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la chiquillada

English translation: small fry

16:39 Aug 30, 2023
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Government / Politics / Current affairs
Spanish term or phrase: la chiquillada
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.
Thomas Walker
United States
Local time: 07:42
English translation:small fry
Explanation:
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



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2023-08-30 17:46:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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.
Selected response from:

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 11:42
Grading comment
Thanks, Patinba, and thanks to all who contributed to the discussion.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +8small fry
patinba
5little leaguers
Edward Potter
3childish act/behaviour
liz askew
3behaving like a little kid
AllegroTrans
Summary of reference entries provided
Look it up first
AllegroTrans
chiquillada como grupo
O G V

Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
childish act/behaviour


Explanation:
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)
--------------------------------------------------

or even



puerile

liz askew
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 167

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
behaving like a little kid


Explanation:
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.

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 123

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
small fry


Explanation:
When the big fish is not there.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2023-08-30 17:27:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2023-08-30 17:46:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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.

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 11:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 272
Grading comment
Thanks, Patinba, and thanks to all who contributed to the discussion.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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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15 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
little leaguers


Explanation:
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.





Edward Potter
Spain
Local time: 16:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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Reference comments


23 mins
Reference: Look it up first

Reference information:
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

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 123

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
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
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2 hrs
Reference: chiquillada como grupo

Reference information:
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.

O G V
Spain
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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