Ask a Question(Create a thread) |
|
Great callAn idiom is an expression whose meaning is not readily apparent based on the individual words in the expression. This forum is dedicated to discussing idioms and other sayings. |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
||||
|
||||
Great call
I was just reading a column in today's newspaper: "La catastrófica claudicación de Obama", a translation of Paul Krugman's "The President Surrenders" in The New York Times, yesterday [here], and I found this paragraph:
Quote:
That was strange enough for me to look for the original article. The original paragraph reads (emphasis added): Quote:
a) What does "great call" mean? b) What does "great call" mean in the context of that article? c) Was the translation good? d) What is the English equivalent to "seguí participando" in that kind of campaigns with prizes? (It would be glad to get an answer like "we're too evolved to have such campaigns", but I'm afraid that wouldn't be the point)
__________________
[gone] |
Get rid of these ads by registering for a free Tomísimo account.
|
#2
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
I think sigue participando translates to try again (which is a euphemism for you lose, try again)
__________________
Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias. |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
I agree with poli that "great call" is most-likely used sarcastically here. However, the expression is not automatically sarcastic: it is also commonly used as a compliment.
|
#4
|
||||
|
||||
Thank you, guys! So it is sort of "¡Qué astuto!" but, what does "great call" usually mean?
__________________
[gone] |
#5
|
||||
|
||||
It suggests that someone has made an excellent choice when presented with two or more alternatives. When used sarcasitcally, it implies that one made a poor choice from among the alternatives and has suffered the consequences of that poor choice.
|
#6
|
||||
|
||||
Me suena a algo así como "Gran dicho. / Gran(diosa) frase. / Gran acierto. / Alto acierto. (Arg.)" de forma sarcástica y debe referirse al hecho de que dijo estar seguro de que los republicanos actuarían con responsabilidad.
Last edited by Cuholvke; August 02, 2011 at 12:36 PM. |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
In a horse race a great call would be if you pick a winner.
In sports, if correctly predict which team will win.(Great call!) When you correctly predict how a person will react to something. The word call under a few circumstances means decision. Example: It's your call can mean it's your decision simultaneously implying that you hold all the responsibilities for the decision.
__________________
Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias. |
#8
|
||||
|
||||
Thank you again. I had heard that expression several times before but I let the context to explain by itself without paying attention to details.
If I was to translate it within that context, I'd have two groups of expressions. The first one including extremely ironic expressions -painfully ironic, I'd add- : "Profético" (formal, mockingly ironic), "¡Qué ojo clínico!" (less formal, less ironic), or the Mexican phrase "¿Qué comes que adivinas?" The other group includes very ironic expressions but they preserve the person's image -what I think Krugman is trying to do there-. This includes: "¡Qué acertado!" and variations on what Cuholvke proposed. I go with "¡Qué ojo clínico!" -the eye of a doctor who diagnoses a patient just with simple observation, with clinical tests made just to confirm it-. That newspaper (La Nación) has so many mistakes that sickens me. I would change it but the others are increasingly bad too, or good but with a narrower scope.
__________________
[gone] |
#9
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
pero le tiene rabia porque en su opinion Obama dejó que sus oponentes le qane al costo de los ciudadanos más vulnerable.
__________________
Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias. |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
Lo entiendo, pero lo que me temo es que están armando un baile de órdago al cual estaremos todos no sólo invitados sino obligados a asistir. Lehman Brothers es un frijol al lado de la que se viene. 2014 va a ser un buen año para mudarse a Marte y mirar lo que pasa acá de los más entretenido.
__________________
[gone] |
Link to this thread | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
On call | poli | Vocabulary | 12 | September 16, 2010 12:19 AM |
What if I miss the phone call? | loveisall | Translations | 3 | August 23, 2010 12:09 AM |
[...] is the call of the day | JPablo | Vocabulary | 9 | June 27, 2010 01:18 PM |
Call me xchic | xchic | Introductions | 9 | January 29, 2010 01:43 AM |
Phone call | geeper | Practice & Homework | 32 | October 31, 2008 03:07 PM |