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More ___ than you could shake a stick atAn 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. |
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#1
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More ___ than you could shake a stick at
shake a stick at, more ___ than you could: many more things or people than one is able to count; a large quantity or great amount of something. A stick is often used as a weapon that is waved as a warning to an enemy. If the enemy greatly outnumbers one, there could be so many that one couldn’t threaten all of them with a single stick.
How would you translate the above expression? A simple one could be, 'más ___ de los que podrías contar', but that sounds a little bit more 'bland' than the original, ie., while it is not bad conceptually, loses a bit its 'color'... Any ideas? As I wrote my post I remembered this Spanish expression..., Para parar un tren (inf.). En gran abundancia: ‘Aquí hay suciedad para parar un tren’. Although now that I just wrote it, and see the conceptual similarity, doesn't quite go, with the original expression...
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Lo propio de la verdad es que se basta a sí misma, aquel que la posee no intenta convencer a nadie. "An enemy is somebody who flatters you. A friend is somebody who criticizes the living daylights out of you." Last edited by JPablo; August 22, 2010 at 07:59 PM. Reason: Remembered one expression in Spanish. |
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#2
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...a montones,
...a parvas, ...a carretadas/carradas (según país), ...a mares, ...para tirar (p')al techo, ...para tener y guardar (cosas), ...tanta/os ... que mete/n miedo. ¿alguna sirve? |
#3
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Muchas gracias Alec.
Creo que varias de ellas se pueden usar. (Para España "a montones/carretadas" quizá sea lo más usado.) "Para tener y guardar" (que se entiende pero que yo no había usado u oído mucho) me recuerda a la expresión "para tomar y dejar". (No sé como dejaré mi traducción al final, pero tus sugerencias son muy valiosas.) Gracias una vez más.
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Lo propio de la verdad es que se basta a sí misma, aquel que la posee no intenta convencer a nadie. "An enemy is somebody who flatters you. A friend is somebody who criticizes the living daylights out of you." |
#4
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Sólo para añadir a la lista unas variantes coloquiales mexicanas:
...para/pa' aventar para/pa' arriba. ...para dar y regalar.
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#5
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¡Gracias, Angélica!
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Lo propio de la verdad es que se basta a sí misma, aquel que la posee no intenta convencer a nadie. "An enemy is somebody who flatters you. A friend is somebody who criticizes the living daylights out of you." |
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