Translation Article 600, Idioms “cash cow, call the shots.” Definitions, origins, translations to Spanish and Portuguese, observations.

Translation Article 600, Idioms “cash cow, call the shots.” Definitions, origins, translations to Spanish and Portuguese, observations.

?

1) cash cow

Definition

This basically has two meanings: 1) a consistent, reliable source of income or stream of profitability used to finance a company’s investments in other areas; 2) a reliable source of money earmarked for a certain person or business.

?For example, first-year foreign language courses in colleges and universities are cash cows generating millions of dollars that are then used to support small upper-division language or literature courses in which the student population, and hence the income, is much lower.

Origin

In 1601 and from then on the expression was “milch cow” since cows produce milk after giving birth. And farmers can continue to milk these cows with very little effort and have a constant stream of income.

In 1970, the term “cash cow” came in with the same meaning, and today the latter term, “cash cow” is more prevalent than “milch cow.”

Translations

Spanish

producto muy rentable

very profitable product

producto venta masiva

product that sells massively

fuente de dinero

money source

gallina que pone huevos de oro

hen that lays eggs

?

Portuguese

negócio que sempre dá lucro

a business that is always profitable

negócio produtivo

profitable business / deal

negócio bem sucedido que usa os seus investimentos en novos negócios

a very successful business that uses its investments in other businesses

mina de ouro

gold mine

galinha de ouvos

hen (that lays) eggs

?

Observation

Think about the expression in English to milk a situation for everything it can offer you, in its sense of taking advantage of a situation to get everything its valuable product can afford you.

?

2) call the shots

Definition

The person that is in charge or exercises authority and make the decisions is the one that calls the shots in its figurative or idiomatic usage.

Origin

According to the OED, or Oxford English Dictionary, the first verified usage in the sense of making the decisions was in 1967 (sense 7.i. of “shot,”) in Elliot Liebow's?Tally's Corner: “Sea Cat made no secret of the fact that Gloria was calling the shots in this relationship.”

Translations

Spanish

llevar la voz cantante

the leading voice / main voice / principal voice / lead opera voice leads

dar órdenes

give orders

estar encargado

be in charge

?

Portuguese

dar as ordens

give orders

mandar

order

?

Observation

Before this idiom was used in its figurative sense as an idiom, it was used literally in war to actually count the number of shots. It expanded into its figurative idiomatic meaning of being the decider, the one in charge, etc.

?

Sources

“Cash cow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash%20cow. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.

https://www.quora.com/How-did-the-term-cash-cow-originate

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/113815/whats-the-origin-of-the-figure-of-speech-call-the-shots

WordReference English-Portuguese Dictionary app, 2024

Word Magic Complete and Unabridged English-Spanish Dictionary 8.8.0 2020 by Word Magic Software Ltda.

?

?