caghetto

English translation: scared shitless

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:caghetto
English translation:scared shitless
Entered by: Daniel Gold

16:16 Jan 4, 2010
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang / autobiography
Italian term or phrase: caghetto
I can gather what this term means, but can't come up with a translation that's not vulgar in English, yet is strong enough to convey the meaning.

Here's the sentence:

i primi mesi di scuola elementare ho avuto il caghetto… il caghetto per l’ansia da prestazione.. per l’emozione nell’affrontare la nuova avventura e la paura di non essere all’altezza.

I don't think "s****ing one's pants" is equivalent in terms of social acceptability. Does anyone have a suggestion?

thanks
Daniel Gold
Israel
Local time: 10:55
I was scared shitless
Explanation:
This is a classic English expression, at least in the US

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Note added at 30 mins (2010-01-04 16:47:02 GMT)
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BTW, this is mildly vulgar, but the degree of appropriateness depends very much on the public, who is this person talking to?
Selected response from:

David Russi
United States
Local time: 02:55
Grading comment
Perhaps because I'm American, this one sounds the best.
Thanks, Dave.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3I pooped my pants
Sylvia Gilbertson
4 +2I was scared shitless
David Russi
4 +1I was crapping myself/shitting bricks
Oliver Lawrence
4 +1I was shitting myself
Tom in London
2 +3the runs
Regina Eichstaedter
4 +1the trots
Michael Korovkin
4diarhhea or sick to my stomach
Shannon Goyette
2 +1I was terrified/ petrified
Elena Zanetti
2I was shit-scared
Giuseppe Bellone
Summary of reference entries provided
Inter-Tra

Discussion entries: 13





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
I was crapping myself/shitting bricks


Explanation:
I think this is fractionally less vulgar than Tom's perfectly correct suggestion, whilst still vulgar (as it has to be)

Oliver Lawrence
Italy
Local time: 09:55
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dr Lofthouse: 'craping myself' is fairly socially acceptable as way of expressing fear, anything with 'shit' in it much less so. spelling error -I meant 'crapping' -I think 'craping' is the Knightsbridge pronounciation:) -
41 mins
  -> thank you, nicely put :)
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2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
I was shitting myself


Explanation:
it isn't polite in Italian and therefore should not be polite in English.

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Note added at 8 mins (2010-01-04 16:24:54 GMT)
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"caghetto" is colloquial but certainly not polite; but neither is it vulgar. It is acceptable in certain situations, but not in middle-class drawing rooms.

Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks, Tom. There is, however, a difference between polite and vulgar. Looking around on the Web, I got the feeling that "caghetto" is fairly acceptable, whereas "shitting myself" is truly vulgar and virtually unacceptable in most contexts in English. In any event, I will use it unless I (or someone else) can come up with something better.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  potra: Seems perfect to me :)
4 mins
  -> thanks potra

neutral  Sylvia Gilbertson: way too vulgar for the context, IMO
1 hr
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +3
the runs


Explanation:
il senso è questo.... non so però, se il termine è accettabile per il tuo testo...

Regina Eichstaedter
Local time: 09:55
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ChrisJude: The trots is an acceptable alternative
8 mins
  -> thank you, Chris!

agree  Stefano Costa (X): I like both "the runs" and "the trots" because caghetto or cagotto aren't vulgar, they're just v. colloquial...
13 mins
  -> grazie, Stefano!

agree  Cedric Randolph: Yes, this is the term, often occurring from being nervous, anxious, etc.
19 mins
  -> thanks a lot, Cedric!

neutral  Oliver Lawrence: the runs and the trots are more likely to be the result of medical or dietary causes, hence this may well not be accurate enough/ yes the meaning from the context is clear, but my point is this translation would sit slightly awkwardly with that context
21 mins
  -> you're right, but isn't it very explicit in this context?

neutral  David Russi: This is just not idiomatic for the context.
22 mins
  -> this was my doubt... thanks, David!

neutral  Dr Lofthouse: I'd only use this in a crude medical context , to describe having diahorreah
38 mins
  -> Veramente ho l'impressione che l'autore intenda soprattutto un "caghetto clinico", non tanto "metaforico"
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
I was shit-scared


Explanation:
I Don't really know wether it's too vulgar or acceptable.

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Note added at 10 min (2010-01-04 16:26:58 GMT)
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... whether.. sorry.

Giuseppe Bellone
Italy
Local time: 09:55
Native speaker of: Italian
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
I was terrified/ petrified


Explanation:
not vulgar...

Elena Zanetti
Italy
Local time: 09:55
Native speaker of: Italian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  tluna: this is the only NON vulgar acceptable answer but doesn't quite translate what the person truly felt
18 hrs
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28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
I was scared shitless


Explanation:
This is a classic English expression, at least in the US

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 30 mins (2010-01-04 16:47:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

BTW, this is mildly vulgar, but the degree of appropriateness depends very much on the public, who is this person talking to?

David Russi
United States
Local time: 02:55
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Perhaps because I'm American, this one sounds the best.
Thanks, Dave.
Notes to answerer
Asker: The agency said, "La Signorina deve presentare questo file per partecipare ad un Master a livello mondiale….suppongo che lo esamineranno degli esperti di selezione (psicologi ecc.)." Dan


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  claudiocambon: This strikes the right balance without being too vulgar.
2 mins
  -> Thanks!

agree  John Walsh
4 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
I pooped my pants


Explanation:
Not too vulgar and something a little kid might actually say.

Sylvia Gilbertson
United States
Local time: 03:55
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  David Russi: True enough, but it sounds like the the speaker is an adult, and this phrase sounds silly coming from a grown-up, unless he/she is prudish.
14 mins
  -> check out my discussion entry - the author is employing a literary device that uses the child's POV

agree  William Murphy: I think this is on the money for what a kid would actually say..
15 mins

neutral  Oliver Lawrence: this would not work for a UK readership
32 mins

agree  tluna: when the Italian version is somewhat vulgar, one ought to keep the general feeling =)
18 hrs

agree  Rachel Fell: for the UK "I used to poo my pants\I pooed my pants" (if it's literally so, rather than just scared, etc.)
22 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
the trots


Explanation:
"runs" is okay to, but you wanted something as non-vulgar as possible. In this context, the trots is as non-vulgar as possible without losing the original connotation of caghetto/cagarella

Michael Korovkin
Italy
Local time: 09:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Inter-Tra
14 hrs
  -> thanks!
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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
diarhhea or sick to my stomach


Explanation:
Depending on whether you think the author is speaking literally or metaphorically.

If you think the author is speaking literally, then diarhhea is a non-vulgar way of translating the idea.

If not, "sick to my stomach" renders the idea of severe anxiety or nervousness without the startling vulgarity of a more technically correct American slang translation.

Shannon Goyette
United States
Local time: 09:55
Native speaker of: English
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Reference comments


2 hrs
Reference

Reference information:
Hi Daniel,

Some funny definitions of 3 Italian words!

caghetto : leggera stipsi intestinale
cagotto: funzioni intestinali alquanto accellerate e abbondanti
squarhouse : funzioni intestinali enormemente accellerate e con fuoriuscite "fischianti" e oltremodo liquide (volgarmente detta cagarella a fischio/spruzzo)

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Note added at 2 days17 hrs (2010-01-07 10:04:38 GMT) Post-grading
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Dear Daniel,
I agree 100% with Sylvia and Micheal. Your task, as a translator, is to render as faithfully as possible the words/subject you are translating . Translators are not supposed to abbelish anything. Remember that the suffix -etto in italiano is a 'suffisso affettivo', therefore behind it there is indeed a sprinkle of irony, as explained from Sylvia and Michael. Furthermore in the English language 'shit' is almost a fill gap word! :-)))

Be not be scared of other's opinions..

Un cordiale saluto
Francesca


    Reference: http://www.lila.it/lilachat/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=97804...
Inter-Tra
Italy
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
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