".. se les caen los palos del sombrajo."

Question

Quiero compartir con vosotros este fragmento tomado de una respuesta en un foro sobre una escena que he visto hoy en 'Amar'. Me gusta saber si lo he entendido correctamente, además si hay alguien que pudiera traducir la frase en negrita al inglés como frase hecha.

I'd like to share this extract taken from a response in a forum about a scene I watched in 'Amar' today. I'd like to know if I've understood it correctly, also if anybody could translate the 'bolded' phrase to an idiom in English.

"A las personas soberbias, cuando se les planta cara, sin alterar ni el gesto ni la voz, pero con decisión, se les caen los palos del sombrajo."

Mi intento: My attempt:

"When one stands up to arrogant people, without changing one's expression or tone of voice, but with firmness, they crumple in defeat." (The poles of the shelter fall down around them.)

En mi opinión, son buenos consejos, pero no es fácil de hacer.

In my opinion, it's good advice but it's not easy to do.

Saludos

• I have never heard the expression, Galsally. But the yours seems to me a good interpretation, and I agree, it's a good advice! - cogumela Nov 7, 2010
• Never heard it before? It must be more common in the south, then. - lazarus1907 Nov 7, 2010
• C'mon Lazarus, an English equivalent? Por fi ;) - galsally Nov 7, 2010

Answer 1

Yes, I love your interpretation and I have been wracking my brains trying to think of something else to give you - the best I could come up with is 'collapse in total disarray'.

• Wondering about 'they fall like a house of cards.' - galsally Nov 7, 2010
• Oh that's good. excellent - margaretbl Nov 7, 2010

Answer 2

What about "they are all mouth" ?

• Yes Cogu, it would describe those sort of people, that and 'they are all mouth and trousers'. Quite an amusing one! - galsally Nov 7, 2010

Answer 3

I have never heard that idiomatic expression. We use caersele a uno toda la estantería (encima), o venirse abajo la estantería instead.

I made some research and found that caer los palos del sombrajo means Abatirse el ánimo de una persona o sufrir una decepción por algo.

So, maybe this will help an English native speaker to find an equivalent idiom.

In the meantime, if you´re talking about people who is all mouth and trousers, in case you face them you will leave them at their wits' end., they will do a double take, they will fall down in the dumps, they´ll be down in the mouth,

• thanks medi! I'm still hoping for inspiration regarding the English. - galsally Nov 8, 2010
• They will definitely do a double-take, yes,. - galsally Nov 8, 2010

Answer 4

I have been doing some research too, and I think crumple in defeat is probably pretty good, maybe "fall..." or "sink into despair" but it means about the same thing, in effect, a little different take.

Answer 5

Not quite the same, but could be used in a similar situation about standing up to people:

They had the rug pulled out from under them/ from under their feet.

That took the wind out of their sails.