Translations 512, Idioms “button one’s lip, blow one’s own trumpet, bang one’s head against wall, beggar can’t be choosers.” Spanish, Portuguese.
Michael D. Powers, Ph.D., USCCI
US Certified Court Interpreter 1980 / Ph.D. Spanish Portuguese 1981 / 24 years university professor / Estimates: 12,000+ depositions, hearings, etc. / 850 trials / 3000 documents / Conference Interpreter 650 conferences
?
Translations 512, English Idioms “button? one’s lip, blow one’s own trumpet, bang one’s head against wall, beggar can’t be choosers.” Definitions, origins, translations to Spanish and Portuguese.
?
?
1) button one’s lips
definition
not talk about something
?
Origin
“Earlier this idiom was used in 1868 as ‘button your lips’ because during that period of time buttons were used to close things. After Zippers started being used this idiom was modified to ‘zip your lip’ by the people. The use of this idiom can be traced back to 1943. Source:?theidioms.com”
?
?
Translations
?
Spanish
dejar de hablar
[stop talking]
callar lo que uno sabe
[shut up what one knows]
?
Portuguese
fechar a boca
[close one’s mouth]
?
2) blow one’s own trumpet, blow one’s own horn
Definition
“to?tell?people?about?your?achievements,?especially?in a way that makes you?appear?too?proud?of yourself”
?
?
Origin
“The Origins of the Idiom
The origin of this idiom can be traced back to ancient Greece where trumpets were used as musical instruments during celebrations and events. It was common for musicians to blow their own trumpets as a way of promoting their skills and abilities. Over time, this practice became associated with boasting or bragging about oneself.
Usage in Modern Times
Today, the phrase?“blow one’s own trumpet”?is commonly used in English-speaking countries to describe individuals who are excessively proud of themselves and tend to promote their accomplishments without any regard for others’ opinions or feelings. This behavior can be seen as arrogant and self-centered by some people.”
?
?
Translations
?
Spanish
darse bombo
[give oneself exaggerated praise]
cantar sus propias alabanzas
[sing one’s own praises]
Darse autobombo
[give oneself self-praise]
echarse flores
[throw flowers on oneself]
hacer alarde a sí mismo
[make exaggerated praise on onself]
darse charol
[give oneself varnish ]
no tener abuela
[not have a grandmother]
echar / poner mucha crema a sus tacos
[put a lot of sour cream on one’s tacos]
?
Portuguese
vangloriar-se
[boast]
?
领英推荐
3) bang one’s head against the wall
Definition
“means to stubbornly continue trying to achieve an objective that is almost impossible.”
?
Origin
?
Translations
?
Spanish
darse contra la pared
[strike oneself against the wall]
darse con la piedra en los dientes
[strike oneself on one’s teeth with a rock]
?
Portuguese
[bater com a cabe?a contra a parede]
[hit one’s head against the wall]
?
4) beggars can’t be choosers
Definition
In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the following definition is given: “people who need something should be satisfied with what they get even if it is not exactly what they wanted”
?
Origin
An interesting explanation of its origin is found in English-Grammar-Lessons.com:? “The common phrase 'beggars can't be choosers' is said to originate from the mid-1500s, where it first appeared in a collection of proverbs by writer John Heywood.
After the phrase 'beggars can't be choosers' was published in Heywood's proverbs, the phrase fell into popular use in the English language.
The phrase would persist through the 1600s, where it would be picked up by other writers and media houses as soon as the printing press came into more popular use.
'Beggars can't be choosers' has been translated into other languages as a direct phrase as a result of its popularity.
The phrase 'beggars can't be choosers' has remained unchanged since its first use, and there are almost no variations or changes of the phrase even when it is translated.”
?
Translations
?
Spanish
quien pide no escoge
[he who requests / asks for (something) does not choose]
a buen hambre no hay mal pan
[for the very hungry there is no bad bread]
a buena hambre no hay pan duro
[for the very hungry no bread is hard]
a pan de quince días, hambre de tres semanas
[bread that is fifteen days old, hunger that is three weeks old]
en mal tiempo, cualquier agujero es Puerto
[in bad weather, any hole is a harbor]
?
Portuguese
a cavalo dado n?o se olha os dentes
[don’t look at the teeth of a gift horse]
don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
?
Sources
Word Magic Complete and Unabridged English-Spanish Dictionary 8.8.0 2020
Oxford Portuguese Dictionary
English-Portuguese Best Dictionary app
Word Reference Online English Portuguese Dictionary app