suelto

Question

None of the dictionary definitions for suelto seem to match the following sentence:

Y entonces, increíblemente, Betsie comenzó a orar por los alemanes, por los que estaban allá arriba en los aviones, atrapados en el puño de aquel gigantesco mal suelto en Alemania.

This is from the book El refugio secreto and the context is the German invasion of Holland in 1939. I get something like this:

And then, incredibly, Betsie began to pray for the Germans, for those who were up there in the airplanes, trapped in the grip of that gigantic evil ___|\___| in Germany.

How would you translate suelto in this context'

Answer 1

let loose. they let loose the giagantic evil

Answer 2

Gus said:

let loose. they let loose the giagantic evil

Thank you! I interpreted suelto as a noun so I was getting "loose change" which made no sense whatever.

Answer 3

Very nice translation, Gur. Nati, I would take this one too.

Answer 4

:

Thank you! I interpreted suelto as a noun so I was getting "loose change" which made no sense whatever.

In "loose change", the word "loose" would be an adjective in English, but it is used like a noun in Spanish ("(el) suelto"). "Loose" means "not tight/fixed/exact" depending on the context, and most of them can be translated as "suelto" (except "not tight" sometimes).

Answer 5

soltaron they let loose (past)
sueltan they let loose (present)

Suelto is the past participle.
Sorry to be pedantic it's just that I was thinking 'suelto'=I let loose and so was a little confused until I looked it up.....that great evil let loose in Germany.

Answer 6

Tad, the reply button is not working -- but thank you, that is helpful.

Answer 7

lazarus1907 said:

:

Thank you! I interpreted suelto as a noun so I was getting "loose change" which made no sense whatever.

In "loose change", the word "loose" would be an adjective in English, but it is used like a noun in Spanish ("(el) suelto"). "Loose" means "not tight/fixed/exact" depending on the context, and most of them can be translated as "suelto" (except "not tight" sometimes).

In the case of "loose change", however, I think the "loose" is intended to invoke the notion of some coins bouncing around in your pocket/purse (having been let loose). The idea of inexact/miscellaneous, though, is certainly possible. I'll have to see what the OED has to say on the subject.

Answer 8

samdie said:

lazarus1907 said:

:

Thank you! I interpreted suelto as a noun so I was getting "loose change" which made no sense whatever.

In "loose change", the word "loose" would be an adjective in English, but it is used like a noun in Spanish ("(el) suelto"). "Loose" means "not tight/fixed/exact" depending on the context, and most of them can be translated as "suelto" (except "not tight" sometimes).

In the case of "loose change", however, I think the "loose" is intended to invoke the notion of some coins bouncing around in your pocket/purse (having been let loose). The idea of inexact/miscellaneous, though, is certainly possible. I'll have to see what the OED has to say on the subject.

Well, the OED says "a small quantity of change kept in the pocket for casual purposes."

Answer 9

My first thought on this would be "that gigantic, unimpeded evil in Germany."

Answer 10

You're replying to a thread that was answered three months ago. (I'll close it now.)

Kevin Smithey said:

My first thought on this would be "that gigantic, unimpeded evil in Germany."

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