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Thread: "cola de paja"

 
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    Senior Member lauracipolla's Avatar
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    Default "cola de paja"

    para los que no la conocen (y en verdad me gustaría saber en qué países se utiliza esta frase, además de acá, en Argentina), usamos esta expresión para indicar un remordimiento por haber hecho algo malo o cuando alguien se adelanta y se "culpa" por algo y algo que podía haber pasado inadvertido se descubre ante los demás. también me interesa saber el origen: no sé si leí o inventé que tiene q ver con q si uno tuviera una cola de paja, ¡podría encenderse fuego muy rápidamente!

    leí por ahí q se dice igual en italiano: "coda di paglia", con el significado del refrán en latín "excusatio non petita, accusatio manifesta" (que entiendo como "si das excusas no solicitadas, te estás acusando").

    mi pregunta es: ¿hay un equivalente en inglés?

    bueno, espero respuesta, si los amigos angloparlantes la tienen, o comentarios! saludos!

    laura

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    Default Re: "cola de paja"

    Sometimes we play off the quote from Shakespeare: "the lady doth protest too much." You could say something like: It seems like you're protesting a bit too much. The meaning, as it is in Shakespeare, is that if you deny or affirm something too vehemently or for no apparent reason, your claim becomes suspicious.

    But, I can't think of any expressions.

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    Default Re: "cola de paja"

    right - and there is a saying among children seems related:

    "liar, liar, pants on fire...".

    hermit

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    Default Re: "cola de paja"

    All I can think of is "to cover your ass".

    It means to prepare in advance an explanation or excuse for something that has happened for which you might be blamed whether you are guilty or not.

    Ex. sentence: "You better cover your ass on this"

    So somebody who is explaining, or denying culpability, in advance, is covering his ass...and that often happens with someone who knows he will be suspect.

    That's the most common form. In a more polite way it might be said as " to come up with a good excuse or an alibi".
    vicente

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    Default Re: "cola de paja"

    Hi Guys,
    I'd go with "to have a guilty conscience".

    Diegonel

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    Default Re: "cola de paja"

    Quote Originally Posted by diegonel
    Hi Guys,
    I'd go with "to have a guilty conscience".

    Diegonel
    I'd go with that too!!

    and

    the lady doth protest too much
    When you have a guilty conscience you protest too much and try to cover your ass. jajajaja
    Last edited by vicente; 06-10-2009 at 08:50 PM.
    vicente

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    Default Re: "cola de paja"

    Yes Vicente... I guess that everybody must have covered their ass once!!!

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    Default Re: "cola de paja"

    Ah! no sabía que el refrán era Latín. Buen dato.
    Siempre escuché "Explicación no pedida, acusación manifiesta".

    Aunque en Inglés también rima:

    None required explanation, manifested accusation.

    And if the expression survived since the Latins, may we use it in English as well?


    To have a guilty conscience explains it perfectly, but does not give an equivalence with the rhythm. I’ll go for liar liar pants on fire, but may it only apply with childish language?

    En México decimos "con la cola entre las patas" como los perros regañados, o cuando se delatan solos por haber destruido las pantuflas.
    Last edited by Benilde Moreno; 06-11-2009 at 06:09 PM.

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    Senior Member lauracipolla's Avatar
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    Default Re: "cola de paja"

    Quote Originally Posted by hermit
    right - and there is a saying among children seems related:

    "liar, liar, pants on fire...".

    hermit
    loved the phrase! it really seems connected, right?

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    Default Re: "cola de paja"

    I have just watched what I think is an example. There is currently an uproar on TV news regarding talk show host David Letterman trying to explain on CNN that he really wasn't talking about the 14 year old daughter of Sarah Palin when he joked on his show that her daughter was "knocked up" by baseball star Alex Rodriguez. He sure seems to be protesting his innocence too much.
    vicente

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