Stocky

[JPablo]

Tomísimo gives "fuerte" and "rechoncho" for "stocky"...

In the context of talking about a boxer (dog), would it be appropriate to use "robusto"? (robust)

"Rechoncho" has a bit of a derogatory connotation... is this actually, more in the sense of "plump" or "chubby"?

[BenCondor]

Hi,
I would certainly agree that the word "stocky" implies the animal or person is substantial and not thin. But in my experience "stocky" when applied to people is not particularly derogatory, in fact it is one of the nicer ways to explain that someone is a little thick around the waist. Since I'm not an expert on dogs I can't address the specific connotations there, but I doubt they are terrible. Just my take...

[JPablo]

Thank you, Ben, (I will get some counsel with my pillow in short order, and maybe tomorrow we get a fully qualified and authoritative canine opinion...)

Wof-wof (in Spanish "Guau-guau")

[BenCondor]

Looking at your question(s) again I'm actually slightly puzzled, since you ask "would it be appropriate to use 'robusto'?" Being a Spanish word I'd think you'd be telling us, verdad?

If you are trying to be flattering about the dog in general, robust is a good word to use, but it says little about its proportions. A thin dog would be very robust, if it could, say, pull a three ton pickup full of bricks.

If you want to politely say the dog is perhaps a little overweight, stocky is probably a good word to use...assuming no dog experts come on board here and denounce it as a horrible insult. Note that stocky, when applied to the breed overall, would simply mean that the dogs - as a breed category - tend to be solidly built. E.g. "Boxers tend to be stockier than Greyhounds" This is not saying, of course, that all boxers are fat

And I suppose that could apply to an individual dog as well so long as you made your meaning clear.

Just some thoughts. Of course a little background on the purpose of the query would be helpful

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

¿Corpulento?

Creo que robusto es una buena descripción del animal... aún cuando son "flacos", se les ve fuertes.

[poli]

How about fornido or gordito y muscular?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I like fornido. =)

[JPablo]

Well, thank you all. "Robusto" may be totally fine in my context, while "fornido" may also do the trick.

(@Ben, given that I've been only 49 years speaking Spanish, I still hesitate on my word choices... they say that the first 100 years are the worst...) (Sometimes a word that you always thought it meant one thing... suddenly for other people it has other horrible or wonderful connotations... That's why I ask, even in my own language!

[BenCondor]

JPablo,
Thank you for telling me this! To be honest this was the most confusing thread I'd ever seen! I'm asking myself: Why is he asking, in English, what Spanish word to use? ¿¿Qué??

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Ben: Sometimes translation job needs a varied input on what words should be more appropriate to fit in a specific context, and Pablo is particularly sensitive to the fact that some regional usage of words can affect the way translator work is received.