Oct 10, 2017 11:57
6 yrs ago
English term
Spain
Traductora editorial
Native in: Spanish 
Works in: English to Spanish, French to Spanish, Portuguese to Spanish, and 2 more.
shave and a haircut
English to Spanish
Art/Literary
Music
songs
In music, the call "Shave and a Haircut" and the associated response "two bits" is a simple, 7-note musical couplet, riff or fanfare popularly used at the end of a musical performance, usually for comic effect. It is used both melodically and rhythmically, for example as a door knock.
I'm reading a text where the hero knock the door using this code; shave and a haircut. The right answer he's expecting is "two bits".
This is the text:
I started to open the door, but paused. Tilly was armed, presumably smart enough to be scared, and it probably wasn't the best idea in the world to just open the door of the room and scare him. So I moved as far as possible to one side, reached way over to the door, and knocked. In code, even. Shave and a haircut.
There was a lengthy pause and then someone knocked on the other side of the door. Two bits.
Anyones knows a similar son-code in Spanish?
Thank you!
I'm reading a text where the hero knock the door using this code; shave and a haircut. The right answer he's expecting is "two bits".
This is the text:
I started to open the door, but paused. Tilly was armed, presumably smart enough to be scared, and it probably wasn't the best idea in the world to just open the door of the room and scare him. So I moved as far as possible to one side, reached way over to the door, and knocked. In code, even. Shave and a haircut.
There was a lengthy pause and then someone knocked on the other side of the door. Two bits.
Anyones knows a similar son-code in Spanish?
Thank you!
Proposed translations
(Spanish)
| 5 | una copita de ojén |
Gabriel Pérez
|
| 3 +1 | Tan tara tan-tan... chimpón |
Chema Nieto Castañón
|
References
| See this discussion |
Mónica Hanlan
|
Proposed translations
+1
18 mins
Chema Nieto Castañón
Spain
Spain
Native in Spanish
Specializes in field
Spain
Psychologist & Emergency Physician
Native in: Spanish (Variant: Standard-Spain)
Works in: English to Spanish
Related KudoZ points
:
59
Tan tara tan-tan... chimpón
Me temo que no tenemos nombre para esta.
El do sol-sol la sol... si do (tan tara tan-tan... chimpón) es archiconocido pero, salvo como tarareo (que termina en el reconocible chimpón; los dos bits ingleses), no creo que ningún nombre se ajuste.
Podrías probar con melodías más familiares, pero me temo serían solo localmente familiares y tendrías el mismo problema al final... ¡tendrías que tararearlas! (u ofrecer una larga explicación).
No sé; mira a ver si la peña reconoce el tarareo expresado así; tan tara tan-tan... chimpón!
;)
Suerte!
El do sol-sol la sol... si do (tan tara tan-tan... chimpón) es archiconocido pero, salvo como tarareo (que termina en el reconocible chimpón; los dos bits ingleses), no creo que ningún nombre se ajuste.
Podrías probar con melodías más familiares, pero me temo serían solo localmente familiares y tendrías el mismo problema al final... ¡tendrías que tararearlas! (u ofrecer una larga explicación).
No sé; mira a ver si la peña reconoce el tarareo expresado así; tan tara tan-tan... chimpón!
;)
Suerte!
17 days
Gabriel Pérez
Spain
Spain
Native in Spanish
Specializes in field
Spain
Professional and reliable
Native in: Spanish (Variant: Standard-Spain)
Works in: English to Spanish
una copita de ojén
En España, la melodía de "Shave and a Haircut" con su esperada respuesta "two bits", se corresponde a "una copita de ojén".
Reference comments
2 hrs
Reference:
See this discussion
I know exactly what you mean but couldn't translate it other than with an onomatopoeic sequence... but it turns out it can be offensive in some parts... see link.
In Argentina, it wouldn't be considered offensive at all, for example.
Good luck! Hope this reference helps.
In Argentina, it wouldn't be considered offensive at all, for example.
Good luck! Hope this reference helps.
Discussion
But definitely this is not what ananavalon is looking for! :)
Anyhow, I never heard of any such inference anywhere. Wonder if -as for Monica's link- it is really a widespread relation -that of the music to any obscene meaning- or whether it is just some local and time-limited relation (which I feel it must be!).