translation emergency

[Victoria]

Hi people ! Emergency!
I'm in the middle of some (English -spanish- English ) translations I have to finish up by next week and I got stuck with a few words . I'd appreciate your help if possible !!

1) SUV ( I know it's a kind of van , but what do the initials stand for? I have to explain it in a footnote)

2) In informal speech , is there an expression that refers to someone who is completely lost? (--> as in disoriented)
3 ) also infomally, how do you say that someone is starting to lose most of his/ her hair? . Is "a bit thin on top" ok?

Thanks a bunch !
Vicky

[Rémi]

1- SUV : Sports Utility Vehicle (Wikipedia) as in the following sentence
I wish my new Renault Clio was a SUV...

2- Speechless... maybe ?

3- Bald

Vic, check Google when you need an info.

[sj]

2. It is sometimes said that someone is "out of it" or that the person " has no clue". If I think of others, I'll add them.
3. "Thin on top" is right.

[Victoria]

Vic, check Google when you need an info.

Ok ok ok ..
Except for SUV, which I admit could've easily found, there are certain expressions in a language known only by those who use them all the time as their 1st language . Sometimes , no matter how much I look into it, even in the best bilingual dictionaries, the answers are not very satisfying. And that¡s when I turn to sources other than books.
But ok , I'll check my doubts elsewhere next time. Sorry.
I appreciate your help.

[gundy516]

Victoria,

I think this forum is an excellent resourse because of the wide variety of people who are a part of it. I would certainly use this as a resource so don't feel bad about coming here.

Our english language can be very difficult to figure out because of all the different meanings,etc. My daughter just got her degree in education with Spanish as her endorsement. I've been enjoying listening to her talk about teaching her students (she's substitute teaching for the remainder of this school year), and how difficult it is going from English to Spanish bacause of 'verb tenses' or something like that!

Hang in there and don't let anyone influence you staying away from all of us here, you never know what someone may learn!

By the way, the answers you got were very good!

[Victoria]

Thanks very much Gundy for your kind response!:D

Our english language can be very difficult to figure out because of all the different meanings,etc.

Yes, well ,.. English is my area of expertise, so of course I cannot say I find it particularly difficult to figure out. (my students would IMMEDIATELY disagree with me on this ! hehe! ) But that's the beauty of all languages , isn't it?: to be rich with meanings , new word coinages, etc . Otherwise, language would be this closed , untouchable boring system, whose elements would be easily retrieved from any dictionary. Actually, language takes place every day , and diccionaries can't always keep up . That't why they are updated every 5 years or so .

My daughter just got her degree in education with Spanish as her endorsement. I've been enjoying listening to her talk about teaching her students (she's substitute teaching for the remainder of this school year), and how difficult it is going from English to Spanish bacause of 'verb tenses' or something like that!

Aww ! she 's a teacher !!good for her!! my kindest regards and congratulations to her!/
Spanish , as well as French, Portuguese, Italian are indeed difficult for English speaking people. I'ts because they all belong to the "Romance" branch of the language tree, whereas English and German for example, belong to the Germanic kind. My language has a different tense form for every pronoun, for every mood (subjunctive, etc) , for every everything! . for example, verb "read" :"yo leo ; tu/vos(arg) lees , el/ella lee, nosotros leemos, ellos leen, vosotros leeis (used only in spain), ustedes leen, ..." blah blah

So I can understand your daughter's affliction. Tell her this : "todo va a estar bien!" ( everything will be allright)

Best !
Vicky

[Rémi]

But ok , I'll check my doubts elsewhere next time. Sorry.

I was joking Victoria.

BTW, I'm glad you didn't ask for those same translations in french, because... I wouldn't have been able to help you there ! (at least for question 2)

[Victoria]

ok ok , remi . Never mind. I knew you were kinda kidding there. Some humor you french guys have! Mon dieu !

[verena]

Well Victoria, we do what we can... LOL

Hey Rémi you changed your avatar ! This one is nicer
By the way, you got any good one of Brad Pitt ? Since he lived just across the Seine from me with AJ before they fled to Africa I got curious and rented his movies. Whoa ! Great actor, hot as hell ! And a good man, surely.
(The answer to your question above is no, it was not in Noisy but Paris, sur les Champs).

[Coda]

Hi, Victoria:

For someone who is completely lost, you could say "at sea." In my idiom dictionary, the example is: "The job was new to him, and for a few days he was at sea."

Of course, there are expressions for someone who doesn't have the mental capacity/curiosity/discipline to handle things properly, and that person might be completely lost because of that. Fun expressions for that include: "one brick short of a load" or "not the brightest knife in the drawer."

[gundy516]

We could have some fun with this: another saying is: 'One french fry short of a Happy Meal'! any others out there?

It's late and I have more work to do so I'm saying good night!

[Victoria]

Fun expressions for that include: "one brick short of a load" or "not the brightest knife in the drawer."

Wow ! thanks guys !
seeee!! THAT was what I was looking for !

And...(my curiosity is endless): Is it ok to say "pushing the envelope" , as in, for ex.: "He's always late and on top of that he never hands in his reports . I don't think he can PUSH THE ENVELOPE".

THANKS AGAIN!

'One french fry short of a Happy Meal'!

HEHEHE! LOVED THAT ONE!

[imnoangel1975]

"Pushing the envelope" generally means to go (or attempt to go) beyond the limits of what is known to be possible.

Regarding your example, I would re-word as such:

"He continues to push the envelope at work by showing up late and neglecting his reports."

[Victoria]

Regarding your example, I would re-word as such:

"He continues to push the envelope at work by showing up late and neglecting his reports."
_________________

Ok , thanks !

[harpfingers]

"He has a few loose screws." Or "Not the brightest bulb in the box." or "Out to lunch."

[jazzfan422]

"His brain guage is running on empty"....."He is dumber than a load of wet wood"..."He is not playing with a full deck"...

[verena]

"He's not playing with a full deck" What's a "full deck" ? (anything to do with cards ?)


In the detective story language there is "He's got the IQ of a pigeon". I like that one.

[Rémi]

In the detective story language there is "He's got the IQ of a pigeon". I like that one.

Or this one : "He's got the IQ of a mussel/oyster".

[jazzfan422]

Yes V, that would refer to cards!