you please rephrase it ?
tioupine
Local time: 21:52
Selected answer:tender parts / fragile emotions
Explanation:
A lovely play on words!

'tenders' means (literally) tender parts of the body, but here, of course, more figuratively, my emotional sensitivity (etc.).

And 'to resign' (in this part of the sentence) means 'to give in and accept'

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Note added at 10 mins (2008-11-04 14:52:29 GMT)
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Here is one of the definitions of 'to resign' from the NS OED that applies to the eaning as it is being used here:

2
a Abandon or consign (something) to a person or thing; yield up (oneself etc.) to another’s care or guidance.

b Subordinate (one’s will, reason, etc.) to another person, higher power, etc.

c Reconcile (oneself, one’s mind, etc.) to a condition, an inevitable event, etc. Also foll. by to do.

Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 21:52
Grading comment
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +5tender parts / fragile emotions
Tony M
3 +4resigning myself
Carol Gullidge


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
tenders
tender parts / fragile emotions


Explanation:
A lovely play on words!

'tenders' means (literally) tender parts of the body, but here, of course, more figuratively, my emotional sensitivity (etc.).

And 'to resign' (in this part of the sentence) means 'to give in and accept'

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 mins (2008-11-04 14:52:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here is one of the definitions of 'to resign' from the NS OED that applies to the eaning as it is being used here:

2
a Abandon or consign (something) to a person or thing; yield up (oneself etc.) to another’s care or guidance.

b Subordinate (one’s will, reason, etc.) to another person, higher power, etc.

c Reconcile (oneself, one’s mind, etc.) to a condition, an inevitable event, etc. Also foll. by to do.



Tony M
France
Local time: 21:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 309

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gunana Nijaradze
3 mins
  -> Thanks, Januki!
agree  orientalhorizon: She had to admit that her fragile mind couldn't stand up to the cold, harsh reality any more.
8 mins
  -> Thanks, O/H!
neutral  Carol Gullidge: hmmmh... far from being a lovely play on words, this seems so contrived as to be incomprehensible! But you may be right about the intended meaning of "tenders" here.//anything so contrived couldn't not be deliberate, but, oh dear...!
15 mins
  -> Oh, I feel sure it is a deliberate pun; and can't you just HEAR her saying it?!
agree  Alice Bootman: I would go with fragile emotions for the second instance of the word.
45 mins
  -> Thanks, Alice! Yes, indeed.
agree  Ken Cox: agree with your interpretation, but also with Carol -- it seems forced to my ear (but that's not uncommon in soaps, sitcoms, and related genres)
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Ken! Contrived, yes — but as you say, very much in the style of this sort of genre; but I think it's perfectly comprehensible for all that
agree  William [Bill] Gray: Yes, and I like it very much. A very clever play on the words, and inversion of verb/noun.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Bill! I'm so glad SOMEONE else appreciates it as I do!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
resigning myself


Explanation:
this is the usual format, and, presumably, the meaning here:

I'm resigning myself to the fact that....


In UK EN at least, a tender is normally either (a) a formal offer with a price attached, or (b) a small boat or dinghy used to take you to your proper boat (!!)

As Tony says, this is doubtless supposed to be a pun. However, it is so contrived that it is meaningless - hardly subtle enough to qualify.

But if the character is supposed to be a bit of a wag, then I'd leave it in -
UNLESS THIS IS A REVISION OF A TRANSLATION, in which case I'd try to find something more meaningful, after checking the ST.

Since the meaning of "tenders" is so obscure here, it's not really funny. Sometimes, one simply has to resign oneself to the fact that puns simply can't be translated!

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:52
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 52

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ken Cox
6 mins
  -> thanks Ken!
neutral  Tony M: It's just an inventive use of language, and I think the idea of using metonymy and 'tenders' as a countable like this is super.
35 mins
  -> yes, it's inventive in alright - just a determined effort to get in the word "tenders" at all costs :O). It's not even really a pun - not even the groaning sort!
agree  chaman4723
1 hr
  -> thanks chaman!
agree  Phong Le
9 hrs
  -> thanks Phong!
agree  orientalhorizon: Sometimes manipulation of the words may be of no reason, but maybe just intentionally signfiy a awkward situation in an awkward way.
9 hrs
  -> thanks OH! Yes, it is dialogue, after all, and people do say some funny things!
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