Dar largas a

[poli]

Does it mean hacer caso omiso or postergar or something else?

[aleCcowaN]

To delay doing something or hold up finishing something or making a deal, generally because of indecision, mediocrity or even on purpose. Some person is expecting something to happen or be done in due course or in a reasonable time, but that isn't happening because another person (instrumental to that end and never just interfering) is just "dando largas al asunto".

[JPablo]

I agree with Alec.

If you want, Poli, I give you this link, for your "edification"

-Vuelva usted mañana -nos respondió la criada-, porque el señor no se ha levantado todavía.
-Vuelva usted mañana -nos dijo al siguiente día-, porque el amo acaba de salir.
-Vuelva usted mañana -nos respondió al otro-, porque el amo está durmiendo la siesta.
-Vuelva usted mañana -nos respondió el lunes siguiente-, porque hoy ha ido a los toros.

http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/vuelva-usted-manana--0/html/ff7a5caa-82b1-11df-acc7-002185ce6064_2.html

[poli]

Thank you JPablo. The Spanish is nice and clear for an article nearly 190 years old! The content in amusing, but I have a question about the imperfect subjunctive usage of the less common "se" ending as opposed to the "ra" ending. I believe the 'se' ending is invariably used in the piece. Do you know if this was common usage in those years, or was it reserved for written pieces?

...not that you're old enough to remember:rolleyes:

[JPablo]

You're welcome, Poli.

Interestingly enough, or rather, sadly enough, we have not changed much in many counts.

The subjunctive with "se", is still very much in use in Peninsular Spanish.

As in,

[...] siempre que seriamente trajese otro fin que no fuese el de pasearse. Admirole la proposición, y fue preciso explicarme más claro.

The only "archaic" part of the above is "Admirole". And even today, we could use this way of expression in a sarcastic or facetious way.

About matters of "age", Mariano José and I go back a long way... ;)

[aleCcowaN]

-se forms are the norm in Andalusian Spanish. Even grammar has been tweaked to admit its use as conditional (only the form with -ra were "tolerated" before -it is indeed the "norm" but in Spain: a past action that wouldn't be performed calls for imperfect subjunctive, not conditional-): "si me hubiese/ra enterado les hubiera avisado" --->(but in Andalusia, Canary Islands) "si me hubiese enterado les hubiese avisado"

[Tomisimo]

Some possible translations for "dar largas a alguien":

to put someone off
to give someone the runaround
to ignore someone
to delay
to stonewall
to pass the buck
to beat around the bush