Petty

[EmpanadaRica]

Hola a todos, Hi all.

I was just wondering if there is a good Spanish equivalent to the word 'petty'?

I think I came across ' petty crime' here ('delito leve' ), but what about e.g.

-A petty thief/ theft
- A petty mind/ pettyminded
- Petty cash

Or pettiness (i.e. smallmindedness)? Would this most likely/often be translated as 'pequeño/a' or 'leve' e.g.?

[CrOtALiTo]

I've no idea above the your answer.

But I've understood that pretty also means Bonito.

[poli]

One term is de poca monta

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

I've no idea above the your answer.

But I've understood that pretty also means Bonito.

Crotalito.......él preguntó sobre la palabra petty no pretty. Aunque son muy parecidas, tienen un significado totalmente diferent.

Pettiness = pequeñeces

My

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by EmpanadaRica

[...]

-A petty thief/ theft -> ladrón de poca monta
- A petty mind/ pettyminded -> ser de mente cerrada/de mente estrecha, ser mezquino
- Petty cash -> might need a correction here, but I think that's "caja chica".

Or pettiness (i.e. smallmindedness) -> mezquindad

"Mezquino"/"mezquindad" has a negative connotation (miserable, small, stingy, envious...) .

"Pettiness" as "pequeñeces" can also be said "minucias".

[EmpanadaRica]

Ok so quite a mixed bag of possibilities!

I didn't know any of them yet!

¡Muchas gracias a todos!

[chileno]

Delito de menor cuantía.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Elaina

Crotalito.......él preguntó sobre la palabra petty no pretty. Aunque son muy parecidas, tienen un significado totalmente diferent.

Pettiness = pequeñeces

My

Yes, I can see, I was confused.

[brute]

Originally Posted by EmpanadaRica

Hola a todos, Hi all.

I was just wondering if there is a good Spanish equivalent to the word 'petty'?

I think I came across ' petty crime' here ('delito leve' ), but what about e.g.

-A petty thief/ theft
- A petty mind/ pettyminded
- Petty cash

Or pettiness (i.e. smallmindedness)? Would this most likely/often be translated as 'pequeño/a' or 'leve' e.g.?

Petty is evidently from the (Norman?) French word petit which is seldom used in English except in the expressions you quoted. Petty mind/theft etc. are used in a negative and contemptuous way. Even petty cash sounds as trivial as small change. I think we need a translation which includes not merely "smallness" but "merely smallness", "pettiness" as well

[sosia]

petty cash: calderilla
pettyminded: pequeñez de ideas, rastrero, obtuso
petty thief: raterillo

Saludos

[EmpanadaRica]

¡Gracias Chileno, Brute and Sosia!

By the way (for who might be interested )

In Dutch a petty thief = een kruimeldief (a thief of crumbs).
The same word is used for one of those small hand vacuum cleaners.

[Tomisimo]

Petty cash = Caja chica (México)

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

Petty cash = Caja chica (México)

In Chile too.

[poli]

Originally Posted by EmpanadaRica

¡Gracias Chileno, Brute and Sosia!

By the way (for who might be interested )

In Dutch a petty thief = een kruimeldief (a thief of crumbs).
The same word is used for one of those small hand vacuum cleaners.

Wonderful. Crumb thief. This could be a brand. I have a Dirt Devil.
I would prefer a Crumb Thief.

[EmpanadaRica]

Originally Posted by poli

Wonderful. Crumb thief. This could be a brand. I have a Dirt Devil.
I would prefer a Crumb Thief.