Funny expressions: "No se entiende ni papa"

Question

I was just looking into the chat and some Chinese members were "talking" in their language....so I was saying to another friend, look...."No se entiende ni papa"

You don't understand a thing....but is there a funny expression in English for this?

También me interesaría saber si esta expresión se entiende en todos los países de habla hispana.

Answer 1

samdie said:

The other is "I didn't understand word one of ...". In this case it is not (I believe) a straightforward inversion of words but, rather the sense that my failure to understand started with the first word (so "one" is a sort of pseudo-ordinal). Offhand, I can't think of another case where we use "one" this way nor another pair of "minimally contrasting" expressions like this.

Thanks, Nati, of course: collection.

Very common in Spain would be get vulgar on this: no entiendo ni pi'o (the letter left out is a j), this is so common you can hear it everywhere.

No entiendo ni pío sin embargo no. (a no ser que era un intento de dejar la j fuera...jeje, with Sam one never knows...jeje)
No dice ni pío es el dicho (he doesn't say a word)

I just love the "I don't understand word one of....."
So simple yet so explicit!

Answer 2

I suppose you are refering to the sentence "no me cuentes cuentos chinos"

Angela Peng said:

heidita, I guess when i was talking with Kris who comes from Korea, he/ she wrote a Chinese setence to me, that is the reason you said " no se entiende ni papa" , I think maybe this setence should be similar to " No me cuentas con chinos", which means "do not cheat me", right?

>

Answer 3

Thank you. That was what I was trying to figure out: wether we were talking about potatos or pontiffs

James Santiago said:

I think that "It's not understood, not even by the pope'" was an attempt at a literal translation of your Spanish expression, not an English saying.

Actually, it has nothing to do with the Pope, and means "not even a potato." A synonym of this is "ni jota": No lo entendí ni jota. I didn't understand a bit of it.

>

Answer 4

another similar expression: es pura papa, nothing of what you saying is true
no se entiende ni papa, nothing is understood.
The real question is, why or how come the word papa came to be used this way.

Answer 5

James Santiago said:

I think that "It's not understood, not even by the pope'" was an attempt at a literal translation of your Spanish expression, not an English saying. Actually, it has nothing to do with the Pope, and means "not even a potato." A synonym of this is "ni jota": No lo entendí ni jota. I didn't understand a bit of it.

Finally! There is also, I believe "No entendí ni pío".

Answer 6

I think that "It's not understood, not even by the pope'" was an attempt at a literal translation of your Spanish expression, not an English saying.

Actually, it has nothing to do with the Pope, and means "not even a potato." A synonym of this is "ni jota": No lo entendí ni jota. I didn't understand a bit of it.

Answer 7

There is also a somewhat odd pair of expressions ("odd" only when considered as a pair).
"I didn't understand one word of..." (that's the normal [standard English, not particularly colloquial or anything] one of the pair).

The other is "I didn't understand word one of ...". In this case it is not (I believe) a straightforward inversion of words but, rather the sense that my failure to understand started with the first word (so "one" is a sort of pseudo-ordinal). Offhand, I can't think of another case where we use "one" this way nor another pair of "minimally contrasting" expressions like this.

Answer 8

no se entiende ni papa, in English is " nothing is understood " unintelligible, incomprehensible

Answer 9

Heidita said:

I have made a recollection: It's not understood, not even by the pope?

sounds double dutch" or "sounds like double dutch

that's clear as mud

It's all Greek to me! or

I don't know beans about it!( I think this one would be: no me entero de nada, no tengo ni puñetera idea)

I just love the muddy part!!! jejeje...clear as mud...so clear!!!! jeje

It's a collection, not a recollection (that would be a memory).

I think that "It's not understood, not even by the pope'" was an attempt at a literal translation of your Spanish expression, not an English saying.

The "clear as mud" expression is very common, especially heard after someone has attempted to give an explanation which was anything but helpful.

Answer 10

I have made a recollection:

It's not understood, not even by the pope?

sounds double dutch" or "sounds like double dutch

that's clear as mud

It's all Greek to me! or

I don't know beans about it!( I think this one would be: no me entero de nada, no tengo ni puñetera idea)

I just love the muddy part!!! jejeje...clear as mud...so clear!!!! jeje

Answer 11

Eddy said:

HeiditaIf you were talking to a friend, wouldn't the phrase be "no te entiendes ni papa" or does this particular saying always stay in the formal sense?

Hi Eddy...not formal but impersonal (wink, wink)

No se entiende: nadie entiende

Answer 12

Heidita
If you were talking to a friend, wouldn't the phrase be "no te entiendes ni papa" or does this particular saying always stay in the formal sense'

Answer 13

that's clear as mud

Answer 14

Natasha said:

Eddy said:

How about, "sounds double dutch" or "sounds like double dutch", which is used quite a bit in England.

Here, "Double Dutch" is just a way of jumping rope.

Two countries, divided by the same language.hehe

Answer 15

Eddy said:

How about, "sounds double dutch" or "sounds like double dutch", which is used quite a bit in England.

Here, "Double Dutch" is just a way of jumping rope.