# Persian: دستپاچه شدن /dastpaacheh shodan/



## Haji Firouz

Good morning, sobh bekheir!  

I would like to consult an expression with you please. I came accross دستپاچه شدن /dastpaacheh* shodan/, translated as: "to get cold feet". How would YOU translate it and how would you use it (what context)?
In the same book, /dastpaacheh/ is translated as: "confused". Would you agree?

Now, as far as I know, "to get cold feet" is rather related to having doubts, than being confused! The doubts may be about proceeding with an event (an engagement, etc).

*PS. I don't find this word in my main dictionary at all. Is it an obsolete word?

Thank you & have a nice day!
Ana-Maria


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## Eastern Ludicrous Writer

Haji Firouz said:


> Good morning, sobh bekheir!
> 
> I would like to consult an expression with you please. I came accross دستپاچه شدن /dastpaacheh* shodan/, translated as: "to get cold feet". How would YOU translate it and how would you use it (what context)?
> In the same book, /dastpaacheh/ is translated as: "confused". Would you agree?


صبح شما هم بخیر
A shy boy meet a girl and want to talk with her, he دستپاچه می شود.
I found Fluster as meaning.
to get cold feet
I found it in Farsi دو دل شدن, means when you do something, suddenly think may be this way is wrong! and you will be in middle of a dilemma!


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## ebrahim

Good day,

دستپاچه شدن means to get nervous suddenly in its modern, most common sense. For example, همین که او را دیدم دستپاچه شدم و نتوانستم چیزی بگویم. As soon as I saw her, I got nervous (stressed out) and couldn't say anything.

It also can mean 'to be hurried'. For example,  او با دستپاچگی اتاق را ترک کرد, He left the room hurriedly. Here دستپاچگی is a noun and means haste or hurry.

_Cross post_


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## PersoLatin

Haji Firouz said:


> In the same book, /dastpaacheh/ is translated as: "confused". Would you agree?


panicky, nervous, (literally, all hands and feet/hooves) not confused, confusion is a symptom of it.



Haji Firouz said:


> *PS. I don't find this word in my main dictionary at all. Is it an obsolete word?


دستپاچه شدن is a compound verb and you won't easily find it, I am producing a list of these and one of these days it will available, no definite time yet. It is always best to look for the non-verb part first, it doesn't always help but it is a start e.g. here's one.


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## ali likes the stars

I've always wondered wether it meant that "your hands become your feet" in the sense that due to shyness, panic, rush, or nervosity, you become unable to do whatever it is you want to do properly as if suddenly you had feet instead of hands.

Though it's interesting because بی‌دست و پا means clumsy, but دستپاچه means pretty much the same, if for other reasons, doesn't it?


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## Haji Firouz

@ali likes the stars, I am curious as well about the origins of this idiom. Your explanation seems very likely!

Thanks everyone. Quick update: eventually I did find دست پاچه as two words in the dictionary (this spelling may be more frequent, I'm not sure). I didn't know پاچه meant hooves.


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## Eastern Ludicrous Writer

Haji Firouz said:


> I did find دست پاچه as



دیکشنری آنلاین آبادیس - Abadis Dictionary - معنی دستپاچه

پاچه is پا foot + چه  sign of small  = small foot.  It means from knee to toe of leg.

دستپاچه , it is probably a person who do not know, to use his arm or foot. This is my believe without reliable reference!
As there is another combination دست وپا را گم کردن


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## truce

Good synonym for "دستپاچه شدن" is "هول شدن/ کردن" (hol)


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## PersoLatin

ali likes the stars said:


> Though it's interesting because بی‌دست و پا means clumsy, but دستپاچه means pretty much the same, if for other reasons, doesn't it?


There are at least three (maybe more) involving hand and feet with very different & distinct meanings:

1- دست و پا چلفتی (dast o pâ ĉolofti) - uncoordinated, clumsy, awkward

2 - دستپاچه شدن to panic or become panicky, as truce has said هول شدن/ کردن _ I am sure this is taken from the behaviour of cattle and sheep when they are spooked, hence the use of پاچه.

3 - بی‌دست و پا  - incompetent, useless, less that useful, بی عرضه


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## ali likes the stars

PersoLatin said:


> 1- دست و پا چلفتی (dast o pâ ĉolofti) - uncoordinated, clumsy, awkward
> 
> 2 - دستپاچه شدن to panic or become panicky, as truce has said هول شدن/ کردن _ I am sure this is taken from the behaviour of cattle and sheep when they are spooked, hence the use of پاچه.
> 
> 3 - بی‌دست و پا - incompetent, useless, less that useful, بی عرضه



1. If I understand correctly, دست و پا چلفتی is rather descriptive than judgemental. A _klutz: _[A person who will always find a way to trip, bump into things and people. And on occasion, they partially knock themselves out by walking into walls] (urban dictionary)

3. بی‌دست و پا is very judgemental, deeming a person unfit for any kind of work.

Is that right?


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## PersoLatin

ali likes the stars said:


> 3. بی‌دست و پا is very judgemental, deeming a person unfit for any kind of work.


Yes and same goes for the other two  



ali likes the stars said:


> If I understand correctly, دست و پا چلفتی is rather descriptive than judgemental.


They are all are descriptive. But no one likes to be called دست و پا چلفتی, you can use all three to describe someone who you are fond of without causing too much offence, but then all adjectives can be used that way.


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## ali likes the stars

PersoLatin said:


> That are all are descriptive. But no one one likes to be called دست و پا چلفتی, you can use all three to describe someone who you are fond of without causing too much offence, but then all adjectives can be used that way.


I see.
Is a sentence like  *او آدم دست‌پاچه شده‌ای است *possible to describe an ongoing state? Or is دست‌پاچه more of a momentary thing, as in لحظه‌ای که معشوقش را دید, دست‌پاچه شد ?


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## Eastern Ludicrous Writer

ali likes the stars said:


> possible to describe an ongoing state? Or is دست‌پاچه more of a momentary thing, as in لحظه‌ای که معشوقش را دید, دست‌پاچه شد ?



It is for a moment, not for a long time!
If a person all the time is clumsy, he /she is دست پا چلفتی



Eastern Ludicrous Writer said:


> A shy boy meet a girl and want to talk with her, he دستپاچه می شود.



In my sample I tried to show it!



ali likes the stars said:


> لحظه‌ای که معشوقش را دید, دست‌پاچه شد ?


with معشوق the relation is very deep and no need for flustering!


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## Eastern Ludicrous Writer

ali likes the stars said:


> like *او آدم دست‌پاچه شده‌ای است *possible


او، آدمی دست پا چلفتی شده است


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## ali likes the stars

Eastern Ludicrous Writer said:


> with معشوق the relation is very deep and no need for flustering!


I see. I meant something like a secret love interest.



Eastern Ludicrous Writer said:


> In my sample I tried to show it!


I must have missed it.



Eastern Ludicrous Writer said:


> او، آدمی دست پا چلفتی شده است


Thank you.


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## Eastern Ludicrous Writer

ali likes the stars said:


> I see. I meant something like a secret love interest.


So in secret love, as I had no experience cannot say anything!!!


Eastern Ludicrous Writer said:


> A shy boy meet a girl and want to talk with her, he دستپاچه می شود.


this sample is simple and straight forward.


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