muy de misa

Question

Here is the sentence from La sombra del viento. The writer is talking about the 28-year-old maid of Barceló, who is the old bookseller.

Era muy de misa y devota de la virgen de Lourdes hasta el punto del delirio.

Does the first part of the sentence sound funny (amusing or even slightly mocking) in Spanish? Or is it just saying that she attended mass often'

Answer 1

I'd say you are right. It would probably make more sense to you if it said "era muy de ir a misa". I think the meaning would be the same.

Answer 2

Don Gustavo, que se declaraba agnóstico (lo cual la Bernarda sospechaba era una afección respiratoria, como el asma, pero de señoritos), opinaba que era matemáticamente imposible que la criada pecase lo suficiente como para mantener semejante ritmo de confesión.

That's good!

But it doesn't change my take on muy de misa.

If I were in a playful mood and not overly concerned about being faithful to the original, I might say "She had callouses on her knees from going to mass..." hehe

Answer 3

[url=http://books.google.com/books'id=YYRJlySbaHAC&pg=PA43&dq=%22The+Shadow+of+The+Wind%22+%22serial+churchgoer%22]Here's the English.[/url]

Answer 4

I think the first part is descriptive and it´s the part that comes later that´s supposed to be funny, but maybe that´s irrelevant. Look, here is the whole paragraph and you can judge for yourself.

Barceló no era exactamente George Bernard Shaw, pero aunque no había conseguido dotar a su pupila de la dicción y el duende de don Manuel Azaña, sus esfuerzos habían acabado por refinar a la Bernarda y enseñarle maneras y hablares de doncella de provincias. Tenía veintiocho años, pero a mí siempre me pareció que arrastraba diez más, aunque sólo fuera en la mirada. Era muy de misa y devota de la virgen de Lourdes hasta el punto del delirio. Acudía a diario a la basílica de Santa María del Mar a oír el servicio de las ocho y se confesaba tres veces por semana como mínimo. Don Gustavo, que se declaraba agnóstico (lo cual la Bernarda sospechaba era una afección respiratoria, como el asma, pero de señoritos=, opinaba que era matemáticamente imposible que la criada pecase lo suficiente como para mantener semejante ritmo de confesión.

By the way, why does it keep calling her la Bernarda, not Señorita Bernarda'

Answer 5

But "regular churchgoer" is much more prosaic than "muy de misa," at least as far as I can tell. A translation that would be slightly closer to literal would be "She was always 'mass this and mass that.'"

That is, the Spanish is not a set phrase, and is slightly creative, whereas your translations are very standard. That's why I thought "serial churchgoer" was a good attempt. It might be a bit beyond the original in spiciness, but at least it conveys the flavor.

Answer 6

Thank you, Guillermo & Lazarus! I think "regular / faithful churchgoer" might have fit the bill a little better, then.

Answer 7

It doesn't sound bad to me; just a bit colloquial.

Era muy de (ir a) misa
No soy muy de bares
Es muy de fiar
Era muy de patriotas
Era muy de la época
Era una ropa muy de invierno

Answer 8

Guillermo said:

I'd say you are right. It would probably make more sense to you if it said "era muy de ir a misa". I think the meaning would be the same.

The English translation said "serial churchgoer," which definitely sounds funny in English. "Serial rapist" or "serial killer" is usual; serial churchgoer is unexpected and hence amusing (or just a mistake'). James suggested it might be an attempt to translate the feeling of the Spanish.