navigare a vista
English translation: play it by ear
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| 09:10 Aug 28, 2001 |
| Italian to English translations [Non-PRO] | |||||||
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|  Selected response from: Floriana (X) United States Local time: 10:48 | ||||||
Grading comment
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| Summary of answers provided | ||||
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| na | as one goes |
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| na | On-Demand Navigation |
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| na | sight navigation |
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| na | play it by ear |
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Answers
18 mins
as one goes Explanation: probably there are several, furthermore I'm perhaps invading the pastures of native speakers who are likely to know much more than I do, nevertheless my impulsive disposition leads me to respond. I think this is more or less the meaning: learn as you go... make it up as you go... wing it as you go... even (or especially) in such important matters as politics. |
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28 mins
On-Demand Navigation Explanation: Is the context computer-related? |
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37 mins
sight navigation Explanation: is the literal translation. Depending on the context (why not give the entire sentence, or lack thereof, and a sense of the subject matter?): play it as it lays (from the famous novel by... memory loss, here goes another gray cell) and the phrases given by Francesco saluti paola l m |
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3 hrs
play it by ear Explanation: I must say that I did not know the Italian expression, and I can't find it in any of my dictionaries (Gabrielli, Devoto-Oli, BUR dei modi di dire). From what I read on the Internet, though, it is used (though not a lot), and the sense seems to be the one indicated by Francesco. This image of "navigating by the stars," without instrumentation, thus keeping within sight of land or other points of reference and free to react quickly to any new input, reminds me of the expression "playing it by ear," though it seems to me that it would fit only in some contexts. Buon lavoro, Floriana |
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