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How do you say TOQUE DE QUEDA in English?

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"No...we're not here to enforce the CURFEW. We lost some money. Have you seen it?" When people have to remain off the streets for a number of hours (usually at night) we call that TOQUE DE QUEDA. This law is usually temporary in nature and is issued during times of civil unrest or some other reason of an equal status. This entry, for example, was written shortly after. the Coronavirus outbreak in Ecuador which led to a TOQUE DE QUEDA. Unlike Spanish, in English to say TOQUE DE QUEDA you only need one word: CURFEW.

How do you say MINGA DE LIMPIEZA in English?

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"Wait! I''m a Gringa. I'm not supposed to be in this MINGA. Uh! Never mind...." A MINGA DE LIMPIEZA is basically community work to clean or improve the surroundings of the place where you live. It is not mandatory to participate though you are expected to do so. MINGAS play a social role in the community. They strenghen the habit of sharing and give a stronger sense of purpose to the community. Practiced in several Latin american countries, they usually end up with food for all those who pitched in. There is no direct translation for this word in English, FREE FARM LABOR or COMMUNITY WORK are closest in meaning.

How do you say PLAYO in English?

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"And how would they pronounce ALICATE in English? Aleekeit?" The word PLAYO doesn't really exist, at least not in standard Spanish.  It is a term mostly Ecuadorians use to refer to a tool that is known as ALICATE. Therefore, the title of this entry should be: "How do you say ALICATE in English?" I used the word PLAYO because it is an interesting example of a Barbarism, a word that is taken from one language and used in another keeping the original pronunciation, but oftentimes not the same spelling. ALICATE or PLAYO is PLIERS in English.

What's BENCHMARKING in Spanish?

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"This should be called Benchclicking and not BENCHMARKING." BENCHMARKING is a strategy mostly used in business to evaluate the performance of a company by comparing it with how another company, usually a more successful one, is doing. This other company then becomes the standard to be surpassed. BENCHMARKING is not only used in business but pretty much in every field where some improvement is needed. As such, BENCHMARKING cannot be put into one word in Spanish and the closest term in meaning would be something like EVALUACION COMPARATIVA. Perhaps the lack of a better term would explain why several Spanish-speaking businesspeople are also using the word in English to refer to this procedure.

How do you say HACER JUEGO CON in English?

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As you can see, Nike now sells cellphones that MATCH your sneakers. MATCH is the most appropriate word. So if you want to say:  "Esa corbata HACE JUEGO CON tu camisa"  You could say:  "That tie MATCHES your shirt." Another option is: "That tie GOES WELL with your shirt." Notice that MATCH here is used as a verb and not a noun. When that is the case the meaning is different.

How do you say CHAMBERO in English?

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"Yes, we're SCAVENGERS, and we have a battle cry of our own: SCAVENGERS, assemble!" In Guayaquil, a CHAMBERO is usually an unemployed person who searches in landfills or dumpsters for items or materials to sell later. Due to the high levels of poverty, there are many people who dedicate themselves to this activity. However,  Guayaquil is not the only place in the world where you can find CHAMBEROS, and they receive different names in other countries. In English, they are commonly called SCAVENGERS.

What's a RIGGER in Spanish?

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"Yes, I'm a RIGGER and a traffic officer" RIGGER is indeed an unusual word that is more in the technical field which probably explains why not everyone knows it. What RIGGERS do is prepare that system of wires and ropes that are generally used to support the structure of the masts in a ship right before it begins sailing. Similar instances, where also wires and ropes are used to allow the performance of some vehicles, are also called RIGGING such as certain airships or hang gliders. There is no word for RIGGER in Spanish and the closest term in meaning is APAREJADOR which is probably called something else from country to country. The word APAREJAMIENTO does exist, but it means something else and it's not a good translation for a RIGGERS do in their labor.