Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Italian term or phrase:
attacchi la penna al chiodo
English translation:
hang up your pen for good
Added to glossary by
Lara Barnett
Dec 15, 2017 14:50
6 yrs ago
Italian term
United Kingdom
www.lingocraft.co.uk
Native in: English (Variants: British, Scottish, Irish, Singaporean, UK, South African) 
Works in: French to English, Italian to English, Romanian to English, and 2 more.
attacchi la penna al chiodo
Italian to English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Character-based fiction
Narrator has just received his second letter from a publisher regarding publishing his first novel. (First letter was a rejection).
In tutta sincerità, abbiamo solo un consiglio da darle: attacchi la penna al chiodo, finché è in tempo.
Is this something like keep trying?
In tutta sincerità, abbiamo solo un consiglio da darle: attacchi la penna al chiodo, finché è in tempo.
Is this something like keep trying?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +2 | hang up your pen for good |
Isabelle Johnson
|
| 4 +3 | forget about writing |
Shera Lyn Parpia
|
| 4 | put an end to your writing career |
Daniel Frisano
|
| 4 | it's time you put down your pen for good |
Lisa Jane
|
Proposed translations
+2
5 mins
Isabelle Johnson
Italy
Italy
Native in English
Works in field
Italy
CIOL-certified, humanities, tourism
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: Italian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
49
Selected
hang up your pen for good
Or perhaps throw out your pen
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Note added at 22 hrs (2017-12-16 13:37:27 GMT)
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Personally I wouldn't put keyboard in. Hanging up your pen is metaphorical. Adding keyboard would just make it too concrete.
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Note added at 22 hrs (2017-12-16 13:37:27 GMT)
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Personally I wouldn't put keyboard in. Hanging up your pen is metaphorical. Adding keyboard would just make it too concrete.
Note from asker:
| There are references to his work on computer, what about "hang up your keyboard" while suggesting both pen and keyboard to the client? |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
philgoddard
: Regardless of what the Italian says, and unlike football boots, I don't think you'd hang up a pen. But I think it's important to keep the visual metaphor, so "throw it away" or "put it back in the drawer" would work.
1 hr
|
|
Thanks Phil.
|
|
| agree |
Peter Cox
8 days
|
|
Thanks Peter and Happy Christmas!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+3
1 min
Shera Lyn Parpia
Italy
Italy
Native in English
Works in field
Italy
translating meaning, not just words
Native in: English
Works in: English to Italian, Italian to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
127
forget about writing
literally, hang up your pen.
so maybe even "give up"
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Note added at 6 mins (2017-12-15 14:56:54 GMT)
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other ideas
don't even try
throw your pen away
so maybe even "give up"
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Note added at 6 mins (2017-12-15 14:56:54 GMT)
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other ideas
don't even try
throw your pen away
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Patrick Hopkins
: Yes, but I must say I prefer "hang up your pen" (which I was going to post but I didn't want to steal your thunder!). It's common to say things like "hang up your spikes/boots" when you end a career in football for example.
4 mins
|
|
Thanks! I guess it just sounded too literal, but it might work.
|
|
| neutral |
philgoddard
: I think you have to include the word pen somewhere, and Isabelle was the first to suggest this as an answer.
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Fiona Grace Peterson
: Good solution, and I don't agree with Phil that you need to include the word "pen". Many writers don't even USE pens nowadays...
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Lisa Jane
: Give up your pen for good!
2 hrs
|
27 mins
Daniel Frisano
Italy
Italy
Native in Italian
Italy
100% human translation, always
Native in: Italian
Works in: English to Italian, French to Italian, German to Italian, and 14 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
put an end to your writing career
As pointed out by the colleagues, it's a suggestion to give up. It implies that the recipient actually had a career, as commented by Patrick.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Fiona Grace Peterson
: Normally SOMETHING puts an end to a person's career, it's not a phrase you would use to refer to yourself (e.g. "having a family put an end to his writing career")
1 hr
|
2 hrs
it's time you put down your pen for good
If someone stops writing they put down their pen. If I wanted to insult a writer I'd tell him it's time for him to put down his pen that would be enough.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2017-12-15 17:42:48 GMT)
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Or LAY down, more literary, like in this Guardian headline on Marquez
Gabriel García Márquez, literary giant, lays down his pen
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Note added at 2 hrs (2017-12-15 17:43:16 GMT)
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https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/apr/02/columbia-gabri...
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Note added at 2 hrs (2017-12-15 17:42:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Or LAY down, more literary, like in this Guardian headline on Marquez
Gabriel García Márquez, literary giant, lays down his pen
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2017-12-15 17:43:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/apr/02/columbia-gabri...
Reference comments
5 hrs
Reference:
appendere al chiodo
• Fig.: abbandonare una data attività, in particolare quando non ci si ritiene più idonei a continuarla. In particolare si dice che si appendono al chiodo gli attrezzi sportivi, a significare che non serviranno più.
Il detto risale a un'usanza seguita dagli antichi gladiatori, che quando venivano liberati dedicavano le loro armi al Dio Ercole e le appendevano alle partei del tempio a lui dedicato. (Orazio, Libro I, Epistola I, e Libro III, Ode 26).
• Fig.: abbandonare una data attività, in particolare quando non ci si ritiene più idonei a continuarla. In particolare si dice che si appendono al chiodo gli attrezzi sportivi, a significare che non serviranno più.
Il detto risale a un'usanza seguita dagli antichi gladiatori, che quando venivano liberati dedicavano le loro armi al Dio Ercole e le appendevano alle partei del tempio a lui dedicato. (Orazio, Libro I, Epistola I, e Libro III, Ode 26).
Discussion