# the girl next door



## vero75

que significa esta frase:

"if you want to see the girl next door, then go next door"

Si quieres ver a una chica común detras de la puerta??, entonces, ve detras de la puerta??? puede ser así?

Gracias


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## Bienvenidos

Una opción:

Si queres ver a la chica que vive al lado de mi/nuestra/esta casa, entonces ve a su casa


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## Filis Cañí

La vecina, vaya. 

En inglés "the girl next door" significa una chica corriente, en contraposición a una estrella de Hollywood.


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## Sr. Moose

_"Si quieres ver a la chica de al lado, entonces ve a la casa de al lado."_


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## Filis Cañí

Si quieres ver a una chica corriente, vete al río.


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## outkast

No Filis, no es una chica corriente. Es una chica como tu hermana. Sería aceptada por tus padres en la mesa familiar. Viene de una familia similar a la tuya y con los mismos valores.


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## chilebear

Si quieres ver la chica al lado que vaya a verla


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## Filis Cañí

outkast said:


> No Filis, no es una chica corriente. Es una chica como tu hermana. Sería aceptada por tus padres en la mesa familiar. Viene de una familia similar a la tuya y con los mismos valores.


 
No estoy muy convencido, la verdad. Para mí que "the girl next door" tiene más de _homely_ que de _familiar_.


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## VerdeViento

"The girl next door" definitely has good connotations. I doesn't mean that she's boring or homely, but rather familiar, innocent, and pure. I agree with outkast, a girl like your sister. So the phrase doesn't literally refer to the girl who lives "al lado de ti" but rather that type of girl. Therefore, it's a play on words that shouldn't be directly translated. It's saying that if you want an innocent, pure girl like your sister, go where you know you'll find her, next door!


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## Lagartija

Filis Cañí said:


> No estoy muy convencido, la verdad. Para mí que "the girl next door" tiene más de _homely_ que de _familiar_.



No estamos de acuerdo, Filis. "The girl next door" significa una chica muy sana, sin pretensión, como tu hermana o prima. No como las famosas.


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## Filis Cañí

I got this from Wikipedia:

"The prototype of the girl next door is often invoked in American contexts to indicate [1] wholesome, [2] _*unassuming,*_ or [3] *"average"* feminity; . . ."


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## Filis Cañí

Lagartija said:


> No estamos de acuerdo, Filis. "The girl next door" significa una chica muy sana, sin pretensión, como tu hermana o prima. No como las famosas.


 
En contraposición a las estrellas de Hollywood, tal como dije antes.


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## Lagartija

Filis Cañí said:


> I got this from Wikipedia:
> 
> "The prototype of the girl next door is often invoked in American contexts to indicate [1] wholesome, [2] _*unassuming,*_ or  [3] *"average"* feminity; . . ."
> 
> I win 2-1!



Notice that I said, "wholesome", then "without pretense".  Average does not refer necessarily to looks one would describe as "homely".  It refers to someone who is not "glamorous" but who is "normal".


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## outkast

C´mon Filis! Not you! 
The same article says: 
She is the sweet girl he sees every day, a really great friend, or the perfect girl to bring home to his parents...
It also says: . She is often a virgin. *Due to her innocent manner, many erotic fantasies use the girl next door purely as a pretense behind which a real woman is secretly very sexual. 
*


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## Soy Yo

Diga lo que diga Wikipeida... Lagartija tiene razón.  "The girl next door" es "a wholesome girl"....  sin pretensiones, etc.  Una chica de una inocencia atractiva y sana.


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## outkast

OK, we did Wikipedia, now let´s do Urban dictionary: check this out


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## Filis Cañí

*homely*
3. Of a simple or unpretentious nature; plain: _homely truths._

(From Answers.com)

No sé si se dan cuenta de que me están dando la razón. ¡No sean tan cabezones! (Wink.)

Y quien conozca una alternativa a "corriente" más apropiada, que la diga en vez de marear más a la perdiz.


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## VerdeViento

I think the only point of contention here is whether "girl next door" has good connotations or bad connotations, right? I would say that it always has good connotations- it means all of the english adjectives we've come up with- but always connotes the positive of said adjectives. 

En fin


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## Lagartija

Filis Cañí said:


> *homely*
> 3. Of a simple or unpretentious nature; plain: _homely truths._
> 
> (From Answers.com)
> 
> No sé si se dan cuenta de que me están dando la razón. ¡No sean tan cabezones! (Wink.)
> 
> Y quien conozca una alternativa a "corriente" más apropiada, que la diga en vez de marear a la perdiz.



When referring to women, NEVER use homely to mean "unpretentious or simple" !!!!   If you say that she is a homely girl, you mean that she is BUTT UGLY!!!!    At least, that is what is meant by calling a girl homely here in the Northeastern US.

If we mean that she is unpretentious, we use that word. NEVER. use. Homely.


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## Soy Yo

homely en inglés connota "nada bonita"...eufemismo para "fea". Y tu ejemplo es de "truths' y no de chicas que viven al lado (wink)  .

HA HA... you go, Lagartija!!! No hairs on your tongue!

I also agree with VerdeViento... Verde que te quiero verde.  "girl next door" is a compliment!


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## VerdeViento

Does "corriente" have bad connotations?


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## Lagartija

VerdeViento said:


> I think the only point of contention here is whether "girl next door" has good connotations or bad connotations, right? I would say that it always has good connotations- it means all of the english adjectives we've come up with- but always connotes the positive of said adjectives.
> 
> En fin


I agree totally.  It is always positive.  The girl next door is the one you want to eventually marry.


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## Lagartija

VerdeViento said:


> Does "corriente" have bad connotations?



According to the WR reference: http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=corriente

The first definition is "ordinary", "common".


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## VerdeViento

So... now that we've established its meaning... is there an equivalent in Spanish? Does "corriente" have a bad connotation?


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## Soy Yo

I think "corriente" may be close to "run of the mill"...ordinary in that sense. Perhaps part of the problem is that in English to say that someone is "ordinary" is not always a bad thing. "I'm just an ordinary guy." (no presumptions, down to earth, etc.) I believe in Spanish if you are "ordinary" (ordinario, corriente)...there's something wrong with you, you don't measure up...you're just run of the mill.


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## bfd

vero75 said:


> que significa esta frase:
> 
> "if you want to see the girl next door, then go next door"
> 
> Si quieres ver a una chica coún detras de la puerta??, entonces, ve detras de la puerta??? puede ser así?
> 
> Gracias


 
about the original phrase - we also say "if you want to make money, then go where the money is" 

I think it means if you want something then you have to do what's necessary to get it.

Just a thought --


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## Filis Cañí

"Corriente" is quite neutral, and it doesn´t connote wholesomeness. "Sana" would connote wholesomeness, but then I´d have the lot of you telling me that the girl next door is not only healthy but also ordinary... (Wink.)


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## Lagartija

Filis Cañí said:


> "Corriente" is quite neutral, and it doesn´t connote wholesomeness. "Sana" would connote wholesomeness, but then I´d have the lot of you telling me that the girl next door is not only healthy but also ordinary... (Wink.)



Yaaaa....you are probably right!!

Funny thing about this discussion.... I think that the reason we are getting on your case is that "ordinary", when describing a girl, is somewhat negative. The girl next door is alway really cute!  She is not considered "ordinary" in looks.
Ordinary has the connotation of "plain" and that is NOT a compliment.  So, the descriptive terms for "the girl next door" usually emphasize the "wholesomeness", "innocence", cuteness, etc.  But not glamorous, since that would be a bit pretentious....and the girl next door is never pretentious.  But she is not "plain" or "homely".


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## asm

I see that people have different meanings for the same word; in my beloved Mexico, corriente has a bad connotation. For things/items "corriente" means low quality/cheap. For people, it means uneducated, bad manners, etc. This term is also used as a derrogative term, it's used as an excuse to discriminate against poor people.



VerdeViento said:


> Does "corriente" have bad connotations?


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## Sr. Moose

En cualquier parte—sea en España, en China o en Tierra del Fuego—créanme, ya saben los chicos de sobra lo que constituye esa noción de _"La chica de al lado."
_


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## danielfranco

After about thirty posts, I still don't get what is the context. I mean, it could conceivable make a difference in the translation, _ja?_
For example, maybe it's a lover's fight, where the woman is telling off her lover, saying, "look, buster, if what you want is for me to be all like those floozies that are all 'sugar and spice and all things nice' you ain't gonna find her here, so make like a tree and leave."

Or something.


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## Priimas

And after all these posts, nobody mentioned this idea:  that if you are looking to find the perfect mate (the girl next door), you didn't even think to do the easiest thing:  go to the house next to yours and take up, meet, take out on a date, that girl....who lives right next door, and is not "corriente" but is cute, nice, an "every-girl" who an average, nice guy would like to marry.   In other words, stop looking all around the town or the world, just look right next door!  

Now, what I would like to know is the Spanish phrase (if one exists) for "the girl next door".  Perhaps the concept doesn't even exist.

Muchas gracias.  Espero que reciba una contestación.


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## TravelinTom

Priimas said:


> Now, what I would like to know is the Spanish phrase (if one exists) for "the girl next door". Perhaps the concept doesn't even exist.



Me too, is there such in Spanish?  Maybe "La novia del barrio" or "La vecina estudiante"?  Just guessing.


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## araceli

Yo diría: Una chica común y corriente.


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