# Lo bailado



## manxo

Ten cuidado. Es un abogado implacable. *Te puede quitar hasta lo bailado*. Be careful. He is an implacable lawyer. He can take away even ...  
Intento traducirlo al inglés pero me gustaría hacerlo con algún juego de palabras similar al que hay en negrita. Para que los angloparlantes sepan claramente a qué se refiere, les diré que hay un refrán muy usado que reza: ¡que me quiten lo bailado!, con el sentido de "nobody can take that away from me".
Muchas gracias por la ayuda.


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## spodulike

Mi intento

"He will have the shirt off your back" (fixed phrase)


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## macame

En el diccionario WR ponen este ejemplo:
_familiar_ *¡que nos quiten lo bailado!,* nobody can take away the good times we've had!
Podrías acabar la frase de la misma forma.


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## manxo

La respuesta de Spodulike tiene el inconveniente de que te quita algo físico, algo que, aunque exagerado, es posible. Macame me hizo pensar en los viejos tiempos. Y así, leyendo vuestros posts, acabo de tener una inspiración que quiero someter a vuestra consideración. He can take away even your days of auld lang syne. ¿Podría ser así?


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## spodulike

macame said:


> En el diccionario WR ponen este ejemplo:
> _familiar_ *¡que nos quiten lo bailado!,* nobody can take away the good times we've had!
> Podrías acabar la frase de la misma forma.


 
Oh, in that case please could you give us much more context. Who is speaking to whom? Is he a divorce lawyer?


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## macame

¿Eso vendría siendo algo así como érase una vez?


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## spodulike

manxo said:


> La respuesta de Spodulike tiene el inconveniente de que te quita algo físico, algo que, aunque exagerado, es posible. Macame me hizo pensar en los viejos tiempos. Y así, leyendo vuestros posts, acabo de tener una inspiración que quiero someter a vuestra consideración. He can take away even your days of auld lang syne. ¿Podría ser así?


 
manxo - this is an interesting idea but it would not sound colloquial. Auld lang syne is hardly ever used except in relation to New Year´s Eve. (auld lang syne is a Scottish phrase not English)


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## manxo

macame said:


> ¿Eso vendría siendo algo así como érase una vez?


 No, es algo así como los viejos tiempos.

Spodu, ¿sonaría mejor the old good times?


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## spodulike

You can say "the good old times" but this sounds very odd in the context of lawyers. My problem is that I don´t understand the exact meaning of *Te puede quitar hasta lo bailado*

Could you give a non-legal usage of the term please?


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## pablomad

An example:
Después del viaje estoy muy cansado, pero ¡que me quiten lo bailado!


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## macame

Es un juego de palabras.
La frase original es ¡que me quiten lo bailado! para expresar que nadie puede quitarte lo que has disfrutado.
En este caso, como el abogado es tan implacable, le va a quitar hasta lo bailado (es una exageración).


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## spodulike

macame said:


> Es un juego de palabras.
> La frase original es ¡que me quiten lo bailado! para expresar que nadie puede quitarte lo que has disfrutado.
> En este caso, como el abogado es tan implacable, le va a quitar hasta lo bailado (es una exageración).


 
So in the situation of the lawyer. Do you mean that he will take all your money or do you mean he will destroy your self-composure. Is he a divorce lawyer who will destroy the remaining good memories of the marriage?

What, in literal terms (without using a metaphor) will the lawyer do?


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## manxo

spodulike said:


> You can say "the good old times" but this sounds very odd in the context of lawyers. My problem is that I don´t understand the exact meaning of *Te puede quitar hasta lo bailado*
> 
> Could you give a non-legal usage of the term please?


 I explained it at first (or I tried). It's a play on words from the saying "que me quiten lo bailado"; lo bailado refers to those good moments lived in the past. The text is not a legal one, but literary. The writer is saying that the lawyer can even take away those moments from you, what is actually impossible because they are intangible.


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## macame

¿A qué se refiere con quitar? ¿Dinero, información?
Me refiero a ¿cuál es la intención del abogado: desplumarlo o averiguar todo de él?


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## FromPA

I think Spoulike's suggestion is very good.  "he'll take the shirt off your back"  is a very common saying and conveys the idea that the lawyer will take everything from you.


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## pablomad

I think in this case it means that he will take all of you, doesn't mean if it is possible or not. Because "que me quiten lo bailado" also means that it is impossible to do so. So maybe something like: ...he can take away even your surname?


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## spodulike

macame said:


> ¿A qué se refiere con quitar? ¿Dinero, información?
> Me refiero a ¿cuál es la intención del abogado: desplumarlo o averiguar todo de él?


 
Yes, that is what I am asking. I know it is a play on words but that does not help as I don´t understand the words that are being played upon.


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## Wooda

How about:

he can cheat you out of everything except your memories

Just an idea


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## spodulike

Okay, here is another try
"he is a tough lawyer, he will knock the stuffing out of you"


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## pablomad

spodulike said:


> Yes, that is what I am asking. I know it is a play on words but that does not help as I don´t understand the words that are being played upon.



Ok, when you say "que me quiten lo bailado" you mean that it is impossible for anyone to do so. And as well you mean that you had a great time, and this can't be taken away from you. In this sentence, the meaning (in my view) is that the lawyer will take away from you everything, even the impossible things.
On the other hand, I think it is not a very good sentence in spanish, anyway. But I'd stress the fact that he will take away "SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE AWAY".
My opinion.


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## manxo

spodulike said:


> Okay, here is another try
> "he is a tough lawyer, he will knock the stuffing out of you"


 Esto no lo entiendo; stuffing es relleno, pero no me ancaja. Voy a dar todo el contexto, aunque creo que no es esclarecedor, e intentaré delimitar mis pretensiones. Se trata de un abogado que se dedica a ofrecerse a posibles pleiteantes por una comisión de lo que consiga sacarle ad contrario. Un pobre hombre contrató a un albañil para que le reparase el tejado, éste se cayó y murió y la viuda cayó en manos del tal abogado que está intentando sacarle los cuartos al pobre hombre. En el relato este hecho es circunstancial, no se vuelve a hablar de este suceso hasta el final, es un hecho secundario. Lo que yo estoy intentando es seguir en la traducción la intención del escritor, que es jugar con un refrán de uso corriente para significar que el abogado es capaz de quitarte hasta el último céntimo, y esto lo intensifica hasta decir que le va a quitar lo bailado, cosa claramente imposible. Por eso busco la manera, que se entienda para un angloparlante, de decir algo parecido, y pensaba que podría ser "quitarle los buenos momentos vividos", o algo similar. Muchas gracias a todos por el interés.


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## roanheads

Hi spod,
" que me quiten lo bailado "-- for example with the verb " bailar " = to dance ---- " just let them try to take away the pleasure I have had dancing with that pretty girl." ( after having enjoyed dancing with her, it is impossible to take away that pleasure )

Similarly with other situations, in comparable contexts. 
" Maybe I am broke after spending all the money , but they can't take away the fun I had spending it .

But that lawyer is so tough he will try to skin you alive or something else impossible .


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## spodulike

pablomad said:


> Ok, when you say "que me quiten lo bailado" you mean that it is impossible for anyone to do so. And as well you mean that you had a great time, and this can't be taken away from you. In this sentence, the meaning (in my view) is that the lawyer will take away from you everything, even the impossible things.
> On the other hand, I think it is not a very good sentence in spanish, anyway. But I'd stress the fact that he will take away "SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE AWAY".
> My opinion.


 
Thanks pablomad. Now I understand!!! 

We don´t have an expression exactly like that as far as I know.

I suggest

"He will take you apart"


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## spodulike

What roanheads says makes perfect sense. However we can´t reverse the expression in the way that you ask with the lawyer.

*My suggestions*

"he will take you apart"

"he will take you apart piece by piece"

or

"he will take you apart piece by piece until nothing is left"


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## roanheads

hi spod,
This is really just a play with words to emphasize that this lawyer is as ruthless as they come.


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## manxo

Muchas gracias a todos por las ideas y por el interés.


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## Ushuaia

Hola, manxo. 

Yo entiendo la gracia de la frase, pero (todo no se puede) me cuesta encontrar una equivalente en inglés que se pueda parafrasear de un modo similar. 

La sugerencia de Wooda (#18http://forum.wordreference.com/showpost.php?p=8196678&postcount=18) me hizo pensar en "they can't take away your memories": "he could even take away your memories", o algo por ese lado, pero no sé si funciona en inglés con la fuerza idiomática que "lo bailado" tiene en castellano. 

¡Saludos!


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## spodulike

Ushuaia said:


> Hola, manxo.
> 
> Yo entiendo la gracia de la frase, pero (todo no se puede) me cuesta encontrar una equivalente en inglés que se pueda parafrasear de un modo similar.
> 
> La sugerencia de Wooda (#18) me hizo pensar en "they can't take away your memories": "he could even take away your memories", o algo por ese lado, pero no sé si funciona en inglés con la fuerza idiomática que "lo bailado" tiene en castellano.
> 
> ¡Saludos!


 
Unfortunately "take away your memories" doesn´t sound good in English. 
1. It sounds a little weak
2. It doesn´t resonate with any other expressions that we have


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## stumerr

My tries:
1) He's such a ruthless lawyer, you won't even remember you had a shirt on your back.

or, 

2) He's such a ruthless lawyer, he will indeed squeeze blood from your turnip

the common expression is "you can't squeeze blood from a turnip,"   ie "I know my wife has the best divorce lawyer in town, but you can't squeeze blood from a turnip."   It means, he can't hurt me cause I don't have any money anyway.  So this fits with your desire to use a play on words that normally means he can't take away something from you, but to mean that this guy is so good that in fact he can take it away.

better maybe,

 3) He's such a ruthless lawyer, he will indeed squeeze blood from your stones!


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## spodulike

stumerr said:


> My tries:
> 1) He's such a ruthless lawyer, you won't even remember you had a shirt on your back.
> 
> or,
> 
> 2) He's such a ruthless lawyer, he will indeed squeeze blood from your turnip
> 
> the common expression is "you can't squeeze blood from a turnip," ie "I know my wife has the best divorce lawyer in town, but you can't squeeze blood from a turnip." It means, he can't hurt me cause I don't have any money anyway. So this fits with your desire to use a play on words that normally means he can't take away something from you, but to mean that this guy is so good that in fact he can take it away.
> 
> better maybe,
> 
> He's such a ruthless lawyer, he will indeed squeeze blood from your stones!


 
Interesting but in British English we don´t have any expressions about turnips. Manxo do you want British English or American English?

Your final suggestion certainly sounds painful  but I think it would be much easier to stick with a well-known expression like "the shirt off your back" So, of your suggestions I prefer the first one.


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## stumerr

Hi Spod,

Do you guys in the UK have the expression, "you can't squeeze blood from a stone?"

I dunno, I kinda like "He's such a ruthlessly great lawyer, he in fact can squeeze blood from your stones!"

We also have an expression to lose, sell, etc., "everything but the memories."  So I think you could simply say, "he will take everything, including the memories."


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## manxo

> the common expression is "you can't squeeze blood from a turnip," ie "I know my wife has the best divorce lawyer in town, but you can't squeeze blood from a turnip." It means, he can't hurt me cause I don't have any money anyway. So this fits with your desire to use a play on words that normally means he can't take away something from you, but to mean that this guy is so good that in fact he can take it away


Ésta es la idea. Llegar a una exageración absurda a partir de un ducho popular. Parece que el inconveniente es que no existe tal dicho en BE. 


> La sugerencia de Wooda (#18) me hizo pensar en "they can't take away your memories": "he could even take away your memories", o algo por ese lado, pero no sé si funciona en inglés con la fuerza idiomática que "lo bailado" tiene en castellano


Esta solución tiene también las características que busco si, como dice stumerr, hay una expresión que contiene la palabra memories, pero me temo que spodulike, que está ayudando mucho, no la aprueba.
También encajaría con stones.
En fin, creo que me decidiré por una de estas tres.


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## lairlandesa

Intento
He'd take the shirt off your back, in fact, he'd even take your soul if he could


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## Pauli_cl

Hola a todos:
Para variar yo y mis "en Chile decimos...", pero deseaba añadir que usamos mucho el dicho "*lo comido y lo bailado no me lo quita nadie*" (versión más larga que la que originó este hilo, ¡creo!) y bueno, encontré esto donde también se discute. 
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1629410
Espero que sirva.
Saludos a todos


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## Holacomoesta

He'll take you for all you've got

or

He'll take you for all you're worth

Saludos!


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## lleida2

spodulike said:


> Interesting but in British English we don´t have any expressions about turnips. Manxo do you want British English or American English?
> 
> Your final suggestion certainly sounds painful  but I think it would be much easier to stick with a well-known expression like "the shirt off your back" So, of your suggestions I prefer the first one.


 

Sí, en este contexto probablemente es la mejor traducción. 
Pero en otros no tiene nada que ver. Que me quiten lo bailado es mucho más general, viene a ser una justificación de una actitud en la que prima el bienestar o gozo  actual sobre las consecuencias que pueda acarrear en el futuro, vivir el presente porque el futuro es más incierto, y en cualquier caso, el hecho de que conlleve consecuencias negativas (una posibilidad) se ve compensado inmediatamente por el disfrute actual (una realidad).


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## roanheads

Ahí lo tenéis.
http://erasmusv.wordpress.com/2007/02/23/que-me-quiten-lo-bailao/


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## spodulike

roanheads said:


> Ahí lo tenéis.
> http://erasmusv.wordpress.com/2007/02/23/que-me-quiten-lo-bailao/


 
That´s a very good explanation and a very useful website. Thank you roanheads!


My new attempt in light of this explanation

"mira, hoy estoy muy mal, pero que me quiten lo bailao" ... Look, today I feel bad, but it was well worth it!"

and

"that lawyer will take you for all you are worth" EDIT as proposed by holacomoesta

I guess we anglo-saxons are not so interested in dancing, at least not the men!


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## roanheads

Hi spod,
Hope it helps,---also lots of other useful ones .


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## manxo

Muchísimas gracias a todos por las ayudas. Finalmente he decidido usar esta solución, propuesta por holacomoesta y apoyada por spodulike: He'll take you for all you are worth.


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