LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

  En todas partes cuecen habas (y en la mía a calderadas) Everywhere birds sing (flowers bloom, rivers flow, dogs bite), the same everywhere Siempre es igual porque en todas partes cuecen habas It’s always the same because everywhere dogs bite — “Pero en todas partes cuecen habas.” Javier Pérez de Silva et al. , La televisión contada con sencillez , 2002. Esp. || “Ciertamente en todas partes se cuecen habas, pero aquí el homicidio se ha desbordado hasta límites que contradicen...” Tiempo, 16/4/1994. Colom. Ser algo habas contadas A cinch, as good as done, take it or leave (lump) it Este proyecto son habas contadas This project is as good as done / Sólo tienes tres opciones. Son habas contadas You only have three options: take it or dump it — “…aunque tampoco hay muchas opciones. Son habas contadas.” La Vanguardia, 24/10/1994. Esp.

  Servir (valer) igual para un roto que para un descosido Serve any purpose, suit any occasion, good in all weathers Este tema es bueno e igual sirve para un roto que para un descosido This theme is good and will suit any occasion — “… la palabra biodiversidad vale tanto para un roto como para un descosido.” Miguel Delibes, Vida , 2001. Esp. Siempre hay (nunca falta) un roto que para un descosido There’s a lid for every pot, every pot has its lid, every Jack has his Jill, scabby donkeys scent each other over nine hills, there’s an ass for every saddle María y Pedro se casaron, imagínate, siempre hay un roto para un descosido Mary and Peter got married, imagine, there’s a lid for every pot — “Y como nunca falta un roto para un descosido…” Benito Pérez Galdós, Miau , 1888. Esp. || “Siempre hay un roto para un descosido.” Antonio Gala, Los invitados al jardín , 2002. Esp. 

  Yes, grammar may be difficult to master, and vocabulary takes time to memorize, but phraseology is the wall all language learners, even natives find hard to overcome. A set of words, a sentence, that makes no sense taken at face value: "fall off a turnip truck", for instance, has nothing to do with turnips, trucks or even falling. Never mind about a push or a shove in the expression "when push comes to shove" because it really means that we must take action, and commit ourselves at the moment of truth when we really have to. If idioms, sayings, and phraseology present a true challenge, you can well imagine what it is to translate them into another language. I am finishing my THE LARGER PHRASEOLOGICAL DICTIONARY, ENGLISH AND SPANISH , after 4 years of intense work and dedication. The statistics are: a manuscript of 850,000 words. 33,000 idiomatic expressions. 33,500 samples of usage translated into the opposite language. 8,000 citations from publications in Hispani...

When I was a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the  University of Pittsburgh ,  Dr. Mario Pei , Mellon Visiting Professor, a renowned linguist, and expert on comparative linguistics, asked me to write a paper on English-Spanish idioms. Later, at  Scranton University , I expanded that work and compiled many index cards, which I took, in files, to  Franklin and Marshall College , where I joined the Modern Language Department. When I moved to Madrid, all those cards were left behind and later lost in a fire. In 1995  Ediciones del Serbal  published my  A Phraseological Dictionary, English-Spanish , 383 pp. with the aid of an IBM PC1 computer. I was not wholly satisfied and wanted to rewrite it and make it a complete work on comparative phraseology, and in 2020 I found time to roll up my sleeves, spit on my hands, and finish the task once and for all. Now, with 34,000 idioms, 68,000 usage examples in both languages, 7,000 citations, and 1.530 pages, I am conf...

  Plenty of stowaway idioms come into Spanish in the ship of translations and translators. I have read this immigrant phrase in Spanish Después del caballo hurtado, cerrar la caballeriza  mirroring  the original Too late to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted . In Spanish we would say, with the same meaning, muerto el burro, la cebada al rabo .  I am trying to give serious equivalents to phraseological units in my Phraseological Dictionary, English-Spanish , which is almost completed.  

I want to make my Phraseological Dictionary as helpful to the user as possible. I am making it also a dictionary of synonyms. For the entry Once in a blue moon , I give de uvas a peras , de pascuas a ramos , de higos a brevas and cada muerte de obispo . For each of the Spanish idioms I add, after once in a blue moon , every now and then . This is more painstaking but probably more helpful to the user, to the student who wishes to enhance their knowledge of phraseology in the other language.      

Más vale algo que nada. Más vale antes que después. Más vale caer en gracia que ser gracioso. Más vale la salud que la riqueza. Más vale tener que desear. Más vale tarde que nunca. Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando. Más vale pedir que hurtar. Más vale perder la silla que el caballo. Más vale maña que fuerza. Más vale perro vivo que león muerto. Más vale prevenir que lamentar. Más vale un hoy que diez mañanas. Más vale un toma que dos te daré.

  A place for everything and everything in its place Un sitio para cada cosa y cada cosa en su sitio I need order: a place for everything and everything in its place Necesito orden: Un sitio para cada cosa y cada cosa en su sitio — “A place for everything and everything in its own place. I have this motto on the notice board in my room.”   Kenneth Hall, Asperger Syndrom: The Universe and Everything , 2001. US. And everything Y todo She told me about her family, her husband, her job, and everything Me habló de su familia, su marido, su trabajo y todo — “ Asperger Syndrome: the Universe and Everything .” Kenneth Hall, 2001. US. Be everything to one Serlo todo para uno Martha is everything to me Marta lo es todo para mí — “You are everything to me, my dear!” Joseph Policape, Interpretations of Romance… , 2006. US. Be in everything Enredarlo todo, estar en todo My four-year old boy is in everything My chico de cuatro años lo enreda todo — “God is in ever...

  A la vuelta Upon returning, when getting back A la vuelta te lo diré I’ll tell you when I get back A la vuelta de After A la vuelta de algún tiempo se dio cuenta de su error After a while, he realized his mistake — “A la vuelta de algunos años volvió al pueblo y se casaron.” Dicc. De uso del español de América y España , 2002. Esp. A la vuelta de la esquina Around the corner Las navidades están a la vuelta de la esquina Christmas is just around the corner — “Bogotá.---El ministro del Interior y Justicia Sabas Pretelt afirmó que un acuerdo para liberar a los secuestrados está a la vuelta de la esquina si el...” Radio Caracol – 23/12/2003. Colom. A la vuelta lo venden tinto Song and dance Sí, claro, todo es complicado, y a la vuelta lo venden tinto Yes, of course, everything is complicated, and that song and dance — “… y en la vida, como en todo, a la vuelta lo venden tinto.” Ramón Ayerra, La vida inútil , 1978. Esp. A vuelta de correo By retur...

  Cheek by jowl (jole) Codo con codo, mano a mano, pared con pared The church is a little different, standing cheek by jowl with the monastery La iglesia es un poco diferente, pared con pared con el monasterio Cheek to cheek Cara con cara, juntitos, agarrados They were dancing cheek to cheek Bailaban agarraditos Have a cheek (nerve) Ser un cara (caradura), tener la cara dura, ser un jeta Peter has a cheek Pedro es un cara Have the cheek (nerve) to Tener la cara (la desfachatez) de, la jeta de He had the cheek to tell me I am always late Tuvo la cara de decirme que siempre llego tarde Tongue in cheek Con la boca pequeña, con sorna (burla) I told her tongue in cheek that she was attractive Le dije con la boca pequeña que era atractiva — “… the women eventually chose several men to become honorary Sons of Bilitis (or SOBs), tongue-in-cheek designation they wore proudly.” Paul D. Cain, Conversations… , 2002. US. Turn the other cheek Poner la otra mejilla If he ...

  I may be able to help with English and Spanish phrase translations. I believe I have answers, run-of-the-mill bilingual dictionaries don´t. Try me. You might even alert me to expressions I don´t have in my collection. Get in touch. Thank you!