לגלות טפח ולכסות טפחיים

English translation: reveal a little and conceal twice as much/to let drop the barest hint

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Hebrew term or phrase:לגלות טפח ולכסות טפחיים
English translation:reveal a little and conceal twice as much/to let drop the barest hint
Entered by: Gad Kohenov

17:42 Nov 13, 2015
Hebrew to English translations [PRO]
Poetry & Literature / לגלות טפח ולכסות טפחיים
Hebrew term or phrase: לגלות טפח ולכסות טפחיים
Dear ALL!
What is the English for

לגלות טפח ולכסות טפחיים

Many thanks in advance
o_delia
Local time: 10:43
reveal a little and conceal twice as much/to let drop the barest hint
Explanation:
לפי מילון אלקלעי
Selected response from:

Gad Kohenov
Israel
Local time: 11:43
Grading comment
thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1little revealed and much concealed
Simon Charass
4Concealed more than he/she was willing to reveal
Maya Lubinsky
4reveal a little and conceal twice as much/to let drop the barest hint
Gad Kohenov
4to be discreet
David Greenberg
4To refrain from revealing all the details / To be sparing with detail
Maya Lubinsky


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Concealed more than he/she was willing to reveal


Explanation:
This idiom doesn't exist in English. 'Concealed more than he was willing to reveal' would be the most simple translation, and it has that nice internal rhyme which may make it a suitable substitute for the idiom.

Please provide the context, if you're interested in further input.

Maya Lubinsky
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in HebrewHebrew
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you!

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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
reveal a little and conceal twice as much/to let drop the barest hint


Explanation:
לפי מילון אלקלעי

Gad Kohenov
Israel
Local time: 11:43
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in HebrewHebrew
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
thank you!
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you!

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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
little revealed and much concealed


Explanation:
This is just another possibility.

Both Maya’s and Gad’s answers can be used, but as Maya said, the context will be helpful.

The main thing, in my opinion, is to retain the reference in the source to quantities, in Hebrew expressed by singular and plural forms of the same word “חפט” and “םייחפט”. (Sorry for the transliteration but my word processor did it.)

Simon Charass
Canada
Local time: 04:43
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sandra & Kenneth Grossman: I like this.
1 day 16 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to be discreet


Explanation:
I think that this would be appropriate for the context; I don't believe there is an appropriate, parallel English idiom. Depending on the precise context, you can flesh it out as "to be discreet in such discussions" or something of the sort.

David Greenberg
Israel
Local time: 11:43
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: תודה רבה ושבוע טוב

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1 day 27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
To refrain from revealing all the details / To be sparing with detail


Explanation:
Just more ways of putting it...

Maya Lubinsky
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in HebrewHebrew
Notes to answerer
Asker: תודה רבה

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