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... de armas tomar, literalmente.

English translation: a fighter, literally

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:... de armas tomar, literalmente.
English translation:a fighter, literally
Entered by: Cecilia Noriega

15:14 Mar 4, 2011
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Government / Politics / politics/military
Spanish term or phrase: ... de armas tomar, literalmente.
El contexto en que se usa la frase:
Fue un político activo y de armas tomar, literalmente. Ayudó en la defensa del Callao durante la Guerra del Pacífico ...

Se refiere a la descripción que hacen de un personaje del siglo XIX en el Perú.

La dificultad en la traducción radica en que "de armas tomar" no sólo se refiere a que era una persona decidida y de acción sino que también tomaba las armas para ir a la guerra cuando era necesario.
Cecilia Noriega
Local time: 19:56
a fighter, literally
Explanation:
Fue un político activo y de armas tomar, literalmente = He was an active politician and a fighter, literally
Selected response from:

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 18:56
Grading comment
Thanks, exactly what I was looking for.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +12a fighter, literally
Henry Hinds
4 +1who didn't hesitate to take up arms
Jenni Lukac (X)
3 +1who wasn't afraid to take up arms (on occasion)
polyglot45
4to be reckoned with
neilmac
4pugnacious, literally
Charles Davis
4a formidable woman.
James Arthur Williamson


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
who wasn't afraid to take up arms (on occasion)


Explanation:
hands on

to wield a weapon

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  neilmac: The "literally" doohickey is dispensable IMO.
1 min
  -> literally had no compunction when it came to
neutral  Sandro Tomasi: I agree with Phil's comment below.
33 mins
neutral  philgoddard: This loses the whole idea of "literally", which is important.
52 mins
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
who didn't hesitate to take up arms


Explanation:
On May 27th, with their husbands, brothers and fathers dead or dying, the women of Cochabamba didn't hesitate to take up arms and rise up in defense of the ...
www.boliviabella.com/mothers-day.html - En caché - Similares;

Jenni Lukac (X)
Local time: 02:56
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 120

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  neilmac: This works for me. (But not literally)
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Neil. Have a nice weekend.
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +12
a fighter, literally


Explanation:
Fue un político activo y de armas tomar, literalmente = He was an active politician and a fighter, literally

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 18:56
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 661
Grading comment
Thanks, exactly what I was looking for.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sandro Tomasi: Well said.
6 mins
  -> Gracias, Sandro.
agree  philgoddard: Nice and concise.
7 mins
  -> Gracias, Phil. Y te salió un verso sin esfuerzo.
agree  James A. Walsh
17 mins
  -> Gracias, James.
agree  Charles Davis
24 mins
  -> Gracias, Charles.
agree  neilmac: Punctures my earlier assertion that it couldn't be done. And the "literally" also works in this version. Short and sweet :)
44 mins
  -> Gracias, Neil. Sssssss...
agree  liz askew
49 mins
  -> Gracias, Liz.
agree  Christina Jose
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Christina.
agree  Diane Kenyon: well done! Fighter works both figuratively and literally
4 hrs
  -> Gracias, Dekken.
agree  Eileen Banks
4 hrs
  -> Gracias, Eileen.
agree  jude dabo: ok
7 hrs
  -> Gracias, Jude.
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos
13 hrs
  -> Gracias, Muriel.
agree  LexisPlus
22 hrs
  -> Gracias, Trans.
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to be reckoned with


Explanation:
I'm afraid there is no succinct way to preserve the Spanish bon mot of "literally".

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Note added at 7 mins (2011-03-04 15:22:20 GMT)
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"An active politician to be reckoned with, who wasn't afraid to take up arms (on occasion)" would work nicely for me, pax polyglot45.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2011-03-04 16:48:30 GMT)
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I'd still omit the "literally" tag though...

neilmac
Spain
Local time: 02:56
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 200

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: Yes, there is!
52 mins
  -> Hmm... just seen HH's post, so I'm afraid I must concede yr pt :/
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
pugnacious, literally


Explanation:
It might run: "He was an active and pugnacious politician - literally so." Or something like that. I wondered about "combative", which might do as an alternative.
I admit that "de armas tomar" in its usual metaphorical sense doesn't quite mean "pugnacious", but it's not too far away, I think. My idea is to find a word or phrase that literally means prone to fight but is usually used metaphorically, and can be said of a politician who is formidable or feisty. I think "pugnacious" may be such a word:

"Sarkozy, with his supermodel wife, his immigrant background, his penchant for Montblanc pens and Cuban heels, was a breath of fresh air, a pugnacious politician who promised to reinvigorate France."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2010/sep/19/nicolas-sa...

"Ozawa's backers say the gruff, pugnacious politician has the leadership and skills to break through Japan's stalemate and win cooperation from opposition parties"
http://www.xe.com/news/2010-09-13 21:52:00.0/1391829.htm

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2011-03-04 17:10:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"pugnacious:
readily disposed to fight; belligerent" (Collins)

"1. pugnacious - tough and callous by virtue of experience, hard-bitten, hard-boiled, tough - not given to gentleness or sentimentality; "a tough character" [that's "de armas tomar" in its normal sense]
2. pugnacious - ready and able to resort to force or violence; "pugnacious spirits...lamented that there was so little prospect of an exhilarating disturbance"- Herman Melville; "they were rough and determined fighting men" [that's the "literally" part]
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pugnacious


Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 02:56
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 276

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Sandro Tomasi: Asker's context includes "Ayudó en la defensa del Callao durante la Guerra del Pacífico ...". Do you think "pugnacious" applies?
8 mins
  -> Sure! Pugnacious means "eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight" So "literally pugnacious" can only imply physical combat, otherwise "literally" means nothing.
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3807 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
a formidable woman.


Explanation:
The phrase "de armas tomar" is usually used to refer to women. Una "mujer de armas tomar" es una que tiene un carácter o personalidad fuerte, decidida y valiente lo que hace que sea alguien difícil de tratar o manipular. No tiene nada que ver con llevar armas en el sentido literal. Por eso el autor añade "literalmente" porque esta persona, seguramente una mujer, sí tomo armas en el sentido literal. Es como decir "He's carrying a torch for her - literally" if a bloke uses a flashlight to help the girl he loves in vain. You wouldn't associate the phrase to "carry a torch for someone" to mean a professional torch-bearer. So it is with women "de armas tomar".

Example sentence(s):
  • La Maruja dijo al cura que se deja de pamplinas. ¡Esa sí que es una mujer de armas tomar!
James Arthur Williamson
Spain
Local time: 02:56
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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