"cuando más precisaba de ellos"

Question

This is another phrase from Muchacha Punk (Fogwill) that I don´t understand:

Contesté en ambos casos la verdad. ¿Qué iba a decir? Iba a andar con remilgos y tapujos cuando más precisaba de ellos?

"In both cases I gave the truth. What should I have said? Should I pussyfoot around or make excuses when ....???"

As far as I understand, precisar means either to specify or to require, so how does it fit here?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hey! This just hit me. I think I misled myself thinking too hard about the use of 'de' in 'precisar de'. I think Q was right, it would be 'from them'. And if 'ellos' refers to 'casos', then more was needed from the 'casos'. How about this:

I answered truthfully in both cases. What was I going to say? Was I going to skirt the issue or be deceitful when more was needed?

In English it is implied that 'more was needed' than being deceitful in those two situations (casos), but it would sound awkward if it were to be spelled out.

Whaddya think?

ah, I think you are right... I like "skirt the issue", good call ! - kattya, Jan 11, 2010

Answer 2

...when more was needed from them.

preciso=to be necessary

but more what? He´s talking about shopkeepers, but in context it doesn´t make much sense to say "why should I make nice when I needed more from them"... - kattya, Jan 10, 2010

Answer 3

What a neat challenge! I do think more of the context will be needed to understand it. "Ellos" could be referring to "ambos casos." Although that doesn't help make it any clearer yet.

Also ["precisar de algo"](http://dictionary.reverso.net/spanish-english/precisar de) translates to "to need something", not 'to need from something'.

Contesté en ambos casos la verdad. ¿Qué iba a decir? Iba a andar con remilgos y tapujos cuando más precisaba de ellos?

Could it be:

I answered truthfully in both cases. What was I going to say? Was I going to beat around the bush or be deceitful when I needed them ('casos', saying the truth both times) more?

Hmmm... no. Not much better...

Answer 4

OK, here´s some more context... The idea that "ellos" refers to "casos" is interesting though....

El judío me preguntó cuál era mi procedencia; el paquistano me preguntó de dónde yo venía. Contesté en ambos casos la verdad. ¿Qué iba a decir? Iba a andar con remilgos y tapujos cuando más precisaba de ellos? ¿Qué habría hecho otro en mi lugar? ¡A muchos querría ver en una situación como la de aquel atardecer tristísimo de invierno ingles...!

The speaker is an Argentinian who is trying to transact some business in London on behalf of his Argentinian clients. He is frustrated by the slowness of the two shopkeepers (one in a bookstore, one in a gun shop), but otherwise he is not particularly sad (unless I´m really missing something!)

Thanks for any help!!!

Hmmm... more thinking required... :-) - chaparrito, Jan 10, 2010