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de un solo hervor

English translation: half-cooked / half-baked (comedy)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:de un solo hervor
English translation:half-cooked / half-baked (comedy)
Entered by: Adriana de Groote

15:48 Feb 28, 2011
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2011-03-03 22:54:13 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
Spanish term or phrase: de un solo hervor
Does anyone have any suggestions as regards the translation of the following sentence taken from a film review. I thought maybe "flash in the pan commercial comedy" but im not sure if this is the sense.

El director tropieza con la incongruencia de una comedia comercial de un solo hervor
translation1201
half cooked (comedy)
Explanation:
Yo creo que más bien es una comedia que no fue pensada ("cocinada") lo suficiente, algo mal hecho.

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Note added at 55 mins (2011-02-28 16:43:49 GMT)
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Como dice Eski, "half-baked" es otra buena opción.
Selected response from:

Adriana de Groote
Guatemala
Local time: 19:42
Grading comment
Thanks. I like this.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5half cooked (comedy)
Adriana de Groote
4naive / unsophisticated
Charles Davis
3flash in the pan
Muriel Vasconcellos


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
half cooked (comedy)


Explanation:
Yo creo que más bien es una comedia que no fue pensada ("cocinada") lo suficiente, algo mal hecho.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 55 mins (2011-02-28 16:43:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Como dice Eski, "half-baked" es otra buena opción.

Adriana de Groote
Guatemala
Local time: 19:42
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thanks. I like this.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  eski: Excellent! Also: "Half-baked". Saludos, Adriana!: eski
9 mins
  -> Yes, half-baked is another good option! Thanks, eski!
neutral  philgoddard: I agree with Eski's version.
24 mins
  -> Ok.
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley: Half-baked. Wonder where this comes from - anything to do with bringing milk to the boil 3 times to ensure it's safe for drinking?
29 mins
  -> Sí, las cosas quedan "a medio morir saltando", otra expresión. ¡Gracias!
agree  Lisa McCarthy: I prefer 'half-baked' too :)
33 mins
  -> Thanks!
agree  DLyons: From bread making. Ref in 1621 to "Our profest Popelings, and halfe-baked Protestants." (said he, ducking).
1 hr
  -> ¡Muchas gracias y saludos!
agree  Jenni Lukac (X): half-baked
1 hr
  -> ¡Muchas gracias y saludos!
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
naive / unsophisticated


Explanation:
I have an uncomfortable feeling of swimming against the tide, but here goes...

I entirely agree that "half-baked" is just the sort of thing this critic might have said. It fits perfectly into the context. But does "de un solo hervor" actually mean that?

As a metaphor, "half-baked" (much more commonly used than "half-cooked") means "not fully thought through", "incoherent", "unconvincing". The idea of not being fully cooked implies not being fully executed or realised.

However, in cooking terms, "de un solo hervor" doesn't imply incompletely cooked or unfinished at all; it means that one "boiling" was enough to cook it. Not everything needs more than one "hervor". So I think the metaphor is a different one.

I think the writer is referring here to the metaphorical expression "no se cuece de un solo hervor" or "en un solo hervor":

"¡vos no te cocinas en un solo hervor! [...]
[...] se le atribuye a una persona mayor, dícese de la persona que ya no cae tan fácil en las argucias del amor, o que ya no te la cree a la primera.
En efecto, se refiere al cocimiento de una pollo tierno, es rápido y el de una gallina vieja, tarda bastante, cuando te lo dicen te quieren decir que ya tienes muchos años."
http://ar.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2010050419043...

"Lo único que habría que considerar es que son chicas grandes ya, no como las del año pasado que eran jovencitas, estas ya no se cocinan en un solo hervor..."
http://comunidad.tudiscovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/50710486...

"Algún gallo veterano, de esos que ya no se cuecen en un solo hervor, baila con las que le gustan menos para precalentar, para hacerse desear por la elegida..."
http://www.rincondeltango.com/chamuyo/textos/AfuegoLento.htm

In short, "no cocerse en un solo hervor" means to be old or mature (like an old bird needing to be boiled more than once). By extension, it strongly implies being canny, not easily deceived. Conversely, "de un solo hervor" means young, fresh, callow, and therefore naive and unsophisticated.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 03:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 99
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
flash in the pan


Explanation:
I like your own solution best.

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Note added at 4 hrs (2011-02-28 20:01:42 GMT)
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IMO, this is closer to the author's meaning. For me, 'half-baked' means 'not ready for prime time', whereas 'flash in the pan' would be something inconsequential that isn't going to be around very long. The meanings are very different. You might be able to choose better between the two meanings from other context that you haven't posted.

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 18:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 52
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Muriel. I think i'll go with halfbaked. Cheers for responding

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