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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

servir de alcahuetes

15:58 Aug 9, 2012
This question was closed without grading. Reason: Answer found elsewhere

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Spanish term or phrase: servir de alcahuetes
This is from a letter by a Puerto Rican artist in the mid'20th century. he says that atr biennials
“se están prestando para servir de alcahuetes al mercado norteamericano”

Thanks!!
Wendy Gosselin
Argentina
Local time: 01:52


Summary of answers provided
5 +3cover-up//brown-nose
Lydia De Jorge
4 +3procurer, go between
Blanca Collazo
4acting as spies for the NA market
jmleger
4suck up
Andres Fekete
4be a pimp or madam (supply prostitutes)
Christian [email protected]
4pander to
Jeff Gotfredson
3(to serve as) eyes and ears for/of
Altogringo
3serve as a sneak peek
Marcelo González


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
acting as spies for the NA market


Explanation:
an alchahuete is more of a snitch. a tale teller. When I was a kid in Norhern Africa, we used a frenchified and shorter version. Being a "caouète" was not good for your general health.

jmleger
Local time: 23:52
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Marjory Hord: Va con una de las definiciones de RAE (abajo) pero tal vez en el contexto no
11 hrs
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
cover-up//brown-nose


Explanation:
In PR 'alcahuete' is someone who covers up for someone else by hidding the truth from others. We call them 'brown-nosers' in US.

Lydia De Jorge
United States
Local time: 23:52
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 94

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  María Eugenia Wachtendorff
24 mins
agree  Alexandra Bourne
1 hr
agree  Rosa Paredes: cover up. Saludos :)
5 hrs
neutral  Marcelo González: Hi Lydia. Do you think this fits the context very well? I just don't see it. The biennials serve as cover-ups???
2 days 8 hrs
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
procurer, go between


Explanation:
It's like having that friend that helps you and let's you get your way in many ways.

Blanca Collazo
Puerto Rico
Local time: 00:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alexandra Bourne
1 hr
agree  Christian [email protected]
9 hrs
agree  Altogringo: fits the context best I think
21 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
suck up


Explanation:

2.suck up - ingratiate oneself to; often with insincere behavior; "She is playing up to the chairman"

in•gra•ti•ate ( n-gr sh - t )
tr.v. in•gra•ti•at•ed, in•gra•ti•at•ing, in•gra•ti•ates
To bring (oneself, for example) into the favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort: She quickly sought to ingratiate herself with the new administration.


Andres Fekete
Uruguay
Local time: 01:52
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
be a pimp or madam (supply prostitutes)


Explanation:
So... I like the "go between" option.


    Reference: http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=alcahuete
Christian [email protected]
United States
Local time: 00:52
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 7
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The asker has declined this answer

21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(to serve as) eyes and ears for/of


Explanation:
In the interest of providing options.
Definitely a context call and not enough sample to clearly tell the level of virulence in the tone of the letter.
I first thought of "springboard/launching pad to" and then "showcase for" (in the sense of escaparate) since it's talking about institutions.
This is a bit more neutral, but implies some of the snitch/hide the truth/sucking up elements that alcahuete seems to have.
Otherwise, I'm inclined towards go-between, because I don't think brown-noser fits the context.


Altogringo
Spain
Local time: 06:52
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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2 days 3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
pander to


Explanation:
Another option to consider.

Jeff Gotfredson
United States
Local time: 23:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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2 days 5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
serve as a sneak peek


Explanation:
If something serves as a sneak-peek, it provides a brief preview, in this case of what will be seen later in the US/North American market. This might retain some of the surreptitious (or "sneaky") meaning of alcahuete, the boundaries of which the author sought to extend a bit (by either playfully or critically using alcahuete to suggest an unfair glimpse into the future).

sneak peek (a definition)
an opportunity to see something before it is officially available
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sneak-pee...

they serve as a (sort of) sneak peek/sneak-peek of the...

I hope this helps.

Marcelo González
United States
Local time: 18:52
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 40
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