Vergonzante

[aleCcowaN]

I'm trying to say "trumpistas vergonzantes" to refer to those who are going to vote for Trump in the current primaries but are not happy with making that very public.

I found "vergonzante" explained as "shameful" and also as "shame-faced / bashful" and I'm not sure they got the gist of it because "vergonzante" includes mainly those who have nothing to be ashamed of, but not because of shyness. In Spanish we don't use "homosexual vergonzante" as equivalent to "closeted homosexual", not because it isn't accurate but because many uneducated people can construe "vergonzante" into something incorrect.

Is it some term or locution in English that can describe those who behave as if they were trying to hide something regarding a particular subject because they feel going public about that might lead to their feelings hurt?

I have the same problem translating "culposo":

homicidio culposo = manslaughter
actitud culpable = an attitude that hardly conceals guilt
actitud culposa = an attitude that expresses unnecessary or improper feelings of guiltiness, showing some psychological conflict.

[Rusty]

I believe you can say that someone is a closeted Trump supporter, and express that meaning.

[aleCcowaN]

It seems appropriate. Thanks, Rusty!

Also, a ".... vergonzante" is someone who is "...." but they don't like to toot about it. It's less a secretive attitude (is it?) and more a shame-like feeling, like some adult who likes to watch 4 hours non stop Cartoon Network and may blush thinking of others learning about such liking.

I think my problem is me not accepting that English tends to describe things as they look from the outside, while Spanish tends to concentrate in the psychological internal life. Not that both languages don't do the opposite but it seems the palette available is narrower.

[kimma]

In the example you give of the cartoon network, I'd use the expression "guilty pleasure" to describe something that people are ashamed of but enjoy and don't think are actually wrong. But that is hard to turn around to describe the person.

To describe the person in the Trump example, I'd say "secret Trump supporter" and then explain further why they were keeping it a secret. "Secret (something)" is a standard expression, but if you wanted something less standard, you could say "furtive Trump supporter" or "furtive Trumpite/ette" if you wanted to make it more derogatory. Furtive adds an element of shiftiness to their behaviour.

[aleCcowaN]

Thank you. I think I might use some indirect phrase to describe it. I'm thinking about "secretive and unforthcoming about their support for Trump"

[kimma]

They could also just be hiding their support for Trump. Or maybe they are reticent about it or avoiding admitting to it or not owning up to it.

Being unforthcoming implies (to me anyway) that when asked directly they dodge the question or kind of admit it but refuse to elaborate. As in it's a reaction to someone else rather than how they are anyway (which is secretive). Is that what you're going for?

[poli]

As agreed about before closeted is the best choice, but that wasn't always the case. Closeted is a fairly new metaphor.

In the past, and still valid, clandestine was the word of choice.

[aleCcowaN]

"Pobreza vergonzante" or "gordura vergonzante" are very common but I have a hard time imagining what a closeted poor might be, and definitively there are no closeted fat people unless they live behind close doors. Better poverty-related shame, fat-related shame, though Trump-support-related shame sounds awkward.

[poli]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

"Pobreza vergonzante" or "gordura vergonzante" are very common but I have a hard time imagining what a closeted poor might be, and definitively there are no closeted fat people unless they live behind close doors. Better poverty-related shame, fat-related shame, though Trump-support-related shame sounds awkward.

There's all kinds of shame. Synonyms prove that. Clandestine Trump supporters is another way of saying people secretly supporting Trump, but out of fear of derision, keep it hush.

Latent poverty is a possibility provided the poverty isn't extreme.

[aleCcowaN]

In Spanish clandestino is so associated with brothels, betting houses, drug facilities and other illegal or immoral activities (relaciones clandestinas = those involving infidelity or catholic priests and nuns) -and they are almost the only collocations I got in English too-.

It's a pity English makes no distinction between culpable and culposo. Trumpistas culposos also works well.