Translate this sentence for me.

[gissell]

No, sólo quiero tomar cualquier cosa.

This was the answer in a dialog practice to the question:

¿Tienes muchas hambre?

I always want to translate literally but can't do it with this sentence. I think the answer means "I only want a little something." Now, tell me what it really means.

Thanks.

Gissell

[sosia]

Hi, Gissell
you must wait for an native english speaker for the best translation (rusty, elaina, poli,tomissimo, marsopa, etc...)
For the question:
¿Tienes mucha hambre? (mucha wtih no s)
No, sólo quiero tomar cualquier cosa.
literall -->No, I only want to eat anything
The meaning it's like
I have no big hungry, so whatever you give me will be OK.
No, I will eat anything (you give me.)

A similar sentence can be used when you're VERY hungry
¿Tienes mucha hambre?
Si, tomaré cualquier cosa. (Yes, I will eat anything)
Yes, I will eat anything I reach.

greetings

[gissell]

Claro perfectament, ahora.

Muchas gracias.

[Rusty]

¿Tienes mucha hambre? = Are you really hungry?
No, sólo quiero tomar cualquier cosa. = No, I only need something to tide me over.
Sí, tomaré cualquier cosa. = Yes, I'll eat anything within reach.

[sosia]

tide me over? I didn't know the expression.
Thanks Rusty

[poli]

Tide me over means to sustain me sostenerme.

Ejemplo: Can you lend me some money to tide me over until my
next paycheck?

[Alfonso]

Tal y como habéis utilizado la expresión tide me over se puede traducir por apañarse o por ir tirando. Por ejemplo:

I only need something to tide me over: Con cualquier cosa me apaño.
Can you lend some money to tide me over until my next paycheck?: ¿Me prestas algo de dinero para ir tirando?

[Rusty]

Can you lend me some money ...

[Rusty]

By the way, if someone answered the question as Gissell did, it would be understood just fine.

I think the answer means "I only want a little something."

I believe 'something to tide me over' is used more often, so I opted to translate it that way.

Thanks, Alfonso, for the additional expressions.

[Alfonso]

Thanks a lot Rusty for your correction.
A question come to my mind: can you owe me some money? is it a New yorker usage, or a Poli's one, Poli? I guess capitalism rules work differently in the Big Apple, but do you usually ask people to owe you money?

[poli]

Rusty and Alfonso
Of course the correct term is can you lend me some money.I've corrected in my original entry so as not to confuse people.
Poli

[Tomisimo]

As a side note, a good translation for tide me over, when talking about food, is (this might only be for Mexico):

I'm going to eat something to tide me over...
Voy a comer algo para espantar el hambre...

[Alfonso]

In Spain you wouldn't say espantar el hambre but it's easily understood.

[sosia]

Sapin: voy a comer algo para matar el gusanillo....
saludos

origenes de "matar el gusanillo" from http://www.lomascurioso.com/?p=5034

Con el significado más conocido de “entretener el hambre”, esta expresión tiene otro menos empleado que se relaciona directamente con su origen: “beber aguardiente por la mañana en ayunas”.

Desde el siglo dieciséis se pensaba que la ingesta de aguardiente u otra bebida alcohólica al levantarse provocaba la muerte a los parásitos del aparato digestivo. Esta creencia provino tras una autopsia realizada tras la muerte repentina, en julio de 1519, de la esposa de un magistrado de París. En la autopsia se descubrió que la muerte había sido provocada por un gusano que le había perforado el corazón. Se aplicó sobre el animal un trozo de pan mojado en vino, muriendo instantáneamente.

La expresión equivalente en Portugal es “matar el bicho”.

[Tomisimo]

Another one I've heard is voy a comer algo para calmar la tripa.