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| GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW) | ||||||
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| 10:33 May 10, 2012 |
| Spanish to English translations [PRO] Poetry & Literature / Idioms and Sayings | |||||||
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|  Selected response from: Bubo Coroman (X) | ||||||
Grading comment
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| Summary of answers provided | ||||
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| 4 | useless wimp |
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| 4 | fool /fools |
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| 3 | flop / plop |
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| 3 | "reject" |
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| 3 | loser/idiot/dropout/... |
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| 2 | pleb / plebeian |
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| Discussion entries: 4 | |
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pleb / plebeian Explanation: Not exactly the same meaning, but might this work in this context? |
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"reject" Explanation: a reject is a substandard item coming off a production line, could be humorous here to allude to people and animals |
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Grading comment
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fool /fools Explanation: I'm basing this on the character's attitude. It seems that he's not one to "suffer fools gladly" and sees fools everywhere. www.phrases.org.uk › Discussion Forum - 17 Jan 2000 – I was wondering if anyone knows the origin and meaning of the phrase "i don't suffer fools gladly". : : The phrase refers to putting up with or ... The repeat could be handled "Fools, fools I tell you" or "Fools, yes, I said/mean fools". |
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loser/idiot/dropout/... Explanation: any old loser/ignoramus/idiot/riffraff/ dregs of society/ dropout/ creep/cretin/moron... could be a reporter depending on how politically correct or otherwise you wish the speaker to be (do you want to depict him as really horrible, or just a little ignorant?) and on which sense of "pepla" you think fits the character's mindset... -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 51 mins (2012-05-10 11:25:11 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- sorry, missed out "retard" - not very nice, I know, but might fit the bill! |
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useless wimp Explanation: I don't know how you'll handle the "pepla"/"plepa" variant, which is the basis of B's apparently pedantic reply, but that's a problem whichever English word you choose. The RAE says it's of uncertain origin, but in several places it is traced to the French "plaît pas". It seems to apply both to that which "plaît pas", something defective, not up to standard, and to someone who is always grumbling or whining, and is generally ineffectual: someone who is always saying "plaît pas". Anyway, my suggestion comes from the following: "ser un plepla Ser alguien extremadamente delicado, que continuamente se queja por todo. «Este niño es un plepa, en cuanto le tocan un pelo, ya está llorando». Se cuenta que durante la guerra de la Independencia (1808-1812) se instaló en Sevilla un intendente francés que se encargaba de comprar caballos para el ejército napoleónico y que tenía un alto nivel de exigencia. Los que criaban caballos acudían a él para vendérselos, pero, cuando se los enseñaban, rechazaba casi todos diciendo «plaît pas», o sea, «no me gusta». «Plaît pas» se pronuncia en nuestra lengua «plepa», palabra que salió del ámbito equino para designar al quejoso o al protestón en general." Diccionario de dichos y refranes. 2000. http://www.esacademic.com/dic.nsf/sp_sp_dichos_refranes/2030... Here, in a study of the speech of Navalmoral (Extremadura), it has the same meaning, a whiner: "Cataplasma, goyoría, ser un-a plepa= los tres designan a una persona débil y quejosa. 'Fue siempre un goyoría, siempre malucho, un plepa, vamos'" María Angustias Nuevo. El habla de Navalmoral de la Mata http://en.calameo.com/read/000690912c09497a82154 Here, on the other hand, it is more like a nonentity, a useless individual: "Esta palabra se la oí a un amigo mío gaditano. Su uso se remonta a la época en que los franceses acamparon en la zona de Chiclana, para intentar entrar en Cádiz, durante la Guerra de la Independencia. Cuando tenían que comprar caballos para el ejército francés, la gente de alrededor le llevaban sus animales, examinándolos cuidadosamente y algunos los rechazaban diciendo "plaît pas", que en castellano significa "no me gusta". De ahí viene que, en Cádiz, utilicen la palabra para referirse a una persona que no gusta y no sirve para nada (“¡Ese es un plepa!”). (Mercedes Luna)." http://82.223.149.104/spip/spip.php?article430 This is apparently how it's being used here too: "Lo que está claro es que el señor Rajoy tiene el liderazgo prácticamente amortizado antes de materializarlo y su derrota es un factor "descontado", como dicen quienes juegan en la bolsa. Frente a los dos astros madrileños, el señor Rajoy es un plepa. Su partido renquea tres puntos porcentuales en intención de voto por detrás del PSOE y él es el político peor valorado a escala nacional." http://cotarelo.blogspot.com.es/2007/06/ambicin-de-poder.htm... So since it could have either of these connotations, a wimp or whiner or a useless nonentity, I've hedged my bets with "useless wimp". |
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flop / plop Explanation: I was thinking along the lines of the Yiddish "sch" e.g. "loser / schmoozer" but maybe that's not international enough. The rhyme carries something of the same dismissiveness as does the "plop" sound of them being discarded. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2012-05-10 15:04:47 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Just to be clear, what I'm suggesting is: pepla = flop plepa = plop i.e both words are used, to tie in with the structure of the original. |
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