Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Italian term or phrase:
Un Buco Nell'Acqua
English translation:
A Flop
Added to glossary by
virgotra
May 17, 2003 14:39
21 yrs ago
5 viewers *
Italian term
Un Buco Nell'Acqua
Italian to English
Other
Environment & Ecology
Ecology
3rd World Water Forum title! But do we really say A Hole in the Water in English?!! Hoepli has let me down - it says 'beat the air'...It's a good title in Italian seeing it's talking about it being a flop...anyone got any ideas for a good title in English? Any help gratefully received!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
2 mins
Selected
A Flop
Hazon Garzanti translates fare un buco nell'acqua as to fail or to flop.
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Note added at 2003-05-17 14:45:48 (GMT)
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Hmm, I see what you mean about water. The only thing I can think of that associating water and flop is:
\"A BELLYFLOP\"
but I don\'t know whether it\'s much use to you here ;-)
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Note added at 2003-05-17 14:50:36 (GMT)
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Maybe you COULD use bellyflop - look at this title:
\'\"Private Firms Bellyflop in the H2O Biz\" by Jane Kelly\',
www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/ public_service/news/news.html
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Note added at 2003-05-17 14:45:48 (GMT)
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Hmm, I see what you mean about water. The only thing I can think of that associating water and flop is:
\"A BELLYFLOP\"
but I don\'t know whether it\'s much use to you here ;-)
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Note added at 2003-05-17 14:50:36 (GMT)
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Maybe you COULD use bellyflop - look at this title:
\'\"Private Firms Bellyflop in the H2O Biz\" by Jane Kelly\',
www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/ public_service/news/news.html
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you Sarah - Bellyflop is just what was needed!! Liked the other suggestions too."
28 mins
as futile as digging a hole in water
I believe the entire phrase in Italian is "scavare un buco nell'acqua" which has overtones other than simply a flop -but also meaning a futile, frustrating effort.
In this case, a more literal translation may still get the idea across.
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Note added at 2003-05-17 15:18:43 (GMT)
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Another idea - depending on the context:
We\'re digging a watery grave...
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Note added at 2003-05-17 15:50:55 (GMT)
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Knight\'s Tale, A (2001) Review - \"Digging a watery grave\" - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
Search... Home > Movies > Movies VHS > Knight\'s Tale, A (2001) > Review: \"Digging
a watery grave\". ... Digging a watery grave. by pooky | 13.09.01. Product rating: ...
www.dooyoo.co.uk/movies/movies_vhs/knights_tale_a_2001/ _review/311713/ - 62k - Copia cache - Pagine simili
Knight\'s Tale, A (2001) reviews, ratings, guide - advice and ... - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
... Comments. on review Digging a watery grave by pooky | 13.09.01 12:08 / Product
rating: Go back to the review you came from. Write your own comment. ...
www.dooyoo.co.uk/movies/movies_vhs/knights_tale_a_2001/ _comments/311713/ - 48k - Copia cache - Pagine simili
Browse Lyrics By Song Alphabets - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
... Diggin a Watery Grave( Morcheeba ). Diggin On You( TLC ). Diggin This( NICKELBACK
). Diggin Up Bones( Randy Travis ). Diggin Your Scene( Smash Mouth ). Digging A ...
www.reallyrics.com/ DisplayLyricsAlphabet.ASP?A=D&P=27 - 21k - Copia cache - Pagine simili
Outside Online - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
... A Watery Grave. ... From then on it was only natural that I should become bound up with
village affairs, with gossip and deaths and well-digging and all the rest. ...
www.outsidemag.com/magazine/0197/9701field.html - 41k - Copia cache - Pagine simili
In this case, a more literal translation may still get the idea across.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-05-17 15:18:43 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Another idea - depending on the context:
We\'re digging a watery grave...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-05-17 15:50:55 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Knight\'s Tale, A (2001) Review - \"Digging a watery grave\" - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
Search... Home > Movies > Movies VHS > Knight\'s Tale, A (2001) > Review: \"Digging
a watery grave\". ... Digging a watery grave. by pooky | 13.09.01. Product rating: ...
www.dooyoo.co.uk/movies/movies_vhs/knights_tale_a_2001/ _review/311713/ - 62k - Copia cache - Pagine simili
Knight\'s Tale, A (2001) reviews, ratings, guide - advice and ... - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
... Comments. on review Digging a watery grave by pooky | 13.09.01 12:08 / Product
rating: Go back to the review you came from. Write your own comment. ...
www.dooyoo.co.uk/movies/movies_vhs/knights_tale_a_2001/ _comments/311713/ - 48k - Copia cache - Pagine simili
Browse Lyrics By Song Alphabets - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
... Diggin a Watery Grave( Morcheeba ). Diggin On You( TLC ). Diggin This( NICKELBACK
). Diggin Up Bones( Randy Travis ). Diggin Your Scene( Smash Mouth ). Digging A ...
www.reallyrics.com/ DisplayLyricsAlphabet.ASP?A=D&P=27 - 21k - Copia cache - Pagine simili
Outside Online - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
... A Watery Grave. ... From then on it was only natural that I should become bound up with
village affairs, with gossip and deaths and well-digging and all the rest. ...
www.outsidemag.com/magazine/0197/9701field.html - 41k - Copia cache - Pagine simili
37 mins
Spouting hot air
If it's a newspaper article, the above might do.
HTH
Giles
HTH
Giles
55 mins
Spinning your wheels
Just another idea
1 hr
Ledia Kita
Albania
Albania
Albania
fast, correct and detailed oriented
Native in: Albanian 
Works in: English to Albanian, Albanian to English
A whole lot of nothing
The expression "a hole in the water" doesn't exist in English
+1
1 day 15 hrs
Katherine Zei
Canada
Canada
Native in English
Works in field
Canada
Super-fast, Superior Translations
Native in: English
Works in: Italian to English, French to English, English to Italian, and 1 more.
A drop in the ocean
I think this expression denotes futility more than complete lack of success. In Italian, when you say something does as much good "as making a hole in water", it means it's like something that does very little good in what is a much larger context.
In English, I've always translated this expression as "like a drop in the ocean", but it might have a different meaning to me than it does to others.
In English, I've always translated this expression as "like a drop in the ocean", but it might have a different meaning to me than it does to others.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Sarah Ponting
: that's possible, if you want to steer clear of any negative connotations, although a drop in the ocean is slightly more positive than " un buco nell'acqua"
8 mins
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