Se había puesto las manos perdidas.

Question

I've got another phrase that I need help to translate:

Se había puesto las manos perdidas.

My poor translation is: She had put her lost hands.

Now that just can't be right! It makes no sense at all!

Answer 1

Ok, I got it.

I had not heard that expression in years!

She had made out of her hands a whole mess.

Does that make sense?

Thanks chile! It does make sense. She had just spilt a can of paint all over some leaflets. - togtog, Sep 9, 2013

After looking at the phrase in context on other pages, I think in English, we would say something like 'she had mess all over her hands' - togtog, Sep 9, 2013

or "she had messed her hands badly", right? - chileno, Sep 9, 2013

Well - I'm British, and we really don't use 'messed' in that way, although maybe Americans do? We would more say 'she had got her hands really dirty'. - togtog, Sep 9, 2013

or maybe 'she had mess all over her hands' - togtog, Sep 11, 2013

Answer 2

Hopefully this will help - I've typed in the bit before and after the phrase...

• ¡Ni se te ocurra! No sabía que esto estaba aún aquí... Hay que deshacerse de esto antes de que lo vea Samuel. ¡Voy a tirarlo ahora mismo! - respondió Lucas dirigiéndose hacia la calle con paso rápido mientras dejaba a su paso un reguero de gotitas azules. Se había puesto las manos perdidas. Al acerccarse a un viejo lavabo, descubrió una funda de guitarra apoyada en una pared.

Answer 3

As always, more context is needed. It does not make sense in Spanish either.

Who , se había puesto?

What, se puso?

Answer 4

Oh dear I'm not sure yet, as it is the first sentence in a paragraph.

There is a man and his niece, sorting out a cellar, and she accidentally spilt paint on some leaflets. He was shocked that the leaflets were still there and has rushed off with them, to throw them in the bin before his son sees them.

Maybe it is something about her carrying on working while he is gone?