за двадцать

English translation: yet another

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:за двадцать
English translation:yet another
Entered by: Michael Tovbin

20:38 Feb 26, 2012
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Russian term or phrase: за двадцать
Zionist protagonist says, regarding the Palestinians, "не ратую за двадцать какое-то арабское государство, отхватывая куски от нашей маленькой полоски суши"

All of that makes sense, but "за двадцать"? Is it money? Twenty isn't much, is it?

Here's some context:

Я не участвую в объявлении группы арабов-пришельцев отдельным народом, не называю их "палестинцами", не привязываю их этим к местности, не ратую за двадцать какое-то арабское государство, отхватывая куски от нашей маленькой полоски суши!

Here's a link to more context, if necessary:

http://www.angelfire.com/sk/nesis/images/Mest1.html
Ethan Bien
United States
Local time: 05:28
one more Arab state (in addition to the many that already exist)
Explanation:
спасибо, Angela, за идею
Selected response from:

Michael Tovbin
United States
Local time: 04:28
Grading comment
I appreciated how this answer was less literal of a translation. Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4the twentieth-something
Mikhail Kropotov
4 +2one more Arab state (in addition to the many that already exist)
Michael Tovbin
4 +1upteenth
Ocean122


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
the twentieth-something


Explanation:
#

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Note added at 25 mins (2012-02-26 21:04:39 GMT)
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It's the same difference as these two:

She's twenty - she's 20.
She's twenty something - she's anywhere from 20 to 29, but more likely from 21 to 25.

Calling a country двадцать какое-то means it's not at the top of the list (any list), i.e. it's barely important.

Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Local time: 10:28
Works in field
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 63
Notes to answerer
Asker: In that case, wouldn't it be "двадцатое"?

Asker: Aha! Got it, thanks everyone.

Asker: Thanks!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Angela Greenfield
44 mins

agree  Oleksiy Markunin
1 hr

agree  bububu
6 hrs

agree  Rachel Douglas: I sort of agree with this, too, though I think "umpteenth" is better, but it would probably be "twenty-somethingeth", no? / Well, maybe it should be spelled "twenty-somethingth", but that's hard to pronounce.
1 day 2 hrs
  -> Somethingeth, really? I'll let you the expert decide that one. I do agree that 'umpteenth' is better though. I thought the asker had trouble understanding this phrase so I provided an explanation. I never get the points this way but that's all right :)
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
one more Arab state (in addition to the many that already exist)


Explanation:
спасибо, Angela, за идею

Michael Tovbin
United States
Local time: 04:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
I appreciated how this answer was less literal of a translation. Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mark Berelekhis: Except I'd phrase it as "yet another."
3 hrs
  -> agreed - yet another is better

agree  Angela Greenfield: with you and Mark
12 hrs
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23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
upteenth


Explanation:
А так не будет чуть более "по-английски?" ИМХО
http://www.glossary.com/encyclopedia.php?q=Upteenth

Ocean122
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rachel Douglas: Yes, except it's "umpteenth" with an "m" in there.
2 hrs
  -> With "m?" No way. Only learned folks talks like that - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=upteenth&gbv=... PS - Thank you, Rachel

neutral  Mikhail Kropotov: It's umpteenth
6 days
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