I dig a perfect ditch and (instead of being promoted) all I get is a bigger spade
A couple of months ago someone wrote a saying something like ''I dig a perfect ditch and (instead of being promoted) all I get is a bigger spade'', I've searched and searched the forum and can't find it. Does anyone out there remember and can help me out? Many thanks, Liz
6 Answers
I don't remember it being a vulgar saying, but it was hooked onto a discussion about something else.
Thank you all!
Natasha said:
The search engine is a little quirky. (I've searched for a word in one of my own discussions, which was still there, before and the search engine hasn't pulled it up.)
That's a good point. I've had the same problem. But it's strange that NONE of the search words produce relevant hits. Maybe some threads are cloaked and thus invisible to the search engine. Stealth threads, if you will. 
The search engine is a little quirky. (I've searched for a word in one of my own discussions, which was still there, before and the search engine hasn't pulled it up.)
That post may have been deleted. The search engine at this site does indeed search posts, and not just titles. For example, I just now searched for spade, ditch, and promoted, and I found posts containing all those words, but not in the titles.
At any rate, it doesn't seem to be here, at least in the wording you give. I think the saying is military in origin, as there is lots of digging involved in the Army, and promotions are often haphazard. Therefore, for "ditch" I would use "trinchera," which is a military trench. My literal rendering would be this:
Cavo la trinchera perfecta, y (en vez de ascenderme) solo me dan una pala más grande.
I cannot come up with a saying.
Hago lo imposible pero en vez de ascenderme me dan por saco.
This is rather vulgar, but not as much as : me dan por c''', which is really vulgar but would, at least in Spain, probably be the most used expression.
Mz Badger, are you looking for a translation ? I can't find the thread either, probably it had some silly title as "translate please" (sic)
