Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
mátalas callando
English translation:
your silence is your weapon
Added to glossary by
Vladimir Martinez
Jul 2, 2008 18:31
15 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Spanish term
mátalas callando
Spanish to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
It's in a poem, the poet actually used it as one word, as if it were the character's last name, and I can´t think of a suitable translation into English that can also be used as a last name...
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Jul 2, 2008 21:14: Vladimir Martinez Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
3 mins
Vladimir Martinez
Spain
Spain
Native in Spanish
Specializes in field
Spain
Even Sport items
Native in: Spanish (Variant: Cuban) 
Works in: Spanish to English, Italian to English, English to Spanish, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Selected
your silence is your weapon
an option!
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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-07-02 21:17:45 GMT) Post-grading
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Thanks a lot!
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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-07-02 21:17:45 GMT) Post-grading
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Thanks a lot!
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I took a bit of a license and got rid of the last name thing, it just wasn´t working. I did like TranslatedDCP's anwer, but discarded it precisely because it sounds a lot like the song, the poem has a very latin feel to it nd it just didn't fit, but thank you all for your help, it was very useful!"
+2
4 mins
Lydia De Jorge
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
&
English
Specializes in field
United States
Don't just say it, say it right!
Native in: Spanish , English
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
133
kill-with-silence//silent-kill//silence-kill'em
.
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Note added at 5 mins (2008-07-02 18:37:05 GMT)
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kill'em silence
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Note added at 5 mins (2008-07-02 18:37:05 GMT)
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kill'em silence
9 mins
kill them, falling silent.
Think it works with the rest of the poem?
+2
16 mins
Denise Nahigian
United States
United States
Native in English
Works in field
United States
Academic & Legal Translation/Terminology
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English
Killingsoftly
Just a suggestion based on the song "Killing Me Softly" sung by Roberta Flack. I think it has a last-name kind of ring.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Ruth Rubina
: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_Me_Softly_with_His_Song
1 hr
|
|
Thanks, bbt-ruth!
|
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| agree |
Jessica Noyes
: Yes, it does sound sort of like a last name.
1 hr
|
|
Thanks Jessica!
|
19 mins
hush-kill'em
or write it however you prefer. It's just another option for an appropriate last name.
You could also say Kill'em-by-hush.
You could also say Kill'em-by-hush.
27 mins
quietly getting your own way
mátalas callando.
1. loc. sust. com. coloq. Persona que con maña y secreto procura conseguir su intento.
From Real Academia
See:http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltObtenerHtml?LEMA=matar&SUPIN...
1. loc. sust. com. coloq. Persona que con maña y secreto procura conseguir su intento.
From Real Academia
See:http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltObtenerHtml?LEMA=matar&SUPIN...
36 mins
Steven Huddleston
Mexico
Mexico
Native in Spanish
&
English
Works in field
Mexico
Dual-Native English & Spanish Translator
Native in: English (Variants: Canadian, British, UK, US) , Spanish (Variants: Latin American, Peruvian, Colombian, Uruguayan, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Argentine, Chilean, Venezuelan, Costa Rican, Mexican, Standard-Spain, US, Ecuadorian , Dominican)
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish
Related KudoZ points
:
39
Hushandkill
Pretty cool, I think!
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Note added at 37 mins (2008-07-02 19:08:57 GMT)
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Remember it’s a play-on-names
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Note added at 37 mins (2008-07-02 19:08:57 GMT)
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Remember it’s a play-on-names
41 mins
Edward Tully
Native in English
Because your words matter
Native in: English (Variants: UK, US) 
Works in: Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
152
Silent but deadly
another option!
48 mins
softly/quietly does it
Just occurred to me.
1 hr
Butterwouldn'tmelt
(Or indeed "Butter-wouldn't-melt".) As shorthand for the phrase "butter wouldn't melt in his/her mouth". My Concise OED defines this phrase as follows: "appear innocent while being the opposite", which corresponds very closely to the RAE definition for "matarlas" (see bcsantos's link) and the definition referenced by P Forgas. Whereas "Butterwouldn'tmelt" (i.e. without the "in his/her mouth") is not a phrase in English as "mátalascallando" is in Spanish, it's still suggestive of the colloquial phrase "butter...mouth", which, like "mátalascallando", is colloquial and has a long pedigree.
Whether this is useful obviously depends on the context of the poem (e.g. if the poet is using wordplay - playing also on the literal meanings of these words - this certainly won't be useful).
Whether this is useful obviously depends on the context of the poem (e.g. if the poet is using wordplay - playing also on the literal meanings of these words - this certainly won't be useful).
Discussion