This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Spanish to English
  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

a cuenta gotas

English translation: in dribs and drabs / little by little / a few at a time

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:a cuenta gotas
English translation:in dribs and drabs / little by little / a few at a time
Entered by: Myriam S

11:27 Apr 22, 2008
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Source text from Colombia
Spanish term or phrase: a cuenta gotas
The article deals with forced displacement in regions of armed conflict, and the text uses several idiomatic expressions, ¨a cuenta gotas¨ is one of them.

Here's how it appears in the sentence in quesiton:

XYZ es uno los departamentos donde históricamente el conflicto social y armado ha generado el mayor número de desplazados del país; especialmente en la región del XYZ donde no existe un censo confiable del total de desplazados; sólo es posible conocer aquellos sitios en los cuales ocurre el desplazamiento de manera masiva, pues hay lugares en los cuales este se da a cuenta gotas y de manera muy discreta y que difícilmente son catalogados como tal por la entidades encargadas de ello.
Myriam S
United States
Local time: 11:46
in dribs and drabs / little by little / a few at a time
Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-04-22 14:52:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here are articles, some similar in context to your text, using DRIBS AND DRABS:

However, instead of arriving as expected en masse[1] Iraqi refugees **have arrived in dribs and drabs** – threatened both by bullets and loss of livelihoods – as the situation in Iraq has continued to deterioratehttp://www.fmreview.org/text/FMR/23/17.htm

http://www.economist.com/research/Backgrounders/displaystory...

Local staffer: In that sense it’s every day. They go to churches looking for help separately, in dribs and drabs.
http://www.northkoreanrefugees.com/2006-1-interview.htm

It would be wrong to say there were two clear and
organised camps. Most were making up their minds as
individuals and people left in **dribs and drabs**.
http://www.liberator.org.uk/media/lib-1204.pdf





Selected response from:

Lisa McCarthy
Spain
Local time: 17:46
Grading comment
Thank you also for providing the reference links.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4in dribs and drabs / little by little / a few at a time
Lisa McCarthy
4 +3little by little
Fabio Descalzi
4 +2trickle in
Cecilia Gowar
4Sparingliy
Gad Kohenov
4pues hay lugares en los cuales este se da a cuenta gotas
Sagitario
4very slowly, little by little, bit by bit
Olga Shabarina
4in a restrained manner
John Rawlins
3only snippets of it
eloso (X)


  

Answers


13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
little by little


Explanation:
Little by little - that is the most common translation for "con cuentagotas" (literally "with eye-dropper", i.e. "drop by drop")

Fabio Descalzi
Uruguay
Local time: 12:46
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  María Angélica Fernández
5 mins
agree  Rosa Elena Lozano Arton
1 hr
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley: For this context.
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
trickle in


Explanation:
discreetly...
Una idea :-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2008-04-22 11:40:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry should have specified that it would be "refugees trickle in..."

Cecilia Gowar
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sandra Rodriguez: muy apropiado para el contexto
1 hr
  -> ¡Gracias Sandra!
agree  Janine Libbey
4 hrs
  -> ¡Gracias viva Madrid!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Sparingliy


Explanation:
This is the figurative translation. In French it's the same: "au compte-gouttes".

Gad Kohenov
Israel
Local time: 18:46
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in HebrewHebrew

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Lisa McCarthy: This doesn't work in this context - you use something sparingly but people can't enter a country `sparingly'
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
pues hay lugares en los cuales este se da a cuenta gotas


Explanation:
la expresión en inglés es "in drips and draps"

year-they have finally started to give them to me in drips and draps but they refuse to indicate what time frame they are paying me for. ...

También podríamos decir:

trickle...


Sagitario
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
very slowly, little by little, bit by bit


Explanation:
A cuenta gotas = a cuentagotas = gota a gota = muy lentamente

Olga Shabarina
Local time: 11:46
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
in a restrained manner


Explanation:
I believe the point of the expression 'a cuenta gotas' is that the information is being delivered in small packets - on purpose. This is an intentional rationing of information.
--------------

From Oxford Spanish

cuentagotas m (pl cuentagotas) dropper; dar algo con cuentagotas (fam): los permisos los
dan con cuentagotas it’s very difficult to get a permit out of them, they’re very mean with
the permits; nos van dando la información con cuentagotas they just keep feeding us tiny snippets of information
------------------
From Maria Moliner

Con cuentagotas (inf.). Aplicado a la manera de dar o recibir algo, con tacañería o muy poco a poco.
-----------------


From Shorter Oxford

restrained /rstrend/ a. L16. [f. RESTRAIN + -ED1.] That has been restrained; repressed; kept under control or within bounds; confined; held in place, as by a safety belt or harness; characterized by restraint or reserve, not excessive or extravagant.restrainedly /-ndli/ adv. in a restrained manner, with restraint
-----------------



John Rawlins
Spain
Local time: 17:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
in dribs and drabs / little by little / a few at a time


Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-04-22 14:52:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here are articles, some similar in context to your text, using DRIBS AND DRABS:

However, instead of arriving as expected en masse[1] Iraqi refugees **have arrived in dribs and drabs** – threatened both by bullets and loss of livelihoods – as the situation in Iraq has continued to deterioratehttp://www.fmreview.org/text/FMR/23/17.htm

http://www.economist.com/research/Backgrounders/displaystory...

Local staffer: In that sense it’s every day. They go to churches looking for help separately, in dribs and drabs.
http://www.northkoreanrefugees.com/2006-1-interview.htm

It would be wrong to say there were two clear and
organised camps. Most were making up their minds as
individuals and people left in **dribs and drabs**.
http://www.liberator.org.uk/media/lib-1204.pdf







Lisa McCarthy
Spain
Local time: 17:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 67
Grading comment
Thank you also for providing the reference links.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carol Gullidge: a few at a time (or in small numbers?)
5 mins
  -> Thanks Carol!
agree  kjmcguire
28 mins
  -> Thanks Kelly!
agree  Rosa Elena Lozano Arton
1 hr
  -> Thanks Rosa!
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley: For this context.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Noni!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
only snippets of it


Explanation:
One more option

eloso (X)
Argentina
Local time: 12:46
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in SpanishSpanish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search