Mar 6, 2002 16:39
22 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Spanish term
Jon Zuber (X)
Jon Zuber (X)
Nothing lost.
Works in: Spanish to English, Catalan to English
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llevarse calabazas
Non-PRO
Spanish to English
Other
Br. Eng. native speakers, please. I need a similarly colloquial Br. equivalent to refer to failing an academic course.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | fail |
tramont (X)
|
| 4 +4 | to flunk a class |
MIGUEL JIMENEZ
|
| 4 +2 | flunk the course |
José Luis Villanueva-Senchuk (X)
|
Proposed translations
+1
1 hr
Selected
fail
Flunk is widely used, but it is really an Americanism. Google shows 36,000 hits for 'flunk' but only 500 odd of these are on UK sites.
I don't know of any standard British colloquialism and have always heard the word 'fail' used in this context.
As with flunk you can use it either way round - I failed the course, or the examiner failed me.
Experience: British native speaker and survivor of the UK education system...
I don't know of any standard British colloquialism and have always heard the word 'fail' used in this context.
As with flunk you can use it either way round - I failed the course, or the examiner failed me.
Experience: British native speaker and survivor of the UK education system...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, tramont. I did in fact wind up using "flunk" but with misgivings; my impression is that it will be understood —especially since the context immediately following makes it clear— but will register on readers as an Americanism."
+4
8 mins
MIGUEL JIMENEZ
Native in Spanish
PhD, Translation Studies
Native in: Spanish 
Works in: English to Spanish, French to Spanish, Russian to Spanish, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
151
to flunk a class
miguel
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
jafroome
: spot on
1 min
|
| agree |
FionaBrind
4 mins
|
| agree |
laurab
: ex. to flunk italian, or also to fail
20 mins
|
| agree |
Colin Brayton
23 mins
|
| agree |
Thomas Collins (X)
2 hrs
|
| disagree |
Ed Murphy
: "Flunk" is American.
2 hrs
|
+2
8 mins
flunk the course
Suerte,
JL
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Note added at 2002-03-06 16:48:58 (GMT)
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Equivalente a \'catear\' en España :-))
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Note added at 2002-03-06 17:09:57 (GMT)
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UK source as requested:
\"be used as a middle-class missile defence system, powerfully ... skills: a quarter of British graduates are in posts ... always be people who flunk school but...\"
www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4186770,00.html
JL
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Note added at 2002-03-06 16:48:58 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Equivalente a \'catear\' en España :-))
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-03-06 17:09:57 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
UK source as requested:
\"be used as a middle-class missile defence system, powerfully ... skills: a quarter of British graduates are in posts ... always be people who flunk school but...\"
www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4186770,00.html
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