Aug 30, 2023 16:39
9 mos ago
36 viewers *
Spanish term

la chiquillada

Spanish to English Other Government / Politics Current affairs
I'm translating an opinion piece from a Mexican periodical, about former U.S. president Trump's legal problems. Here's the phrase in context:
'Trump tiene una ventaja de más de 45-55 puntos sobre su más cercano contendiente, el gobernador republicano de Florida, Ron DeSantis. No tiene mucho sentido ni beneficio electoral batirse en un debate con lo que en México llamaríamos ***“la chiquillada”***.'
A possibly analogous phrase that occurred to me is "peanut gallery," which I think would be understood by U.S. readers (the target audience here) to mean "a bunch of kids," or something to that effect.
Another option, of course, would be to leave it as “la chiquillada,” with a Translator's Note explaining about the Mexican TV show and so forth.
Any other ideas? Thanks in advance - All help very much appreciated.

Discussion

O G V Sep 1, 2023:
pregunto o planteo: en la entrada del glosario... ¿se debería dar cuenta (dejar constancia) de los dos sentidos o sólo sería relevante el significado de grupo del texto original?
Hay que tener en cuenta que quien busca la palabra y se encuentra con este kudoz puede estar buscando el significado de "niñería".
O G V Sep 1, 2023:
adaptar "con lo que en México llamaríamos..." si se mantiene el topónimo puede llevar perfectamente a citar el término original y traducirlo o explicarlo.
Si se elide el país, obviamente no hay que poner "chiquillada" y basta con traducirlo:
"so called small fries" or whatsoever

Independents hold the key - Telegraph India

telegraphindia.com
https://www.telegraphindia.com › ...
1 may 2010 — Ranchi, April 30: They are the so-called small fries in the ocean of coalition politics, but in a situation like this when the BJP will have ...
Robert Carter Aug 30, 2023:
Gracias, Abel, ¡un saludo igual!

On a linguistic note, I would say "chiquillada" here is a group noun, like "manada" (or, say, "perrada" as you might hear in Mexico), so it would be better translated in plural, "small fries". Not sure why it would be necessary to include the Spanish though.
philgoddard Aug 30, 2023:
I think you have to include the Spanish "What we in Mexico call la chiquillada, the small fry".
abe(L)solano Aug 30, 2023:
Excelente referencia periodística, Robert. ¡saludos!
Robert Carter Aug 30, 2023:
If you are familiar with Mexican politics, you probably know all about the main parties (Morena, PAN, PRI, PRD), but there are also several other small parties that form allegiances and do deals with those main ones, PT, PVM, MC, PES, etc., the "minor opponents" as Abel just noted, that's the "chiquillada".

https://elpopular.mx/opinion/2020/09/28/los-partidos-de-la-c...
abe(L)solano Aug 30, 2023:
Agree with neilmac "la chiquillada" here = minor opponents i.e. DeSantis and the rest of republicans.
So it would be a waste of time to engage in a debate with them (being Trump 'the boss').
neilmac Aug 30, 2023:
UK take I've never heard of the expression "peanut gallery", or indeed the Mexican TV show mentioned, but from the context it looks like the phrase just means something like "a waste of time".

Proposed translations

+8
29 mins
Selected

small fry

When the big fish is not there.

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Note added at 48 mins (2023-08-30 17:27:42 GMT)
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mall fry
noun [ U ] informal (also small-fry)
UK /ˈsmɔːl ˌfraɪ/ US /ˈsmɑːl ˌfraɪ/
Add to word list
people or things that are not considered to be important:
They may be key players in their own company, but they're small fry in the industry itself.
Big international acts perform at the venue, as well as small-fry local bands.
Fewer examples
The people arrested this week are just small fry, not the gang leaders.
All of these exports are still very small fry compared to the car industry.
It's not the small-fry company you claim it is.
We are not just their small-fry trading partners who can be bullied.
Major publishers can't be bothered with books they consider small-fry.

"small fry" can also be a humurous reference to a bunch of children.

It comes from:

fry
noun [ plural ]
UK /fraɪ/ US /fraɪ/

young, small fish



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Note added at 1 hr (2023-08-30 17:46:02 GMT)
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There is a similar word used in the same way in River Plate Spanish:

Chiquitaje
De forma despectiva: asunto o cosa de poco valor, irrelevante.
Peer comment(s):

agree philgoddard : I didn't understand this until Robert explained it - your English reference isn't much help :-)
6 mins
Simple enough. For Trump, there is nothing to be gained from debating with the candidates who are way down in the polls. Context reads "debate con la chiquillada" ie "debate with the small fry" You cant debate with a childish act.
agree Robert Carter : Exactly, I was going to suggest "lightweights" or "nonentities" but "small fries" captures it neatly.
41 mins
Thank you Robert!
agree Jennifer Levey
45 mins
Thank you, Jennifer!
agree abe(L)solano
48 mins
¡Gracias AbeL!
agree Andrew Bramhall : Yes, and for DT, ANY other candidate is 'small fry', as he has already been president ( in a manner of speaking) whereas none of the others have reached the pinnacle of the presidency.
2 hrs
Thank you!
agree Muriel Vasconcellos
3 hrs
Thank you!
agree Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
6 hrs
Thank you!
agree O G V : "so called small fries". saludos.
1 day 7 hrs
Yes. Thank you!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, Patinba, and thanks to all who contributed to the discussion."
7 mins

childish act/behaviour

from various dictionary entries

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Note added at 8 минути (2023-08-30 16:48:33 GMT)
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https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/espanol-ingl...

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Note added at 9 минути (2023-08-30 16:49:20 GMT)
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or even



puerile
Peer comment(s):

neutral abe(L)solano : not in this context- "La chiquillada" here = the rest of (weak) Republican candidates
1 hr
neutral O G V : no es el sentido de acción sino de grupo. Saludos.
1 day 7 hrs
neutral Edward Potter : I think it refers to the insignificance of the other candidates and not their behavior.
15 days
Something went wrong...
35 mins

behaving like a little kid

It doesn't make much sense or electoral benefit to fight in a debate with what in Mexico we would call behaving like a little kid.
Peer comment(s):

neutral Andrew Bramhall : "with what in Mexico WE would call..."?? Someone else's words you're quoting, or your own?//Fair enough, get it now, thanks.
2 hrs
My own hunch
neutral O G V : no es el sentido de acción sino de grupo. Saludos.
1 day 7 hrs
Something went wrong...
15 days

little leaguers

This is a baseball reference used often in this context in the United States. This would capture the little kids connotation.

Let me take a try at the sentence:

It wouldn't make any sense or have any electoral benefit by possibly getting beaten by a bunch of little leaguers.



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Reference comments

23 mins
Reference:

Look it up first

Translate "chiquillada" from Spanish to English
Spanish to English
chiquillada
Translations

chiquillada Noun
chiquillada, la ~ (f) (excesotravesuragamberradaatrocidadtravesurasdiabluradiabluraspicardíadesafuerotonterasbarrabasadabribonada)
monkey trick, the ~ Noun
mischief, the ~ Noun
prank, the ~ Noun
boyish prank, the ~ Noun
practical joke, the ~ Noun
chiquillada, la ~ (f) (carácter farsantetravesurapicardíapayasadacomicidadchocarreríacarácter cómico)
roguishness, the ~ Noun
impishness, the ~ Noun
mischief, the ~ Noun

Machine Translations

chiquillada chiquillada mst

gt-Google Translate; mst-Microsoft Translate
Wiktionary
From To Via
• chiquillada → childish act ↔ kinderachtigheid — Het kinderachtig zijn
Synonyms

jugada; trastada; ruindad; deshonor; abyección; infamia; faena; jugarreta; putada; barrabasada; marranada; bajeza; ignominia; travesura; desatino; despropósito; dislate; disparate; atropello; barbaridad
niñería; puerilidad; minucia; tontería; bobada
Peer comments on this reference comment:

neutral abe(L)solano : not in this context- "La chiquillada" here = group of kids = the rest of (weak) Republican candidates
55 mins
thanks
neutral Robert Carter : Agree with looking it up, Chris, but none of these translations have much to do with the way "chiquillada" is being used here. https://elpopular.mx/opinion/2020/09/28/los-partidos-de-la-c...
56 mins
thanks for this!
neutral Edward Potter : It means insignificant opponents. No use to debate them since it is child's play.
15 days
Something went wrong...
2 hrs
Reference:

chiquillada como grupo

página muy ilustrativa sobre el sentido de grupo o conjunto del que no da cuenta le diccionario

http://palabrasenjuego.com/de-chamos-y-chavizas/

También se usa chiquillada para llamar a un grupo de chiquillos, aunque la definición se refiere a una acción ingenua o falta de reflexión o sensatez.

Otras palabras que nos da el Diccionario son pipiolera y chiquillería para llamar en México a una concurrencia de chiquillos o, en voces derivadas del náhuatl, pipiolos y pipiolas.

[otro caso similar]

Se llama muchachada a un acción propia de muchachos y también a un conjunto de muchachos. En Chile, de manera coloquial, se llama lolaje a un conjunto de lolos o adolescentes. En España, la voz coloquial para un grupo de chavales o chavalas es chavalería.


usos de ese sentido

Resumen - Disparidades. Revista de Antropología

csic.es
https://dra.revistas.csic.es › dra › article › view
... empezaban a arder fogatas que acababa de prender la chiquillada. ... confiadas al grupo de edad -la colla - y bajo la discreta vigilancia de los vecinos ...

Una de indios y vaqueros - El Progreso de Lugo

elprogreso.es
https://www.elprogreso.es › Noticias
LA CHIQUILLADA DE mi pueblo salía los domingos de misa de doce desbocada ... en ello una mayor capacidad socializadora que en un grupo de chavales dándose ...

Tradiciones de Costa Rica, UCR - Facebook

facebook.com
https://www.facebook.com › photos › tradicion-el-cin...
6 sept 2022 — Andar en grupo y tocar de puerta en puerta representaba una fiesta para la chiquillada, por lo cual se esperaba con ansia el 31 de diciembre ...

Los niños refrescan Riazor | Deportes | EL PAÍS
elpais.com
https://elpais.com › Deportes
... desenfadada y energética del grupo de chicos que ha reunido Joaquín Caparrós. ... la mano experta que puso la guinda al manifiesto de la chiquillada.

Setenteros, zeppelianos... y no obstante, modernos

rock-progresivo.com
https://www.rock-progresivo.com › 2011/11
10 nov 2011 — superan al grupo principal, no porque uno vaya con la mentalidad de que ... interpretativa aún, aunque les pese a la chiquillada que suele

Aplicaciones del procesamiento del lenguaje natural ... - RUC

udc.es
https://ruc.udc.es › VilaresFerro_Jesus_TD_2005
de J Vilares · 2005 · Citado por 32 — muchachada{ nombre colectivo (grupo de muchachos) acción propia de la base (chiquillada). El dise˜no de nuestra herramienta aborda sólamente ...


en el contexto, como se ha dicho, el término alude a rivales pequeños, sin relevancia o poco conocidos.
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