# the player sucks (sport)



## aniceto

¿Como se dice "to suck" pero no chupar? Quiero decir pues a ver....cuando se dice "he sucks" creo que es un decir, pero tambien se puede decir de un jugador "he sucks" pero en un deporte etc.... ¿me entiendes? gracias

________________________________
Hablo el dialecto de los puertorriquenos porque soy puertorriqueno, pero estoy aprendiendo otro dialecto, pues quiero decir otras palabras, y por eso estoy aqui. Todos queremos aprender, ¿verdad?


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## cuchuflete

To say that something sucks means that it is bad. Un futbolista sin talento es un ejemplo, como has indicado al mencionar los deportes.

That pitcher really sucks! He has thrown nine pitches without a single strike.

This car sucks.  It spends more time with the mechanic than on the highway.


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## gddrew

Chuchufléte explained it well. However, might I add that saying that something "sucks" is a bit offensive to my ears because its origins are derisive and vulgar. This is another example of where non-native speakers need to exercise caution with slang--and in this case, where native speakers should exercise discretion and avoid "palabras de calle."


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## cuchuflete

Gracias GD, por la aclaración importante.  Sí, se dice mucho, sobretodo la juventud y ciertas otras personas, pero tiene un sonido feo.  A mi parecer sería mejor decir,
'That's/he is/it is atrocious/awful/lousy."


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## esance

Hello,

Gracias a todos por la aclaración, también desconocía la conotación de esta palabra.
En tal caso lo podríamos traducir:

Ese jugador el realmente malo /patético/pésimo/nefasto.

Que os parece?
Any suggestions??

Saludos


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## cuchuflete

Esance-  Lo has captado bien.

Ese jugador es horrendo.  Ese jugador es asqueroso.


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## LadyBlakeney

You are right. You could also say:

It sucks = Es un asco/Da asco.
He sucks = (Él) da asco.
The player sucks = El jugador es un asco/da asco.


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## jacinta

This is one of those words that the youth of today has taken ownership of.  It is an ugly word but is *very* common, so common that I am afraid I am getting used to it!  I also caution foreigners from using "sucks".  I have never heard (in my own world) a person over the age 20 using this word.


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## cuchuflete

Jacinta, 

Sadly, it has moved on to those in their twenties, at least in this backwater.  
Perhaps we should start a list of words and phrases to be avoided by non-native speakers who wish to sound as decent and well-mannered in English as they do in their 
own respective languages.

Here are some candidate words and phrases:

Very unique
Impact [when used as a verb]
Whatever [used in reply to something one doesn't like, but the speaker is too lazy or lamebrained to respond with a reasoned argument]


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## jacinta

OOOOH, I am really bothered whenever I hear "What*ever*"!!!  Whoever started that one should be taken out and shot.  It is just plain annoying!


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## cuchuflete

jacinta said:
			
		

> OOOOH, I am really bothered whenever I hear "What*ever*"!!!  Whoever started that one should be taken out and shot.  It is just plain annoying!



And after we shoot them, we should force them to listen to an endless loop tape of 'have a nice day' as so frequently enunciated by clerks who really mean to say, "You are a thorough pain-in-the-butt customer, and I wish you 
would go out to the parking lot, find your bimmer stolen, tear your artificial nails while reaching for your cell phone...."

You may find fault with my logic, but I am persuaded that whoever invented this use of 'whatever' is also responsible for the adhesive stickers that have found their way onto every piece of fruit in the supermarket.


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## aledu

cuchufléte said:
			
		

> And after we shoot them, we should force them to listen to an endless loop tape of 'have a nice day' as so frequently enunciated by clerks who really mean to say, "You are a thorough pain-in-the-butt customer, and I wish you
> would go out to the parking lot, find your bimmer stolen, tear your artificial nails while reaching for your cell phone...."
> 
> You may find fault with my logic, but I am persuaded that whoever invented this use of 'whatever' is also responsible for the adhesive stickers that have found their way onto every piece of fruit in the supermarket.



Hey!, I collect those stickers, I have over 1000!

just kidding
aledu


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## gddrew

The use of sucks as it is currently used dates back at least to the early 1980's when I was in college. What*ever* I think may have originated with the Valley Girls from the mid-80's, or perhaps with the movie _Clueless_.

The stickers are annoying, but they are on the fruit so that the cashiers know what PLU (price lookup unit) to enter so you are charged the correct amount. Otherwise, given all the variety of fruit and vegetables in today's supermarkets, it would be nigh on impossible to have any accuracy. (Yes, I have worked in a grocery store.)


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## maríafernanda

very unique???
impact???

examples please...


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## dave

jacinta said:
			
		

> This is one of those words that the youth of today has taken ownership of.  It is an ugly word but is *very* common, so common that I am afraid I am getting used to it!  I also caution foreigners from using "sucks".  I have never heard (in my own world) a person over the age 20 using this word.



An American friend of mine, who is in her thirties, often says, "that sucks so hard it blows". But I reckon she got it from Bart Simpson.


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## gddrew

>>that sucks so hard it blows

Can't say as I've heard that one, Dave. But it sounds like something that would come out of Bart Simpson.

What else can you expect from a country that says "I could care less" when the saying is "I _couldn't_ care less"?


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## Magg

Hola,

Os habéis centrado todos en ejemplos con sujetos de persona, excepto cuchuflete, que ha utilizado 'car' con el término.

Supongo que también se puede utilizar con objetos, ¿no?


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## dave

Magg said:
			
		

> Hola,
> 
> Os habéis centrado todos en ejemplos con sujetos de persona, excepto cuchuflete, que ha utilizado 'car' con el término.
> 
> Supongo que también se puede utilizar con objetos, ¿no?



Si, sin problema:

My PC keeps crashing - it really sucks
US foreign policy sucks
His attitude towards work sucks


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## Magg

Gracias Dave.


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## cuchuflete

maríafernanda said:
			
		

> very unique???
> impact???
> 
> examples please...



Maríafernanda-  Very unique se oye muchísimo, y realmente carece de significado.  Único quiere decir sin par, sin igual.  Así que muy único no es más que una tontería.  La gente [¿me atrevo a añadir el adjetivo 'boba'?] lo usa en vez de distinto o especial.


Impact- choque, efecto, consecuencia.  Ya se usa mucho como verbo para decir afectar o causar.


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## Tomasoria

Apoyo la idea de elaborar una lista de "words to be avoided in English for non-native speakers"...we sometimes let these words in our vocabulary without really knowing its real scope and meaning.

 jacinta and cuchufléte, It's up to you...

  Tomás


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## Vicki

Tomasoria said:
			
		

> Apoyo la idea de elaborar una lista de "words to be avoided in English for non-native speakers"...we sometimes let these words in our vocabulary without really knowing its real scope and meaning.


Supongo yo que existen tales palabras y expresiones en español también — frases trilladas, jerga de negocios, etc.

¿Quiénes de vosotros van a hacernos la campaña?   

Saludos.
Vicki


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## Tomasoria

I join the "clean language campaign", as far as spanish is concerned.

 Any question already???

 Tomás


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## jacinta

Tomasoria said:
			
		

> Any question already???
> 
> Tomás



Dirías :  Any *more* questions???

To me, this language usage is an annoyance, to be sure.  But the way the English language is twisted and turned, to mean just about anything you want it to be, is fascinating.  We change our language from year to year and some of the words actually make it into dictionaries, if they are used enough.  Although I am not familiar with all the world languages, I think English is unique in this way, does anyone agree?


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## cuchuflete

Tomasoria said:
			
		

> Apoyo la idea de elaborar una lista de "words to be avoided in English for non-native speakers"...we sometimes let these words in our vocabulary without really knowing its real scope and meaning.
> 
> jacinta and cuchufléte, It's up to you...
> 
> Tomás


Tomás- I happily accept the desafío.  I'll start a new thread, with English words and phrases to be avoided.  I would be most grateful if you would do as Vicki proposed, and begin a list, with explanations, of things I should avoid saying en castellano.  ¿Vale?

Abrazos a repartir entre todos los socias de esta sala.
Cuchu


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## Tomasoria

Thanks for your correction Jacinta.

 of course, languages are sth. alive and I'm not trying to impose any kind of censorship or "whatever" on slang or dialects but for me, as a non-native speaker, is more important to learn the proper expression and then, maybe, get the slang use.

  As for other world languages, Spanish is much of the same and French too...

  every person is a language in itself

   Cheerio

   Tomás


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## Tomasoria

Cuchufléte;

 Acepto el challenge también. there I go...why don't we start with the "FFFFFFCCCCKKK...." question.

  does anyone want to "tirar la primera piedra" (start)??

  Tomás


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## cuchuflete

Tomasoria said:
			
		

> Cuchufléte;
> 
> Acepto el challenge también. there I go...why don't we start with the "FFFFFFCCCCKKK...." question.
> 
> does anyone want to "tirar la primera piedra" (start)??
> 
> Tomás



Gracias Tomás, ya he empezado el hilo nuevo.  En cuanto a la supuesta pregunta que trate de FFFFFCCCKKKK...no veo ninguna ambigüedad.  No se debe usar hasta tener un dominio total del inglés, y de todos modos con muy poca frecuencia.

Back in the days of DOS computers there was a screen saver cookie that showed each of the following statements on successive screens:

"Sex is not the answer."

"Sex is the question."

"'Yes' is the answer."


Pero FFFCCCKKK no es ni la pregunta ni la respuesta.

Te toca Tomás


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## jacinta

Tomasoria said:
			
		

> I join the "clean language campaign", as far as spanish is concerned.
> 
> Any question already???
> 
> Tomás




Sorry, I think I read your post wrong.  I'm not sure...you meant, does anyone have a question now, already, to ask the board??


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## elgringollunya

Hola a todos,

What do you (all) think about using "to stink" instead of "to suck"?  That way you could avoid the negative connotation.  In the end, though, it would be better to use a more specific word or phrase.

-Stephen

P.S. Please pardon my "Texanese."


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## Phryne

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Here are some candidate words and phrases:
> 
> Very unique
> Impact [when used as a verb]
> Whatever [used in reply to something one doesn't like, but the speaker is too lazy or lamebrained to respond with a reasoned argument]



Oh boy! This is almost _MY _lexicon, and I am in my late twenties. 

Well, I'm glad  I don't say "very unique", or "to impact"... but.... 

I say all these no-no words.  
- whatever = very easy to throw when you don't feel like answering.
- it sucks = much easier than to think about synonyms
- it stinks = idem "it sucks"
- like like like like like every second = It's like, you know, those days like you don't feel like... 
- fucking = f and = no fucking way, no f. and way, I don't f and care, etc
- BS (bullshit) = Come on! There are better adjectives than BS!
- crap = That's crap (I don't like it). What's that crap on the floor.

And... I have a personal favorite that I share with MR. Colin Powell, believe it or not.
- incentivate==  Spanish speakers, Warning! This is not a word!!!! The correct form is "incentivize", but it's extremely uncommon. "Motivate", or "give an incentive" are far more used. 

This is what I can think of right now. 

saludos


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## Barbara S.

I'm in my 50's and when something sucks, I say "it sucks". Of course, when I use that word it has a lot more strength than when a teenager uses it.


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## Curiosa

Aniceto, I know you were asking how to say "it/he sucks" is other varieties of Spanish, but I just wanted to add a note to what some have said about the English phrase. 

Using "that sucks", "it sucks", or any of the derivatives for that matter, like some have mentioned, can also be heard from those above 20 years of age. In fact, it´s fairly common among my colleagues (me included!) who are all PhD candidates in their 20s and 30s. My students use this word in front of me with no problem and I may use it in front of my professors, but only the ones I feel most comfortable with (I should say ¨with whom I feel most comfortable¨, but the former is what I say when I don´t monitor my language ). It´s a good idea to monitor your use of "it sucks" because some listeners are more conservative than others and find its use uncouth. I don´t use the phrase in cases where it´s possible the listener could get offended (e.g., formal situations, with people you don´t know or don´t know well, older people because they tend to be more traditional).


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## Curiosa

Using "to stink" instead of "to suck" (as in "to be terrible") sounds like a perfectly legitimate replacement. I find it hard to come out of my mouth without wanting to laugh, though. Some people do say it, but I don´t find myself ever converting. It sounds too kiddish for ME (but that´s me!). But, don´t let me give you the wrong impression about the word "to stink" in this context, though, because it *is* an appropriate replacement.





			
				elgringollunya said:
			
		

> Hola a todos,
> 
> What do you (all) think about using "to stink" instead of "to suck"? That way you could avoid the negative connotation. In the end, though, it would be better to use a more specific word or phrase.
> 
> -Stephen
> 
> P.S. Please pardon my "Texanese."


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## Cristmarsal

Vaya!
Yo me traje dos coletillas de EEUU... 
1. Super, super... todo es super super fantástico
2. Wathever
... ¿De verdad no me las puedo quedar?... Me gustan tanto!


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## chica11

Jacinta: I completely agree with you I HATE the word whatever!!  I find it to be really rude! I must confess that I am twenty-something that uses the word sucks, not very nice of me.  It's usually in this connotation: "I got a bad grade on my essay!" , "Oh that sucks!"


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## Justham

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Gracias GD, por la aclaración importante.  Sí, se dice mucho, sobretodo la juventud y ciertas otras personas, pero tiene un sonido feo.  A mi parecer sería mejor decir,
> 'That's/he is/it is atrocious/awful/lousy."


 A mis hijos siempre les recomiendo que lo reemplazcan con "stinks."


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## Justham

Phryne said:
			
		

> And... I have a personal favorite that I share with MR. Colin Powell, believe it or not.
> - incentivate==  Spanish speakers, Warning! This is not a word!!!! The correct form is "incentivize", but it's extremely uncommon. "Motivate", or "give an incentive" are far more used.


 
Lástima que no tengamos Real Acdemia de la Lengua Inglesa!   Otra versión que he oído es "to incent." Business-ese


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## Terry Mount

Estoy de acuerdo con GDDREW... the word sucks really sucks. I find it offensive as well ....

"Butt" also is heard everywhere... and I would advise non-natives not to use it.  (oops does this require another thread?)


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## Terry Mount

"at this point in time"

George W. has dressed it up by saying "at this point in history."  (Thinking of your legacy, are you, buddy?)


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## emilykb

Has anyone seen the commercial where people say "my cable sucks" and their TV is literally sucking up things from around the house? I admit I'm in my 20s, but I found it quite amusing. Especially since the people in these ads saying "sucks" looked to be between 30 and 50. 
My point being... it may be an ugly word, but I think this is one that's here for good.


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## Yashi

jacinta said:
			
		

> This is one of those words that the youth of today has taken ownership of.  It is an ugly word but is *very* common, so common that I am afraid I am getting used to it! I also caution foreigners from using "sucks". I have never heard (in my own world) a person over the age 20 using this word.



hahaha i'm 24 and I say "that sucks, you suck, it sucks" all the time.. It's just a word anyhoo.. if it's considered vulgar then it's at a very low point on the spectrum.  Why? Because it's pretty hard to take it as an insult.. always sounds like it's a joke to me. It's all about intentions.


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## Fonεtiks

Han escuchado el "apestas" que algunas películas usan para traducir "you suck"? Es horrible, nadie lo usa. 
Concuerdo con esance y cuchuflete. "estás horrendo", "estás mal" "eres muy malo", aunque más coloquialmente en Perú decimos "estás pa'l gato" o "estás hasta el queque" para significar algo aproximado.


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## Sancho Panza

I'm not a native speaker, but I think you can say "suck", you just have to choose when you can or you can't use it.... As in all languages, there are some words that are not nice. 
But from what I've heard from native speakers, this word it's very used, so, just be careful when you use it.
Perhaps I'm wrong.... i don't know....


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## Sancho Panza

Realmente lo de apestas nadie lo utiliza y suena ridículo. Aquí en España (o al menos en la zona en la que yo vivo) usamos más que algo o alguien "da asco", "es asqueroso"... y para el caso de "you suck" creo que usamos bastante "das asco" aunque supongo que hay más expresiones...


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## araceli

Aquí usamos: apestas, das asco, es asqueroso, es inmundo, etc.
El castellano es una lengua muy rica y expresiva y con muchas variantes.


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## SaritaMackita

Terry Mount said:
			
		

> Estoy de acuerdo con GDDREW... the word sucks really sucks. I find it offensive as well ....
> 
> "Butt" also is heard everywhere... and I would advise non-natives not to use it. (oops does this require another thread?)


 
I would agree with some others that sucks is used all the time and means absolutely nothing vulgar in the slightest among the younger generation, but does in the older generations.  As far as "butt" is concerned, this to me is not a vulgar word in the slightest.  I would use the word in front of my grandma.  The vulgar word that should be avoided if meaning to sound proper starts with an A...  You could say "bottom," "behind," or "buttock" instead of "butt," but people might laugh at you because it sounds so old fashioned.  That's just my opinion.  Of course, I am of the younger generation.


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## Maikax

Hoy dia le dije a una amiga que tenia que ir al dentista y ella dijo "that sucks"... como se traduciria?

gracias de antemano


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## Terry Mount

¡Qué mala onda!


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## versus1001

Y por si tu amiga es espanola:
- Que putada! (very slang)
- Eso apesta!


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## helenkr

Nobody in this country, as far as I know, uses 'sucks', as in 'that team sucks' and so forth. 

However, we have even more stupid misuses of words and phrases, for example:


Mint= great!
Minted (normally pronounced without the 'd' at the end)= great!
gay=bad/stupid
the dog's bollocks= really great
sad= bad/stupid
we also overuse phrases such as, 'at the end of the day', meaning 'in conclusion'. That is mainly used by footballers, who tend to have one brain cell between the lot of them!! 

The other phrases are developed mainly in the playground (in schools) and so come and go really quickly.


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## JLanguage

I don't find "to suck" offensive and use it all the time, but try to avoid it when talking to adults. "to blow" is a little more offensive, but I rarely use that anyway.

Of course the expressions  "this sucks ass!", "this sucks cock!", or "this fucking sucks!" are very vulgar and offensive but are heard with relative frequency among teenagers.


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## ryba

Hi everyone!



JLanguage said:


> I don't find "to suck" offensive and use it all the time, but try to avoid it when talking to adults. "to blow" is a little more offensive, but I rarely use that anyway.



Well, I thought "that sucks so hard it blows" (I'm pretty sure it came out of Bart S.) was sth like "It sucks so hard that it rocks", a kind of oxymoron, but now that you said "to blow" is a bit more offensive than "to suck", I guess it's rather like "It sucks really hard" (quite the opposite of what I firstly thought). It has the same connotation as "to suck" then, doesn't it??




Maikax said:


> Hoy dia le dije a una amiga que tenia que ir al dentista y ella dijo "that sucks"... como se traduciria?
> 
> gracias de antemano





Terry Mount said:


> ¡Qué mala onda!



Yeah, qué les parece "¡Qué mala onda!"??




araceli said:


> Aquí usamos: apestas, das asco, es asqueroso, es inmundo, etc.



He escuchado decir a un argentino jóven que una persona "apesta":

_X (un cantante) apestó en vivo toda su vida.
_
Creo que aquí tiene el sentido de "He's always sucked/He's always been a sucker...", si no me equivoco (?).




aniceto said:


> como se dice "to suck" pero no chupar



Jaja, mis amigos y yo somos un ejemplo de la difusión de la cultura norteamericana fuera del mundo angloparlante  ; a nosotros nos gusta jugar con palabras y decir cosas raras e incomprensibles para los que no están acostumbrados al "slang" que viene de los Simpsons; inventando cosas como "To ssie", lo que significa literalmente "Eso chupa"/"It sucks", aunque en polaco no se lo use así, jeje. Un comentario muy fuera de fecha de este hilo, lo sé.


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## abeltio

cuando es realmente apestoso se dice: sucks ass! (no repetirlo en reuniones formales)


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## ryba

abeltio said:


> cuando es realmente apestoso se dice: sucks ass! (no repetirlo en reuniones formales)



Jajaja!!

Pues, _apestar_, _ser apestoso,_es moneda corriente en el lenguaje argentino.

Reitero mi pregunta, ¿qué les parece "_¡Qué mala onda!_"?

Gracias de antemano


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## Basenjigirl

SaritaMackita said:


> I would agree with some others that sucks is used all the time and means absolutely nothing vulgar in the slightest among the younger generation, but does in the older generations.  As far as "butt" is concerned, this to me is not a vulgar word in the slightest.  I would use the word in front of my grandma.  The vulgar word that should be avoided if meaning to sound proper starts with an A...  You could say "bottom," "behind," or "buttock" instead of "butt," but people might laugh at you because it sounds so old fashioned.  That's just my opinion.  Of course, I am of the younger generation.



I agree. My 70-year-old mother almost had a coronary when the preacher said something about how the devil "sucks" during a sermon. I wasn´t there but she told me about it later and said how offended she was by that one word that she couldn't listen to the rest of the sermon!


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## Mirlo

en mis tiempos, fue tan simple como "he sucks" = "el no sirve para nada!"
saludos,


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## jimpofic

Fonεtiks said:


> Han escuchado el "apestas" que algunas películas usan para traducir "you suck"? Es horrible, nadie lo usa.
> Concuerdo con esance y cuchuflete. "estás horrendo", "estás mal" "eres muy malo", aunque más coloquialmente en Perú decimos "estás pa'l gato" o "estás hasta el queque" para significar algo aproximado.



Lo de "apestas" es muy interesante ya que...  for me, "It/he/she stinks - you stink" is very close in meaning to "It/he/she sucks - you suck"

I think "stink" came into common use before "suck" and to my ears is slightly less offensive, but still pretty strong.


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## Joe Tamargo

It is clear that "sucks" used this way refers to felatio, but what is not clear is why it refers to something that's very bad.  Wouldn't an orgasm be something good?

My theory is that the expression came from show business:

"That actress has no talent. How did she get the role?"

"She sucks."


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## danielfranco

That's as good a theory as any. Funny.
Now one from way out left field.
Perhaps it goes into even darker territory... I always thought that in settings where sex was not ever consensual, like prison, one of the worst things might be to be the one that "sucks".
Therefore:
It sucks = "it" is the worst thing.

But, meanwhile, back at the ranch...


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## Rapek

De pronto te sirva: _Apestar._


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## on a rose

I like to watch popular T.V. shows with Spanish subtitles, and whenever someone says, "This sucks!" it is translated to "Esto apesta!" ("This stinks!").

On another note, I don't find the expression "that sucks" to be vulgar or offensive in the least. It's just another (and more common) way to say "that stinks". In fact, I had a Brazilian friend who always said this, and I found it rather cute with his accent.


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## Joe Tamargo

There's some really good material in this thread.  I will add:

In the 1980 move "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu" Peter Sellers, as Dennis Nayland Smith, and speaking of some young Asian boys with blow-dart guns, says, with immense dignity: "That depends on whether *Fu Manchu* has taught them to suck instead of blow."


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## Joe Tamargo

It appears one isn't allowed to copy private messages and post them in the forums.  OK.  Didn't know that. It wasn't anything bad.

Here's a link somebody might be interested in:
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2304


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