A Puro Leño

English translation: to club (someone) to death

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:a puro leño
English translation:to club (someone) to death
Entered by: Marcelo González

22:32 Mar 1, 2020
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Spanish term or phrase: A Puro Leño
Would anyone be able to tell me what this phrase, I believe used mostly in Costa Rica, means? I have done a lot of web searches and although I have seen it used in context, I can't find specifically what it means. Here was the context in which it was used:

Pero si, hay otros países que si lo hacen, que si se ve en Facebook, creo que en Japón también hacen hasta… no sé, que lo llevan a la orilla y lo matan a puro leño, a los pobres.

This was a transcript and I was charged with translating it to English.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Marisa Blachy
United States
Local time: 07:26
to club (someone) to death
Explanation:
a leño > a palo = to club --- as a verb it sounds more natural in English

They club them to death

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2020-03-02 08:26:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

My pleasure, Marisa :-)
Selected response from:

Marcelo González
United States
Local time: 04:26
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3to club (someone) to death
Marcelo González
Summary of reference entries provided
a palos / a golpes
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro

  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
matar a puro leño
to club (someone) to death


Explanation:
a leño > a palo = to club --- as a verb it sounds more natural in English

They club them to death

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2020-03-02 08:26:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

My pleasure, Marisa :-)

Marcelo González
United States
Local time: 04:26
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 128
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you for this! It was most helpful


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marie Wilson
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Marie :-)

agree  neilmac: Sounds like seal or dolphin clubbing... :/
9 hrs
  -> That's my take, too. Thanks, Neil!

agree  Martin Cosgrove (X)
1 day 17 hrs
  -> Thanks, Martin!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




Reference comments


20 mins
Reference: a palos / a golpes

Reference information:
Ejemplos de esta expresión en Latinoamérica

UNIVERSIDAD RAFAEL LANDÍVAR FACULTAD DE ...biblio3.url.edu.gt › 2012/05/01 › Gonzalez-Karin
aquí se educa mucho a puro leño, pero en mi casa no, yo odio eso. En mi casa prefiero razonar y hablar,

Los migrantes que infestan - Agencia Prensa Ruralwww.prensarural.org › spip › spip › article17076-
Los migrantes que infestan saltan las murallas, los tratan de canallas, de ladrones de sueños, los muelen a puro leño y los deportan sin piedad

Cuentos populares de bandidos mágicos en Guatemala: las ...books.google.es › books-
Celso A. Lara Figueroa - 1999 - ‎Folklore
Ya se lo llevaron preso, a puro leño el pobre para la cárcel,

Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Spain
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 21
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search