Engavetado

[poli]

I think it's a Mexican term, and I'm not sure what it means. Does someone know?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I've never heard it.

Without any context, this might be used to talk about something (literally or figuratively) put away in a "gaveta". In that case it might be a synonym of "encerrado", "archivado", "guardado"...

[Manuel]

In the dictionary of the Real Academia Española "engavetar" indeed refers to what Angelica mentioned above, but also has this meaning:

"Detener o paralizar un asunto o un documento voluntariamente."

So it seems indeed about putting something away, either literally or figuratively speaking.

P.S. According to the dictionary this is a term used in Cuba, El Salvador and Venezuela.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

That's indeed what the dictionary says. Never heard the verb before. Thanks, Manuel.

[poli]

engafetado maybe?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

No, I hadn't heard that either. What's your context?

[JPablo]

"Engafetar" means "encorchetar", "poner corchetes".

But the context should give the best clues...

[poli]

I think in context the speaker meant bracketed in--como un trabajador que está engafetado en lo que hace, y no tiene el tiempo o deseo hacer caso del ambiente.

[JPablo]

You mean, kind of "saddled with a boring job"...?
Or more in the sense of being totally focused (even "obsessed"?) in his work?

In Spain I may use something like "enfrascado" (buried in or totally absorbed in one's work... "immersed oneself in one's work")

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I can't find anything that has such meaning following your "sound pattern".

I agree with "enfrascado" if it means the worker is willfully focusing on his job; that, in Mexican slang would be "clavado", "metido":

- Juan está tan clavado en el libro, que no nos escuchó llegar.
- Estábamos tan metidos en el trabajo, que se nos hizo tarde sin darnos cuenta.