un chico

English translation: I have an ace up my sleeve

12:46 Oct 10, 2020
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Spanish term or phrase: un chico
This is a term from the Argentine card game "truco." In the script I am translating, a bunch of guys are playing the game and one says
"Tranquilo, que tengo un chico abajo de la mesa, ya"

Is it a term for a certain card? A good one or bad one?

Thanks
Wendy Gosselin
Argentina
Local time: 14:36
English translation:I have an ace up my sleeve
Explanation:
You can't isolate "chico" and still capture the meaning of the sentence. "Ace up my sleeve" is a very common idiom. See the following definition. It doesn't mean that it's an "ace," and it can be a bluff--meaning that there may also be nothing up the sleeve.

languagesystems.edu
Ace up My sleeve
an ace up one's sleeve” means to have a secret or surprise that will. give that person an advantage. The. expression originally comes from people cheating at poker, when holding an ace.

Selected response from:

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 10:36
Grading comment
thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2I have an ace up my sleeve
Muriel Vasconcellos
5trick
David Hollywood
3I've got something.
Liliana Garfunkel
Summary of reference entries provided
Refs.
Taña Dalglish

  

Answers


27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
I've got something.


Explanation:
He's bluffing. "Relax, I've got something". But he doesn't specify if it's a good or a bad combination of cards.

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Note added at 28 mins (2020-10-10 13:15:14 GMT)
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He doesn't want the other couple to decipher what he's got.

Liliana Garfunkel
Argentina
Local time: 14:36
Native speaker of: Spanish
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
tengo un chico abajo de la mesa
I have an ace up my sleeve


Explanation:
You can't isolate "chico" and still capture the meaning of the sentence. "Ace up my sleeve" is a very common idiom. See the following definition. It doesn't mean that it's an "ace," and it can be a bluff--meaning that there may also be nothing up the sleeve.

languagesystems.edu
Ace up My sleeve
an ace up one's sleeve” means to have a secret or surprise that will. give that person an advantage. The. expression originally comes from people cheating at poker, when holding an ace.



Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 10:36
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 80
Grading comment
thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood: nice way of doing it Muriel and stay safe :)
2 days 6 hrs
  -> Thanks, David!

agree  Yvonne Gallagher
2 days 16 hrs
  -> Thank you, Yvonne!
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
trick


Explanation:
El truco argentino se juega a 2 jugadores o por parejas y se utiliza la baraja española de 40 cartas.

El objetivo del juego es ganar un número determinado de chicos (1, 2 ó 3 chicos). Cada chico se puede jugar a 15 ó 30 puntos. La primera mitad de los puntos se les llama popularmente “malas”, y a la segunda “buenas”.

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Note added at 14 hrs (2020-10-11 03:15:16 GMT)
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https://www.mundijuegos.com.ar/multijugador/truco-argentino/...

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Note added at 14 hrs (2020-10-11 03:21:26 GMT)
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me enseñaron hace años pero ya me olvidé...un juego muy divertido y casi incomprensible para extranjeros

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Note added at 14 hrs (2020-10-11 03:23:18 GMT)
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nunca llegué a entenderlo bien pero me divertí mucho igual

David Hollywood
Local time: 14:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 72
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Reference comments


16 mins peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: Refs.

Reference information:
Argentinian Truco is played by 2 players or by pairs and the 40 card Spanish deck is used. The objective of the game is to win a determined number of chicos (1, 2 or 3 chicos). Each chico can be played at 15 or 30 points. The first half of the points are popularly called “bad”, the second half “good”.

https://www.nhfournier.es/en/como-jugar/truco/
http://www.ludoteka.com/truco-en.html
Description

This is a Spanish card game.

The Spanish pack has 40 or 48 cards distributed in four suits: oros (golden coins), copas (glasses), espadas (swords) and bastos (sticks); the picture cards are sota (jack,10), caballo (horse,11), and rey (king,12). Most games are played with the 40 cards pack (pictures and cards from ace to seven), but some of them need also eights and nines.

If you already know about the truc, just learn quickly looking at the differences between truc and argentinian truco.

Taña Dalglish
Jamaica
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos: I have a deck--need someone to play with!
8 hrs
  -> LOL! How nice! Will have to give it a whirl sometime - just need the proper deck of cards! Stay safe and thanks so much Muriel.
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