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Jul 4, 2010 12:16
13 yrs ago
6 viewers *
Spanish term

ponete las pilas

Spanish to English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
you use this expression if a student hasn´t been studying hard and the teacher wants him/her to do something about it. Sort of "pull up your socks". A similar expression would be : "pone primera" related to putting the gearstick into first gear and taking off.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +4 pull your socks up
5 +3 get going/ get moving/ get cracking
4 +3 get your act together
4 +1 get on the ball
5 pay attention
4 get a little gumption
3 +1 put your back into it
4 get with the program
4 Get with it!

Discussion

Patsy Florit (asker) Jul 8, 2010:
It´s an informal comment made to a kid at school and it´s NOT a negative comment in my country!
Henry Hinds Jul 7, 2010:
Argentina? It´s FROM Argentina. Who is it FOR? (I'm getting tired of asking).
Patsy Florit (asker) Jul 4, 2010:
It´s for Argentina! The comment is meant to be informal. I am a teacher and we do say "ponete una pila" a lot! I´d also say "you´ll have to recharge your batteries" and the know what I mean.
Lydia De Jorge Jul 4, 2010:
Target You don't mention where it's for. If for the US, "pull your socks up" won't work. Regarding comment made by Lourdes, I disagree. I was a teacher for over 15 years and my 5 children went through the school system here (US). I can assure you that communication between students and teachers is usually very informal and telling a student to get his act together is very common.
Patsy Florit (asker) Jul 4, 2010:
This could be added to a comment you make to a student at school who is clever but tends to be lazy. It´s definitely slang and it hasn´t got a negative connotation, it would make a kid smile but he/she knows perfectly well that it´s up to him/her. That he can handle it, he only needs to devote time to studying.
Lourdes Sanchez Jul 4, 2010:
agree, with Trixiemck. One of the issues here I think is the language that educators use in Latin America and the US. I can imagine a teacher in Mexico saying "ya ponte las pilas" or "que te pasa? por favor ponte las pilas" with the implication that you have to get your act together. In the US this is a language that teachers avoid. They can ask you to get going, or how they can help you solve the problem. They might suggest a number of things but they are very cautious about possible negative implications
Monica Colangelo Jul 4, 2010:
For native English speakers "Ponete las pilas" is not exclusively used by teachers (actually it sounds rather awkward coming from a teacher, as here they tend to be more standoffish). The phrase comes from putting (household) batteries to make a radio, torchlight, alarm clock, etc work. I've been using it with my daughters for over twenty years but it looks like they never find the right size battery.
Henry Hinds Jul 4, 2010:
CONTEXT Since this is a slang expression, and slang varies greatly from place to place, the CONTEXT needed here is the DESTINATION.

Proposed translations

+4
1 min
Selected

pull your socks up

as you suggested.
Peer comment(s):
agree Lisa McCarthy : Can't think of a better expression really for this context.
2 mins
agree Eileen Banks
54 mins
agree Noni Gilbert Riley
1 hr
agree Christine Walsh : Like it best
5 hrs
neutral Thomas Cromwell : sounds very British.
1 day 18 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
6 mins

get a little gumption

Examples: Got Gumption? You will not succeed if you do not show initiative. I have ... I think we spend too much time talking about vision and too little ...
faculty.washington.edu/sandeep/d/mbaebook.pdf - Similares; Jun 2007 ... The hope is that students showing their work at Scene First will get ... has high expectations for his short film Little White Flowers, ... Merzbacher says, “Most showcases for student work rely exclusively on the gumption of student ... have let out for the summer, for student filmmakers from New ...
www.newenglandfilm.com/news/archives/2007/.../scene.htm - En caché
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+3
11 mins

get going/ get moving/ get cracking

Everyone will understand the first two

Peer comment(s):
agree Noni Gilbert Riley : get a move on, I was thinking
1 hr
thank you!
agree J Celeita (X)
6 hrs
thank you!
agree Thomas Cromwell : This is the best, I think.
1 day 18 hrs
gracias
Something went wrong...
+3
44 mins

get your act together

get your act together
Meaning: If you get your act together, you greatly improve your attitude and peformance in relation to something such as your work, or to life in general. ...
www.englishclub.com/ref/.../get_your_act_together_292.htm - Cached - SimilarGet Your Act Together: English Idiom Definition
GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER means that someone needs to improve, especially because they are inefficient ... This idiom is similar in meaning to CLEAN UP YOUR ACT ...
www.1-language.com › ESL Idioms Index - Cached - Similaract - definition of act, by Macmillan Dictionary: Free English ...
If you want to be finished by Monday, you'll have to get your act together. Synonyms or related words for this meaning of act: fix up, manage, put your ...
www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/act - Cached
Peer comment(s):
agree Noni Gilbert Riley : Also good!
42 mins
thank you Ace!
disagree Lourdes Sanchez : get your act together has a negative connotation. I might indicate that you have problems to solve, or you need to (re)organize. Ponte las pilas is just about standing up and getting started
1 hr
No, "ponte las pilas" has exactly the same connotation in this context, as the asker has indicated.
agree Bubo Coroman (X) : Like Lourdes, I feel the expression should be an encouragement (like the Spanish idiom) and not a rebuke, because educational psychology demands it. But I think there is a lot of encouragement in this answer... it's equivalent to "mobilize yourself".
3 hrs
Thank you Deborah! ;-)
agree Christine Walsh : As a practising teacher, I'd certainly use this!
4 hrs
thank you Christine! ;-)
agree J Celeita (X)
5 hrs
thank you Jesi! ;-)
neutral worldenglish : This term has a negative connotation but could be one translation. In the U.S. it's not really something a teacher would say, but maybe a drill instructor might. So it depends on the tone the asker is looking for.
2 days 7 hrs
"ponte las pilas" is neither encouraging or supportive, why do you expect something different from the translation?
Something went wrong...
+1
53 mins

put your back into it

In psychological terms it works best to use an expression that does not rebuke the student for poor past performance (as in pull up your socks) but positively encourages him or her to try harder, exactly as "ponete las pilas".

Reference:

Put one's back into something (work at something with all one's energy)

· You have to finish this work by tomorrow, so put your back into it
http://www.perfectyourenglish.com/vocabulary/idioms-body-par...
Peer comment(s):
neutral yolanda Speece : Maybe not for this situation. It could have sexual connotations...
19 hrs
hehehe... the thought of fitting one's back into that small space --- you've made my day!!
agree Thomas Cromwell : Also a good answer, IMO, though it might have a slightly different connotation (not at all sexual to my mind).
1 day 17 hrs
many thanks Cromwellt! Kind regards. - Deborah
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2 hrs

get with the program

of common use
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2 hrs

Get with it!

A very common expression in these cases.
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+1
16 hrs

get on the ball

Try harder, make an effort.
Peer comment(s):
agree Thomas Cromwell : Also a good answer.
1 day 2 hrs
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7 hrs

pay attention

Be on your toes....Keep your eyes open. Be on top of it!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2010-07-04 19:38:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

My favorite though is "look alive!"

It just means to be on top of your game because you have to be focus on what is happening!

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Note added at 1 day6 hrs (2010-07-05 19:14:50 GMT)
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In English, re-charge your batteries means to take a break. It is obvious this person does not want the student to take a break but to focus and get the job done.

Use your noggin', apply a little elbow grease and get the job done!
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