https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish-to-english/idioms-maxims-sayings/6080098-a-cara-limpia.html
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P. Extranjero
.....en Pequeño
Mar 31, 2016 16:18
8 yrs ago
Spanish term

a cara limpia

Spanish to English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
This is from a treatment for an Argentine soap opera:

Una chica con un gran autocontrol, muy autosuficiente, que asume no saber, a cara limpia, quién es el padre; y así se presenta al mundo, definiendo también su carácter disruptivo

"to confront head on"

Thanks
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 makes no bones about
4 +1 openly states/accepts
4 +1 freely
3 +1 shamelessly
2 +1 with all apparent sincerity
3 in all honesty

Discussion

Marcelo González Apr 1, 2016:
@Muriel Thanks, Muriel. More context might help, beginning perhaps with the name of the soap opera and the characters (to find out if she is pregnant...). Also, "asume no saber" might be a good separate question: it's clearly not 'assumes' ... but what?
Muriel Vasconcellos Apr 1, 2016:
@ Marcelo Of course, you're right! I wasn't paying close attention.
Marcelo González Apr 1, 2016:
Understanding the source text Maybe I've misunderstood, but does she say, a cara limpia, she doesn't know who HER father is or that of her child? This difference may be important. My take (tongue-in-cheek): that little hussy knows exactly who the father is. ;-)

Proposed translations

+3
12 hrs
Selected

makes no bones about

means sincerely admits

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Note added at 12 hrs (2016-04-01 04:33:38 GMT)
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not knowing who is her father

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Note added at 12 hrs (2016-04-01 04:34:50 GMT)
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or: who her father is (more colloquial)

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Note added at 13 hrs (2016-04-01 05:29:58 GMT)
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it's what we say in English but i know it will be hard for you to take it
Peer comment(s):
agree neilmac : All I have against this is the double negative (no bones/not knowing), but it's a great option :)
3 hrs
thanks Neil
agree Carol Gullidge : and not too worried about the two negatives. But you could get round it with st like " about being unaware of who…"
9 hrs
thanks Carol
agree Estela Quintero-Weldon : De acuerdo
3 days 12 hrs
gracias Estela
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thanks"
+1
15 mins

with all apparent sincerity

Or, simply, "sincerely."

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Note added at 16 mins (2016-03-31 16:35:28 GMT)
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Another possibility here would be:

"with a straight face"

(which would, of course, imply the opposite of what I originally suggested, namely "insincerity."

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Note added at 18 mins (2016-03-31 16:36:59 GMT)
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Upon reflection, I would tend to go with my second idea here, as it is consistent with what is said about the young woman in question in the rest of the sentence....

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Note added at 50 mins (2016-03-31 17:09:27 GMT)
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The reference below (from http://www.frentepatriotico.com/inicio/2013/03/06/y-nos-grad... ) tends to support my second suggestion (i.e., in effect, that the term is a synonym of "descaradamente"):

Sólo una ignorancia supina y el desprecio por todo aquello que signifique verdad y honestidad puede sustentar una afirmación de este carácter; pero la realidad de unos jóvenes dispuestos a cualquier sacrificio para hacer valer la verdad, los obligo a instrumentar una farsa de horas con cadenas del ministrejo Villegas y el usurpador (en este momento de la escritura me llega la noticia de la cadena anunciando por fin la muerte del sátrapa), mintiendo a cara limpia y preparando a la caterva ignara que los sigue ciegamente para que asimilase la noticia de la muerte largamente escondida y tratar de darle cierto aire de seudo legalidad a las mentiras y delitos de lesa patria cometidos por todos ellos con las falsificaciones cibernéticas de la firma del hace tiempo occiso emitiendo decretos ordenados por los sátrapas habaneros en desmedro de la sociedad, la economía y el pueblo venezolanos.
Peer comment(s):
agree David Ronder : I like 'with all apparent sincerity'. A straight face implies trying not to laugh and has less to do with sincerity.
13 hrs
Thank you, David.
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+1
54 mins

shamelessly

as literally it means clean faced or with a clean face could it mean 'barefaced' which in English means boldly, brazenly, without shame, without trying to hide it-there are many synoyms you can choose from

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/barefacedly
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/shameless

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Note added at 1 hr (2016-03-31 17:21:47 GMT)
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or even better: unashamedly
Peer comment(s):
agree neilmac : Unashamedly OK; but "brazenly/shamelessly" have negative connotations IMHO.
11 mins
yes thanks- when I thought about it unashamedly is what I'd go for given the context provided
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+1
6 hrs

openly states/accepts

'who openly states/accepts that she doesn't know who her father is'

I think "asume" here means 'takes on the fact' or 'accepts/takes on responsibility for' - not English 'assumes'.
Peer comment(s):
agree neilmac : Similar to my take; definitely not "assumes"...
18 hrs
Thanks, Neil!
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+1
1 hr

freely

One option: "A girl with great self-control, highly self-sufficient, who freely accepts not knowing who the father is;"

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Note added at 1 hr (2016-03-31 17:26:14 GMT)
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http://www.twotlj.org/G-1-22-F.html

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Note added at 1 hr (2016-03-31 17:26:43 GMT)
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freely = sin remilgos

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Note added at 15 hrs (2016-04-01 08:15:07 GMT)
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NB: freely = openly
Peer comment(s):
agree Muriel Vasconcellos
1 day 2 hrs
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1 day 1 hr

in all honesty

... that in all honesty she had no idea who the father was

OR… that she honestly and truly didn't know who the father was

---

just another angle
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