# ¡qué metida de pata!



## belén

Buenos días de domingo!!

Es un poco vulgar, pero en la traducción que estoy haciendo, los espectadores están viendo un partido de fútbol y los jugadores de nuestro equipo hacen algo mal, lo que permite que el equipo contrario meta un gol.

Uno de los espectadores dice:

¡Qué cagada! Pero si estaban los dos en la portería...¡Serán necios!

Equivalente a ¡Qué metida de pata! , que es lo que he puesto en el título del hilo porque no suena tan feo...

¿¿Me podéis ayudar a decirlo en inglés??

Muchas gracias!

Belén


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## Leopold

Creo que se dice un "gaffe", como en francés. Auqnue no creo que sea tan fuerte como "qué cagada". Quizás "they fucked it up" o "screwed it up"

L.


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## Focalist

Hmm, "gaffe" (en inglés) es más bien una patochada social, un solecismo.

En el contexto del fútbol, yo diría: "What a cock-up!"

F


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## belén

Muchísimas gracias a los 2 

Y estoy contenta porque tb he aprendido la palabra "gaffe", no la conocía.


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## Tormenta

Focalist said:
			
		

> Hmm, "gaffe" (en inglés) es más bien una patochada social, un solecismo.
> 
> En el contexto del fútbol, yo diría: "What a cock-up!"
> 
> F




I agree with F, of course  

"What a cock-up" does not sound good to my Spanish ears, but it is the correct translation.
At least here, in the UK, people use it a lot meaning "que ca**da" .

Tormenta


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## Philippa

Focalist said:
			
		

> Hmm, "gaffe" (en inglés) es más bien una patochada social, un *solecismo*.
> F


Hi Focalist!
Solecism and solecismo look like they have different meanings to me:
solecism   noun  faux_pas, gaffe, solecism, slip, gaucherie a socially awkward or tactless act  
solecismo.  m. Gram. Falta de sintaxis; error cometido contra las normas de algún idioma. 
What do you think?  



			
				Tormenta said:
			
		

> At least here, in the UK, people use it a lot meaning "que *ca**da*" .
> Tormenta





			
				belen said:
			
		

> Es un poco *vulgar* ¡Qué cagada! Pero si estaban los dos en la portería...¡Serán necios!
> Equivalente a ¡Qué metida de pata! , que es lo que he puesto en el título del hilo porque *no suena tan feo*...



I was wondering why the fuss about cagada - look at WR:
cagado,-a adjetivo *familiar* (cobarde, miedoso) coward, chicken
Nothing here looks bad to me!! Is it from cagar(se)? If so, is the WR translation for cagada a bit weak?! I'm very sorry if I've offended anyone here (they are new Spanish words for me so they have no power to shock me!)

More questions (sorry!) Pero si estaban los dos en la portería... What does si mean here? Is it 'if'? If so should estaba be estuviera or something? Or is it 'yes'? Should it have had an accent?

And last but not least....
Belén, me gusta tu nuevo pato.  How was it you found an image that wasn't too big? (I know you explained this to someone else a little while ago - where? And what exactly did you type in to the search engine?) Are there any copyright issues for avatars?

Phew! I've asked 12 questions in this post - sorry!!
Philippa


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## cristóbal

Well, Philippa, I can answer your question about "si"... It's "if" and it means... "but if they were both in the goal, they must be fools!"

And the subjunctive is not necessary because she's referring to something that actually happened in the past--it's not a hypothetical situation--but rather they were indeed both in the goal but the other team was still able to score even with them both guarding the goal.  Hope that helps.


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## Philippa

cristóbal said:
			
		

> Well, Philippa, I can answer your question about "si"... It's "if" and it means... "but if they were both in the goal, they must be fools!"
> 
> And the subjunctive is not necessary because she's referring to something that actually happened in the past--it's not a hypothetical situation--but rather they were indeed both in the goal but the other team was still able to score even with them both guarding the goal.  Hope that helps.



Thanks cristóbal!
It does help lots! I was putting subjunctives nowhere and now I think I'm putting them everywhere!!  Oh, well!
Philippa  
¡Mira! Un post de mí con ninguna pregunta!!


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## belén

Hi Philippa

Yes, in WR there is the translation for cagado but it's different.

Cagado/a is used for coward/chicken 

Eres una cagada, no te atreves a hacer paracaidismo
You are a chicken, you don't dare parachuting...(?? does this verb exist?)

But my "cagada" question, doesn't have anything to do with bravery, it is an expression used when somebody has screwed up...as you can see in the sentence I wrote in my first post.


The "if " question has been answered by Cristobal 

Thanks for the pato compliments 
I got in touch with someone in the forum that made them smaller for me and I am so happy!! The other pato was a bit uptight!


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## cristóbal

Philippa said:
			
		

> Thanks cristóbal!
> It does help lots! I was putting subjunctives nowhere and now I think I'm putting them everywhere!!



Haha, I do that too!


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## cristóbal

belen said:
			
		

> Eres una cagada, no te atreves a hacer paracaidismo
> You are a chicken, you don't dare parachuting...(?? does this verb exist?)



It is indeed a verb... "to parachute."  However, I would say "you don't dare [to] parachute" with the "to" as optional.  

On a side note, I don't know how censorship of the f* word goes in Britain, but in the States it continues to be quite strong and is (to my knowledge?) not allowed by the FCC to be broadcast over television or radio. 
Véase George Carlin's "The seven words you can never say on TV"
I mention this because I don't want anyone to think that "what a fuck up" is acceptable in common speech beyond specific circles... it is better off avoided due to each listener's personal tastes which might be offended.
On that note, I would recommend "What a screw up!"  "What a mess up!" 

But whatever, if you're at a soccer game and you're with your best friend, go on and let it fly!


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## Philippa

belen said:
			
		

> Hi Philippa
> Yes, in WR there is the translation for cagado but it's different.
> Cagado/a is used for coward/chicken
> Eres una cagada, no te atreves a hacer paracaidismo
> You are a chicken, you don't dare parachuting...(?? does this verb exist?)
> But my "cagada" question, doesn't have anything to do with bravery, it is an expression used when somebody has screwed up...as you can see in the sentence I wrote in my first post.
> I got in touch with someone in the forum who  made them smaller for me and I am so happy!! The other pato was a bit uptight!



So are you saying that '¡Qué cagada!' can be rude or not, depending on the context? Would it have been '¡Qué cagados!' if it had been refering to them as cowards?

You are a chicken, you don't dare to try parachuting?
You are a chicken, you don't dare to do the parachute jump?
I'm not sure the verb exists! Certainly your sentence sounds wrong to me.

The other pato was a bit uptight!   I didn't think so!! This pato is wearing mascara and lipstick, I reckon!!  Why a duck, Belén?
Philippa


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## belén

Hi Phil

¡Qué cagados!  would have been "¡Qué cobardes!"
What a cock up = always feminine : ¡¡Qué cagada!! 
It is pretty vulgar, I wouldn't say it at a dinner with the King!
The nicer way to say it would be "Qué metida de pata!

I am a duck-fanatic, I collect all types of ducks; rubber, ceramic, stuffed, sponge...


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## cristóbal

belen said:
			
		

> Hi Phil
> 
> ¡Qué cagados!  would have been "¡Qué cobardes!"
> What a cock up = always feminine : ¡¡Qué cagada!!
> It is pretty vulgar, I wouldn't say it at a dinner with the King!
> The nicer way to say it would be "Qué metida de pata!
> 
> I am a duck-fanatic, I collect all types of ducks; rubber, ceramic, stuffed, sponge...



Well, OK, so you wouldn't say it at dinner with the King, but would you for example say it with your mother-in-law... Or would you ever hear it on TV?  I'm trying to get a feel for what's acceptable and not in Spain, and it's turning out to be a bit difficult, it seems like you can say almost anything.


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## belén

Yes, I think you can say it with your mother-in-law (if you are not Letizia Ortiz ) and you can hear it on TV..
But as you say, in Spanish TV you hear almost everything


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## elroy

I just want to express some hesitance about the answer that was given as an explanation for "si" in the original sentence, "Pero si estaban los dos en la portería."

To me, it doesn't seem that this "si" is used to literally mean "if" (and therefore, as was suggested, "if they were both at the goal, they were both idiots.")

Rather, I think this "si" is what I call a "si of insistence," for lack of a better term.  When I was in Spain for three and a half months, I heard this "si" used exhaustively when the speaker was expressing insistence and/or frustration in an assertion.  This is usually done in response to something that seems to be in the contrary of what the speaker is saying.

In this example, "Pero si estaban los dos en la portería!"  --> *But they were both at the goal!*  How could this have happened!  (I am frustrated because what happened seems to contradict what should have happened.)

Other examples:
-¿Porqué no comes?
-Pues, no tengo hambre.
-Pero cómete un poquito más.
-¡Por favor! ¡Si te digo que no tengo hambre!
*(But I told you, I'm not hungry!)*

(The speaker is insisting on his hunger in response to a contrary request.)

Of course, this "si" need not always be volatile:

-No sé cómo ese tipo ha ganado el premio.
-Bueno, si puede jugar al fútbol muy bien.
*(But he can play football very well.)*

(Insistence on his football-playing abilities to oppose the doubts about his abilities to win the prize.)

That said, I would probably translate this "si" as *"but" * rather than "if."

Any comments?  Please let me know if my reasoning is sound...


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## Artrella

elroy said:
			
		

> I just want to express some hesitance about the answer that was given as an explanation for "si" in the original sentence, "Pero si estaban los dos en la portería."
> 
> To me, it doesn't seem that this "si" is used to literally mean "if" (and therefore, as was suggested, "if they were both at the goal, they were both idiots.")
> 
> Rather, I think this "si" is what I call a "si of insistence," for lack of a better term.  When I was in Spain for three and a half months, I heard this "si" used exhaustively when the speaker was expressing insistence and/or frustration in an assertion.  This is usually done in response to something that seems to be in the contrary of what the speaker is saying.
> 
> In this example, "Pero si estaban los dos en la portería!"  --> *But they were both at the goal!*  How could this have happened!  (I am frustrated because what happened seems to contradict what should have happened.)
> 
> Other examples:
> -¿Porqué no comes?
> -Pues, no tengo hambre.
> -Pero cómete un poquito más.
> -¡Por favor! ¡Si te digo que no tengo hambre!
> *(But I told you, I'm not hungry!)*
> 
> (The speaker is insisting on his hunger in response to a contrary request.)
> 
> Of course, this "si" need not always be volatile:
> 
> -No sé cómo ese tipo ha ganado el premio.
> -Bueno, si puede jugar al fútbol muy bien.
> *(But he can play football very well.)*
> 
> (Insistence on his football-playing abilities to oppose the doubts about his abilities to win the prize.)
> 
> That said, I would probably translate this "si" as *"but" * rather than "if."
> 
> Any comments?  Please let me know if my reasoning is sound...





I think your reasoning is good, Elroy.  At least the intonation, the emphasis put on the word "if" in your examples, the use of exclamation marks show this feature of "annoyance" you suggested.  I agree with you... the translation would be more accurate if we translated it as "but" >>> showing surprise, protesting....

_-Pobre niña!! Está tan triste últimamente...
-Qué dices? Si está riendo todo el tiempo!!! _ (showing surprise)

_-Ve al banco y deposita estos cheques.
-Otra vez! Si acabo de volver del banco!! _ (annoyance, protesting, complaining)

Saludos!!


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## Leopold

elroy said:
			
		

> Other examples:
> -¿Porqué no comes?
> -Pues, no tengo hambre.
> -Pero cómete un poquito más.
> -¡Por favor! ¡Si te digo que no tengo hambre!
> *(But I told you, I'm not hungry!)*
> 
> (The speaker is insisting on his hunger in response to a contrary request.)
> 
> Of course, this "si" need not always be volatile:
> 
> -No sé cómo ese tipo ha ganado el premio.
> -Bueno, si puede jugar al fútbol muy bien.
> *(But he can play football very well.)*


 I think you're abslolutely right abouth the "si". It's an emphatic "si", and should not be translated as "if".

 But I'd like to give you some advice about your examples, which sound to me a little forced:
  -¿Porqué no comes?
  -Pues, no tengo hambre. *Pues porque no tengo hambre*
  -Pero cómete un poquito más. *Pero come un poquito más* (your one is OK, but it sounds better to me this way.
  -¡Por favor! ¡Si te digo que no tengo hambre! *Pero por favor, si te estoy diciendo que no tengo hambre...

  -No sé cómo ese tipo ha ganado el premio.
  -Bueno, si puede jugar al fútbol muy bien. ¡Pero si sabe jugar al fútbol muy bien!

 I hope this will be of some use to you.

 L.*


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## Leopold

belen said:
			
		

> Hi Phil
> 
> ¡Qué cagados!  would have been "¡Qué cobardes!"
> What a cock up = always feminine : ¡¡Qué cagada!!
> It is pretty vulgar, I wouldn't say it at a dinner with the King!
> The nicer way to say it would be "Qué metida de pata!
> 
> I am a duck-fanatic, I collect all types of ducks; rubber, ceramic, stuffed, sponge...


 Personally I find more usual "¡Qué metedura de pata!" , "metida" as a noun sound to me strange. 

 L.


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## Artrella

Leopold said:
			
		

> Personally I find more usual "¡Qué metedura de pata!" , "metida" as a noun sound to me strange.
> 
> L.




Leopold we in Argentina use "metida de pata".  To me, "metedura" sounds odd! Aunque la RAE diga otra cosa...

*metedura. * 
*~ de pata.* 
 1. f. coloq. Acción y efecto de meter la pata. 
Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados


Lunfardo >>> meter [vt] [fixed phrase] *meter la pata * ‘to get one’s leg in’, to do something stupid, to make a mistake, to manage a situation badly. Can be completed with *hasta el fondo * ‘down to the bottom’ for emphasis.

Encontré esto en un diccionario de mexicanismos >>> metida. (De *metida de * *pata.) * f. Error, equivocación.


Saludos!!


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## elroy

Thanks for the confirmations, Art and Leopold.  I was never formally taught about the usage of "si" but simply deduced it from immersion in Spain and am glad to know my conclusions were correct!

And Leopold, thank you very much for the corrections!  They did help, a lot.

In a tiny attempt to return your favor, I'd like to point out one very small error that you made.  In English one doesn't usually say "your one" but rather "yours" or "your + [object]".  Therefore, you could say "your sentence is correct..."  "Your one" sounds very awkward.

That's all.  Thanks again!


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## Leopold

elroy said:
			
		

> Thanks for the confirmations, Art and Leopold. I was never formally taught about the usage of "si" but simply deduced it from immersion in Spain and am glad to know my conclusions were correct!
> 
> And Leopold, thank you very much for the corrections!  They did help, a lot.
> 
> In a tiny attempt to return your favor, I'd like to point out one very small error that you made. In English one doesn't usually say "your one" but rather "yours" or "your + [object]". Therefore, you could say "your sentence is correct..." "Your one" sounds very awkward.
> 
> That's all.  Thanks again!


 You're welcome. And thanks, elroy.

 L.


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## Chaucer

belen said:
			
		

> Buenos días de domingo!!
> 
> Es un poco vulgar, pero en la traducción que estoy haciendo, los espectadores están viendo un partido de fútbol y los jugadores de nuestro equipo hacen algo mal, lo que permite que el equipo contrario meta un gol.
> 
> Uno de los espectadores dice:
> 
> ¡Qué cagada! Pero si estaban los dos en la portería...¡Serán necios!
> 
> Equivalente a ¡Qué metida de pata! , que es lo que he puesto en el título del hilo porque no suena tan feo...
> 
> ¿¿Me podéis ayudar a decirlo en inglés??
> 
> Muchas gracias!
> Belén



Maybe this is too North American:

What a screw-up!


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## vic_us

belen said:
			
		

> Buenos días de domingo!!
> 
> Es un poco vulgar, pero en la traducción que estoy haciendo, los espectadores están viendo un partido de fútbol y los jugadores de nuestro equipo hacen algo mal, lo que permite que el equipo contrario meta un gol.
> 
> Uno de los espectadores dice:
> 
> ¡Qué cagada! Pero si estaban los dos en la portería...¡Serán necios!
> 
> Equivalente a ¡Qué metida de pata! , que es lo que he puesto en el título del hilo porque no suena tan feo...
> 
> ¿¿Me podéis ayudar a decirlo en inglés??
> 
> Muchas gracias!
> 
> Belén


 Yo creo que *¡qué cagada!* podría traducirse sencillamente como *"Fuck!"* o *"Shit!"  *Por razones obvias, la segunda traducción es más apropiada.


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## belén

vic_us said:
			
		

> Yo creo que *¡qué cagada!* podría traducirse sencillamente como *"Fuck!"* o *"Shit!"  *Por razones obvias, la segunda traducción es más apropiada.




Hola Vic,

Te agradezco tu aportación

Lo que pasa es que para mi "shit" no integra en su significado la parte de queja por parte de los espectadores, que no sólo están despotricando "¡mierda, nos han metido un gol!" sino que además son conscientes de que el gol se metió por causa de una "cagada/metedura/metida de pata" de los jugadores.

Thanks Chaucer as well for your help,

Be


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## vic_us

belen said:
			
		

> Hola Vic,
> 
> Te agradezco tu aportación
> 
> Lo que pasa es que para mi "shit" no integra en su significado la parte de queja por parte de los espectadores, que no sólo están despotricando "¡mierda, nos han metido un gol!" sino que además son conscientes de que el gol se metió por causa de una "cagada/metedura/metida de pata" de los jugadores.
> 
> Thanks Chaucer as well for your help,
> 
> Be


 Belen, creo que "¡qué cagada!" incluye a espectadores y jugadores. Es la suerte o la mala suerte que nos incluye a todos. De otra forma, la persona hubiera dicho: "¡Qué cagada se mandaron!" Por lo menos así yo reacciono en la cancha. Ahi va una traducción argentina:

 "¡Qué cagada! (o si quiero culpar a los jugadores ¡Qué cagada se mandaron!) ¡Pero si los dos estaban en el arco! ¡Si serán pelotudos!"


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## belén

En España no se usa la construcción "qué cagada se mandaron" (aunque la entiendo perfectamente), sino que se suele usar a solas 
Diciendo "qué cagada" al menos en la traducción en la que estoy trabajando, los personajes que la pronuncian están despotricando contra los jugadores.

Saludos,
Belén


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## gotitadeleche

Artrella said:


> I think your reasoning is good, Elroy.  At least the intonation, the emphasis put on the word "if" in your examples, the use of exclamation marks show this feature of "annoyance" you suggested.  I agree with you... the translation would be more accurate if we translated it as "but" >>> showing surprise, protesting....
> 
> _-Pobre niña!! Está tan triste últimamente...
> -Qué dices? Si está riendo todo el tiempo!!! _ (showing surprise)
> 
> _-Ve al banco y deposita estos cheques.
> -Otra vez! Si acabo de volver del banco!! _ (annoyance, protesting, complaining)
> 
> Saludos!!



Another option, instead of using "but" is to use "why."

Poor girl!! She is so sad lately...
What are you saying? Why, she's laughing all the time!!!

Go to the bank and deposit these checks.
Again! Why, I just got back from the bank!!


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## Mirlo

Volviendo al tema,
bueno eso depende de dónde vengas;
en Panamá "que cagada" sería what a fu#$ up!
metida de pata = que error/equivocación 

saludos,


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## ONCEAWINNERAWINNERALLWAYS

What a foul-up?


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## Dos Lunas

Yo usaría la frase *They Blew it!*


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## Mirlo

Dos Lunas said:


> Yo usaría la frase *They Blew it!*


 
*They Blew it  *significa: metieron la pata 

Un poquito diferente a "qué metida de pata"


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