"She has many strings to her bow".
Hola Heidita! Y amigos y amigas!
I'm after a similar spanish expression or perhaps a translation for the above saying. (It means to have unexpected talents - other than the ones already known).
Gracias,
Annie.
17 Answers
You know, I kind of like that one. That's really the closest to what I was after.
Annie.
Eddy said:
Anne Sherwood said:
I realise it's not an expression that has, you know, world-wide use but it's something I would commonly say - and it also means to have a added qualification other a main one usually relied on. For instance "She entered the 4 x 100 hurdles as well as the 100m sprint. She has many strings to her bow.".I guess it could mean, from an archery point of view, that if a shot is attempted and that 'string' breaks then there are back-up 'strings'. Not sure, I am only guessing now.Annie.
Anne this isn't quite correct. She might be a good hurdler and have entered many other races. This is not having extra strings to your bow. She could possibly win the hurdles, but have no chance of winning anything else.A good example of having extra strings to your bow would be as follows.You manufacture furniture but you have only one contract for a company to supply you with the wood. This is having one string to your bow. Have other contracts with other companies for them to supply the wood as well and now you have more than one string to your bow. If the first company lets you down, you can fall back on another.By the way, Collins lists the following which is probably incorrect.Tener dos cuerdos en su arco - To have two strings to one's bow.
>
James Santiago said:
I've never heard it either, but note that Anne is from Australia. It seems that some expressions must be used differently there. (Did you see her interesting discussion about "flat out" the other day')Having spent some time down under, I can attest to the gulf that separates our languages, which is nearly as broad as the ocean that separates our countries. I'm not sure if this expression is limited to Oz, or is just not widely used. I have heard a similar expression, though: to have more than one arrow in one's quiver. It means that the person has back-up plans, or other ways to tackle a problem. But even this expression is pretty obscure.
In the UK it is widely used and would be understood by everyone.
I've never heard it either, but note that Anne is from Australia. It seems that some expressions must be used differently there. (Did you see her interesting discussion about "flat out" the other day')
Having spent some time down under, I can attest to the gulf that separates our languages, which is nearly as broad as the ocean that separates our countries. I'm not sure if this expression is limited to Oz, or is just not widely used. I have heard a similar expression, though: to have more than one arrow in one's quiver. It means that the person has back-up plans, or other ways to tackle a problem. But even this expression is pretty obscure.
James Santiago said:
I had never heard this saying, and it doesn't really make sense to me, because I can't imagine how a bow (presumedly an archery bow) with more than one string could be used, but it does indeed appear to be in use. Here is one translation I found.have many strings to one's bow = persona de recursos, tener más de un recurso
I've never heard it either, but note that Anne is from Australia. It seems that some expressions must be used differently there. (Did you see her interesting discussion about "flat out" the other day')
Anne Sherwood said:
I realise it's not an expression that has, you know, world-wide use but it's something I would commonly say - and it also means to have a added qualification other a main one usually relied on. For instance "She entered the 4 x 100 hurdles as well as the 100m sprint. She has many strings to her bow.".I guess it could mean, from an archery point of view, that if a shot is attempted and that 'string' breaks then there are back-up 'strings'. Not sure, I am only guessing now.Annie.
Anne this isn't quite correct. She might be a good hurdler and have entered many other races. This is not having extra strings to your bow. She could possibly win the hurdles, but have no chance of winning anything else.
A good example of having extra strings to your bow would be as follows.
You manufacture furniture but you have only one contract for a company to supply you with the wood. This is having one string to your bow. Have other contracts with other companies for them to supply the wood as well and now you have more than one string to your bow. If the first company lets you down, you can fall back on another.
By the way, Collins lists the following which is probably incorrect.
Tener dos cuerdos en su arco - To have two strings to one's bow.
Anne Sherwood said:
I realise it's not an expression that has, you know, world-wide use but it's something I would commonly say - and it also means to have a added qualification other a main one usually relied on. For instance "She entered the 4 x 100 hurdles as well as the 100m sprint. She has many strings to her bow.".I guess it could mean, from an archery point of view, that if a shot is attempted and that 'string' breaks then there are back-up 'strings'. Not sure, I am only guessing now.Annie.
Its actual meaning is to have a back up in case you are let down by somebody or something. Also it doesn't mean to have "unexpected" talents but to have "additional" talents.
Amigos!
And Heidita - exclude you as a friend? No way!
(I'm still working on some of the information given in reply to my post!)
Gracias,
Annie.
Heidita said:
Dunia said:
It has ocurred to me the Spanish expression "tener más de un conejo en la chistera". I don't know if that exists or I have just made it out, but if someone wants to give their opinion....
Uy, a mí me gusta también...hmmm, no sé sin embargo si es lo mismo...Yo lo interpretaría como: tiene muchos trucos aún por descubrir.anne, yo desconozco tu expresión, pero me uno a la sugerencia de James:tiene muchos recursosah, a lo mejor esta:aún quedan muchos hilos de los que tirarEso suele referirse a una atracción de feria, en la que se tira de hilos y cada hilo puede o no tener un regalito.
>
Dunia said:
It has ocurred to me the Spanish expression "tener más de un conejo en la chistera". I don't know if that exists or I have just made it out, but if someone wants to give their opinion....
Uy, a mí me gusta también...hmmm, no sé sin embargo si es lo mismo...
Yo lo interpretaría como: tiene muchos trucos aún por descubrir.
anne, yo desconozco tu expresión, pero me uno a la sugerencia de James:
tiene muchos recursos
ah, a lo mejor esta:
aún quedan muchos hilos de los que tirar
Eso suele referirse a una atracción de feria, en la que se tira de hilos y cada hilo puede o no tener un regalito.
James Santiago said:
lazarus1907 said:
:
Hola Heidita! Y amigos y amigas!
Let me guess what you meant to say: Amigos already includes amigas, so there is no need to state both of them. Just as padres includes mothers, hermanos includes sisters, and hijos includes daughters.Am I right?
It might also mean: Hello Heidi...and my friends, which excludes me as a friend (crying...)
Amigos includes feminine an masculine persons.
Which reminds me of a suggestion made by one of our new ministers (sic) to include: miembros y miembras in the dictionary for the sake of iquality.
Well Dunia - made up or not - I love it!
Gracias,
Annie.
Dunia said:
It has ocurred to me the Spanish expression "tener más de un conejo en la chistera". I don't know if that exists or I have just made it out, but if someone wants to give their opinion....
>
It has ocurred to me the Spanish expression "tener más de un conejo en la chistera". I don't know if that exists or I have just made it out, but if someone wants to give their opinion....
There is no need, but in stating both you want to make clear that you are adressing to your male friends as well as you female friends. If it wasn't specify some doubt could arise.
I think it is more polite too, so it is advisable to use the two genders.
James Santiago said:
lazarus1907 said:
:
Hola Heidita! Y amigos y amigas!
Let me guess what you meant to say: Amigos already includes amigas, so there is no need to state both of them. Just as padres includes mothers, hermanos includes sisters, and hijos includes daughters.Am I right?
>
I realise it's not an expression that has, you know, world-wide use but it's something I would commonly say - and it also means to have a added qualification other a main one usually relied on. For instance "She entered the 4 x 100 hurdles as well as the 100m sprint. She has many strings to her bow.".
I guess it could mean, from an archery point of view, that if a shot is attempted and that 'string' breaks then there are back-up 'strings'. Not sure, I am only guessing now.
Annie.
The meaning that you provide is unfamiliar to me. However, I have hear it in a number of folk songs (including ones from your "neck of the woods"). However, the uses that are familiar to me are equivalent to "she has a number of other suitors" (contenders for her affection). Obviously this is not an _answer_ to your question but, rather, an attempt to provide (possibly wider) interpretations of the expression that you asked about.
lazarus1907 said:
:
Hola Heidita! Y amigos y amigas!
Let me guess what you meant to say: Amigos already includes amigas, so there is no need to state both of them. Just as padres includes mothers, hermanos includes sisters, and hijos includes daughters.
Am I right'
