Par for the course

[Tomisimo]

I'd like to know how to say "par for the course" in Spanish.

Literally:

par – the standard number of strokes for a hole or for a course in golf.
course – golf course.

Figuratively:

par for the course – this is used in a negative manner to indicate that poor/inferior quality/performance etc is to be expected in a certain situation.
not up to par – someone or something has not reached an acceptable/normal/standard level of performance or quality.


So... any ideas on how to express these ideas in Spanish?

[Perikles]

It's strange than this Latin word does not seem to have been taken over by Spanish (or has it? ). My Gran Diccionario Oxford gives:

par || noun uncountable
A
1 (equal level) on a par (with somebody/something): the two athletes are on a par los dos atletas son del mismo nivel; the two systems are more or less on a par los dos sistemas son más o menos parecidos or equivalentes; the new law puts us on a par with workers in other countries la nueva ley nos pone en igualdad de condiciones or nos equipara con los trabajadores de otros países
2 (accepted standard): his acting is not up to par su actuación no es del nivel adecuado; his work was below par this month este mes su trabajo no estuvo a la altura de lo que se esperaba; not to be/feel up to par, to be/feel below par (colloquial) no estar*/sentirse* del todo bien
B (Finance)
1 par (of exchange) tipo masculine de cambio
2 par (value) valor masculine nominal; at par (par) a la par; above/below par (par) por encima/por debajo de la par
C (in golf) par masculine; three under/over par tres bajo/sobre par; par for the course (normal, standard) lo normal, lo habitual; (lit: in golf) el par del recorrido

[chileno]

No estar a la altura o no estar a la par = not up to par

[poli]

I have head natural or naturalmente used in a sarcastic tone used to mean par for the course. I imagine you can say ¿qué esperas?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

"Par for the course", when it means "lo habitual", in Mexico can be said by "para variar".

--The boss yelled at me this morning. (El jefe me gritó esta mañana.)
--That's par for the course lately... everyone has been yelled at this week. (Para variar. Le ha gritado a todos esta semana.)

Another way to say it may be "como siempre".

I agree that "not up to par" can be "no estar a la altura/al nivel", or "dejar que desear".

I'm sorry that my work was not up to par this time.
Lamento que mi trabajo no haya estado a la altura esta vez.
Lamento que mi trabajo haya dejado que desear esta vez.


@Poli: I also agree with the use of "¿qué esperabas (que pasara/sucediera)?"
--¿Qué esperabas? El jefe le ha gritado a todo el mundo esta semana.
(as in "did you expect he wouldn't yell at you if he has yelled at everyone else?")

[JPablo]

Agree with the above.

Also, "como era de esperar" would be another option.

Moliner da,
A par de. Junto a o a la altura de: ‘Puede ponerse a [o al] par de los mejores’. Equiparar. Ahora es más frecuente, «al par de».

Pero se usa más en el sentido positivo.
También,
Ir a la par. Compartir ganancias o pérdidas a partes iguales en un juego o en un negocio.
Sin par. Incomparable: ‘La sin par Dulcinea. Un paisaje sin par’.

In a derogatory sense, I thought of "vaya tres patas para un banco" as in saying that 3 persons are equally useless to help you on what you need them for... indicating they are not up to par, something like As useless as three tits on a bull, or
As much use as rubber lips on a woodpecker... type of idea.
(A bench with only 3 legs it is not of much use...)

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by JPablo

As useless as three tits on a bull,

It's actually as useful as, not as useless as, which is an interesting difference. Similar expressions involve the pope and nuns , not forgetting the standard English expression as useful as a chocolate teapot.

[JPablo]

Very interesting, Perikles... not sure if someone did any joke with the usefulness of a tiger in the woods, talking about golf, but the one on the chocolate and the one on the pope and the nuns are definitely very clear in sense.

[sosia]

Originally Posted by Perikles

not forgetting the standard English expression as useful as a chocolate teapot.

I didn't know the expression. It's really funny
see here for the experimental etst
http://www.plokta.com/plokta/issue23/teapot.htm


@poli
par for the course: agree with angelica:
- qué esperabas / para variar/ como siempre /como suele suceder /no es ninguna sorpresa

not up to par : no llega al nivel, no tiene nivel
Saludos

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by sosia

I didn't know the expression. It's really funny
see here for the experimental etst
http://www.plokta.com/plokta/issue23/teapot.htm

This had reached catastrophic proportions by T+15s, with total loss of H2O containment