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Poner la mano en el fuego por alguien

 

An 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  
Old July 24, 2010, 05:56 AM
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Lightbulb Poner la mano en el fuego por alguien

Confiar en alguien plenamente. English?
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  #2  
Old July 24, 2010, 06:47 AM
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I take you could go literal as in "to put your hand in the fire for somebody" but maybe more commonly, "to stick one's neck out for somebody", with the idea that you "take responsibility" for whatever the person may do, as you trust that person.
"Poner la mano en el fuego por algo" would be "to put your finger on something" (as in being sure of it.)
Another ways would be something like, To bet one's life on, to stake one's life on...
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Old July 24, 2010, 06:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JPablo View Post
"to stick one's neck out for somebody
cf. Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca I don't stick my neck out for nobody, before doing exactly that.

Edit: Bad grammar - it should be anybody.
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Old July 24, 2010, 07:06 AM
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Got it! (But is this type of "bad grammar" something like Humphrey would say, and kind of be the "accepted" bad grammar an American native speaker would use?

(Like, I 'dunno' or 'ain't'... these type of things? Or is it 'worser' than that?)
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Old July 24, 2010, 07:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JPablo View Post
... and kind of be the "accepted" bad grammar an American native speaker would use?
Yes, it is definitely used in the lower speech registers, or for humorous effect. In serious, formal or academic speech you would not use it, nor in formal writing. In any other setting, or even in a formal setting where you want to be humorous, it could very well be used.
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Old July 24, 2010, 07:24 AM
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Gotcha!

I mean... I grasp the significance and implications of such usages...
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Old July 24, 2010, 07:26 AM
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Good!

Some other possibilities for the original question:

Poner la mano en el fuego por alguien
To stick up for someone.
To have someone's back (I've got your back on this)
To back someone up.

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Old July 24, 2010, 08:59 AM
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Just right - and also "to go to bat for someone"; "to stick up for someone".
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