# careen



## Muuk´

Tengo esta oración, pero no entiendo muy bien qué es lo que quiere decir.
_Wedding parties careen down the streets._


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## gengo

It means "to career," which is ir a toda velocidad.  More context would be needed to give an exact translation.


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## iminipimini

Actually a more accurate meaning is to list (maritime) or to sway. I suppose that the wedding party is drunk.

(I lost my password gengo. Regards spodulike)


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## gengo

iminipimini said:


> Actually a more accurate meaning is to list (maritime) or to sway. I suppose that the wedding party is drunk.



That is the original meaning, but, sadly, it is now widely ignored, and the word is almost universally confused with career.  On the news and elsewhere you will almost always hear things like "The car careened down the road into a crowd of people," in which the intended meaning is careered, since the car was not listing at all.

However, the dictionary has now accepted this new usage.

*1. * To lurch or swerve while in motion.
*2. * To rush headlong or carelessly; career: "He careened through foreign territories on a desperate kind of blitz" (Anne Tyler).
*3. * _Nautical_ *a. * To lean to one side, as a ship sailing in the wind.
*b. * To turn a ship on its side for cleaning, caulking, or repairing.


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## iminipimini

> sadly, it is now widely ignored ...


 
Not by me, nor any of my friends in the sailing fraternity! 

I haven´t looked up the etymology but my guess is that, in common with an awful lot of phrases that originated in the maritime nation of the British Isles, its sense came directly from the navy via the sailors´ observations of their friends staggering back on board after a rowdy night.

I think your sense (1) fits in pretty well with my analysis that the wedding party is drunk.


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## iminipimini

Actually I have just looked up the etymology and got this.

*careen* 
http://www.etymonline.com/
1591, "to turn a ship on its side" (with the keel exposed), from M.Fr. _carene_ "keel," from It. (Genoese dialect) _carena,_ from L. _carina_ "keel of a ship," originally "nutshell." Generalized sense of "to lean, to tilt" is 1883; confused with *career* (v.) since at least 1923. To _career_ is to move rapidly; to _careen_ is to lurch from side to side (often while moving rapidly).

..................................
I guess when you speak of "the dictionary", I should ask "Which dictionary?"


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## Muuk´

Gracias, me ayudó a entender a qué se referia.


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## gengo

iminipimini said:


> I guess when you speak of "the dictionary", I should ask "Which dictionary?"



All three that I have, but you're free to check your own.  Of course in the context of sailing the word is still used in its original sense, but my point is that when you hear the word used by the average person today, the meaning is almost always that of "to career."  And I would bet my shirt that that is the intended meaning here.  That is, the wedding party is in a vehicle or vehicles, moving too fast.  Of course, without more context, we can't be sure.


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## iminipimini

Muuk´ said:


> Gracias, me ayudó a entender a qué se referia.


 
You´re welcome.

to careen

_Inclinarse _
_escorar_


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## Muuk´

El artículo explica lo que pasa en una calle que antes estaba en muerta y ahora esté llena de vida. Lo que necesito saber es cual es el equivalente de la oracion en español: _Through the cacophony, wedding parties careen down the street_


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## aurilla

*careen: stagger:* walk as if unable to control one's movements; "The drunken man staggered into the room."

Es una forma desorganizada de un grupo moverse totalmente contrario a la marcha de soldados o grupos organizados. No llega al punto de "dar tumbos", pero sí es un movimiento errático. Este tipo de conducta se ve en los grupos de amigos bebidos en los festivales y celebraciones en lugares abiertos cuando.


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## iminipimini

gengo said:


> All three that I have, but you're free to check your own. Of course in the context of sailing the word is still used in its original sense, but my point is that when you hear the word used by the average person today, the meaning is almost always that of "to career." And I would bet my shirt that that is the intended meaning here. That is, the wedding party is in a vehicle or vehicles, moving too fast. Of course, without more context, we can't be sure.


 
Well, we lock horns again! I have never ever heard anyone use it in that sense. In fact rarely is it heard at all. It´s not exactly a common word.

I always thought that Miriam-Webster was the bible of dictionaries for you guys over that side of the Atlantic. Here´s what its online version says. 


http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careen


Main Entry: *1ca·reen* 
Pronunciation: \kə-ˈrēn\
Function: _verb_ 
Etymology: from _carine_ side of a ship, from Middle French, submerged part of a hull, from Latin _carina_ hull, half of a nutshell; perhaps akin to Greek _karyon_ nut
Date: circa 1583
_transitive verb_ *1* *:* to put (a ship or boat) on a beach especially in order to clean, caulk, or repair the hull
*2* *:* to cause to heel over_intransitive verb_ *1 a* *:* to careen a boat *b* *:* to undergo this process
*2* *:* to heel over
*3* *:* to sway from side to side *:* lurch <a careen_ing_ carriage being pulled wildly…by a team of runaway horses — J. P.

I dont know about in the US but in Britain there are strict laws about drink-driving so I cannot imagine it refers to people in cars. Much more likely that they were walking. Of course the passage we were given by Muuk _could_ be from way back in the days of runaway horses and carriages but as the etymological dictionary says, the mis-use of the word is comparativiely recent, so that´s unlikely as well.


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## Muuk´

aaaah ya! Muchas gracias.


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## gengo

Con todo respeto a iminipimini, estoy bastante seguro de que el sentido es ni inclinarse ni escorar, sino ir a toda velocidad.  Un wedding party se refiere a los participantes de una boda (y no a ninguna fiesta), así que aquí el sigificado es que los cortejos nupciales van/andan/conducen/manejan/etc. a toda velocidad/ruidosamente por las calles.


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## iminipimini

gengo said:


> Con todo respeto a iminipimini, estoy bastante seguro de que el sentido es ni inclinarse ni escorar, sino ir a toda velocidad. Un wedding party se refiere a los participantes de una boda (y no a ninguna fiesta), así que aquí el sigificado es que los cortejos nupciales van/andan/conducen/manejan/etc. a toda velocidad/ruidosamente por las calles.


 

Con todo respeto, ¡En absoluto! ¡No!

Al menos cuando estoy mal resultado (que suele ser el caso mucho) me retiro con gracia.  (Please correct my Spanish)

And now I leave the scene of the conflict head held high and a sense of accomplishment in my breast!


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## gengo

iminipimini said:


> I have never ever heard anyone use it in that sense. In fact rarely is it heard at all. It´s not exactly a common word.



It is fairly common in AmEn now, especially on news broadcasts, etc., where it is always used to mean career.


> I dont know about in the US but in Britain there are strict laws about drink-driving so I cannot imagine it refers to people in cars.


You are the only one in this thread who has mentioned drunkeness.  The original phase has no such implication.

In the US, it is a custom for the wedding party (bride, groom, and a few friends) to drive away from the wedding in a car, to which tin cans have been tied to make noise, and which has been decorated with colorful phrases on all the windows.  The driver of the car often drives rather exuberantly.

As I said, I feel quite sure of the meaning here, but if no one wants to believe me, c'est la vie!


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## iminipimini

> As I said, I feel quite sure of the meaning here, but if no one wants to believe me, c'est la vie!


 
Hmm ... (thinks) ... I wonder if I could report him to the moderators for being on the wrong forum? 

(!bromeando - claro!)


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## aurilla

gengo said:


> It means "to career," which is ir a toda velocidad. More context would be needed to give an exact translation.


 
Actually, it means to caree*n*. Cuando se trata de conducir significa que cuando va a alta velocidad casi pierde el control y se sale de la carretera cuando coge una curva.


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## gengo

aurilla said:


> Actually, it means to caree*n*.



Aurilla, please read the whole thread.  We have been discussing how careen is confused with career by most native speakers of American English.

career
_intr.v._ *ca·reered, ca·reer·ing, ca·reers
*To move or run at full speed; rush. See Usage Note at careen.


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## aurilla

gengo said:


> Aurilla, please read the whole thread. We have been discussing how careen is confused with career by most native speakers of American English.
> 
> career
> _intr.v._ *ca·reered, ca·reer·ing, ca·reers*
> To move or run at full speed; rush. See Usage Note at careen.


 
Why did the group stray --or should I say *careen*-- so far from the question? Jeez.


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## gengo

We have not strayed a millimeter!  The question is about how to translate the word careen, and we have been discussing its meaning in English, which is essential before it can be translated.  I say it means career, rather than the original meaning of careen.  Others may disagree.  But this discussion is perfectly centered on the question.


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## aurilla

...careening out of this thread.  Ciao.


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## iminipimini

aurilla said:


> Why did the group stray --or should I say *careen*-- so far from the question? Jeez.


 
Hahahahaha! Verrry good Aurilla!


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## iminipimini

Mi intento

_Through the cacophony, wedding parties careen down the street_ 

A través de la cacofonía, bodas carenan a lo largo de la calle

o

A través de la cacofonía, bodas van y vienen a lo largo de la calle

o

A través de la cacofonía, bodas se tambalean a lo largo de la calle


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## fazulas

iminipimini's definition is right, but in the context given "careen" should probably be "career".

"to careen" is indeed equivalent to the Spanish verb "carenar" (http://drae2.es/carenar). Note also the derived word "carenado" (of a motorbike, for instance), meaning" hull".


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## mijoch

Hi.

If "careen" now means "career", then I missed out on the woundrous moment of change.

My old dictionary (I'm not so old as it; working on it).

careen v.i. of a ship, to move with an inclination to one side.

"to careen down the street" gives me the image (what words are supposed to do) of moving down the street, swaying from side to side.

But----I do realise that words can acquire new meanings with time and usage. If "careen" is now equivalent to "career", so be it.

M.


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## gengo

mijoch said:


> But----I do realise that words can acquire new meanings with time and usage. If "careen" is now equivalent to "career", so be it.



It depends entirely on whom you ask.  People who love grammar and language (like most on this forum) will be familiar with both verbs and know the difference between them.  The average person on the street (at least the American street), however, seems to be unaware of the existence of the verb career, and only knows that word as a noun, and uses the verb careen to mean "to move rapidly, nearly out of control."

I don't much like this blurring of meaning, any more than I like how the great majority of native English speakers use "to lay" when they mean "to lie."  But that's life.

I'm just the messenger...


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## Áristos

Well, sorry for inserting the video without previous authorization. It was my fault and I completely forgot about that rule, but maybe it could just have been edited by a mod instead of the whole message getting deleted.

Anyway, I'll try again and just hope that gengo or any other user is kind enough to answer my question a second time.
What's the meaning of careen in the following sentence?

_"If you look again you can see her body careen off nearly every rock on her way down"._ 

The context is a journalist reporting a near-fatal 50-foot fall of a trekker in Hawaii.

Thanks again in advance.


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## yirgster

Here's one dictionary definition:

_v._ *ca·reened*, *ca·reen·ing*, *ca·reens*​_v.intr._​*1.*
*a. *To lurch or swerve while in motion: "The Tasmanian boat was a wreck ... the stove had broken free of its mounting and was careening about with every wave" (Bryan Burrough).​*b. *To move forward rapidly, especially with a swaying motion or with minimal control; career: "I saw my life as a car with no brakes careening down a dangerous mountain road" (Tom Perotta).​careen​
In the context of a 50 foot fall, but not in general,* bounce off* could also serve here since it would be understood that the bouncing off was irregular and uncontrolled. That whatever the motion is is not under control seems essential to *careen*.  Even though it's not explicitly mentioned in *1.a.* you can see it's there.


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## Áristos

yirgster said:


> Here's one dictionary definition:
> 
> _v._ *ca·reened*, *ca·reen·ing*, *ca·reens*​_v.intr._​*1.*​*a. *To lurch or swerve while in motion: "The Tasmanian boat was a wreck ... the stove had broken free of its mounting and was careening about with every wave" (Bryan Burrough).​*b. *To move forward rapidly, especially with a swaying motion or with minimal control; career: "I saw my life as a car with no brakes careening down a dangerous mountain road" (Tom Perotta).​
> careen​
> In the context of a 50 foot fall, but not in general,* bounce off* could also serve here since it would be understood that the bouncing off was irregular and uncontrolled. That whatever the motion is is not under control seems essential to *careen*.  Even though it's not explicitly mentioned in *1.a.* you can see it's there.


Thank you very much for your answer!

So I take it that in this case the verb careen refers to bouncing off and swerving on every rock rather than to sliding at full speed over those rocks. It conveys the idea that the trekker hit every rock on her way down, am I right?


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## yirgster

Yes.

I would add, in this case, I wouldn't say *swerving*, because that usually connotes a curved motion: "the car swerved off the road." Here, as in *careening *generally, the motion is more irregular. You could even use *ricochet *here.

Also, and I assume this true for Spanish too,* every rock*, _cada piedra_, isn't to be taken literally in many cases where instead it means *many *or *most*.


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## gengo

Áristos said:


> Anyway, I'll try again and just hope that gengo or any other user is kind enough to answer my question a second time.



Here is what I wrote in the deleted post:

I would say that that reporter has further pushed the meaning of the verb, and should have simply said "bounce (violently)" or something similar. But language evolves, despite any dislike of that on our part.


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## Áristos

Thanks again *yirgster* and *gengo*, it's all clear now .

Cheers!


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