acariciar

Question

I have a sentence i need to translate "la organización acaricia la recesión"...
for me acariciar is only to caress... but is there another meaning that is something like "fears" or "is worried about"'

Answer 1

Acariciar, metaphorically speaking, is used, among other things, to enjoy success and triumphs, so you can say "acaricir el triunfo / la victoria / el éxito / la medalla de oro /...".

Also, it is used for mentally enjoying the prospectus of a future successes or any other things that we aspire to possess, imagining would it feel if they were eventually achieved. Thus, you can "acariciar un sueño / una fantasía / una esperanza / la presidencia / ...".

It can also be used for desirable situations and anything that implies an improvement or an approximation to it, but I have never seen it used for a negative thing, unless it was intended.

In "La organización acaricia la recesión", it sounds to me almost as if they had planned it all along, and they are now enjoying their success in seeing everyone affected by its consequences. "Acariciar" can be used when you approach something (i.e. a figure, or a situation), but always gently, nicely, softly... this is, with positive implications. You could easily "acariciar el final de una recesión", but the other way round sounds strange.

Answer 2

Related to this meaning it exists too the expression "acariciar la idea" that can be translated as "to think seriously about", "to be very close of".

Answer 3

NO, in this sense: is very near, close to..on the point of...

Answer 4

Dunia said:

Related to this meaning it exists too the expression "acariciar la idea" that can be translated as "to think seriously about", "to be very close of".

What about "to embrace" the idea.. which means to wholeheartedly support it.

Answer 5

Here is food for thought. There may be organizations that may be better suited to benefit from a recession. Perhaps, this organization sees something to their benefit if recession occurs. After all, not everyone is unhappy due to wars, some really see it as an opportunity. After all, who is a mind reader? Since the underlying meaning of acariciar is always beneficial to the "speaker", one does not know what the speaker has intended. Remember the saying: One man's meal is another man's poison. So literal translation may not be adequate... The question is begging more explanation. Or, we are reading too much into a badly contsructed sentence. Anyway, I just learned a lot about this word. Thanks for the discussion) Last word is: flirt with sounds good, but original sentence is badly formed. The speaker should have used something more suiting for the point s(he) wants to make.

Answer 6

L said:

thanks to all... actually I finally translated it "flirts with", as it was about the OECD, and in the end my sentence would be The OECD flirts with recession during the last quarter... For me this means, it came very close to recession, but not quite. It also is consistent with the use of "acariciar" in Spanish.

I don't think it is consistent with the meaning in Spanish, actually, but the problem is the original sentence. Read below.

Eddy said:

Collins gives one example of acariciar as "to brush". In English to brush can mean "to touch in passing". This could mean that the organisation is very close to a recession, touching on a recession.

I believe that the verb is used incorrectly in Spanish, because "acariciando" does mean touching, but only when this touch is a caress, i.e. when it is gentle, and pleasant, not when it is an economical disaster.

P.S. I've checked with my combinatory dictionary, which gives 55 categorized examples of use of this verb combined with different words, that appear in newspapers, novels and other sources, and all -I repeat- all are positive. The categories are:

1) happy endings
2) trophies, triumphs in competitions, etc
3) things that you long for
4) plans and projects that you intend to carry
5) posts of importance or power
6) ideal numerical results
7) agreements
8) absence of problems or equilibrium
9) aims and other desirable things

I can't see "recesión" fitting in any of these categories. The verb "acariciar" brings only positive, gentle and pleasant connotations normally. The verb is used metaphorically, with someone enjoying passing his hand slightly, gently and with delight over... an idea, or a something abstract. After all, you normally don't caress sandpaper, do you'

Answer 7

Collins gives one example of acariciar as "to brush". In English to brush can mean "to touch in passing". This could mean that the organisation is very close to a recession, touching on a recession.

Answer 8

thanks to all... actually I finally translated it "flirts with", as it was about the OECD, and in the end my sentence would be The OECD flirts with recession during the last quarter... For me this means, it came very close to recession, but not quite. It also is consistent with the use of "acariciar" in Spanish.

Answer 9

Neither it makes sense to me the sentence "la organización acaricia la recesión", maybe "la organización roza la recesión.

I think that "acariciar una idea" doesn't have to be necessarily pleasant. For example: "Acariciaba la idea de irse a vivir a otra ciudad".

Answer 10

la organization siente la recesion levemente'

Answer 11

This are the three ways one can use the word (verb if you will ) acariciar
El hijo acaricia la mano de la mama enferma con cariño y amor.touch with love

La brisa acaricia su rostro . touches softly

acaricia sueños imposibles. to think about something with pleasure

your sentence, la, organizacion acaricia la recesion is not logical
beca use no one loves a recession, much less an organization whether it is public or private.

Answer 12

great, this makes a lot of sense!