# To sound like nails on a chalkboard



## danieleferrari

Morning everyone, and happy Sunday,
I've just come across the expression (quite idiomatic in my opinion), and its correlated meaning, '*to sound like nails on a chalkboard*', thanks to a lovely member whose identity will be kept anonymous. 🙃

The expression is very figurative. As everyone knows, that 'scratchy' and 'scraping' loud sound is awful, disturbing, and very annoying. That said, what would a native Spanish speaker say in that same context (informal)?

Say:

A) In my opinion, that lousy question *sounds like nails on a chalkboard'*.
B) I see your point, but I disagree. To me, 'X' sounds...

I'm well aware of the informal saying _sabe a rayos_ which, at least in Spain, is frequently employed to describe how something tastes (awful). The same goes for _huele a tigre, _pointing at how something smells (just like rotten food)_._

Is there a fixed and informal way of saying something 'sounds terrible to you'? _Suena horrible _would work just fine, but that's not the expression I'm on the lookout for. Something more idiomatic?

_Sabe a rayos _- Food - Taste
_Huele a tigre - _Algo - Smell

I owe you a lot.


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## elroy

Chirría.

¿O buscas alguna frase hecha?


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## danieleferrari

elroy said:


> Chirría.
> 
> ¿O buscas alguna frase hecha?


Sí, _chirría _me vale y me suena, pero no es una frase hecha.


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## Lamarimba

danieleferrari said:


> no es una frase hecha.


Pides mucho.  

_Chirriar_ contiene ya el desagradable sonido que buscas. Al ser una voz onomatopéyica, usada en su sentido figurado nos ahorra abundar en comparaciones...



danieleferrari said:


> _Sabe a rayos _- Food - Taste



Es curioso que se diga esto, pues no sabemos exactamente a qué sabe un rayo, si es que sabe a algo.

Pero para el caso, también decimos _*suena a rayos*. _Aunque es sabido que lo que realmente suena son los truenos. Tomamos para la metáfora el caracter disruptivo y violento del relámpago, es eso. Creo.


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## swift

Se necesitan oraciones contextualizadas, pues en algunas ocasiones no se puede evadir el símil. Compárense:

Neader’s mocking cackle grated on Shawn’s nerves like nails on a chalkboard. | Johnnie Clark. Semper Fidelis.

He—at least we knew that much—was always touching himself, always whining about things in a voice that was like nails on a chalkboard. | Matthew Sartwell. Bosses from Hell: True Tales from the Trenches.

Most dogs tried to dig their nails into the rough concrete, making noises like nails on a chalkboard. Some of them yipped and howled. The last dog to be bathed pulled the volunteer into the tub. | Elements of Writing.

At the same time Heavyweight’s weight became too much for the shovel, and sent the blade screeching across the floor like nails on a chalkboard, rammed it into Bagman’s feet. | Amelia. Issue 17.


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## Lyrica_Soundbite

I agree with Swift. What's more, I think I haven't found that expression other than as a description of an unpleasant and high-pitched sound.
Why is the question lousy, and what is it that makes it sound like nails on a chalkboard?


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## elroy

It can be used (even more) metaphorically to refer to incorrect or unidiomatic language that sounds so bad that it jars or grates horribly.  I suspect that's what @danieleferrari was thinking of.  ("lousy" isn't the right word.)


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## Ballenero

danieleferrari said:


> A) In my opinion, that lousy question *sounds like nails on a chalkboard'*.
> B) I see your point, but I disagree. To me, 'X' sounds...


Pero ¿se trata de un sonido desagradable o de algo inapropiado o de algo que uno no quiere oír o…?


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## swift

Lo que he leído en los foros con referencia a oraciones mal construidas es “raspar el oído”. Era una expresión que nuestro añorado @Vampiro empleaba con frecuencia.


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## gengo

danieleferrari said:


> Is there a fixed and informal way of saying something 'sounds terrible to you'?



Keep in mind that the English expression does not simply mean that something sounds terrible.

Ex.
-We had cold pizza and warm beer.
-That sounds terrible.

The expression in question cannot be used in such cases, and always refers to something that makes you cringe, either physically because of the actual sound, or mentally/emotionally, and almost always refers to a real sound.

I'm not suggesting it as a translation, but I wonder how "suena como uñas en una pizarra" would sound to a NSS, and if it would even be understood.  I would think that this phenomenon is universal (except for many young people today who have never seen a real chalkboard):  a person writing on a chalkboard accidentally makes contact with his fingernail, producing this unpleasant sound.


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## maidinbedlam

Creo que el problema está en que en español tampoco se usaría para algo que simplemente "suena mal". La acción de rascar una pizarra me hace pensar en algo que "da grima" (sobresalto, repulsión, etc). Un sonido ya de por sí inquietante, como un chirrido inesperado. Pero no lo diría de una frase.
Para el caso de algo que suena horriblemente mal en otro idioma, diría "me chirría ", como se dijo arriba.


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## swift

Sí, “da grima” o “da dentera” es lo que tenía en mente esta mañana, pero no lo veía en el ejemplo de Daniele.


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## OtroLencho

swift said:


> Lo que he leído en los foros con referencia a oraciones mal construidas es “raspar el oído”.


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## elroy

Lamarimba said:


> _Chirriar_ contiene ya el desagradable sonido que buscas. Al ser una voz onomatopéyica, usada en su sentido figurado nos ahorra abundar en comparaciones...


¡Exacto! Por eso se me ocurrió en seguida. Yo creo que aunque no sea una frase hecha, es un equivalente más o menos perfecto en el contexto de construcciones lingüísticas que suenan mal.


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## Magazine

swift said:


> Lo que he leído en los foros con referencia a oraciones mal construidas es “raspar el oído”. Era una expresión que nuestro añorado @Vampiro empleaba con frecuencia.


En España sin embargo no se usa. Yo al menos no lo he oído nunca.


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## Nomenclature

gengo said:


> Keep in mind that the English expression does not simply mean that something sounds terrible.


 This is a crucial point. If it can be substituted with "Me parece...", you can't use "nails on a chalkboard" because the auditory meaning of the word is non-existent.



maidinbedlam said:


> Creo que el problema está en que en español tampoco se usaría para algo que simplemente "suena mal". La acción de rascar una pizarra me hace pensar en algo que "da grima" (sobresalto, repulsión, etc). Un sonido ya de por sí inquietante, como un chirrido inesperado. Pero no lo diría de una frase.
> Para el caso de algo que suena horriblemente mal en otro idioma, diría "me chirría ", como se dijo arriba.





swift said:


> Sí, “da grima” o “da dentera” es lo que tenía en mente esta mañana, pero no lo veía en el ejemplo de Daniele.



 "Chirriar" works as a translation, but I get the feeling here that people perceive "nails on a chalkboard" as a harsher/stronger characterization. "Da grima" seems very good/better in _most_ situations to me. I'm curious if "Me taladra la cabeza" could also work in Spanish?


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## Magazine

Nomenclature said:


> "Da grima" seems very good/better in _most_ situations to me.


Are you saying that "da grima" means _something good_ for you?


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## Nomenclature

Nomenclature said:


> "Da grima" seems very good/better in _most_ situations to me.





Magazine said:


> Are you saying that "da grima" means _something good_ for you?


A very good/better translation  🙂


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## Ballenero

danieleferrari said:


> In my opinion, that lousy question *sounds like nails on a chalkboard'*.


No me convence ninguna:
-esa pregunta da grima.  
-esa pregunta me chirría. 
Normalmente es la respuesta lo que chirría.


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## swift

Llegados a este punto, solo queda pedirle al promotor de este florilegio de expresiones que nos explique lo que tenía en mente cuando redactó esto:


danieleferrari said:


> A) In my opinion, that lousy question *sounds like nails on a chalkboard'*.
> B) I see your point, but I disagree. To me, 'X' sounds...


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## danieleferrari

Please forgive me, everyone, it took me so much time to get back to you, but I've been quite busy.


swift said:


> Llegados a este punto, solo queda pedirle al promotor de este florilegio de expresiones que nos explique lo que tenía en mente cuando redactó esto:


Muchas cosas, estimado @swift 🙃.

Jokes aside, take the following interaction:

Two native English speakers (and CAE examiners) are talking about (and commenting on) an expression they've just heard from a foreign speaker (who's taking an English exam to get a language certificate):

A) To me, the shortened expression 'walk the talk', instead of its full-lengh version 'walk the walk, talk the talk', suits well the context. I'll give him full marks.

B) Not in my books. As far as I can see, the shortened expression *sounds like nails on a chalkboard.
(I meant to say speaker B loathes the shortened expression, at least in a given context, not necessarily always.)*


elroy said:


> It can be used (even more) metaphorically to refer to incorrect or unidiomatic language that sounds so bad that it jars or grates horribly.  I suspect that's what @danieleferrari was thinking of.  ("lousy" isn't the right word.)


 > Pretty much what I meant to say, dear @elroy. To a native speaker, a word, an expression, or even an idiom the foreign candidate employed *sounds metaphorically harsh, and incorrect, not to be echoed*. There are *no literal scratchy sounds at all*. Just an *awful sensation felt by a native speaker hearing what the candidate has just said*.

I really appreciate your kind, and always invaluable, help.


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## Nomenclature

danieleferrari said:


> Two native English speakers (and CAE examiners) are talking about (and commenting on) an expression they've just heard from a foreign speaker (who's taking an English exam to get a language certificate):
> 
> A) To me, the shortened expression 'walk the talk', instead of its full-length version 'walk the walk, talk the talk', suits well the context well. I'll give him full marks.
> 
> B) Not in my books. As far as I can see, the shortened expression *sounds like nails on a chalkboard.
> (I meant to say speaker B loathes the shortened expression, at least in a given context, not necessarily always.)*


Hmm. I mean, I'm not going to say that using this expression here is wrong, because it's not. But for me personally it sounds a bit artificial, if that makes sense? Just my two cents.

A native speaker could say the above, but it's not that probable. They'd likely say something like "The shortened expression sounds awful."

I think that what we've seen here it that "nails on a chalkboard" is typically used in literal, like-for-like comparisons with sound, or in situations where a sound is annoying to the listener; that is to say: grating. ("My roommate's constant singing was like nails on a chalkboard" I say this because my roommate's constant singing annoys me)

If I was an examiner, I wouldn't be annoyed by test takers' errors. If I were, I would be miserable. 😅 So the expression sounds a bit strange to me here.



danieleferrari said:


> In my opinion, that lousy question *sounds like nails on a chalkboard'*



In your original example, I also personally think the expression sounds strange, more so than in the more recent example. You're not describing the question's auditory qualities, so I think that's why it sounds weird/out of place to me.

Also, as a fun side-note, I'd definitely mark that as wrong. "Walk the talk"  If you want a short form, it's "walk the walk".


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## iribela

gengo said:


> , but I wonder how "suena como uñas en una pizarra" would sound to a NSS, and if it would even be understood.  I would think that this phenomenon is universal...


Yo lo entendería. Hace referencia a la dentera, que es causada por diferentes sonidos molestos y desagradables, como tiza o uñas en una pizarra, el ruido de un tenedor o un cuchillo al raspar la superficie de un plato, y otros.


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## Ballenero

Entender se entiende, pero si uno dice: “suena como si estuvieran pasando las uñas por una pizarra”, lo que estaría queriendo decir es exactamente eso, que alguien está arañando la pizarra, y no otra cosa.


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## elroy

danieleferrari said:


> B) Not in my books _book_. As far as I can see _As far as I’m concerned_, the shortened expression *sounds like nails on a chalkboard.*


For me, “sounds like nails on a chalkboard” works in this context, if that’s really how jarring it sounded to B! 

I wonder if “chirría como uñas en la pizarra” would make sense?


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## swift

elroy said:


> I wonder if “chirría como uñas en la pizarra” would make sense?


Stop trying to make this idiom happen. 😝

I agree with Nomenclature’s take on Daniele’s examples. To me, “like nails on a chalkboard” is out of place in the given context and we’re trying *too hard* to make the metaphor work in Spanish when it doesn’t really work that well in English.


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## danieleferrari

Pues nada, no caben pizarras 😁. Mil gracias a todo el mundo.


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## iribela

Ballenero said:


> Entender se entiende


Eso le contesté


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## elroy

I wasn’t trying to make it happen. 😝  I was wondering whether using it with “chirría” (which no one had suggested) would make a difference.



swift said:


> it doesn’t really work that well in English.


It works fine in English.  I interpret @Nomenclature’s reaction was just an expression of his personal opinion/preference.  We all have our preferences.

Examples of usage:

Anabell asks, "It is correct or incorrect to say 'anyways' to someone? As in 'Anyways, call me later!' 'Anyways' sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me."
Anyway or Anyways?

Between you and me, the phrase "between you and I" grates on my ears like nails on a chalkboard.
Between you and me vs Between you and I - Lawless English

@Smitty777, as bad as that is, it doesn’t get the nails-on-the-blackboard shiver up my spine that comes with “impactful”. “Joe Sixpack’s performance was uniquely impactful.” Gaaaahhhh … my fingers didn’t even want to type that.
5 Grammar Mistakes that Make You Sound Like a Chimp - Copyblogger

Since it is also grammatically acceptable, I do not understand the “nails on a chalkboard” response to it. Isn’t language about conveying messages? If so, then wouldn’t the phrase that most accurately conveys the intended message be the best phrase to use?
In and of Itself - The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

To my ear, “I’m going well” sounds better than “I’m doing good.” I wouldn’t say the latter is like nails on a chalkboard, but that’s just me. (My nails-on-a-chalkboard words are “utilize” and “leverage.”)
I’m Good or I’m Well?


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## swift

elroy said:


> Examples of usage


All those examples are fine. I was talking about the OP example.


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## elroy

@danieleferrari clarified that he was talking about the same thing as in those examples. 



elroy said:


> It can be used (even more) metaphorically to refer to incorrect or unidiomatic language that sounds so bad that it jars or grates horribly. I suspect that's what @danieleferrari was thinking of.





danieleferrari said:


> > Pretty much what I meant to say, dear @elroy.


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## Magazine

Nomenclature said:


> A very good/better translation  🙂


ahhh, perfecto entonces , jezú


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## gato radioso

swift said:


> Sí, “da grima” o “da dentera” es lo que tenía en mente esta mañana, pero no lo veía en el ejemplo de Daniele.


Si, para ruidos chirriantes y desagradables yo diria esos que mencionas y también _"Me raya las tripas"._


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