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Tercera fachada

Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

dejarlo todo atado y bien atado

English translation:

to leave things well and truly stitched up

Added to glossary by Carol Gullidge
Jun 14, 2020 10:16
3 yrs ago
58 viewers *
Spanish term

dejarlo todo atado y bien atado

Spanish to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters expression
This appears in the appeal of a hiring decision made by a university. The source text is in Catalan except for this expression, which appears in quotation marks. It's kind of a long story, so bear with me. The chair of the selection committee recused himself because of a conflict of interest in relation to one of the candidates. Two remaining members of the selection committee have close ties to the former chair. The complainant is saying that, even though the chair resigned, his influence continued to be exerted over some of the remaining members of the committee and therefore there was still a situation of conflict of interest.
In relation to this situation, the complainant says:
Seria un cas més d’allò tan conegut de “dejarlo todo atado y bien atado”. (It would be yet another case of "xxx")

I think the expression means something like "leaving nothing undone" or "leaving nothing to chance" or maybe "tying up all the loose ends", but I want to be cautious about attributing agency or implying some sort of conspiracy if that's not the author's intention.

Thanks in advance!!
Proposed translations (English)
3 +7 to feel/be well and truly stitched up
4 -1 shadow power - he rules from the shadows
3 having/leaving everything done and dusted (well sorted out)
3 to leave it all, tidied, tied up and completed
Change log

Jun 16, 2020 19:44: Carol Gullidge Created KOG entry

Discussion

David Hollywood Jun 14, 2020:
this is a truly interesting 1
Carol Gullidge Jun 14, 2020:
Ok David Will do!
David Hollywood Jun 14, 2020:
vamos :)
David Hollywood Jun 14, 2020:
many ways to say this of course but yours keeps the Spanish working
David Hollywood Jun 14, 2020:
I think you should post it Carol
David Hollywood Jun 14, 2020:
but ok
David Hollywood Jun 14, 2020:
with the caveat that in English mafia slang it means "betrayed"
David Hollywood Jun 14, 2020:
"stitched up" is on the button... covers all aspects
Andy Watkinson Jun 14, 2020:
Yes. "Stitched up" does convey the idea of having arranged matters to ensure a given outcome even when the "arranger" is no longer directly involved.
Carol Gullidge Jun 14, 2020:
following Andy's insight into this, I'd feel tempted to suggest something like "properly stitched up" or "well and truly stitched up". Also fits in with the "atado" idea.
Although I do realise this could be read as putting words into somebody's mouth - which is never the aim of the translator, however tempting this may be!
Lisa Mann (asker) Jun 14, 2020:
Carol His beef is not really with the guy who recused himself, but with other members of the selection committee who did not (but he claims should have for a variety of reasons). I'm hesitant to suggest that the complainant thinks that the former chair set it up for the successful candidate to win. He doesn't say that anywhere and I didn't want to say it too overtly if he doesn't do it either. However, now that Andy has explained the origin of the expression, it seems like he is suggesting that the former chair had a deliberate hand in ensuring the successful candidate was successful...
Lisa Mann (asker) Jun 14, 2020:
Thank you, Andy Well, that makes it a lot more sinister and clearly implies collusion. A Spanish colleague I consulted didn't mention Franco at all, and said it meant what I wrote in my question (leaving everything wrapped up and done). Any suggestions for a rendition that would communicate what you describe? I'll need to keep thinking about in light of this info. Thanks again.
Carol Gullidge Jun 14, 2020:
@Lisa I'm confused why you're so hesitant to put negative-sounding words into the person's mouth (or words to that effect!) - after all, he/she is described as the "complainant" more than once, so surely what they have to say is unlikely to be flattering or even really neutral...?
Carol Gullidge Jun 14, 2020:
@Andy Wow, I'm impressed - at last some light on the subject!
This suggests something more sinister, like "once and for all", "inexorably"...
Andy Watkinson Jun 14, 2020:
Slightly surprised no one's mentioned this, but the reason this phrase appears in Spanish (and not Catalan) is that the author of the phrase was Franco.
It's one of the best known phrases in Spanish, due to Franco using it to describe how he had resolved the issue of the continuation of his regime, in a Christmas speech from 1969 in reference to Juan Carlos I.
It's nothing to due with neatness or bows or anything cute

It's a sinister reference to his having ensured the dictatorship would continue even after his death (or absence, much like the Chair in this case continues to hold sway even though no longer involved).
Lisa Mann (asker) Jun 14, 2020:
Leaving no loose ends seems to work Thank you, Carol. My client is the legal services department of the university, so they won't be able to speak to the intention of the author. Leaving no loose ends fits in with the register of the text and sounds pretty impartial. Leaving nothing to chance sounds to me a little like these people conspired to make sure the candidate of their choice was hired, but the author never exactly goes that far. Thanks again!
Carol Gullidge Jun 14, 2020:
@Lisa My trusty Robert says simply "leaving no loose ends", which ties in pretty well with your 2nd and 3rd proposals - either of which seems fine and clear to me! I prefer "leaving nothing to chance", or something along those lines.
Regarding implications of conspiracy, it seems to me that the whole passage implies this, but agree you need to err on the safe side. If you really aren't sure about this, perhaps ask the client how they see it..? They should know what the actual intentions of the author were, and whether there could be any comeback if you mis/overinterpreted this - whichever way.

Proposed translations

+7
9 hrs
Selected

to feel/be well and truly stitched up

or even, at a push, '''set up". He felt he'd been well and truly set up

I can't see that the complainant would feel any obligation to couch his words, given that he has made the position quite clear as he sees it: "...[his] influence continued to be exerted over some of the remaining members of the committee and therefore there was still a situation of conflict of interest"
I don't see this as referring to the ex-chairman specifically, or even necessarily to the remaining selection-committee members, but simply to how the resulting situation made the complainant feel.

By using the word "feel/felt", this cushions it a bit.

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Note added at 11 hrs (2020-06-14 22:10:50 GMT)
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another alternative = "ALL SEWN UP"

...not quite the same (or as strong) as a stitch-up (as above), but more in the sense of the outcome being a foregone conclusion

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Note added at 2 days 1 hr (2020-06-16 11:56:19 GMT)
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Basically, the outcome is that the complainant felt there was no way he was going to get a fair hearing



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Note added at 2 days 1 hr (2020-06-16 11:57:45 GMT)
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... the outcome was a foregone conclusion



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Note added at 2 days 9 hrs (2020-06-16 19:46:07 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you, Lisa. Any time!
Peer comment(s):
agree Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
1 hr
many thanks, Beatriz!
agree David Hollywood
2 hrs
many thanks, David :)
agree neilmac : Sorry, I've just posted "stitched up" myself, didn't see your answer...
12 hrs
Thanks Neil - it’s easily done!
agree Thayenga : :)
15 hrs
many thanks, Thayenga :)
agree AllegroTrans
16 hrs
many thanks, Allegro!
agree Andy Watkinson
16 hrs
many thanks, Andy!
agree James A. Walsh
2 days 17 hrs
Many thanks, James!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "You were a great help throughout the process, Carol, thank you!"
-1
4 hrs

shadow power - he rules from the shadows

This term is used mostly attached to government to mean someone else is being really in control of it.

I think adding shadow in general adds the same connotation.
Peer comment(s):
disagree AllegroTrans : this bears no resemblance whatever to what is being said
21 hrs
Something went wrong...
6 hrs

having/leaving everything done and dusted (well sorted out)

idiomatic ways of putting this

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Note added at 6 hrs (2020-06-14 16:42:23 GMT)
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having read all entries I think this might do it... covers the sinister aspect without sounding so but would be well understood...

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Note added at 6 hrs (2020-06-14 16:44:44 GMT)
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speak softly but wield a big stick

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Note added at 6 hrs (2020-06-14 16:49:12 GMT)
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"done and dusted" is sufficiently ambiguous in that it implies leaving everything sorted but leaves room open for "sorting out" any "discrepancies"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2020-06-14 16:49:51 GMT)
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as does "sorted out"

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Note added at 6 hrs (2020-06-14 16:51:28 GMT)
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makes me think of the English mafia veiled expression "I think I want a word with you"

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Note added at 6 hrs (2020-06-14 16:52:25 GMT)
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obviously not exactly the same meaning but makes you shiver....

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Note added at 6 hrs (2020-06-14 16:57:56 GMT)
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menacing

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Note added at 7 hrs (2020-06-14 17:35:08 GMT)
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and in line with your post "leave everything done and dusted/sorted out"

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Note added at 7 hrs (2020-06-14 17:46:54 GMT)
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ties up all loose ends
Something went wrong...
11 hrs

to leave it all, tidied, tied up and completed

I think the answer was already adequately suggested with 'tying up all the loose ends', as a literal translation would order a pile to be left and well tied. The verb 'dejarlo' means 'to leave it', 'todo' means 'all' or 'everything', while 'atado' is an adjective from the past tense of the verb 'atar', which means 'to tie'.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Carol Gullidge : Yes we already understood this very basic grammar and individual vocabulary - that’s never been the problem here. But your punctuation makes for rather an odd rendering and changes the meaning entirely.
8 hrs
neutral AllegroTrans : The asker isn't requesting either a literal translation or a grammar lesson, but a serious suggestion to fit the CONTEXT
14 hrs
Something went wrong...
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