Rasgo

[DailyWord]

This is a discussion thread for the Daily Spanish Word (http://daily.tomisimo.org/) for December 12, 2009

rasgo (masculine noun (el)) — stroke, flourish, feature, trait, (rasgos) features, appearance. Look up rasgo in the dictionary (http://www.tomisimo.org/dictionary/spanish_english/rasgo)

Describí el proyecto a grandes rasgos.
I briefly outlined the project.

Es un hombre de rasgos atléticos.
He is an athletic looking man.

[laepelba]

Describí el proyecto a grandes rasgos.
I briefly outlined the project.


This example confused me just a bit when I looked at it. I needed to look it up in RAE for the idiomatic usage. There, it says:
a grandes rasgos.
1. loc. adv. Con sus líneas principales.
2. loc. adv. De un modo general, sin entrar en pormenores.

At first glance, it seemed like this example should have meant that I described the project in a huge and extremely descriptive way. Now it seems that it means quite the opposite.

Is there any way of pointing out some of the more idiomatic usages of the DSW's as we go along? (Just a thought.......) :D

[pjt33]

This example confused me just a bit when I looked at it. I needed to look it up in RAE for the idiomatic usage. There, it says:
a grandes rasgos.
1. loc. adv. Con sus líneas principales.
2. loc. adv. De un modo general, sin entrar en pormenores.

At first glance, it seemed like this example should have meant that I described the project in a huge and extremely descriptive way. Now it seems that it means quite the opposite.
Es como "broad strokes".

[laepelba]

Es como "broad strokes".

Ahhhhhhh...... Thanks!! :)

[Elaina]

So.......

Desapareció de la ciudad sin dejar rasgo alguno.

He disappeared without leaving a trace.



I don't think this definition is included in the DW's explanation or definition of the word.

Am I using the word incorrectly or ?? :confused:

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I think the expression you're looking for is "...sin dejar rastro alguno". :)