Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
caer chuzos
English translation:
to bucket down/pelt down/pelt rain
Added to glossary by
Claudia Vale
Apr 21, 2008 17:19
16 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Spanish term
United Kingdom
Qualified Teacher of French and Spanish
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English
caer chuzos
Spanish to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Every morning the character, who was hardworking, awoke early and slipped off to the bazaar, whatever the weather:
Lo mismo si hacía frío, que lo hacía y mucho, nevaba y caían chuzos, que si ardía el aire.
I know a "chuzo" is a kind of sharp stick but does it refer to heavy rain or sleet or something else?
Lo mismo si hacía frío, que lo hacía y mucho, nevaba y caían chuzos, que si ardía el aire.
I know a "chuzo" is a kind of sharp stick but does it refer to heavy rain or sleet or something else?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | to bucket down/pelt down/pelt rain |
Noni Gilbert Riley
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| 5 +8 | it was raining cats and dogs |
María T. Vargas
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| 5 +1 | pouring rain |
Y. Peraza
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| 5 | rain cats and dogs |
Lynda Tharratt
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| 4 | pelting sleet |
trans4u
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Proposed translations
+1
1 hr
Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Works in field
Spain
The translator people turn to
Native in: English (Variant: UK) 
Works in: Spanish to English, French to Spanish, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
80
Selected
to bucket down/pelt down/pelt rain
Yes, the expression is well known in Spain.
Plenty to choose from, inevitably in rainy British English. But it is rain, not sleet.
Also available are "chucking it down" (more colloquial), "coming down in stair rods" (a bit old fashioned these days).
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-21 19:00:23 GMT)
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Sorry: coming down LIKE stair rods - FTR.
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-21 19:01:41 GMT)
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And sorry again, I'd gone into teacher mode - of course you know all the registers of these expression in English, you just need to be reassured about the meaning of chuzos!! Anyway, it may be useful for someone else consulting the future.
Plenty to choose from, inevitably in rainy British English. But it is rain, not sleet.
Also available are "chucking it down" (more colloquial), "coming down in stair rods" (a bit old fashioned these days).
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-21 19:00:23 GMT)
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Sorry: coming down LIKE stair rods - FTR.
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-21 19:01:41 GMT)
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And sorry again, I'd gone into teacher mode - of course you know all the registers of these expression in English, you just need to be reassured about the meaning of chuzos!! Anyway, it may be useful for someone else consulting the future.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
moken
: As you said, could be useful in to someone else in the future. :O)
44 mins
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:o)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "It was a toss up between 'pelting down with rain' and 'raining cats and dogs' but I like the sharp element of 'pelting', as in Rosina's definition of 'chuzos'. Many thanks everyone! :0)"
+8
5 mins
María T. Vargas
Spain
Spain
Native in Spanish
&
English
Spain
Sworn and professional translations
Native in: Spanish 
, English
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
16
it was raining cats and dogs
The full Spanish (from Spain) idiom is: "caer chuzos de punta", it was raining heavily, or like the other colleague said. God luck.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jason Hall
: I was juuuuust about to say that! http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=524762
1 min
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Thanks, Cuenca
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| agree |
Lynda Tharratt
: oops didn't see your answer when I put mine
2 mins
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Thanks, Lynda. It doesn't matter.
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| agree |
Beatriz Pérez
: completamente de acuerdo
3 mins
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Gracias, Beatriz
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| agree |
Egmont
9 mins
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Thanks, colleague
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| agree |
Carol Gullidge
: yes!
27 mins
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Thanks, Carol. Un abrazo, Pampi
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| agree |
jacana54 (X)
49 mins
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Thanks, Lucia
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| agree |
Laura Gómez
2 hrs
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hanks, Laura
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| agree |
moken
: :O)
2 hrs
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Thanks, Alvaro
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7 mins
Lynda Tharratt
Native in English
Works in field
Accurate and Reliable
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
12
rain cats and dogs
there are references to this on the Internet (see below) :)
10 mins
pelting sleet
chuzo
m. Palo armado con un pincho de hierro que se usa como defensa o para atacar.
Carámbano, trozo de hielo.
http://www.wordreference.com/definicion/chuzo
CNN.com - TranscriptsFeb 14, 2007 ... PHILLIPS: Blowing snow, pelting sleet, and bone-chilling cold, and it's only going to get worse in Upstate New York.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=pelting sleet
m. Palo armado con un pincho de hierro que se usa como defensa o para atacar.
Carámbano, trozo de hielo.
http://www.wordreference.com/definicion/chuzo
CNN.com - TranscriptsFeb 14, 2007 ... PHILLIPS: Blowing snow, pelting sleet, and bone-chilling cold, and it's only going to get worse in Upstate New York.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=pelting sleet
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
moken
: Nothing to do with sleet in the way it's used in Spain - might mean this elsewhere, but never heard it myself. :O)
2 hrs
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Discussion
Esta frase hecha se utiliza cuando llueve muchísimo, cuando cae una lluvia tan intensa que provoca mucho ruido. El efecto de la lluvia al caer se compara con el ruido que hacían los chuzos puntiagudos que portaban los antiguos serenos. Los chuzos eran una especie de bastón con punta metálica que al ser golpeado contra el suelo, provocaba chispas en los adoquines y este ruido permitía saber que se acercaba la persona que abría la puerta de nuestra casa.