Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Greek term or phrase:
Σηκωθήκανε τα πόδια να χτυπήσουν το κεφάλι
English translation:
it's a case of the tail wagging the dog; a reversal of roles;
Added to glossary by
Nick Lingris
Aug 15, 2010 10:42
13 yrs ago
Greek term
Σηκωθήκανε τα πόδια να χτυπήσουν το κεφάλι
Greek to English
Other
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Does anyone know of an approximate English equivalent for this saying?...
Proposed translations
(English)
4 +5 | a reversal of roles; a case of the tail wagging the dog | Nick Lingris |
3 -1 | cut off your nose to spite your face | Philip Lees |
Change log
Aug 29, 2010 05:04: Nick Lingris Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+5
31 mins
Selected
a reversal of roles; a case of the tail wagging the dog
Ο αγγλικός ιδιωματισμός είναι αυτό που δίνει ένα ελληνοαγγλικό λεξικό. Διαφέρει από το ελληνικό, αλλά μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί στη θέση του ενίοτε, π.χ.
"Calling to mind Lord Dundreary's conundrum, the Baltimore American thinks that for the Cincinnati Convention to control the Democratic party would be the tail wagging the dog."
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/341850.html
Μια γενική διατύπωση θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιήσει το reversal of roles. Για πιο συγκεκριμένες προτάσεις θα χρειαζόταν ακριβές συγκείμενο.
"Calling to mind Lord Dundreary's conundrum, the Baltimore American thinks that for the Cincinnati Convention to control the Democratic party would be the tail wagging the dog."
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/341850.html
Μια γενική διατύπωση θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιήσει το reversal of roles. Για πιο συγκεκριμένες προτάσεις θα χρειαζόταν ακριβές συγκείμενο.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
-1
33 mins
cut off your nose to spite your face
Is it something like this?
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Ivi Rocou
: No, it is not, Philip, but I can't remember the corresponding saying in Greek. Nick's answer is the correct one.
31 mins
|
Yes, I see that now. I was thinking of something else. A bit of context would have been useful.
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neutral |
Anna Spanoudaki-Thurm
: "έβαλε τα χέρια του και έβγαλε τα μάτια του;" μήπως;
45 mins
|
Yes, yes - that's what I was thinking of.
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disagree |
Ioanna Karamanou
: No, this is something my dad says: "έκαψε το σπίτι του να μην τον τρώνε οι ψίλοι"
4 hrs
|
Reference comments
50 mins
Reference:
tail wagging the dog
Από το Μεγάλο Λεξικό (Εκδόσεις Οδυσσέας" - under "tail, 1":
We can't have the tail wagging the dog = Δεν μπορούν να διευθύνουν οι κατώτεροι τη δουλειά.
We can't have the tail wagging the dog = Δεν μπορούν να διευθύνουν οι κατώτεροι τη δουλειά.
Peer comments on this reference comment:
neutral |
Kyriacos Georghiou
: How about: The worm turned
18 hrs
|
5 hrs
Reference:
cut off your nose to spite your face
"Cutting off the nose to spite the face" is an expression used to describe a needlessly self-destructive over-reaction to a problem: "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face" is a warning against acting out of pique, or against pursuing revenge in a way that would damage oneself more than the source of one's anger.
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Note added at 5 hrs (2010-08-15 16:33:37 GMT)
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Also some interesting info on "tail wagging the dog"
Etymology: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/341850.html
The earliest citation that I can find is from The Daily Republican, April 1872:
"Calling to mind Lord Dundreary's conundrum, the Baltimore American thinks that for the Cincinnati Convention to control the Democratic party would be the tail wagging the dog."
Dundreary is a character of Tom Taylor's play Our American Cousin. He was an amiable but dim nobleman, who frequently coined nonsensical riddles and twisted metaphors. These 'Dundrearyisms' were similar to Malapropisms and were briefly in vogue amongst US theatre-going circles in the 1850s. For example, 'a stitch in time never boils', 'better late than sorry'.
That Dundreary association leads nicely on to a witticism made by S. J. Perelman, the US humorist. He twisted the phrase after reporting his escape from the attentions of a group of prostitutes - 'It was a case of the tail dogging the wag'.
Evolution: http://www.metaphordogs.org/Dogs/entries/tailwagg.html
This phrase entered the legal lexicon in 1986 with McMillan v. Pennsylvania, a significant case regarding sentencing statutes. In the majority opinion then Associate Justice of the Supreme Court William Rehnquist wrote, “The statute gives no impression of having been tailored to permit the visible possession finding to be a tail which wags the dog of the substantive offense.” In so saying the Court “seemed to warn against a statutory scheme in which the enhancement is far greater than the underlying punishment.”reference 4 In other words, McMillan held that sentencing guidelines which call for extensions of prison terms based on aggravating factors cannot result in an extension longer than the sentence for the original crime. Are you with me? For instance, a tagger might get six months at most for spray painting a wall, even if she is a repeat offender; the sentencing judge cannot add six years because she has determined that the graffiti constituted (sentence enhancing) hate speech unless, and only if, the jury previously concluded that the content was in fact hate speech. The concept and what is now referred to as “the canine metaphor” were solidified in Blakely v. Washington in 2004 and US v. Booker in 2005.reference 5 In announcing the opinion in Blakely, its author, Antonin Scalia, declares without equivocation, though with a bit of a hitch in his voice, “The tail cannot wag the dog."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2010-08-15 16:33:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Also some interesting info on "tail wagging the dog"
Etymology: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/341850.html
The earliest citation that I can find is from The Daily Republican, April 1872:
"Calling to mind Lord Dundreary's conundrum, the Baltimore American thinks that for the Cincinnati Convention to control the Democratic party would be the tail wagging the dog."
Dundreary is a character of Tom Taylor's play Our American Cousin. He was an amiable but dim nobleman, who frequently coined nonsensical riddles and twisted metaphors. These 'Dundrearyisms' were similar to Malapropisms and were briefly in vogue amongst US theatre-going circles in the 1850s. For example, 'a stitch in time never boils', 'better late than sorry'.
That Dundreary association leads nicely on to a witticism made by S. J. Perelman, the US humorist. He twisted the phrase after reporting his escape from the attentions of a group of prostitutes - 'It was a case of the tail dogging the wag'.
Evolution: http://www.metaphordogs.org/Dogs/entries/tailwagg.html
This phrase entered the legal lexicon in 1986 with McMillan v. Pennsylvania, a significant case regarding sentencing statutes. In the majority opinion then Associate Justice of the Supreme Court William Rehnquist wrote, “The statute gives no impression of having been tailored to permit the visible possession finding to be a tail which wags the dog of the substantive offense.” In so saying the Court “seemed to warn against a statutory scheme in which the enhancement is far greater than the underlying punishment.”reference 4 In other words, McMillan held that sentencing guidelines which call for extensions of prison terms based on aggravating factors cannot result in an extension longer than the sentence for the original crime. Are you with me? For instance, a tagger might get six months at most for spray painting a wall, even if she is a repeat offender; the sentencing judge cannot add six years because she has determined that the graffiti constituted (sentence enhancing) hate speech unless, and only if, the jury previously concluded that the content was in fact hate speech. The concept and what is now referred to as “the canine metaphor” were solidified in Blakely v. Washington in 2004 and US v. Booker in 2005.reference 5 In announcing the opinion in Blakely, its author, Antonin Scalia, declares without equivocation, though with a bit of a hitch in his voice, “The tail cannot wag the dog."
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree |
Nick Lingris
: Thanks for the totally appropriate "έκαψε την καλύβα του να μην τον τρών' οι ψύλλοι".
1 hr
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Np. And yes, it is καλύβα, just my dad says it all the time kai to diatiposa with his modern twist. Or maybe it's just our humble background, kalyva, spiti, same difference :P Be well.
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agree |
Ivi Rocou
: Ναι, "έκαψε την καλύβα του να μην τον τρών΄ οι ψύλλοι" είναι πολύ καλή.
14 hrs
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Thanks! It's what immediately came to mind, I love it when you can "translate" an idiom, don't you? Be well.
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