# pagare pegno



## Lyberty

Hello,

_Qualunque previsione io ora facessi, non pagherei pegno._

_non pagherei pegno_ = something like_ I won't put money on this_? _I won't bet on it_?

_Pegno_ in this case = diposit?

Thanks


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## AlabamaBoy

I would not guarantee any prediction that I made now.


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## xmas50

_Pagare pegno_ means _Fare la penitenza_ (= to pay the forfeit ????????) but I don't see how it can fit the sentence you posted. Do you have more context?

Maybe it could mean "I would not be responsible"? But it's just a guess


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## Alxmrphi

Bill, considering your context do you think "I woudn't put any money on it" would be a good translation, this is a very popular and extremely common thing to say in BE, and with your confirmation of one English meaning, do you also say that in the US?

Lyberty, it looks like "I wouldn't put any money on it" is a great translation of Non pagare pegno (I'm going to make a note of it myself actually)


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## AlabamaBoy

@Alex "*I woudn't put any money on it*" in this context is pretty much the same as "*I wouldn't guarantee it*" in AE as well. I like "*I would not be responsibile*" as suggested by Natale50 also.  

EDIT: Alex: *I would not be responsibile for any prediction that I made now.*  Works well in AE.

EDIT: Tom, "I wouldn't bank on it" works fine in AE as well.


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## tomzenith

How about 'I wouldn't ba*n*k on it', which is what I reckon I would be most likely to say?


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## Alxmrphi

It took me a while to realise who you meant by Natale50, lol! I've just got up (11:30pm, not good)..

"I would not be responsible" sounds quite strange to me by itself, I'd need to add something at the end of it to sound right, responsible for what? It (to me) has no sense or link to the other meanings just said like this...
*
Question:*
 "Do you think that we have a chance of beating the other team this afternoon?"

* Answer:*
 I wouldn't put any money on it
I wouldn't guarentee it
I would not be responsible

Maybe I'm only thinking of a specific context, where would it sound ok to you by itself?


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## novizio

In AE we often say "I wouldn't bet on it" across a broad range of contexts.


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## xmas50

Let's go back to the Italian sentence and let's break it down (as you all like to do):

_Qualunque previsione io ora facessi, -- Domani il titolo Alitalia aumentera` del 15% (questa e` la mia previsione)
non pagherei pegno._ -- _se questo non dovesse succedere e tu hai comperato 1.000.000 di Euro in azioni Alitalia fidandoti della mia previsione, non ne sono responsabile / non e` colpa mia / non devo pagare pegno_

To be honest, this is the only way I can picture "pagare pegno" in this kind of sentence. But, I might be wrong and, maybe, I'm not seeing what is crystal clear.
So, how would you translate "pagare pegno" in this context?

Natale50


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## effeundici

_Pagare pegno_ non dovrebbe voler dire _put money on it._

Al contrario mi sembra che voglia dire _non avrei d pagare niente nel caso scommettessi sulla mia previsione._

Onestamente però, che significa? Che è una situazione nel quale ogni previsione è buona? Mah, strano

Mah; mi tornerebbe come dici tu se fosse 

_Qualunque previsione io ora faccia, non pagherò pegno_



xmas50 said:


> Let's go back to the Italian sentence and let's break it down (as you all like to do):
> 
> _Qualunque previsione io ora facessi, -- Domani il titolo Alitalia aumentera` del 15% (questa e` la mia previsione)_
> _non pagherei pegno._ -- _se questo non dovesse succedere e tu hai comperato 1.000.000 di Euro in azioni Alitalia fidandoti della mia previsione, non ne sono responsabile / non e` colpa mia / non devo pagare pegno_
> 
> To be honest, this is the only way I can picture "pagare pegno" in this kind of sentence. But, I might be wrong and, maybe, I'm not seeing what is crystal clear.
> So, how would you translate "pagare pegno" in this context?
> 
> Natale50


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## xmas50

Effettivamente e` una frase strana di non facile comprensione senza ulteriore contesto.
Non riesco a vedere il nesso di pagar pegno con la prima parte e ho provato a "collegare" le due cose. Mah!


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## miri

E le hai collegate molto bene vedendo la frase nel contesto! QUI


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## Lyberty

Hello, everybody

Thank you for your help.

Miri - once again, this is the article I was reading. I think it's the third time you've guessed my reading material. Nice!

This an article from the period of the American elections. The author predicts that Obama would win because of this and that, but at the end he says _Qualunque previsione io ora faccia, non pagherei pegno. S_o the meaning is *I wouldn't guarantee it, I wouldn't bet on it*.

Thanks


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## effeundici

Lyberty said:


> _. S_o the meaning is *I wouldn't guarantee it, I wouldn't bet on it*.
> 
> Thanks


 
No!


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## Lyberty

Why No??

So what does it mean then?


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## effeundici

_Qualunque previsione io ora facessi, non pagherei pegno. Come non l'hanno mai pagato tutti quelli che hanno sbagliato, ma il giorno successivo hanno commentato che l'accaduto era ineluttabile_

_*Qualunque previsione farò, non pagherò *(nel senso non ne sarò responsabile, non mi prenderò le mie colpe)* per questo *_(anche nel caso fosse completamente sbagliata)


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## tomzenith

So how do we say that? How about:

It won't be my fault.
It won't be down to me.
It won't be on my head.
It's no skin off my nose. (slightly different actually, I think)


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## london calling

I wouldn't be liable for it.


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## Lyberty

Yes, this is what I meant. 

Got a bit confused, though  .

Thank you!


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## miri

Lyberty said:


> Miri - once again, this is the article I was reading. I think it's the third time you've guessed my reading material. Nice!



If that bothers you, I apologize and I won't do it again, cross my heart! However, it is so much easier  to be of help when some context is provided


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## Lyberty

No, It does not bother me, on the contrary. 

I'll provide more contex from now on.


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## Lorena1970

Hi all,

This is a different question on the same idiom.

"Poiché mi sto esponendo in un nuovo settore, devo forse pagare pegno...???"

The sentence refer to someone moving from a professional field to a different one, in which he is considered a newbie and for that insidiated by those who are already in the field. 

I have no idea on how to translate into Italian this idiom in this context.

Thank you!


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## AlabamaBoy

Because I am new to the field, I might have to pay my dues...

(It is an idom that means I will have to earn respect from other people in the field. They will not asssume that I am any good at my job.)


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## Lorena1970

Thank you AB. Your sentence implies sort of "agreement" with this "rule", while I was looking for a sentence that "reacted" to this rule...

1)"_Because I am new to the field, I might have to pay my dues..._" = Visto che sono nuovo nel settore, dovrò pagare pegno..." (implies to accept that as a necessary step) while I wanted to point out "_Poiché MI STO ESPONENDO in un nuovo settore..._" which means "Because I am gaining visibility in a field where I am not already renowned". It is slightly different, I think.

2)"Should I have to pay my dues only because I am new to the field...?????!!!!!" (implies complaint and reaction to this "rule" as the apparently "newbie" is instead already competent but others doesn't know it, so he feels frustrated and his sentence is the nervous expression of a inner rage)

I hope to have been able to better explain the subject...?
Thank you!


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## AlabamaBoy

Lorena, if you want to be more explicit, he can say with a bit of irony:
_

Poiché mi sto esponendo in un nuovo settore,__ devo  forse pagare pegno._
_Because I am going into a new field, they are probably going to make me pay my dues..._

This makes it clear that he feels that it is unfair and doesn't really accept it, and feels frustrated with it, that he won't willingly pay his dues, but they will likely force him to do it. AB


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## Lorena1970

Thanks AB!!!!!! It works, but it is still too polite and politically correct, while I was looking for a more "slang" , rageous expression...Does anything else come to your mind...?


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## london calling

Lorena1970 said:


> Thanks AB!!!!!! It works, but it is still too polite and politically correct, while I was looking for a more "slang" , rageous expression...Does anything else come to your mind...?


"Pay a forfeit".

We used to play a game when we were kiddies at primary school called "forfeits". Your friends would dare you to do something (usually something TERRIBLE) and if you couldn't (or didn't ) do it, you had to pay a forfeit (which was often even worse than the thing they had dared you to do in the first place).

It's not outrageous though, sorry.

...they're probably going to make me pay for it (similar to AB's suggestion).


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## AlabamaBoy

If you are willing to be a little rude, all you have to do is add the "f" word.



london calling said:


> ...they're probably going to make me f**king pay for it .


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## Lorena1970

That's what I was looking for...!
I wonder if it is possible to use it as "domanda retorica", something like "...So, should I f**king pay for it...???!!!"
So in the end the whole sentence (slightly different from the original one I posted) would sound as: 
"I am gaining visibility in a field where I am considered a newbie: so what? Should I f**king pay for it...???!!!"

Does it work...?


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## london calling

Do you mean: 
"Should I have to f**king pay for it...???!!!" (_Dovrei....?)_

or do you mean: 
"Why the hell should I f...ing well have to pay for it?" (_perchè c...o dovrei...?)_


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## Lorena1970

Hi London!
Yes I forgot "have" I menat that! Thanks also for the alternative. Perfect!
Ciao!


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## AWOL4mylo

Other possible options - how about "I'm not taking the blame." "I refuse to take any blame." or similar?
Or conversationally, you might also hear "I'm not taking the flak"...


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