La verdad es que con la tele se aprende un huevo

[Perikles]

I just can't work out whether that means

1) you learn nothing from the TV

2) you learn a hell of a lot from the TV (you learn a testicle????? :eek:)

:thinking:

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

:lol: It certainly depends on the region what "un huevo" means, but in this case it means "nothing". :)

[Perikles]

:lol: It certainly depends on the region what "un huevo" means, but in this case it means "nothing". :)

My Oxford Spanish dictionary does not give that meaning, but I was guessing from the French l'ouef = English "love" in tennis.

Thanks :)

[JPablo]

No, no, no. In Spain, "aprender un huevo" is "aprender mucho".

Véanse los ejemplos, con una googleada:

https://www.google.com/search?q=define+%22se+aprende+un+huevo%22&oq=define+%22se+aprende+un+huevo%22&aqs=chrome..69i57.5720j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

De ahí, a un pequeño sello, Quality Madrid, en el que hace casi una década ganó su primer sueldo. "Aprendí [***]un huevo[***], pero la música que hacía era horrible.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
AÑO: 2003
AUTOR: PRENSA
TÍTULO: El País. El País de las Tentaciones, 28/03/2003 : LA ELEGANCIA TOMA LA PISTA
PAÍS: ESPAÑA
TEMA: 04.Música
PUBLICACIÓN: Diario El País, S.A. (Madrid), 2003


Desde mi punto de vista es un sitio muy recomendable para aprender un huevo de todo tipo de sistemas y con muy buen rollo en general, de hecho sigo manteniendo un montón de amigos allí.

http://trabajobasura1.rssing.com/chan-10603187/all_p38.html

So, in summary, "to learn a hell of a lot"! :-)

Ah, the Oxford on line gives you these examples, (2nd one applicable to your context!)

me costó un huevo — it cost a bomb
sabe un huevo de vinos — he knows an incredible amount about wine

https://es.oxforddictionaries.com/translate/spanish-english/huevo?locale=en

Saludos, Perikles! (Long time, no see you!)


Debatir nunca es perder el tiempo. Aun sin llegar a conclusiones o a un acuerdo se aprende un huevo. Se aprende mucho, sobre todo a escuchar a los demás.
http://www.cruzdesanandres.com/foroviejo/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3403&start=15

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Oh well, Pablo is likely to know better, since you live in Spain. :D
As far as I know, in Colombia it would have meant "nothing", and in Mexico that expression is not used in that kind of context; on the other hand, I'm biased against TV, so my ignorance and prejudices won again. Sorry for that. :lol:

[JPablo]

No problem.

It is definitely something used in Spain, but not in the rest of the planet...

I don't watch much TV either..., so "aprendo un huevo con los diccionarios e Internet"... ;-)

Saludos cordiales.

[Perikles]

Fascinating! Thanks both. I find this colloquial Spanish very difficult.

And hello again JPablo :)


Edit: I've just read in the same book : "Nos has impresionado un huevo"

[JPablo]

You're welcome, Perikles.

Yes, my mom used to say, "Los primeros cien años son los peores"... :rolleyes: :D

[aleCcowaN]

se aprende un huevo = se aprende mucho ---> huevo = something round and massive, like a boulder
no se aprende un huevo = no se aprende nada ---> huevo = the number zero

[JPablo]

Good point, Alec.

We would understand both correctly in Spain. The first one being the more broadly used.

[aleCcowaN]

We use locally "se aprende una bocha" more, roundish as an egg but it includes some notion of weight, like a bowling ball. For the negative way we prefer similar constructions like that giving origin to putanesca as the name of a sauce, when not referring to failing forms of intimacy.