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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

DROP DEAD BEAUTIFUL

Spanish translation:

extramademente/asombrosamente bella/bello

Added to glossary by lilymar
May 30, 2008 00:21
15 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term

DROP DEAD BEAUTIFUL

English to Spanish Art/Literary Linguistics
This is the title of a book written by Jackie Collins.
I am not sure if it means that someone is extremely beautiful, which means in Spanish: "Terriblemente bella"
Proposed translations (Spanish)
4 +1 extramademente/asombrosamente bella/bello
3 +8 Mortalmente hermosa
4 +2 MUÉRETE, PRECIOSA
3 +3 GUAPA DE MUERTE
4 +2 Fatalmente bella/hermosa
5 -1 bellísima
4 es para morirte de guapo/a; guapo/a que to mueres
4 bella a rabiar
3 bella de muerte
Change log

May 30, 2008 00:50: Margaret Schroeder changed "Language pair" from "Spanish to English" to "English to Spanish"

Discussion

Carmen Schultz Jun 1, 2008:
How about Letalmente Bella ?
Muriel Vasconcellos May 30, 2008:
Remember, guys, this is a DEATH THREAT!! I looked up the synopsis of the book, and that's what it refers to.
Carmen Schultz May 30, 2008:
What about something like "Tan bella que esta' de atraco"?
José Miguel Neira May 30, 2008:
So, what about "Pareces un ángel" or something in that order?
Muriel Vasconcellos May 30, 2008:
....AND, at the same time she is receiving death threats. Impossible to capture the double-entendre unless Spanish has an expression implying that a womena is so beautiful that one falls dead upon casting one's eyes on her.
Muriel Vasconcellos May 30, 2008:
I looked a summary of the plot. The heroine belongs to a Mafia family and is a Mafia "donne" herself. She gets death threats saying "Drop dead beautiful," which is a pun, because we also have the expression "drop-dead gorgeous". So... she is beautiful...
Muriel Vasconcellos May 30, 2008:
Is this a murder mystery?
José Miguel Neira May 30, 2008:
I think it would depend A LOT on the storyline of the book. If it's a play on words, "mortalmente bella" could be a great option... if not, "la más bella" or "extraordinariamente bella" could work.

Proposed translations

+1
12 mins
Selected

extramademente/asombrosamente bella/bello

Como yo....:-) [el segundo]
Suerte:-)

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Note added at 13 mins (2008-05-30 00:35:43 GMT)
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extremadamente
Peer comment(s):
agree Cecilia Welsh : Prefiero tu opción. Saludos
41 mins
Thank you, kind lady:-)
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you for your answer it helped me a lot to understand the context."
-1
5 mins

bellísima

...my shot at it...:)
Peer comment(s):
disagree Wyman Borts, Jr. : It does mean "bellísima" or "very beautiful", but it doesn't convey the same colloquial usage.
2 hrs
Maybe *drop dead* has a double meaning - a bit of info about the story would have made it easier...
Something went wrong...
+2
13 mins

MUÉRETE, PRECIOSA

My option, although I'm not familiar with the novel
Peer comment(s):
disagree jack_speak : "Drop-dead beautiful" means I drop dead if I see her. It doesn't mean we want her to die.
45 mins
Have you read the novel, jack?
agree Robert Feuerlein : yes and no. jack has a point. however it could be a play with words from the author and really mean "drop dead! beautiful girl". in this case margaret would be right.
1 hr
Thanks, Robert
agree Cecilia Welsh : Agree with Robert, but the title would have a comma after 'Dead'
1 hr
Thanks, LadyofArcadia
agree Muriel Vasconcellos : On reading the plot of the book, this seems the most appropriate. The heroine receives death threats, which are a play on words because she is also beautiful.
5 hrs
Thanks, Muriel
neutral Cinnamon Nolan : I think it only captures ONE part of the double-play in English.
6 hrs
Have you read the novel, Cinnamon?
Something went wrong...
+8
18 mins

Mortalmente hermosa

Thought I'd give it a shot
Peer comment(s):
agree Cinnamon Nolan
14 mins
thanks
agree Gabriel Bustos : Hay que ver de qué se trata el libro, pero me parece que ésta opción tiene lo mejor de los dos lados del "drop dead"
30 mins
thanks
agree jack_speak
46 mins
thanks
agree Laura Bissio CT : sí, la mejor opción
1 hr
thanks
agree Victoria Porter-Burns :
6 hrs
thanks
agree Sandra Holt
10 hrs
thanks
agree Pilar Díez : Efectivamente, o bella.
13 hrs
thanks
agree Egmont
17 hrs
thanks
Something went wrong...
+3
32 mins

GUAPA DE MUERTE

En inglés funciona como un título de doble sentido:
1 - Muérete, Guapa/Preciosa (as Margaret has it)
A command/imperative: Die, beautiful woman
1- Está rabiosamente bella/está de muerte (Cesar & Terry)
A compliment: Extremely beautiful
A compliment
Peer comment(s):
agree jack_speak : I like this answer also, and you gave a perfect explanation - this is a double-meaning title.
32 mins
Thanks, Jack! ;->
agree Gary Smith Lawson : Yep, though maybe hermosa/bella for beautiful.
6 hrs
Thanks, Gary. I agree my option isn´t the best in Spanish, but I did want to get the the double-play in meaning in English explained.
agree bcsantos
8 hrs
Thanks a lot!
Something went wrong...
+2
57 mins

Fatalmente bella/hermosa

SUERTE!
Peer comment(s):
agree jack_speak : This also is good, IMO.
7 mins
Thanks! :)
agree Alejandra Ruiz Roa
21 hrs
¡Gracias, Translateship!
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

es para morirte de guapo/a; guapo/a que to mueres

In English, I don't think I've ever heard "drop dead beautiful". "Drop-dead gorgeous" is the expression I've heard. But since it's the title of a novel, it could be intentional. Anyway, drop-dead gorgeous (I would include a hyphen) does mean "stunningly" beautiful, or a "knockout". I did a brief search on the origin of the phrase but came up with nothing. Anybody have a copy of the OED?
Wy

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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-05-30 03:07:04 GMT)
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Sorry, "guapo a que te mueres".
Something went wrong...
18 hrs

bella de muerte

Another option. De muerte captures the meaning of dazzling or awe-inspiring as in Tu vestido es lindo - tu vestido está de muerte.
Something went wrong...
6 hrs

bella a rabiar

otra posibilidad

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Note added at 7 hrs (2008-05-30 07:22:19 GMT)
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Página/12 Web :: las12 :: Qué 8- [ Translate this page ]¿Una bella a rabiar, además notable en su oficio, para calzarse la cofia de Louise, la falsa mucamita? Emmanuelle Béart firmó entusiasmada. ...
www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/suplementos/las12/13-295-2002-08... - Similar pages


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Note added at 13 hrs (2008-05-30 14:20:21 GMT)
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otra posibilidad " tan bella que esta' de atraco"

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Note added at 2 days15 hrs (2008-06-01 16:19:28 GMT)
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If you want to keep the original idea intact, how about "Letalmente Bella?

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Note added at 2 days15 hrs (2008-06-01 16:20:36 GMT)
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'LETALMENTE BELLA'
Or also "ARMA LETAL"
Something went wrong...
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