Posts

What is NOT QUITE in Spanish?

Image
"NOT QUITE ? Damn! Freaking Sun keeps moving all the time!" NOT QUITE means Almost or Nearly. It is used to indicate that something is about to be complete or finished. In Spanish, the expression closest in meaning would be then CASI. Nevertheless, the connotation is sometimes a bit more negative than usual. Then NI TANTO could be a more accurate translation.

What is PANT in English?

Image
"PANTING? Oh no, I'm not panting. You just look so delicious." PANT and not Pants is the word here. First of all, it is a verb and it means JADEAR. PANTING is what dogs do when they need lo lower their temperature, to cool their bodies. People also do it, but for different reasons and in different circumstances. PANT  can indeed be a noun and then it means PANTALON, but its use in singular form is uncommon and its plural form is more frequently used.

How do you say ASCENSO DE TRABAJO in English?

Image
"The restroom...where is the restroom?" Well, it is definitely not Work Ascension. Though in Spanish we say Ascenso de Trabajo, it is not like that in English. The term is PROMOTION. You get a JOB PROMOTION, not a WORK PROMOTION. And you are PROMOTED to another position. True you are "ascending" or "going up", but still those are not the words to be used. As usual, you have to know not only the language but the culture as well. 

How do you say AHIJADO in English?

Image
Not a movie yet, but Hollywood can have the lousiest ideas. Part of the Catholic tradition, AHIJADO is GODSON in English.  A GODSON, or GODDAUGHTER (AHIJADA) is a child who at the moment of being baptized in the Catholic rite is sponsored by someone. Usually, that sponsor is a close friend of the child's parents, and there are usually two of those, a Godfather and a Godmother. In the past, Godparents were supposed to be responsible for their Godchild if his or her parents met their demise before time. That part of the Godparents' role is long gone, therefore, these days Godparents have lost their purpose greatly and are merely reduced to decorational figures, friends who are given a burden that is only ecclesiatical but not real. In some commuities, a Godfather's role is a bit sinister and different since the moniker is given to this person with power who does favors  in exchange of your working for him participating or supporting criminal activity. 

What is ICE WATER in Spanish?

Image
ICE WATER is not only cold but apparently also quite blue. Of course, ICE WATER is AGUA FRIA and also COLD WATER is AGUA FRIA. But then, when do we say COLD WATER and when do we say ICE WATER? In most cases it is OK to use the term COLD WATER; but if we mean water that contains ice cubes, we should say ICE WATER and not COLD WATER.

How do you say NUMERAL in English?

Image
So many  HASHTAGS! They could easily take over the world! Well, these days the answer is HASHTAG,  a term made popular by Twitter. However, that is not the only name it has. Before HASHTAG became universal, other names were more common for this symbol such as POUND SIGN, NUMBER SIGN, and even HASH CHARACTER can be used.

What is RUFFLES in Spanish?

Image
No. These are not your regular RAFFLES. You can't even eat them . When we say RUFFLES it does not necessarily mean only the brand of potato chips known all over the world. RUFFLES, as a noun, means strips of some fabric gathered or folded with ornamental purposes in some pieces of clothing. In dresses or skirts, RUFFLES are positioned around the neck or the wrist. I Spanish RUFFLES are called VOLANTES (in some countries VOLADOS).  The problem with this word in Spanish is that it is also used to refer to Flyers and Steering Wheels.