"atina color"

English translation: "that don't even come close"

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:"atina color"
English translation:"that don't even come close"
Entered by: eski

17:47 Jul 20, 2011
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / literature (Mexican)
Spanish term or phrase: "atina color"
This is contemporary fiction, and I'm sure it's being used colloquially and it may even be in a totally idiosyncratic way.

The context is: a songwriter who lives and works with drug dealers and is fairly new to "the game" has recently discovered how great it is to feel powerful, now that he's got the support of the "baddies". He is sort of celebrating (to himself, verbally) his new-found power, and heaping scorn on those who are not "in" with the tough crowd. He is, here, distinguishing between "los otros" (the fools, the scaredy-cats, etc) and "los buenos" (the drug dealers, etc).

"Pero acá (i.e. on the "inside", with "los buenos") es más de veras, acá está la carne viva, el grito recio, y aquellos son apenas un pellejo chiple y maleado que no ATINA COLOR"

I am taking "pellejo chiple y maleado" to be, essentially, sissies/softies/not tough-guys (i.e. chiple being colloquial for spoiled, pampered, baby, and "pellejo" as skin but (I believe ) referring metaphorically to the guys.

So what is the "atina color"? They can't soak up color? Is color a metaphor? For...a life of crime? Is it more literal? And the atinar? Any help appreciated!

xLisa
ldillma
United States
Local time: 07:21
"that don't even come close"
Explanation:
Don't think a literal translation is likely to do you much good here, ldillma;
Saludos
eski :))

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Note added at 5 mins (2011-07-20 17:52:45 GMT)
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"Atinar" literally means to be on target:
8 Feb 2009 – Santi doesn't think this means a thing, anyone can say that, why there have been times when ..... atinar - to be accurate, or on target ...

Caray, Caray!: February 2009
caraycaray.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html - Cached1 Feb 2009 – Well, then they use the word encuerado, which means naked, so maybe these .... atinar - to be accurate, or on target ... las ratas andan sueltas haciendo fiesta," literally, "the rats are running loose having a party."). ...
Dolmetsch Online - Music Dictionary At - At
www.dolmetsch.com/defsa11.htm - Cached(German f., literally 'breather') a small pause on a weak beat used to strengthen the following ..... atinar en el blanco, (Spanish) to hit the target. ¡atinaste! .... a toda costa, (Spanish) by all means, at all cost, at any price, ...


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Note added at 6 mins (2011-07-20 17:53:22 GMT)
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Saludos
eski :))

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days4 hrs (2011-07-22 21:50:59 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Mil gracias y muchos saludos, ldillma
eski in Acapulco :))
Selected response from:

eski
Mexico
Local time: 05:21
Grading comment
I think all of them are fine, but this one rings best for the register, I feel. Many thanks to all!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4that don't have what it takes/are a pale reflection of...
Altogringo
4"that don't even come close"
eski
3can't get it right
Cecilia Gowar


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
can't get it right


Explanation:
Casi por instinto, te diría que para mi equivale a "no dar pie con bola". No he encontrado ningún ejemplo de "atina color", pero podría muy bien significar "no da con el color adecuado". Hay una expresión, "atinar mal", que equivale a equivocarse.

http://www.wordmagicsoft.com/dictionary/es-en/atinar mal.php

Cecilia Gowar
United Kingdom
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 219
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
that don't have what it takes/are a pale reflection of...


Explanation:
Two answers, one a variation in the vein of Eski and Cgowar, which could reflect the new arrogance of someone just accepted into the group looking down at people who are now outside the inner circle.
Just as I was writing that in, I remembered the English expression of "pale reflection". A little more formal and you might have to rephrase to fit your context, but it at least gets the idea of color in there. Your pellejo could be just a pale reflection of the real deal. Or real men or bad dudes or tough guys or the genuine article or whatever fits. The pellejo guy could be like a wannabe poseur but he's just a pale reflection...".
In the spirit of options for you.

Altogringo
Spain
Local time: 12:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
"that don't even come close"


Explanation:
Don't think a literal translation is likely to do you much good here, ldillma;
Saludos
eski :))

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2011-07-20 17:52:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Atinar" literally means to be on target:
8 Feb 2009 – Santi doesn't think this means a thing, anyone can say that, why there have been times when ..... atinar - to be accurate, or on target ...

Caray, Caray!: February 2009
caraycaray.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html - Cached1 Feb 2009 – Well, then they use the word encuerado, which means naked, so maybe these .... atinar - to be accurate, or on target ... las ratas andan sueltas haciendo fiesta," literally, "the rats are running loose having a party."). ...
Dolmetsch Online - Music Dictionary At - At
www.dolmetsch.com/defsa11.htm - Cached(German f., literally 'breather') a small pause on a weak beat used to strengthen the following ..... atinar en el blanco, (Spanish) to hit the target. ¡atinaste! .... a toda costa, (Spanish) by all means, at all cost, at any price, ...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2011-07-20 17:53:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sign UpI Laugh At "1000000 Strong" Groups That Don't Even Come Close. is on FacebookSign up for Facebook to connect with I Laugh At "1000000 Strong" Groups ...

Swype No Longer Works Correctly [Archive] - Swype Forums
forum.swype.com/archive/index.php/t-3634.html?s... - Cached
2 posts - 2 authors - Last post: 1 Jun
I swype the word "the" and I get, "ee" or "here" or "vex" along with a slew of other words that don't even come close to what I was swyping. ...
PEP TALK FOR PARENTS
www.borntocompete.com/peptalk.html - CachedBetween their announcer and their enthusiastic parents that don't even come close to sitting down. They all have on Tucker paraphernalia or green shirts so ...
Why Facebook games don't look like Call of Duty
blog.games.com/2011/02/18/facebook-games-call-of-duty/ - Cached18 Feb 2011 – ... of social gamers--middle-aged mothers as many studies have shown--run Facebook games on computers that don't even come close to this. ...
Can We Please Stop Pretending That Microsoft's Bing Is Doing Well?
www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-bing-losing-billions-2011... - Cached29 Apr 2011 – Specifically, Microsoft is gaining share for Bing by doing spectacularly expensive distribution deals, deals that don't even come close to ...
Spell check suggestions not working in firefox 4? • mozillaZine Forums
forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2152391...15 - Cached
5 posts - 4 authors
The fact of the matter is the spell check suggestions is not working correctly, it is suggesting words that don't even come close, why would it suggest ...


Saludos
eski :))

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days4 hrs (2011-07-22 21:50:59 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Mil gracias y muchos saludos, ldillma
eski in Acapulco :))

eski
Mexico
Local time: 05:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
I think all of them are fine, but this one rings best for the register, I feel. Many thanks to all!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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