Travis Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 I really enjoyed the "What does this mean in English?" thread that appeared a year or so ago. It was all about Mexican slang, expressions, sayings, idiomatic phrases, etc., and how they best translated into English. It went on for at least a 3 or 4 pages, but then pooped out. So I'm going to start another thread and hope it catches on. So what does this Mexican/Spanish saying mean in English? "Depende el sapo, la pedrada." (I first learned this from a friend of mine about a year ago. I have since been asked by at least a handful of Mexicans how it best translates into English, and while I can explain it, I still come up empty-handed as far as a saying goes. So if anybody is super-bilingual and has a great English equivalent saying, I'd love to hear it!) So what does... "Depende el sapo, la pedrada" ... mean? _______________________________ Original thread found at link below (I hope): http://www.chapala.com/webboard/index.php?showtopic=45674&hl=%2Bwhat+%2Bdoes+%2Bthis+%2Bmean+%2Benglish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbviajero Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 ( How you should react to a situation depends on the person or problem you're dealing with), is how I would translate it. I like this one; Depende... joven. Anyone want to take a guess on it's meaning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slainte39 Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 "Don't make a mountain out of a molehill" or in discussing the solution to a problem "That's an overkill" Who knows?.....it's an unique Spanish dicho not meant to be used by speakers of other languages. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted August 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 How you should react to a situation depends on the person or problem you're dealing with), is how I would translate it. That's really close to how "depende el sapo, la pedrada" has been explained to me, but a little bit different. The way I understand it, it is more about sizing up a situation or opportunity (or problem), and choosing the course of action that best serves your interests. Por ejemplo: 1. I coach a baseball team. We have two games left in the season and we're on the verge of making the playoffs. We have to win both games. The first game is against a mediocre team, the last game is against a great team. I have two pitchers I at my disposal, one is pretty good, but the other is the best pitcher in the league. Naturally, I choose to put the pretty good pitcher against the mediocre team, and my star pitcher against the great team, hoping to win both games and make the playoffs. 2. A guy and his friend are out for lunch. Guy A is going on his second date with a woman. The friend asks, "Are you going to try to sleep with her?" Guy A responds, "Depende el sapo, la pedrada." (This example is taken directly from Word Reference.) 3. I walk dogs for a living. I'm meeting with two potential clients. Each client has a happy friendly labrador that's easy to deal with, and each client wants the exact same amount of service. One potential client is Joe the Barber who is supporting his large family and doesn't have much money, the other is Carlos Slim. I quote Joe the Barber one price, and Carlos Slim a much higher price because I figure he'll pay it without blinking an eye. (This example is exactly how I learned the phrase. A friend who walks dogs taught it to me. Also, obviously, this example of the "price I charge depends on how much I think the person is willing/able to pay" can trickle all the way down to a vendor at the Tianguis pricing an object one way to a wealthy tourist, and another way to someone he deems has less money to burn.) So yeah, it's really hard to come up with a good way to phrase it in English, probably because it's so flexible and depends entirely on the context. I've never heard "Depende….joven" before. I don't even have a guess yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattoleriver Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 "Price depends on the attitude of the customer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbviajero Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 I've never heard "Depende….joven" before. I don't even have a guess yet. Here's a clue,it's a typical Mexican play on words usually in reponse to when someone asks you for a favor. Pregunta;Te puedo pedir un favor? Respuesta;.Depende..joven.. It doesn't translate into English very well or at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted August 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 jajajaja. I see it. But need to think on the meaning. Running out to do errands... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted August 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 "Price depends on the attitude of the customer" But "depende el sapo, la pedrada" is about a lot more than money. It can be used in a lot of different situations and contexts. I went to Spanish class today, so asked my teacher to expand on it. He agreed that cbviajero and I pretty much have it right, and he gave a couple of other examples, each different. --A teacher might have some students who are fast learners and others who need to go more slowly. In that case, he/she might choose to give the fast learners a more demanding assignment than the others, because they'd be overwhelmed. --A guy forgets his girlfriend's birthday. The size of the present he decides to give her is determined by how big a fuss he expects her to make out of his having forgotten. So I guess it's just too useful in too many different contexts to have an English equivalent. What a great refrán/dicho. Re: Depende…..joven. I saw the word-play earlier, but decided to cheat and ask my teacher. Obviously, the word pendejo is in the middle of it. Again, my teacher gave me an example. Here too it's a response to a question, but not necessarily someone asking a favor. Two guys are going to see Chivas play Atlas at Estadio Jalisco. The guys are Chivas fans, but the stadium is going to be 99% full of Atlas fans. Guy 1: Are you going to wear your Chivas jersey? Guy 2: Depende….joven. So I guess it's kind of like responding, "Are you out of your mind?"….or ….."That would be a really bad idea"….or…."No soy/seas tonto, pendejo." Is that about right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbviajero Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 You've got a good Spanish teacher,Travis. What's a common term for dictionary in Mexico? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted August 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 You've got a good Spanish teacher,Travis. What's a common term for dictionary in Mexico? My Spanish teacher is really talented and I'm very lucky. I have no idea what a common term for dictionary is in Mexico, but I bet it's funny! Hopefully some others will join in this thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbviajero Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Tumbaburros=dictionary. En este foro sobran burros.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted August 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 It seems so. Thanks for tumbaburros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbviajero Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Thanks for tumbaburros. No hay de queso,nomas de papas... Another play on words courtesy of Chesperito. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted August 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 I knew "no hay de queso, no mas de papas" but I didn't know it was from him. OK. Since I guess it's just you and me and nobody else is watching…. "Tanto pedo pa' cagar aguado." OK. How about: "Mucho ruido y pocas nueces." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbviajero Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 I knew "no hay de queso, no mas de papas" but I didn't know it was from him. OK. Since I guess it's just you and me and nobody else is watching. "Tanto pedo pa' cagar aguado." Haha.Tanto andas en el ron-ron hasta que caes en un mojon. Mexican dichos are fun and Mexicans get a kick out of it when gringos use them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbviajero Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Well,Travis since nobody else is watching....? Here are some more (frases). Me vale madre. Que poca madre. No tiene madre. Partir la madre A toda madre. Esta padre. Suelta la marmaja. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted August 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Tanto andas en el ron-ron hasta que caes en un mojon. "Both walk in the rum-rum till you drop in a cairn." For real. That's what Google Translate says. I was hoping to make this thread more inclusive, so I'm going to leave the madres and padres where they are for now (but thanks for the refresher course, because I always confuse the madres and it's going to take me years to get them sorted out). Plus, if I answered the few that I truly understand, I'd get tossed from Chapala.com in a heartbeat. Depending upon my tone, of course. So anybody else out there want to participate? I have questions every single day. I hear things all the time and wonder, "What does that mean?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbviajero Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 I have questions every single day. I hear things all the time and wonder, "What does that mean?"Me too!My ten year old son who has less time in Mexico than I do corrects my Spanish on a regular basis.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dvoreckiy Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Not sure how literally to translate this expression. My friends asked. Each offers its own version. Head smashing on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted August 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Que poca madre. Our new thread participant, Sr. Spam, inspires the use of another "madre" phrase, but since there's probably not a human involved, I'll leave it at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slainte39 Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Que poca madre. Our new thread participant, Sr. Spam, inspires the use of another "madre" phrase, but since there's probably not a human involved, I'll leave it at that. Be honest......it's probably because you can't answer him using the Cyrillic alphabet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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