#21  
Old August 03, 2010, 09:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JPablo View Post
Well, I think if you go with DRAE, and learn and understand the definitions, you cannot go wrong in any area of the Spanish-speaking map... although I am sometimes very surprised at things... Here are a couple of DRAE definitions,
techo. (Del lat. tectum).
1. m. Parte superior de un edificio, que lo cubre y cierra, o de cualquiera de las estancias que lo componen.
2. m. Cara inferior del techo, superficie que cierra en lo alto una habitación o espacio cubierto.

cielo 4. m. Parte superior que cubre algunas cosas. El cielo de la cama, del coche.
(By extrapolation, you can say "techo" = "cielo", per this definition 4.)

tejado.
1. m. Parte superior del edificio, cubierta comúnmente por tejas.

And that reminded me a tongue twister that may be useful for you... (I include 2 versions) (The second one is the one I remembered from childhood, the first one is the first one I found on a Google search.)

María Chucena su choza techaba,
un techador que atento miraba
le dijo: «¿Qué haces, María Chucena,
techas tu choza o techas la ajena?»
«No techo mi choza
ni techo la ajena,
techo la choza
de María Chucena.»

María Chucena su techo techaba
y un techador que por allí pasaba
le preguntó:
María Chucena, ¿tú techas tu choza o techas la ajena?
Yo no techo mi choza ni techo la ajena,
yo techo la choza de María Chucena.

Also, at least in Spain, the film "Fiddler on the Roof" is "El violinista en el tejado" (Probably there are some version with "El violinista en el techo"?)
Okay, it took me a while to work through this, but it was very valuable for me. Thanks, JPablo!

It seems to me that "techo" is quite a generic term with a wide variety of uses. I like that it's flexible.

Question about one of the phrases that was in the RAE definition of "cielo": El cielo de la cama. - does this mean something like a bed spread or blanket or quilt or something that is put on top of the rest of the covers? Or am I completely missing the meaning of that phrase?

A second question, this about your trabalenguas. I get that Maria is roofing her home. Her own home, right? And the roofer comes along and asks if she is roofing her own home or that of someone else, right? And her answer is that she is not roofing her own or anyone else's home, right? But.... "that of Maria Chucena"? Huh? I don't get that very last part.....

Thanks again! I need to spend more time in RAE.....
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  #22  
Old August 03, 2010, 09:55 AM
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El cielo de la cama is a bed's canopy.
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  #23  
Old August 03, 2010, 09:57 AM
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Originally Posted by poli View Post
El cielo de la cama is a bed's canopy.
You know, I had a sinking feeling that's what it referred to ... but it seems so antiquated... Very interesting.........
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  #24  
Old August 03, 2010, 12:46 PM
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Well... glad to be of help... (@Laepelba) (Did you get all the 'evil' innuendos/puns of the next posts?) (If we go over your ceiling... I mean, over your head, let us know, although you may hit some reluctance at explaining the entirety of some subjects...) (Maybe Elaina not being the direct perpetrator will be willing...)

@Irma & Chileno... "el cielo de la boca" (paladar) is very common in Spain... I heard many times the sacrilegious expression, "te voy a dar de h*sti*s hasta el cielo de la boca"... Which of course, cannot be taken literally...

And since we are already up there on the roof, did you know the expression Tener el tejado de vidrio? It means, "Poder una persona ser censurada o atacada por lo mismo que ella critica en otros."

(Literally, To have the roof made of glass = to be able to be criticized/condemned or attacked for the same thing one criticizes/condemns or attacks another.)

And in Argentina (given that you are more familiar than myself with the country) they have para tirar al techo as in tienen plata para tirar al techo = they have money to burn, they have loads of money (literally, they have money 'to throw up over the roof/ceiling')
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  #25  
Old August 03, 2010, 12:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JPablo View Post
Well... glad to be of help... (@Laepelba) (Did you get all the 'evil' innuendos/puns of the next posts?) (If we go over your ceiling... I mean, over your head, let us know, although you may hit some reluctance at explaining the entirety of some subjects...) (Maybe Elaina not being the direct perpetrator will be willing...)
I didn't really look closely at their back-and-forth. I'll go back and look at it again for meanings.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JPablo View Post
And since we are already up there on the roof, did you know the expression Tener el tejado de vidrio? It means, "Poder una persona ser censurada o atacada por lo mismo que ella critica en otros."

(Literally, To have the roof made of glass = to be able to be criticized/condemned or attacked for the same thing one criticizes/condemns or attacks another.)
In English, that reminds me of two phrases....
- First, "he who lives in a glass house shouldn't throw stones" (which is roughly equivalent to "that's the pot calling the kettle black" ... and I'm sure there are others), which I think is the same as what your phrase means...
- Second, "glass ceiling" often refers to a level of advancement (usually as employment within an organization) that is difficult or impossible for an otherwise qualified person of a certain gender or race (or with some disability).
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  #26  
Old August 03, 2010, 01:11 PM
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Hey, thank you! (I had heard or read the expression "he who lives in a glass house..." but I you'd asked me I would not have remembered...) (It sounds like a nice equivalent.)

Never heard the "glass ceiling" concept before. (I see it is amply covered in Wikipedia... interesting 'creative' quote by Sarah Palin, "And although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it.")

Thank you for the inspiration... looks like we are reaching higher 'ceilings' at every turn!
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  #27  
Old August 03, 2010, 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
You know, I had a sinking feeling that's what it referred to ... but it seems so antiquated... Very interesting.........
It's not antiquated at all in tropical areas, where people have to protect themselves from mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit.
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Old August 03, 2010, 02:02 PM
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It's not antiquated at all in tropical areas, where people have to protect themselves from mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit.
Oh! So a mosquito net (which I've used when I've been in Africa) would be the linguistic equivalent of a "canopy"?
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  #29  
Old August 03, 2010, 02:44 PM
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Not sure for Latin America, for Spain, "mosquito net" is "mosquitera", it could be over a "dosel" (canopy) but I think it [dosel] is a little bit dated...
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  #30  
Old August 03, 2010, 02:45 PM
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Well, the ones used around beds, where I've seen them, are not only curtains, but have that specific function...

Many people prefer to have "mosquiteros" on windows and doors though.
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