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Buscar tres pies al gato

 

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 January 06, 2010, 03:02 PM
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Buscar tres pies al gato
Does anyone know the meaning?
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  #2
Old January 06, 2010, 03:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
Does anyone know the meaning?
Look for troubles... for the complicated part of something.
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  #3
Old January 06, 2010, 03:39 PM
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To split hairs
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  #4
Old January 06, 2010, 03:54 PM
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It's to look for the way of complicating simple things. One knows the cat has four feet, so, trying to find only three is absurd.
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  #5
Old January 06, 2010, 07:33 PM
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Look here.
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  #6
Old January 07, 2010, 09:34 AM
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Don´t you use to split hairs in America?
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Old January 07, 2010, 09:43 AM
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Yes, we do. I means a frustrating argument over things that do not matter.
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Old January 07, 2010, 09:48 AM
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According to my dictionary to split hairs means buscar tres pies al gato.
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Old January 07, 2010, 09:49 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
Yes, we do. I means a frustrating argument over things that do not matter.
That's how I understand it. Would it also mean to be looking at things in complicated ways or where is a potential problem?
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Old January 07, 2010, 09:59 AM
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I think buscando tres pies al gato would be like a malicious auditor looking
for the slightest transgression. Am I wrong?
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  #11
Old January 07, 2010, 10:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
I think buscando tres pies al gato would be like a malicious auditor looking
for the slightest transgression. Am I wrong?
Exactly right.

Now, is it the same with splitting hairs?
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  #12
Old January 07, 2010, 11:45 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
Exactly right.

Now, is it the same with splitting hairs?
Answering this may be what splitting hairs is all about, but I think splitting hairs refers to something silly and not damaging.
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  #13
Old January 07, 2010, 12:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
Answering this may be what splitting hairs is all about, but I think splitting hairs refers to something silly and not damaging.


Will you answer my question? I already have the doubt in my mind.
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  #14
Old January 08, 2010, 07:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post


Will you answer my question? I already have the doubt in my mind.
Buscando tres pies al gato --seems to me that you fishing for something, something to prove your point even what your fishing for may be a trivial bit of evidence.

Splitting hairs is just arguing over trivial matters.

Unless I'm wrong about the Spanish phrase, the meaning is really different.
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  #15
Old January 08, 2010, 07:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
Buscando tres pies al gato --seems to me that you fishing for something, something to prove your point even what your fishing for may be a trivial bit of evidence.

Splitting hairs is just arguing over trivial matters.

Unless I'm wrong about the Spanish phrase, the meaning is really different.
Really, fishing for something is the correct translation. Thanks!
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  #16
Old January 08, 2010, 07:43 AM
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Even better: fishing for something trivial.
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  #17
Old January 08, 2010, 08:22 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
Even better: fishing for something trivial.
Nah, just fishing.

Are you fishing now?
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  #18
Old January 08, 2010, 10:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
Nah, just fishing.

Are you fishing now?
Right, time to get on with my fishing game.
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Old January 08, 2010, 10:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pjt33 View Post
Right, time to get on with my fishing game.
Aha! you like fish, now.
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  #20
Old September 07, 2012, 01:12 PM
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I believe the full phrase is something along the lines of "don't go looking for the three feet of the cat because you're likely to encounter the fourth", meaning, more or less, "you're looking for more trouble than you think you're going to find"
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