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ayağına gübre bulaştırmak

English translation: to make somebody step on shit

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Turkish term or phrase:ayağına gübre bulaştırmak
English translation:to make somebody step on shit
Entered by: Hellinas

19:26 Aug 23, 2012
Turkish to English translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / idiom
Turkish term or phrase: ayağına gübre bulaştırmak
In the sentences 'seni uçan halıyla alıp, götürecek birini bekliyordun,...... ayağına gübre bulaştırıp, yürütecek birini değil' this idiom occurs but I can't work out the meaning of the above. The whole sentence is supposed to mean 'You were waiting for a guy to whisk you off on a magic carpet...... not stalk one with compost sewn into your knickers' but the Turkish bears little relation to the first part of this idiom. What has 'ayak' to do with it?
Hellinas
Local time: 03:47
to make somebody step on shit
Explanation:
This is almost a literal translation, although it is a saying.

"Ayak" refers to walking, as opposed to flying with a magic carpet. There is a Turkish saying that goes like "çok gezenin ayağına bok bulaşır". It means "one who walks a lot, eventually steps on shit".

"Gübre" here is just a polite way of saying "shit". She was looking for a man who would take her away up in the sky with a magic carpet. However the guy she met makes her walk (which is not preferred when compared to flying), so she steps on shit and stuff, that is, she doesn't experience the lovely things she has been dreaming of. And the man is a huge disappointment.



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Note added at 4 days (2012-08-28 11:36:29 GMT)
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I believe he just means that "it is always easier to use 'get', instead of fancy words like 'smear'".

Selected response from:

Özgür Salman
Türkiye
Local time: 05:47
Grading comment
Thanks to all. I value all contributions. this answer seemed to me the most idiomatic English. Erkan's explanation was excellent.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2smear fertilizer/mud on one's foot
Erkan Dogan
4 +2to make somebody step on shit
Özgür Salman


  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
smear fertilizer/mud on one's foot


Explanation:
Not sure what the questions was, but ayağına gübre bulaştırmak~smear fertilizer on one's foot. The expression in your questions says "you were waiting for someone that would spoil you in luxuries, not make you suffer in poverty". That is the idea. So, by saying "not one that would make you walk on fertilizer smeared feet", he/she means "not one that would make you suffer in poverty". Fertilizer is implying being in mud and thus being in poverty. I chose the confidence level as 4, because I am sure there can be many more ways to express it.

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Note added at 13 mins (2012-08-23 19:40:38 GMT)
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btw, not sure if "smeared" would be the past tense. I'll leave that part to you :)

Erkan Dogan
United States
Local time: 21:47
Native speaker of: Turkish
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nihan Pekmen
13 hrs
  -> Tesekkur ederim.
agree  Alvin Parmar: I think your answer and Cryogenix' answer work, but in this context "mud" makes more sense in English than "fertilizer" does. Also, instead of "smear", why not just use "get"? (As one of my students used to say: "koy get'ini, kurtar ... "!
2 days 18 hrs
  -> Tesekkur ederim.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
to make somebody step on shit


Explanation:
This is almost a literal translation, although it is a saying.

"Ayak" refers to walking, as opposed to flying with a magic carpet. There is a Turkish saying that goes like "çok gezenin ayağına bok bulaşır". It means "one who walks a lot, eventually steps on shit".

"Gübre" here is just a polite way of saying "shit". She was looking for a man who would take her away up in the sky with a magic carpet. However the guy she met makes her walk (which is not preferred when compared to flying), so she steps on shit and stuff, that is, she doesn't experience the lovely things she has been dreaming of. And the man is a huge disappointment.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2012-08-28 11:36:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I believe he just means that "it is always easier to use 'get', instead of fancy words like 'smear'".



Özgür Salman
Türkiye
Local time: 05:47
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in TurkishTurkish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thanks to all. I value all contributions. this answer seemed to me the most idiomatic English. Erkan's explanation was excellent.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Before I grade this answer, what does Alvin's Turkish student's comment mean? Put it in your arse & keep it there? is 'get' a form of göt?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nihan Pekmen
13 hrs
  -> Teşekkürler.
agree  Alvin Parmar: I think your answer and Erkan Doğan's answer both work. Whether to use "shit" or "mud" will depend on the context and/or audience.
2 days 18 hrs
  -> Yes, thank you.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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