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a cavallo

English translation: wearing twin cherries as earrings

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:a cavallo
English translation:wearing twin cherries as earrings
Entered by: HelenG

11:11 Oct 9, 2007
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / biography
Italian term or phrase: a cavallo
I am having problems constructing the phrase that this appears in.
Context: about children outside in summer.
"E voglia di merenda, ciliege rosse, turgide, *a cavallo* sulle orecchie e nella bocca, ancora piccola, che ne era riempita tutta; ....".
Any help would be much appreciated.
HelenG
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:38
wearing twin cherries as earrings
Explanation:

;-)

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Note added at 15 mins (2007-10-09 11:27:18 GMT)
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I don't think you need a literal translation here. The picture should be quite clear.
Selected response from:

irenef
Local time: 12:38
Grading comment
I went with your answer in the end but thanks to everyone else for your help/contributions!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +8hanging/dangling from your ears
Raffaella Panigada
3 +6wearing twin cherries as earrings
irenef
4astride the ears / draped over their ears
Jim Tucker (X)
3hung
Chiara Righele


  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
hanging/dangling from your ears


Explanation:
You hang them from the stalk and wear them like earrings.

Raffaella Panigada
Switzerland
Local time: 12:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 38

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Christina Townsend
4 mins
  -> Thank you, Christina.
agree  Krisztina Lelik
5 mins
  -> Thank you, Krisztina.
agree  Alessandra Renna: quante volta mi sono acconciata così;-)
1 hr
  -> Sì, ma non durava molto... Non ho mai saputo resistere alle ciliegie!
agree  Salloz
2 hrs
  -> Grazie!
agree  Marinela Sandoval
2 hrs
  -> Grazie, Mrinela.
agree  potra: Yes
3 hrs
  -> Thanks !
agree  zulaika
3 hrs
  -> Grazie, Zulaika :-)
agree  michela_be: genius!!!
3 days 22 hrs
  -> Addirittura! Grazie e buon fine settimana.
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
wearing twin cherries as earrings


Explanation:

;-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 mins (2007-10-09 11:27:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I don't think you need a literal translation here. The picture should be quite clear.

irenef
Local time: 12:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 27
Grading comment
I went with your answer in the end but thanks to everyone else for your help/contributions!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  P.L.F. Persio: è anche più bella dell'originale
29 mins
  -> grazie, stellina
agree  Luisa Fiorini
54 mins
  -> grazie, Luisa
agree  Alessandra Renna: i miei primi (e ultimi orecchini)
1 hr
  -> grazie, Alessandra. Che bella immagine
agree  Chiara Righele: questa è quella che preferisco
2 hrs
  -> grazie, Chiara
agree  Umberto Cassano
4 hrs
  -> grazie, Umberto
agree  Lorenza Valt: anche secondo me l'immagine degli orecchini è la più immediata... ci abbiamo giocato tutte! :-)
1 day 2 hrs
  -> grazie mille!
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
hung


Explanation:
Hi Helen! Nice question ;-p

"A cavallo" here refers to the habit of hanging a couple of cherries on the ears. When I was a child I used to do that myself: it was just for fun, it was nice to pick up cherries, choose the "double ones" (you know, two cherries together), and hang them on my ears. You actually put them "a cavallo", cause it's like they "ride" your ears (sorry, can't explain it better without an image!)

Don't know how you can express that in english though, maybe with the verb "hang"... I'm sure you (or someone else) can think of something better. That's the explanation anyway. Hope that helps
Chiara

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Note added at 23 mins (2007-10-09 11:35:51 GMT)
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here's the only picture I could find
http://www.bresciaonline.it/or4/or?uid=BOLesy.main.index&oid...

In the meantime Raffaella and irenef proposed some nice options

Chiara Righele
Italy
Local time: 12:38
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
astride the ears / draped over their ears


Explanation:
The other suggestions I see are perfectly fine but don't clearly convey the notion of where these cherries are actually sitting. Also, "a cavallo" calls for a more graphic expression in the translation.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-10-09 13:49:14 GMT)
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a pair of cherries astride the ears, another draped over the mouth...

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-10-09 13:50:31 GMT)
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"mounted on their ears" would be even more horsified

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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-10-09 14:19:09 GMT)
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(as Chiara points out, just forget about the mouth part - not sure what I was thinking there)

Jim Tucker (X)
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Chiara Righele: just a note: "a cavallo" seems to refer only to ears (not to the mouth), it wouldn't have much sense otherwise - I like the idea of maintainig the graphic espression, but I fear it wouldn't be so natural here
22 mins
  -> ah yes - of course - not the mouth - but otherwise I think you need some kind of expression for "a cavallo", otherwise essentially you are just eliminating the tastiest part of the whole Italian passage
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