Feb 24, 2005 14:09
19 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
Russian Federation
Professional interpreting/translation
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Ukrainian to English, and 1 more.
tapped one's nose at
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Fiction
One woman asks the other, not understanding what the other has said to the boy.
'What?'
The other tapped her nose at the first.
'The boy knows'
Is there such a common gesture? What does it mean? Does she knock herself on the nose? Or is there any other, figurative meaning?
'What?'
The other tapped her nose at the first.
'The boy knows'
Is there such a common gesture? What does it mean? Does she knock herself on the nose? Or is there any other, figurative meaning?
Responses
| 5 +4 | it means that it's none of your business |
Aisha Maniar
|
| 4 | another way of saying "mind your own business" = keep your nose out |
CMJ_Trans (X)
|
| 3 | someone's lying |
Kim Metzger
|
Responses
+4
2 mins
Aisha Maniar
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
French/Arabic-English legal translator
Native in: English (Variants: British, UK)
Works in: Arabic to English, French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
32
Selected
it means that it's none of your business
a non-verbal way of asking someone not to interfere or to mind their own business. It's a fairly common gesture.
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Note added at 2 mins (2005-02-24 14:12:16 GMT)
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she tapped herself on the nose, probably with one finger gently
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Note added at 1 hr 9 mins (2005-02-24 15:19:24 GMT)
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I guess this confirms that it\'s a Brit thing
http://www.nheconomy.com/nheconomy/oice/main/index.php?ch_ta...
In England, tapping your nose means a secret or confidentiality.
http://www.how-to.com/Operations/legal-form-nda.htm
The Nose Knows: Tapping your nose in Britain signifies a secret or confidential information. In Italy, it\'s a friendly warning.
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/MTarchives/005013.html
For non-British readers: Tapping your nose indicates that the speaker is sharing a secret, like when an American puts a finger to her lips.
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Note added at 2 mins (2005-02-24 14:12:16 GMT)
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she tapped herself on the nose, probably with one finger gently
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Note added at 1 hr 9 mins (2005-02-24 15:19:24 GMT)
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I guess this confirms that it\'s a Brit thing
http://www.nheconomy.com/nheconomy/oice/main/index.php?ch_ta...
In England, tapping your nose means a secret or confidentiality.
http://www.how-to.com/Operations/legal-form-nda.htm
The Nose Knows: Tapping your nose in Britain signifies a secret or confidential information. In Italy, it\'s a friendly warning.
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/MTarchives/005013.html
For non-British readers: Tapping your nose indicates that the speaker is sharing a secret, like when an American puts a finger to her lips.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Kirill Semenov
1 hr
|
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thank you
|
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| agree |
TranslatonatoR
: secret
1 hr
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thank you
|
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| agree |
juvera
: A secret, what I know. Here: "The boy knows, I know, but I am not going to tell you". It is used frequently in England, but i must say, it usually means that sooner or later they are going to tell. :-)
2 hrs
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not necessarily - with kids, it nearly always does but not with adults ;-)
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| agree |
Misiaczek
2 hrs
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thank you
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you, Aisha!"
3 mins
another way of saying "mind your own business" = keep your nose out
By tapping her nose at the woman she is telling here not to interfere in something that does not concern her. Giving a light tap on your now with your finger is a common gesture to mean 'keep your nose out of our/my business'
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Note added at 2005-02-24 14:14:21 (GMT)
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on your NOSE - sorry
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Note added at 2005-02-24 14:15:10 (GMT)
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tapping your nose at someone is a way of suggesting to that other person that he or she has a big nose which he or she is always sticking into other people\'s business
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Note added at 2005-02-24 14:14:21 (GMT)
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on your NOSE - sorry
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Note added at 2005-02-24 14:15:10 (GMT)
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tapping your nose at someone is a way of suggesting to that other person that he or she has a big nose which he or she is always sticking into other people\'s business
5 mins
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Mexico
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Mexico
Committed to Quality and Service
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
277
someone's lying
I'm not sure if this is the meaning in the situation you've given us, but one meaning of tapping one's nose is to say: this person's not telling the truth.
Cabana is a self-described "disciple" of the study of non-verbal cues and signals, a true believer that body language makes everyone an open book to those who can read them. The nose tapping is another kind of story, a subconscious gesture linked to the Pinocchio fable about a little boy whose nose grows whenever he tells a lie.
If clients slowly tap their noses while you're talking, they think you may be telling a lie, says Cabana, a professional negotiator and conference speaker. And if they touch the tip of their own nose before speaking, they're about to say something short of the whole truth. "Because you know when you lie your nose is going to grow, so to make sure it doesn't, you hold it back with your finger," he says.
http://www.advisor.ca/edge/article.jsp?content=20011117_0000...
Cabana is a self-described "disciple" of the study of non-verbal cues and signals, a true believer that body language makes everyone an open book to those who can read them. The nose tapping is another kind of story, a subconscious gesture linked to the Pinocchio fable about a little boy whose nose grows whenever he tells a lie.
If clients slowly tap their noses while you're talking, they think you may be telling a lie, says Cabana, a professional negotiator and conference speaker. And if they touch the tip of their own nose before speaking, they're about to say something short of the whole truth. "Because you know when you lie your nose is going to grow, so to make sure it doesn't, you hold it back with your finger," he says.
http://www.advisor.ca/edge/article.jsp?content=20011117_0000...
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
CMJ_Trans (X)
: not here - it means "you are a nosey parker"! Common in UK but perhaps not in US???
1 min
|
| neutral |
Aisha Maniar
: agree with CMJ - must be a regional thing
5 mins
|
| neutral |
María Teresa Taylor Oliver
: Nice reference :-) (I'm not agreeing nor disagreeing because, for all I know, you could be right or wrong!) ;-)
52 mins
|
| neutral |
morgenhund
: from the context this sounds like MYOB rather than your interpretation
1 hr
|
Discussion