Glossary entry (derived from question below)
español term or phrase:
mosquita muerta
inglés translation:
snake in the grass
español term
España
Native in: catalán 
mosquita muerta
The Cambridge dictionary translates it as "Goody-goody", which means someone who is too ready to behave in a way intended to please people in authority. However, this translation doesn't really suit this context as it is talking about a woman who looks innocent but is actually more aware of things than we believe. A very strong word to compare it to would be "bitch", but in this case I am looking for a word which would be way less offensive.
| 3 +2 | snake in the grass |
Cecilia Gowar
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| 4 | to have no backbone |
Chema Nieto Castañón
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| 3 | butter wouldn't melt |
Cecilia Franetovich
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| Refs. |
Taña Dalglish
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Sep 4, 2019 15:10: changed "Kudoz queue" from "In queue" to "Public"
Sep 4, 2019 15:15: Yana Dovgopol changed "Vetting" from "Needs Vetting" to "Vet OK"
Nov 13, 2019 08:42: Cecilia Gowar Created KOG entry
PRO (2): patinba, Toni Castano
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Proposed translations
Reino Unido
I read the Alethiometer
Native in: español
Works in: inglés al español, español al inglés, francés al español, and 1 more.
snake in the grass
https://grammarist.com/idiom/a-snake-in-the-grass/
mosca muerta
1. f. coloq. Persona, al parecer, de ánimo o genio apagado, pero que no pierde la ocasión de su provecho.
https://dle.rae.es/?id=Pt3ozF8
| agree |
Rachel Fell
6 horas
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Thanks Rachel!
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| agree |
Kristina Trcka
68 días
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Thanks Kristina!
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Argentina
Fast, reliable, experienced
Native in: español
Works in: inglés al español, español al inglés
butter wouldn't melt
"Top definition
Butter Wouldn’t Melt
The original expression was “Butter wouldn’t melt in his/her mouth”. What this means is when you find someone, a child or animal who is quite obviously responsible for some misdemeanour and they deny it and look at you with an expression of angelic innocence and, in spite of all the evidence continue to lie, that’s when you say that Butter Wouldn’t Melt.
“It wasn’t me that broke the jug, it was the dog.”
“We haven’t got a dog.”
“It came in from outside, it wasn’t me.”
“Oh yeah, and I suppose butter wouldn’t melt!”
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Note added at 17 mins (2019-09-04 15:27:22 GMT)
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https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Butter Would...
España
Psychologist & Emergency Physician
Native in: español (Variant: Standard-Spain)
Works in: inglés al español
to have no backbone
Sin embargo, el contexto específico es fundamental para ajustar la traducción.
Por ejemplo, "Ella no es ninguna mosquita muerta, aunque lo parezca" se refiere a que She is actually a snake in the grass; she really looks like a goody-goody but...
Y sin embargo, utilizado de manera despectiva, mosquita muerta tiene un sentido peyorativo directo; "ella es una (auténtica) mosquita muerta", meaning she has no backbone.
Así pues, ¡contexto! ;)
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Note added at 10 hrs (2019-09-05 01:46:35 GMT)
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El limitado contexto que aportas (weak, nasty) apunta a un sentido directo como el apuntado; she has no backbone. Aunque sería interesante leer el fraseo original...
Reference comments
Jamaica
Translating the Ideas Behind the Words
Native in: inglés (Variant: British)
Works in: español al inglés, inglés al español, francés al inglés, and 2 more.
Refs.
https://www.reddit.com › linguistics › comments › what_animals_does_yo...
Bird (pájaro) - a cunning person. Bitch (perra) - Bitch. Bug (bicho) - Nasty, mean, weirdo (several meanings). ***Dead fly (mosquita muerta) - A two-faced person.** (two-faced, cunning, sly are options that come to mind).
Brand New Memory
- Page 107 - Google Books Result
https://books.google.com.jm › books
Elías Miguel Muñoz
If you were called mosquita muerta, the little dead fly, that meant you were cunning, conniving and hypocritical. (But how could a dead fly be so evil?).
https://www.celebitchy.com/524847/kelly_rutherfords_bankrupt...
“mosquita muerta”. in Venezuela, Mosquita Muerta= she who acts like she doesnt break a plate the Pic of feigned innocence). “acts like butter would not melt in her mouth.”
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