May 2012
32 posts
6 tags
Presidential Election in the Dominican Republic
May 20, 2012: Presidential Election in the Dominican Republic. By this time tomorrow we’ll know who’s toast: mamá or papá.
20 de Mayo de 2012: Elecciones Presidenciales de la República Dominicana. A esta hora mañana sabremos si quedamos huérfanos de padre o de madre.
¡Que viva la patria!
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Ser un hijo de Machepa
Literal translation: being Machepa’s son. Obviously, Machepa was not an illustrious member of Dominican society, but it’s hard to say who he/she was or how this idiom got started. Do you know who Machepa was?
Meaning: being poor, unimportant or falsely accused. Generally refers to any situation in which you are getting the short end of the stick.
Significado: ser pobre, ignorado o...
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Ni lava ni presta la batea
Literal translation: you don’t wash nor lend your “batea”. Batea is a word inherited from the Tainos (native inhabitants of Quisqueya - Dominican Republic). It describes a big flat bowl usually made of wood used to wash gold in the river. Also used by Dominican women of past generations to carry and beat clothes in the river as they washed. It’s unclear if this idioms...
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Pijotero
Meaning: person who does not like to share
Significado: persona que no comparte lo suyo
Use: general, colloquial
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Ta' pasao'
Literal translation: to be passed
Meaning: to be out of line, to have no clue or to say an unfunny joke
Significado: “estar pasado”: pasarse de la ralla, decir algo inapropiado, estar equivocado o contar un chiste sin gracia.
Use: colloquial, urban
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Eso se cae de la mata
Literal translation: that falls from the tree
Meaning: that is obvious
Significado: eso es obvio; no necesita explicación
Use: colloquial, general
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Guindar los tenis
Literal translation: to hang the tennis shoes.
Meaning: to die
Significado: “colgar los tenis”: morir.
Use: colloquial
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Morir en lo' avance'
Literal translation: to die in the previews
Meaning: to fail to accomplish something before even setting out to do it. To be stopped by someone else before you can try to do something. Also used to refer to romantic suitors who get rejected before they get a chance to woo the girl.
Significado: “morir en los avances”: fracasar antes de comenzar a hacer algo, sin tener la oportunidad...
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Pelando pa' que otro chupe
Literal translation: “peeling so someone else can suck.” This is a refence to fruit vendors on the streets of the Dominican Republic, who sell peeled oranges for their patrons to eat.
Meaning: working so someone else can reap the fruits of my labor. This is very frequently just an ironic way of saying “I’m hanging in there”, a comical answer to give someone who...
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Deja tu bulto
Literal translation: leave your bag
Meaning: don’t tell me stories, don’t try to pretend, stop joking.
Significado: no me digas cosas que no son verdad, no trates de fingir, no bromees.
Use: colloquial, urban
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Un palo
Literal translation: a stick
Meaning: a success
Significado: un éxito
Uso: colloquial, urban
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Enamorá' como una gata con valeriana
Literal translation: in love like a cat with valerian root. This idiom is based on an actual phenomenom of attraction exhibited by cats when exposed to valerian root.
Meaning: crazy in love; used to refer to a woman who is head over heels for someone, paying attention only to the loved one and forgetting everyone else around her.
Significado: “Enamorada como una gata con valeriana” -...
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¡La botaste!
Literal translation: you threw it away
Meaning: you excelled, exceeded expectations, or surprised everyone. Used to refer to actions or speech.
Significado: lo hiciste muy bien, excediste las expectativas o sorprendiste a todos. Se usa para referirse tanto a acciones como palabras.
Use: colloquial, urban
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