Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.

Question

Es mejor tener la boca cerrada y parecer estúpido que abrirla y disipar todas las dudas

Disipar seems like a pretty specific verb that is like the quitar that only applies to doubts and suspicions. Is that right? Gracias.

Answer 1

I like:

Es mejor mantener la boca cerrada y parecer estúpido que hablar y eliminar todas las dudas.

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Robertico: he is saying that all doubts will be eliminated if the person speaks. It will then be clear that he's stupid.

In other words, he would not pretend to be stupid, he would just hide his stupidity??? I still don't get...maybe I'm the one that should shut up. :( - 00813f2a, JUL 6, 2010

Para la mi la expresión significa que no hables a menos que estás seguro de lo vas a decir, que sabes de qué estás hablado. Si no dices nada, pues nadie se entera de tu ignorancia. Pero si hablas y dices una burrada, allí no hay salvación. - Gekkosan, JUL 6, 2010

Exacto, Gekkosan. - BellaMargarita, JUL 6, 2010

Eso, eso... - 00813f2a, JUL 6, 2010

But, then...sometimes silence speaks louder than words. - 00813f2a, JUL 6, 2010

Answer 2

There are 14000 hits for ""Es mejor tener la boca cerrada y parecer estúpido que abrirla y disipar la duda" but only one for ""Es mejor tener la boca cerrada y parecer estúpido que abrirla y disipar todas las dudas" and none for the others. I wonder if the first is someone right? The busboys at work understand it. Still I like eliminar and mantener as well. Gracias.

I like the 14k option best! "Disipar *la* duda" is a subtle but important change. Works great! - Gekkosan, JUL 6, 2010

Answer 3

I like "disipar", and I like Marianne's suggestion. I'd propose a mixed solution:

"Es mejor mantener la boca cerrada y parecer estúpido, que hablar y disipar todas las dudas". But really, either way works, for me. It remains to be seen if most Spanish speakers get it, though...

Hi Gekko, do you find 'estupido' harsh? I might havve said 'tonto' and maybe 'quitar las dudas' what do you think? - margaretbl, JUL 6, 2010

I'd agree with "tonto" because "estúpido" is indeed harsher in Spanish than in English. But for the "dudas" part I prefer the option Jeezle posted: "despejar la duda" - Gekkosan, JUL 6, 2010

Answer 4

LOL I have a sign hanging in my house that says this

Answer 5

Disipar means to vanish, to eliminate. Seems to me that you are trying to say the opposite in your sentence - crear, demostrar

Still, the sentence needs work.