Cash in One's Chips

[deandddd]

List Members,

Since I got such a nice answer from Rusty to a different question, I think I'm lucky and would like to try another one.

How would I say, "I'm going to cash in my chips and pull out"?

Some real slang, huh?

Dean

[Rusty]

"To cash in one's chips" could mean a couple of things. Are you talking about quitting a poker game and exchanging your chips, or something else?

[poli]

I think [I]canjear las fichas/chips[I ]is to cash in the chips, and that can be used metaphorically too. Canjear is best, but lots of times cambiar and entregar is used at casinos, voy al cajero y cambiar los chips ahora antes de que pierda todo (or something like that)

[deandddd]

Rusty, Poli,

I was thinking more along metaphorical lines.

I think Poli got it, but I didn't know they say "chips" in Spanish.

Isn't there some way of expressing the idea in an organic way? In order to give a hint, I'll mention that we also say "I'm going to quit while I'm ahead" or we could say "I'm going to pull out before I lose everything".

There must be several options to express something like that.

Dean

[Rusty]

"To cash in one's chips" has a few meanings in English. One is the actual action of exchanging poker chips for their equivalent in money. Two meanings are metaphorical: to quit or give up, and to die.

"Cambiar/Intercambiar/Canjear las fichas" cannot be used in Spanish to mean either of the two metaphorical usages mentioned above.

From the context provided by the OP, the meaning is 'quit while one is ahead'. In Spanish, that can be said, "retirarse con lo ganado" or "retirarse mientras va ganando." "No presionar la suerte y retirarse a tiempo," is another way to say it.

[deandddd]

Rusty,

Thank you very much. That answered my question.

Dean