# Vivo p*ndejo.....



## rich7

Hola amigos bilingues, ando en busca del termino en Ingles que se refiere a estos individuos que se creen mas vivos, (inteligentes en una manera engañosa) que los demas, y no se dan cuenta que a la larga se veran afectados por sus acciones.

Ejemplos:
Aquellos que se colean en una fila para el banco.
"""""""""""""""""""" usan las ideas de los demas para quedar bien con el jefe
"""""""""""""""""""" tiran la piedra y esconden la mano

etc etc ect....


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## psicutrinius

Se me ocurre que es uno al que se le podría decir "you are too clever by half", aunque si no me equivoco, esta es decididamente "British", y además no es una definición, sino una "acusación".

Esperemos a los nativos. Y por cierto, este significado de "vivo", me parece que va a ser difícil de hacer entender a anglosajones. Digamos que "vivo" es lo contrario de "muerto", y lo van a entender más en este sentido... a menos que lleven una buena temporada en un país de habla española (porque me parece que, además, este significado lo tenemos todos o casi todos. Por lo menos, en España, en Argentina y en México, me consta).


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## Txiri

I think we understand "vivos" as clever, but not in an entirely positive light of being clever.  Clever-sneaky, clever-smartalecky, clever-deceitful ...


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## psicutrinius

You are THE ONE I wished to see here, Txiri. Well:

un "vivo" is both (broadly speaking), someone clever "es muy vivo" = he is someone who gets the ideas "on the fly", even before fully formulated (clever without any connotation) and (as rich says) someone TOO CLEVER, or someone who is "parasitic". See his examples.

There MUST be an idiom for this EXACT type of person (this person exists -and annoys everyone- everywhere), but both he and I fail to get the proper word. And there are nuances, too, but these we will work out later and gradually...

You know, we are talking about the ones who:

Try to jump a queue and if caught pretend they had not noticed there was one.
When in a traffic jam, go forward on the outside (right) lane and when it joins try to get in.

and so on. I think I got the message across...


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## Pablo de los EU

Como dijeron hay matices pero en algunos contextos nosotros decimos "weasel" en otros decimos "show off" y tambien hay otros.


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## fsabroso

rich7 said:
			
		

> Hola amigos bilingues, ando en busca del termino en Ingles que se refiere a estos individuos que se creen mas vivos, (inteligentes en una manera engañosa) que los demas, y no se dan cuenta que a la larga se veran afectados por sus acciones.
> 
> Ejemplos:
> Aquellos que se colean en una fila para el banco.
> """""""""""""""""""" usan las ideas de los demas para quedar bien con el jefe
> """""""""""""""""""" tiran la piedra y esconden la mano
> 
> etc etc ect....


Para estos ejemplos, el termino que encaja es el de "cheater"


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## karl-kbn

smartass or smart aleck?

how about  snob?
intellectual ?
highbrow?


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## Txiri

I´ve used "listito" in spanish-speaking company, how does that compare with "vivo"?

A comment on pendejo:  I understand that in Mexico and Cuba, pendejo means stupid, moron, idiot.   I rather gather in Spain it means ¨jerk." (close to asshole)  While in AmE "stupid" and "jerk" often go together like birds of a feather, often a jerk is a jerk because he doesn´t know any better, and therefore is stupid de remate, although some jerks are jerkish, because they are arrogant and don´t take other people´s feelings into account, (however, that, too implies a limit on their knowledge, blinders on their eyes ...)

Hacer una pendejada, from Cuba, seemed to mean, make a real dumb mistake.  Would it have a different connotation i spain?  Is it used in Spain in a different construction, context?


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## rich7

I was just hoping you'd give me the word, that fits perfectly, a word that I'm sure exist because at some time in the past was said by a native in a movie but can not remember it.


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## Angel Rubio

En España apenas se usa la palabra "pendejo" salvo por los hispanoamericanos residentes en España, sino "pendón" y ésta con un significado distinto. Un pendón es una prostituta o alguien de conducta sexual reprobable, si es que hay tal cosa. Con el mismo significado de pendejo tenemos "capullo" y "capullada" es la acción del capullo.

Creo que tampoco se dice "listito" sino "listillo". Con dos significados, el que presume de saberlo todo y el que se aprovecha de la situación. Por ejemplo, si ves que alguien quiere colarse en la cola del autobús puedes decirle (es informal): Eh, listillo, a la cola.


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## rich7

The word I need must be in English....


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## Txiri

rich7 said:
			
		

> The word I need must be in English....


 
Paciencia!  We´re working on it ...


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## psicutrinius

Ahoar que lo pienso, en España tenemos también la palabra "jeta", que -siempre coloquialmente- define a alguien con muy considerable caradura (la jeta es, en realidad, el morro de un cerdo: Por cierto, el diccionario de wordreference NO da esta última definición). Esto sería aplicable también al sujeto que tratamos de definir en inglés, pero NO es específico suyo: Tan jeta sería el que se salta una cola como el político que defiende una posición opuesta a la que tuvo antes, y que consta "on record".

Y precisamente, de eso se trata: De encontrar la palabra ESPECÍFICA para este sujeto.


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## psicutrinius

*Ah, by the way, KARLKBN*: We are trying to define the, I would say, "parasitic" character who lives off cheating the people around, who feigns being amazed at anybody noticing, or taking exception, at his (her) behavior and who, when he (she) finds himself as the butt of the situation goes off the deep end


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## psicutrinius

Txiri, as somebody else pointed out, in Spain we do not use the word (although we understand its meaning very well). In México, which is where I know is most used, a "pendejada" would be what we in Spain call a "putada", that is, "a despicable act" (though this is NOT formal, of course), as well as a fuck-up.


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## KateNicole

I think whoever said WEASEL really hit the nail on the head!!


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## psicutrinius

Weasel = comadreja

Well, that's a result. And certainly, Kate Nicole being a native, she shold know what can be defined as I said just a few posts ago...

AE speakers, do you agree? and, do you have alternatives?


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## Paco Serra

mi recomendación: cheeky bastard
es muy "british" y algo "girlish" pero te puede funcionar
a mandar


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## randem

How about "snake"?


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## fsabroso

rich7 said:
			
		

> Hola amigos bilingues, ando en busca del termino en Ingles que se refiere a estos individuos que se creen mas vivos, (inteligentes en una manera engañosa) que los demas, y no se dan cuenta que a la larga se veran afectados por sus acciones.
> 
> Ejemplos:
> Aquellos que se colean en una fila para el banco.
> """""""""""""""""""" usan las ideas de los demas para quedar bien con el jefe
> """""""""""""""""""" tiran la piedra y esconden la mano
> 
> etc etc ect....


Por si acaso, en Perú "pen**jo", es una palabra muy grosera, y se le dice a quienes son "muy vivos", a quienes "se aprovechan de todo".

A diferencia de Mexico y otros paises que es tonto.

"vivo pend**jo" = "alerta tonto" (no en Perú)

Saludos!

Nota: creo que en todos los países de habla hispana tambien se les dice "pen**jo" a los pelos/bellos pubicos.


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## plattpou

Se me ocurre la palabra "Gandalla" ó "Gandúl" en español para definir a la persona que describes... 

It means a person who always get his/her way on things passing over others. I dont know the english word for it, but natives could help.

Its a kind of *Abusive *but with the enought intelligence to always find oportunities for her/his own sake.


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## randem

plattpou said:
			
		

> Se me ocurre la palabra  "Gandalla" ó "Gandúl" en español para definir a la persona que describes...
> 
> It means a person who always get his/her way on things passing over others.  I dont know the english word for it, but natives could help.
> 
> Its a kind of *Abusive * but with the enought intelligence to always find oportunities for herself/himself sake.


a freeloader


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## plattpou

Good!!.. tnks for that randem. Freeloader seems to fit well.


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## qbnaenmiami

I think Weasel and Snake fits the bill....

He weaseled/ snaked his way into the long line at the supermarket
He weaseled/ snaked his way into the bosses good graces

See below:


*wea·sel* 

 ( P )  *Pronunciation Key*  (w
	

	
	
		
		

		
			








z
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




l)
_n._ 

Any of various carnivorous mammals of the genus _Mustela,_ having a long slender body, a long tail, short legs, and brownish fur that in many species turns white in winter.
A person regarded as sneaky or treacherous.
_intr.v._ *wea·seled,* also *wea·selled* *wea·sel·ing,* *wea·sel·ling* *wea·sels*, *wea·sels* 
To be evasive; equivocate.
_*Phrasal Verb:*_
*weasel out* _Informal_ 
To back out of a situation or commitment in a sneaky or cowardly manner*snake* 

 ( P )  *Pronunciation Key*  (sn
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




k)
_n._ 

Any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes or Ophidia (order Squamata), having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most tropical and temperate regions.
A treacherous person. Also called *snake in the grass*


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## Lagartija

psicutrinius said:
			
		

> Weasel = comadreja
> 
> Well, that's a result. And certainly, Kate Nicole being a native, she shold know what can be defined as I said just a few posts ago...
> 
> AE speakers, do you agree? and, do you have alternatives?


"Why that little weasel!!!....Did you just see him cut into line?"

I agree that WEASEL (or the more old-fashioned "snake-in-the-grass" for someone who presents the ideas of others as his own) is a good approximation. 
Personally, I would call the person a weasel.... unless s/he was from Massachusetts!

Here we have a special name for drivers who cut into the lane.... "Massholes". But they have to have Massachusetts plates on the car! [snicker!]  Obviously, this is a very regional usage!


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## psicutrinius

Thanks, lagartija.

See the point with "Massholes". Have heard also a line about "Potholevania"...


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## plattpou

Thanks... can you also say..  "his such a weasel" ?  or  "his a weasel" in order to describe someone?.


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## Lizajoy

A smart-assed, yellow-bellied, two-faced slimeball.

Trabajo con uno...

Lizajoy


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## Lagartija

plattpou said:
			
		

> Thanks... can you also say..  "his such a weasel" ?  or  "his a weasel" in order to describe someone?.



It would be: "He is SUCH a weasel!!"
or "He's SUCH a weasel!"


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## psicutrinius

Lizajoy, that's a real buster, I guess. And though that phrase is new to me (and because I still do not see the potential at "yellow-bellied), I now realize I know a few of these. I used to call them SOBs (which they are too, obviously), but this is far more to the point...

And I sympathize with you. Must be, er, unnerving to work with such a specimen.


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## karl-kbn

how about con artist?


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## Txiri

Hi, again:

I thought I would try a little research here, and in the Oxford, "vivo" as "opportunistic", a "sharp, smooth operator." As "taking advantage", a "crafty devil."

Then I took up the words others had suggested, and looked in a slang dictionary.

cheeky: impudent, audacious, nervy
smart aleck: obnoxious extrovert, wise guy
weasel:
snake: treacherous
sly:
sharp: expert, skilled at cheating, especially cards; one who habitually takes advantage of others, a swindler
smooth: glib, crafty
showoff: ostentatious braggart
asshole:
fast: double-crosser (pull a fast one)

So, after some reflection, I think this is -my- best solution:
a wise guy with a lot of nerve

It may be that "wise guy" is not so widely used anymore, but for instance, they used to call Mafia mobsters "wise guys". A wise guy was the kid in school who used to smart-mouth the teacher-- say sarcastic, smart alecky things. 

However, I also feel that if one term uses a swear word, the translated version should also: hence you can dress this up as: an asshole with a lot of nerve

If talking TO someone, you can say, "You´re a real wise guy, you know, you´ve got a lot of nerve." Or, "How dare you?! You´ve got some nerve, you jerk (wise guy, asshole, etc)

Commenting to a sympathetic listener: the NERVE of that asshole! What a lot of NERVE that asshole´s got ...

And further heaping on of the excoriation: a motherfucking asshole with a shit load of nerve ... and on and on. This can get quite creative ...

This has been a huge amount of fun, pondering. I´m not completely sure what sense rich had of vivo pendejo, especially of the pendejo part, but maybe some of these ideas will inspire someone else to greater glory. 

Adelante!


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## Lizajoy

This word has been on my mind for quite a while, and it's finally occured to me that "smug", as in "smug s.o.b." or "smug bastard", might fit.

Saludos,

L


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## rich7

It's been a long time, bu let me tell you, I haven't come across the word that conveys the real meaning of "vivo pendejo" in spanish.

Here's why:
 these weasels, smartalecky,cheeky opportunist guys fit my version of "vivo" really good but the issue here is, that "vivo pendejos" guys taking advantage of their shrewdness usually end up in the last place , at the end of the queue or in a worse situation than before etc. that's why the "pendejo" thing.

still, I have a bunch of new terms for those in question, thanks a lot to all.


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