# Vas a cobrar lo que no está escrito



## bvivan

Hi all!

I'm looking for an English translation for the phrase "lo que no está escrito". The context is: "Vas a cobrar lo que no está escrito" (a policeman says that to a criminal he has just arrested). How would you translate that sentence? Is there any English phrase using a reference to writing (escrito) as well?

Thank you so much!


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## fenixpollo

Hello, bvivan, and welcome to the forum.

It's not clear what "lo que no está escrito" refers to. Is it an idiomatic expression? Can you explain it to us, please? What is the policeman trying to say to the criminal?

Thanks.


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## blasita

Hola y bienvenido/a al foro, Bvivan:

Aunque ya lo explicarás tú, voy a intentar ayudar y decir lo que entiendo yo mientras tanto. Es algo como decir: muchísimo, en tal medida o tanto que resulta inimaginable. No es que nunca antes se haya 'escrito' en el sentido literal de la palabra, sino que va a cobrar (cobrar=va a recibir golpes, etc., una paliza) más de lo que nunca antes se haya visto, un montón. Sí, es una expresión idiomática, al menos por estos lares.

Saludos.


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## Wandering JJ

There IS a common English expression: _to throw the book at someone_, which means to charge the felon with every possible piece of legislation in order to make sure he 'goes away' (stays in prison) for as long as possible. 

'Vamos a castigarte con todo el rigor de la ley', quizás.

Saludos.


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## KirkandRafer

Wandering JJ said:


> There IS a common English expression: _to throw the book at someone_, which means to charge the felon with every possible piece of legislation in order to make sure he 'goes away' (stays in prison) for as long as possible.
> 
> 'Vamos a castigarte con todo el rigor de la ley', quizás.
> 
> Saludos.


I'm afraid it's not that. The policeman is telling the criminal that he's going to beat him up (_va a cobrar_) in a way that can't even be described. The felon is undoubtedly _up shit creek_, but, well, I reckon it has to do with his physical security rather than with the time he'll spend in prison.


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## bvivan

Gracias a todos por las bienvenidas y las sugerencias!

En efecto el significado de "lo que no está escrito" es muchísimo, más de lo imaginable. En el contexto que planteo el policía le está diciendo al detenido que le va a dar una paliza brutal.

Mi pregunta es si existe en inglés una expresión equivalente. Si emplea el verbo to write mejor, porque en el contexto en que lo estoy usando me vendría bien jugar con ese verbo. Pero si no existe ya me apañaré.

Cómo traduciríais esa frase? "Vas a cobrar lo que no está escrito"

Muchas gracias!


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## KirkandRafer

A la espera de que los nativos te den algo mejor, a mí no se me ocurre nada con ese verbo, pero hay muchas maneras parecidas de decir algo así. No sé, I'm _going to beat the hell/shit/fuck out of you_ o alguna exageración del estilo del estilo de _I'm going to beat you so bad that you'll need to eat from a straw_. Si se te ocurre alguna de esas exageraciones que encaje y les suene bien a los nativos, mejor que mejor, porque lo otro lo veo difícil.


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## RicardoElAbogado

Since the original expression is indirect (not directly saying that the policeman is going to beat the prisoner), I would opt for a similarly indirect way of expressing the thought. So one way is "When we're finished with you, even your own mother won't recognize you." Another one (using concept similar to writing) would be "Words can not describe what is going to happen to you."

I'm guessing that I never want to be arrested by a Spanish cop!


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## gengo

I agree that a similarly vague expression would be best here, and since cobrar in Spain means "to get it," I might say "You are going to get every bit you've got coming to you."  There are many other possibilities, but that's one.


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## swift

Recién vi un tuit que decía lo siguiente:


> Hablar con personas que pasan por situaciones similares a ti *ayuda lo que no está escrito*. Creo que sobretodo es porque sientes que no estás solo.


Entendí enseguida que significa _ayuda {muchísimo/sobremanera/grandemente/en gran manera}_ o, como bien explicaba @bvivan en su momento:


bvivan said:


> En efecto el significado de “lo que no está escrito” es muchísimo, más de lo imaginable.


Creo que en inglés diría _is *extremely* helpful_.

Solo me queda anotar que no es una locución empleada en ninguna de las variantes de castellano con que estoy familiarizado en el continente americano.


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## Cerros de Úbeda

fenixpollo said:


> Is it an idiomatic expression?



Yes. It is an emphasizer like 'muchísimo'.

It is similar to 'que no te puedo ni contar', 'que no te lo imaginas', 'que no quieres ni saberlo', etc.

I would say;

- an awful lot.  (BE)
- a hell of a lot.  (AE)

- like there's no tomorrow.
- like never before.
(= like you have never seen / like you haven't seen before / in your life)

- no end.
- loads.  (slang)


In the OP's example;

- We're going to beat you an awful lot. (BE)
- We're going to beat you a hell of a lot.  (AE)

- You're going to get it no end.
- You're going to get a dusting / a licking / a thrashing.

'You're going to get the biggest dusting ever.'


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## FromPA

Reminds me of a Clint Eastwood line from Coogan’s Bluff: “You won't believe what happens next, even while it's happening.”


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## Cerros de Úbeda

I've just seen one that may be a great fit; 'as all get out':

'You have it coming as all get out.'


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## Aguas Claras

Cerros de Úbeda said:


> I've just seen one that may be a great fit; 'as all get out':
> 
> 'You have it coming as all get out.'


I'm not sure if a British person would understand that. At least, I wouldn't (had to look it up) but I may be missing something. I quite like the suggestion made by @gengo in 2013:  "You are going to get every bit you've got coming to you" or just "you're going to get what's coming to you". Another possibility would be something like: "You're going to wish you'd never been born".


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## Magazine

fenixpollo said:


> It's not clear what "lo que no está escrito" refers to. Is it an idiomatic expression? Can you explain it to us, please? What is the policeman trying to say to the criminal?



He will get a real beating. 

By the way, I know and use the expression like this: Le van a dar/va a cobrar lo que no está en los escritos.


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## franzjekill

Es muy corriente en mi zona "lo que no está escrito". El significado es el que ya han apuntado: muchísimo, así que puede decirse en variadas situaciones. No sé si lo es en Argentina, pero me imagino que sí.


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## Aguas Claras

franzjekill said:


> Es muy corriente en mi zona "lo que no está escrito". El significado es el que ya han apuntado: muchísimo, así que puede decirse en variadas situaciones. No sé si lo es en Argentina, pero me imagino que sí.


Es común en España, también.


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## franzjekill

Aguas Claras said:


> Es común en España, también.


Ah, bueno saberlo, pero el estimado Maga le ha hecho un pequeño cambio "lo que no está en los escritos".


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## elroy

Cerros de Úbeda said:


> - We're going to beat you an awful lot. (BE)


 This doesn't strike the right tone; it's too weak.  Also, "an awful lot" is also used in US English.


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## Cerros de Úbeda

Aguas Claras said:


> I'm not sure if a British person would understand that. At least, I wouldn't (had to look it up)



Yes, you're right... It's not British. It is an informal American phrase.

*(*) Lexico
- As all get out*
informal North American
• To a great or extreme extent.

Lexico - As all get out




elroy said:


> "an awful lot" is also used in US English.



Rather, 'real good', I'd bet;

'We're gonna beat you real good.'


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## elroy

Both are used in US English.  They don't mean the same thing.


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## Cerros de Úbeda

Ah, no...? What's the difference, in your view?


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## elroy

"an awful lot" is about the amount.
"real good" is about the intensity.


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## gengo

"Real good" (= really well) is used adverbially to modify a verb action directly, while "an awful lot" refers more to a quantity.


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## Cerros de Úbeda

Yes, that may be true in a general context, but not in the OP's example. 

In this particular context they are used both the same.


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## elroy

No, you are wrong.


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## gengo

Cerros de Úbeda said:


> Yes, that may be true in a general context, but not in the OP's example.
> 
> In this particular context they are used both the same.



Here is the original context from post #1:   _The context is: "Vas a cobrar lo que no está escrito" (a policeman says that to a criminal he has just arrested)._

In that context, we could not say "an awful lot," as that would mean something like "very often."

In general, we use this phrase to refer to large quantities or to frequent repetition.

Ex.
You eat an awful lot of corn.  (very often, or a large amount at each sitting)
The mother beats her son an awful lot.  (very often)


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## Cerros de Úbeda

elroy said:


> No, you are wrong.



I'm afraid that is not a very reasoned, objective argument.

If you don't make any argument other than you're very own, subjective opinion, then there is nothing much to discuss.

You had said that 'an awful lot' and 'real good' 'don't mean the same', and that, my dear fellow, I'm afraid is not right.

I'd assume that would mean it is you who is wrong;


elroy said:


> Both are used in US English.  *They don't mean the same thing. *






gengo said:


> In general, we use this phrase to refer to large quantities or to frequent repetition.




Oh, no... I'm rather sure that is not quite so...!

You can perfectly well use 'an awful lot' to indicate intensity. For example, you could say;

'It is raining an awful lot!'

There, it can mean both 'large amount', but also 'intensity', all right. I'm afraid what it would not mean is 'frequency'.


Not according to the American dictionary, the 'Merriam Webster', in any case. Look here (second entry);

*(*) Merriam Webster
- An awful lot*
informal
1: a large amount
- They lost an awful lot of money.
- She does an awful lot of talking.
2: very much
- I like him an awful lot.

Definition of AN AWFUL LOT


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## Bevj

No policeman alive would say 'We're going to beat you an awful lot'.  
So whether 'an awful lot' and 'real good' mean the same is a topic for another thread.


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## Aguas Claras

franzjekill said:


> Ah, bueno saberlo, pero el estimado Maga le ha hecho un pequeño cambio "lo que no está en los escritos".


Bueno, no soy nativa pero llevo muchos años aquí (concretamente en Madrid) y siempre he oído "lo que no está escrito". Además, acabo de consultar a mi marido (español) y él también conoce la expresión como "lo que no está escrito".


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## sarah_

Aguas Claras said:


> Bueno, no soy nativa pero llevo muchos años aquí (concretamente en Madrid) y siempre he oído "lo que no está escrito". Además, acabo de consultar a mi marido (español) y él también conoce la expresión como "lo que no está escrito".


Se dicen ambas: lo que no está escrito y lo que no está en los escritos.
Con el mismo significado.
Mi impresión es que el uso de la segunda es menos frecuente. Me resulta más antigua, pero puede que solo se trate de mi impresión.


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## lagartija68

franzjekill said:


> Es muy corriente en mi zona "lo que no está escrito". El significado es el que ya han apuntado: muchísimo, así que puede decirse en variadas situaciones. No sé si lo es en Argentina, pero me imagino que sí.


No  creo haberlo escuchado en Buenos Aires y me costó entenderlo.


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## Aguas Claras

sarah_ said:


> Se dicen ambas: lo que no está escrito y lo que no está en los escritos.
> Con el mismo significado.
> Mi impresión es que el uso de la segunda es menos frecuente. Me resulta más antigua, pero puede que solo se trate de mi impresión.


A lo mejor es un tema regional. O quizá "lo que no está en los escritos" sea la expresión original (refiriéndose a los Escritos de la Biblia) y, a lo largo de los años, se haya quedado en "lo que no está escrito".


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## gengo

Cerros de Úbeda said:


> 'It is raining an awful lot!'
> 
> There, it can mean both 'large amount', but also 'intensity', all right. I'm afraid what it would not mean is 'frequency'.



Only context would make the meaning certain, but it most certainly could mean "frequently."

Ex.
We usually don't get much rain here, but this year it's raining an awful lot.

I've said my piece, and will now bow out of this thread.


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## Aguas Claras

gengo said:


> Only context would make the meaning certain, but it most certainly could mean "frequently."
> 
> Ex.
> We usually don't get much rain here, but this year it's raining an awful lot.


Agree. Another example: "He's missed the training session an awful lot this season."


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