Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
a salto de manta
English translation:
as they come along
Added to glossary by
Casey Butterfield
Feb 6, 2005 17:11
19 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Spanish term
a salto de manta
Spanish to English
Social Sciences
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
govt meeting
"estar cada ejercicio presupuestario resolviendo estas situaciones a salto de manta."
obviously it means something like "at short notice" but I was wondering if anyone knew of the proper corresponding English phrase.
TIA!
obviously it means something like "at short notice" but I was wondering if anyone knew of the proper corresponding English phrase.
TIA!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +3 | as they come along |
Antoine Cassar (X)
|
| 4 +2 | a salto de mata - haphazardly |
tazdog (X)
|
| 5 | in a wink of an eye |
Lillian van den Broeck
|
| 4 | Hand to mouth |
Martin Harvey
|
| 3 | at random, randomly. |
Juan Jacob
|
Proposed translations
+3
13 mins
Spanish term (edited):
a salto de mata
Selected
as they come along
Firstly, if I'm not mistaken, the Spanish phrase should in fact be "a salto de mata".
The meaning of this expression depends a little on the context. For example, "hacer las cosas a salto de mata" means to do things in a haphazard way, whilst "vivir a salto de mata" is used to mean that someone takes each day (or job, or challenge etc.) as it comes. It could be similar to "at short notice", but there is a subtle difference: the phrase comes from the image of someone running and jumping over each little shrub (mata) that comes in their way.
Best of luck,
Antoine Cassar.
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Note added at 1 day 39 mins (2005-02-07 17:51:20 GMT)
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Another option would be to use both meanings of the expression simultaneously. Thus, for example:
\"... haphazardly dealing with each of these situations as they came along\".
Do let us know you\'re decision!
Regards,
Antoine.
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Note added at 1 day 41 mins (2005-02-07 17:53:00 GMT)
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Sorry for the little typo hiccup there... I obviously meant to write \"your decision\" (la niebla del lunes...)
Un saludo.
The meaning of this expression depends a little on the context. For example, "hacer las cosas a salto de mata" means to do things in a haphazard way, whilst "vivir a salto de mata" is used to mean that someone takes each day (or job, or challenge etc.) as it comes. It could be similar to "at short notice", but there is a subtle difference: the phrase comes from the image of someone running and jumping over each little shrub (mata) that comes in their way.
Best of luck,
Antoine Cassar.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 39 mins (2005-02-07 17:51:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Another option would be to use both meanings of the expression simultaneously. Thus, for example:
\"... haphazardly dealing with each of these situations as they came along\".
Do let us know you\'re decision!
Regards,
Antoine.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 41 mins (2005-02-07 17:53:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Sorry for the little typo hiccup there... I obviously meant to write \"your decision\" (la niebla del lunes...)
Un saludo.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Juan Jacob
: We do agree, indeed. Ya veo: donde vives, la expresión es "¡A salto de Malta!"
2 mins
|
|
Je je, y aquí, ¡a poco que saltas acabas en el mar!
|
|
| agree |
María Roberto (X)
49 mins
|
| agree |
Andrée Goreux
4 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "This fit into the text exactly, Antoine. I used it immediately but wanted to give everyone a chance to answer before grading just in case. Thanks, everyone!"
5 mins
Lillian van den Broeck
Mexico
Mexico
Native in Spanish
Works in field
Mexico
Lillian van den Broeck, writer and poet
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, French to Spanish, and 3 more.
in a wink of an eye
-
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jo Mayr
: debe ser algo así ;)
7 mins
|
|
Gracias Johannes.
|
|
| disagree |
Juan Jacob
: No lo creo: andar a salto de mata quiere decir corriendo, de un lado para otro, sin rumbo fijo.
10 mins
|
7 mins
Juan Jacob
Mexico
Mexico
Native in Spanish
Specializes in field
Mexico
Literatura, historia, subtitulaje
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Mexican, Latin American) 
, French (Variants: Belgian, Standard-France)
Works in: French to Spanish, Spanish to French, French, and 5 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
at random, randomly.
Not at short notice.
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Note added at 10 mins (2005-02-06 17:22:28 GMT)
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A salto de mata, not manta.
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Note added at 10 mins (2005-02-06 17:22:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
A salto de mata, not manta.
+2
10 mins
10 hrs
Martin Harvey
Argentina
Argentina
Native in Spanish
&
English
Works in field
Argentina
Obsession for quality is a pleasure.
Native in: English , Spanish (Variant: Argentine)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Hand to mouth
"To live from hand to mouth" means to manage to survive, eat, having very little. There is a book by Paul Auster tittled "Hand to mouth" that has been appropriately translated into "A salto de mata" (no manta, que no tiene nada que ver y que probablemente es un error de tipeo.
www.prometeolibros.com/ libros/2/asaltodemata_843396700.asp - 35k
www.prometeolibros.com/ libros/2/asaltodemata_843396700.asp - 35k
Reference:
www.paulauster.co.uk/handtomouth.htm - 6k - Cached - Similar pages
weeklywire.com/ww/10-27-97/boston_books_3.html - 12k - 4 Feb 2005 - Cached - Similar pages
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