Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Catalan term or phrase:
veure venir de lluny
English translation:
see through
Added to glossary by
Aïda Garcia Pons
Mar 1, 2007 17:44
17 yrs ago
Catalan term
United States
Translating Books since 2002
Native in: Catalan 
, Spanish
Works in: English to Catalan, Italian to Catalan, Spanish to Catalan, and 3 more.
veure venir de lluny
Catalan to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Context:
"El pare el veia venir de lluny i no hi havia manera d'enredar-lo."
So his father knew he was lying, he was not fooled.... but is there an expression in English to say "veure venir de lluny"? Something with "smell" maybe... or even "sense"?
I know it's Friday evening...
Thank you all in advance.
Aïda
"El pare el veia venir de lluny i no hi havia manera d'enredar-lo."
So his father knew he was lying, he was not fooled.... but is there an expression in English to say "veure venir de lluny"? Something with "smell" maybe... or even "sense"?
I know it's Friday evening...
Thank you all in advance.
Aïda
Proposed translations
(English)
| 5 +1 | Smell something fishy - Be wise to - See through |
sprout
|
| 5 +4 | See it/something coming |
Ross Andrew Parker
|
| 3 +1 | smelt a rat |
Sheila Hardie
|
| 4 | sniff out his lies / knew only too well |
Berni Armstrong
|
Proposed translations
+1
32 mins
Selected
Smell something fishy - Be wise to - See through
"Smelled/Smelt a rat" is a perfectly fine option for what you seem to be looking for and is widely used in English, too (meaning, it's not one of those idioms they make you learn in class but that no one actually uses). So, I'll just throw a couple more out there as alternatives:
"smelled/smelt something fishy" (akin to smelling a rat)
and
"to be on to/to be wise to" as in: "... but his father was wise to him and wouldn't/couldn't be fooled..." In this case, it's no longer just a suspicion, but rather a suspicion that has been confirmed, in other words, the father doesn't just think the boy is lying. He knows he is.
Finally, you could also say something like "saw through the ploy", "saw through his tricks", "wasn't fooled", "wasn't taken in", etc., all meaning, obviously, that the boy's gambit didn't work.
Anyway, as I said, these are just a few additional suggestions, so good luck and save time to enjoy the weekend!
"smelled/smelt something fishy" (akin to smelling a rat)
and
"to be on to/to be wise to" as in: "... but his father was wise to him and wouldn't/couldn't be fooled..." In this case, it's no longer just a suspicion, but rather a suspicion that has been confirmed, in other words, the father doesn't just think the boy is lying. He knows he is.
Finally, you could also say something like "saw through the ploy", "saw through his tricks", "wasn't fooled", "wasn't taken in", etc., all meaning, obviously, that the boy's gambit didn't work.
Anyway, as I said, these are just a few additional suggestions, so good luck and save time to enjoy the weekend!
Note from asker:
| Thank you Sprout. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Gràcies Sprout. Gràcies també a la resta de companys que o bé heu enviat una resposta o bé heu votat alguna de les que ja hi havia. Després de donar voltes i més voltes he deixat de banda la idea de l'smell. Crec que l'expresió "see (right) through (him)" és la que més s'escau en aquest text en particular i és la que he acabat fent servir. M'ha anat molt bé tenir la resta d'opcions i estic segura que ja m'arribarà el moment de poder-les fer servir. Gràcies un altre cop.
Aïda"
+1
5 mins
Sheila Hardie
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Works in field
Spain
passion des mots
Native in: English 
Works in: Catalan to English, French to English, Spanish to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
smelt a rat
I imagine this is what you are looking for. Without more context I cannot be 100% sure though.
HTH
Sheila
to smell a rat - definition by dict.die.net
To smell a rat, to have a sense of something wrong, not clearly evident; to have reason for suspicion. [Colloq.] To smell out, to find out by sagacity. ...
dict.die.net/to%20smell%20a%20rat/ - 9k - Còpia en memòria - Pàgines semblants
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Note added at 8 mins (2007-03-01 17:53:33 GMT)
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http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/smell a rat.htm...
If you smell a rat, you know instinctively that something is wrong or that someone is lying to you.
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Note added at 17 mins (2007-03-01 18:02:28 GMT)
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Hi Aida - The usual expression is 'to smell a rat' - so, his father smelt a rat i.e. there was no fooling him. I think that would be the most natural way of saying it (in UK English at least).
Sheila
HTH
Sheila
to smell a rat - definition by dict.die.net
To smell a rat, to have a sense of something wrong, not clearly evident; to have reason for suspicion. [Colloq.] To smell out, to find out by sagacity. ...
dict.die.net/to%20smell%20a%20rat/ - 9k - Còpia en memòria - Pàgines semblants
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2007-03-01 17:53:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/smell a rat.htm...
If you smell a rat, you know instinctively that something is wrong or that someone is lying to you.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2007-03-01 18:02:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Hi Aida - The usual expression is 'to smell a rat' - so, his father smelt a rat i.e. there was no fooling him. I think that would be the most natural way of saying it (in UK English at least).
Sheila
Note from asker:
| Thanks Sheila. It sounds like it. The boy's pretending to be ill so he doesn't have to go to shcool, hence the father sensing the lie. Does it make sense if I say "his fahter could smell the lie"? Or does it have to be a rat? |
| Moltes gràcies Sheila. |
+4
1 hr
Ross Andrew Parker
Native in English
An eye for detail
Native in: English
Works in: Catalan to English, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
20
See it/something coming
I think this is the best option to capture the intended meaning.
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-03-01 18:49:11 GMT)
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Oops -- hadn't looked at the contex!
I'd suggest "knew something was up" in this case.
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-03-01 18:50:18 GMT)
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His/her/the father knew something was up but...
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-03-01 19:35:05 GMT)
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By the way, I wouldn't consider this a maxim or saying -- just an idiomatic expression.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-03-01 18:49:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Oops -- hadn't looked at the contex!
I'd suggest "knew something was up" in this case.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-03-01 18:50:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
His/her/the father knew something was up but...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-03-01 19:35:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
By the way, I wouldn't consider this a maxim or saying -- just an idiomatic expression.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Berni Armstrong
: Ross you get my vote. Normally: "I could see that coming" Here I like your "knew something was up" option
4 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Berni. My first answer was a little too hasty!
|
|
| agree |
Andy Watkinson
: Seconded
9 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Andy.
|
|
| agree |
Timothy Barton
: Yes, "knew something was up" sounds good.
14 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Timothy.
|
|
| agree |
momo savino
: I like "see it coming"
1 day 20 hrs
|
|
Thanks Momo
|
6 hrs
Berni Armstrong
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Spain
Never Missed a Deadline in 32 Years
Native in: English
Works in: English, Spanish to English, Catalan to English
sniff out his lies / knew only too well
I'm afraid that to my native ear your option printed above does not sound natural.
I would be tempted to lose the image altogether and say: "His father knew only too well that he was lying and was not going to be fooled" - "knew only too well", implies the father knows the son well enough to know when he is lying.
If you want to keep the image using the sense of smell then how about: "His father could sniff out his lies in an instant and was not to be fooled".
Good luck with it,
Berni
I would be tempted to lose the image altogether and say: "His father knew only too well that he was lying and was not going to be fooled" - "knew only too well", implies the father knows the son well enough to know when he is lying.
If you want to keep the image using the sense of smell then how about: "His father could sniff out his lies in an instant and was not to be fooled".
Good luck with it,
Berni
Note from asker:
| Gràcies Bernie. I like the idea of maintaining the sense of smell and so I kept the word in my version not knowing whether it existed or not. I had the feeling there was something in English smell-related. I like your sniff version. Bon cap de setmana, que ja s'acosta. Tot just m'he adonat que encara NO és divendres al vespre... |
Discussion