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English translation: broke his/her back

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:se rompía el lomo
English translation:broke his/her back
Entered by: Angel Biojo

05:21 Nov 22, 2012
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Poetry & Literature / Literature
Spanish term or phrase: se rompía el lomo
Él capó clases mientras su madre se rompía el lomo para llevar la comida a casa, porque el mismo hijo, cuando nació, conoció a su papá ya anciano.

NOTA: En Colombia no ir a clases se dice "capar clases" y "romperse el lomo" es trabajar como esclavo.
Angel Biojo
United States
Local time: 17:31
broke his/her back
Explanation:
Así se dice seguro, entre otras formas. Ésta traducción es más literal, pero es idiomática en inglés.
En este caso "her", claro.

The Monster | Distance
novarridistance.blogspot.com/2011/.../monster.ht... - Traducir esta página
14 Oct 2011 – His face was thinner, and lined already, but he could not or would not frown even as he broke his back to earn a piddling salary. All those wires ...
Selected response from:

Alejandro Alcaraz Sintes
Spain
Grading comment
Muchas gracias Alejandro.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +8worked her fingers to the bone
Emily Marcuccilli (X)
5 +3broke his/her back
Alejandro Alcaraz Sintes
4 +2slogged her guts out
Yaotl Altan
4broke her back
Cyril B.


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
slogged her guts out


Explanation:


Yaotl Altan
Mexico
Local time: 18:31
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jesús Morales: Yes, or "he/she worked his/her butt off" in the US version
2 hrs
agree  Carol Gullidge
3 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
broke his/her back


Explanation:
Así se dice seguro, entre otras formas. Ésta traducción es más literal, pero es idiomática en inglés.
En este caso "her", claro.

The Monster | Distance
novarridistance.blogspot.com/2011/.../monster.ht... - Traducir esta página
14 Oct 2011 – His face was thinner, and lined already, but he could not or would not frown even as he broke his back to earn a piddling salary. All those wires ...

Alejandro Alcaraz Sintes
Spain
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 7
Grading comment
Muchas gracias Alejandro.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cyril B.: :)
1 min
  -> Thanks, Cyril.
agree  Guillermo Urbina Valdés
4 hrs
  -> Gracias, Guillermo.
agree  claudia bagnardi: "...that a man must break his back to earn his day of leisure"...Girl....Beatles. Remember?
6 hrs
  -> :-)) Thank you, Claudia.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
broke her back


Explanation:
Same image in EN

Papa says, "Son, it's the land of the free,"
As he broke his back trying to make ends meet...
http://rapgenius.com/Allen-stone-unaware-lyrics

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2012-11-22 06:25:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2135432

Cyril B.
France
Native speaker of: French
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
worked her fingers to the bone


Explanation:
Another idiomatic way of putting it.

Emily Marcuccilli (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charles Davis: Very suitable here, and almost certainly what would be said (UK or US) when referring to a mother. For some reason it is mainly women who work their fingers to the bone, while men slog their guts out (type of work, I suppose).
10 mins
  -> Thanks Charles!
agree  Carol Gullidge: Charles makes a good point about the gender issue, although I don't think it's a hard and fast rule
1 hr
  -> Thank you Carol.
agree  Jenni Lukac (X)
1 hr
  -> Thanks Jenni.
agree  Jane Martin
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Jane.
agree  Alistair Ian Spearing Ortiz
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Alistair!
agree  Andres Fekete
5 hrs
  -> Thank you Andres!
agree  Marian Vieyra: Agree more suitable for a mother who works hard.
2 days 7 hrs
agree  Lucy Williams
2 days 7 hrs
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