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right down to the wire

Spanish translation: hasta el último momenot

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:right down to the wire
Spanish translation:hasta el último momenot
Entered by: aivars

22:53 Jan 17, 2003
English to Spanish translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
English term or phrase: right down to the wire
Argentina played a high stakes game of chicken with the IMF right down to the wire.
aivars
Argentina
Local time: 18:01
hasta el último momento
Explanation:
Así aparece en el Oxford.

Suerte

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Note added at 2003-01-17 22:59:47 (GMT)
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En México se habla coloquialmente de \"hasta el cuarto para las doce\"
Selected response from:

Luis Rey Ballesteros (Luiroi)
Local time: 15:01
Grading comment
"hasta el último momento" sounds to me like a fine translation.
Thanks Ruth for the explanation, very useful
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3hasta el último momento
Luis Rey Ballesteros (Luiroi)
5(el resultado estaba pendiente) hasta el final
Refugio
5jugó con el desafío hasta el borde del precipicio, or
Herman Vilella


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
hasta el último momento


Explanation:
Así aparece en el Oxford.

Suerte

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-17 22:59:47 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

En México se habla coloquialmente de \"hasta el cuarto para las doce\"

Luis Rey Ballesteros (Luiroi)
Local time: 15:01
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in pair: 5089
Grading comment
"hasta el último momento" sounds to me like a fine translation.
Thanks Ruth for the explanation, very useful

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Peter Bagney
7 mins
agree  JH Trads
24 mins
agree  EDLING (X)
9 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
(el resultado estaba pendiente) hasta el final


Explanation:
This phrase refers to races where the winner is determined by whoever crosses the finish line first. Think of horse racing and foot races. A string is stretched across the finish to help the judges see clearly who crosses first in a close race. That string is called the wire or tape, the winner is the one who breaks the wire first.

The "wire" is actually string, tape, or paper and not a metal wire at all. No need to be concerned about those horses tripping and getting themselves caught in the wire.


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Note added at 2003-01-17 23:59:59 (GMT)
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Actually, this is a mixed metaphor because in the game of chicken, two cars race toward each other until one turns aside, whereas in a horse race they race in the same direction toward the finish line. What the two images have in common is that the result is decided at the last minute.

Refugio
Local time: 14:01
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 2313
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
jugó con el desafío hasta el borde del precipicio, or


Explanation:
se fumó el puro hasta quemarse los dedos, or

dejó pasar el tiempo hasta que se paró el reloj, or

apostó por un indulto de última hora hasta que el verdugo apretó la soga....

The number of ways of decribing the Argentine situation is infinite. The case will go down in history.

Herman Vilella
Local time: 23:01
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in pair: 531
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