Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Italian term or phrase:
acqua in bocca
English translation:
pipe down
Added to glossary by
Taylor Kirk
Apr 26, 2008 07:17
16 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Italian term
acqua in bocca - theme
Italian to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Hi everybody,
This Italian idiom is being used to associate the thought that the sea is silent/silence. The overall text is about diving. I have been looking for a saying in English with a "silence" connotation but none (such as mum's the word, silent as the grave, etc.) have anything to do with fish or the sea. Can anyone think of a way to say this while keeping the "water" theme?
Fyi, the full phrase is: 'forse perchè ”acqua in bocca” è un’esortazione che equivale a ”stai zitto, mi raccomando”, i più ritengono che quello subacqueo sia in effetti un mondo assolutamente silenzioso'
This Italian idiom is being used to associate the thought that the sea is silent/silence. The overall text is about diving. I have been looking for a saying in English with a "silence" connotation but none (such as mum's the word, silent as the grave, etc.) have anything to do with fish or the sea. Can anyone think of a way to say this while keeping the "water" theme?
Fyi, the full phrase is: 'forse perchè ”acqua in bocca” è un’esortazione che equivale a ”stai zitto, mi raccomando”, i più ritengono che quello subacqueo sia in effetti un mondo assolutamente silenzioso'
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
May 2, 2008 14:28: Taylor Kirk Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+2
2 hrs
Taylor Kirk
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Translating into native U.S. English
Native in: English 
Works in: Portuguese to English, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
pipe down
This was originally a naval expression so maybe it could fit...
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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-04-26 09:29:27 GMT)
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Meaning
A request to be quiet.
Origin
On sailing ships signals were given to the crew by sounding the boatswain's (bo'sun's) pipe. One such was 'piping down the hammocks' which was the signal to go below decks and retire for the night. When an officer wanted a sailor to be dismissed below he would have him 'piped down'. This usage is recorded in Royal Navy workbooks from the 18th century. For example, Gillespie's Advice to Commanders & Officers, 1798:
"At four o'clock, P.M. the hammocks should regularly be piped down."
There's no unequivocal link between this naval practice and the 'be quiet' meaning. It could well have derived from the fact that, if there was a disturbance onboard ship, officers could quell it by sending the crew below decks, i.e. by piping them down. This notion is supported by records of ship's crew's being told to 'pipe down' rather than signaled to by the use of an actual pipe. For example, this report from The Gettysburg Star And Banner, April 1850:
'I don't care what happens to me now!' wept Peter, going among the crew, with blood-shot eyes, as he put on his shirt. 'I have been flogged once, and they may do it again, if they will. 'Let them look out for me now'. 'Pipe down!' cried the Captain, and the crew slowly dispersed.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-04-26 09:29:27 GMT)
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Meaning
A request to be quiet.
Origin
On sailing ships signals were given to the crew by sounding the boatswain's (bo'sun's) pipe. One such was 'piping down the hammocks' which was the signal to go below decks and retire for the night. When an officer wanted a sailor to be dismissed below he would have him 'piped down'. This usage is recorded in Royal Navy workbooks from the 18th century. For example, Gillespie's Advice to Commanders & Officers, 1798:
"At four o'clock, P.M. the hammocks should regularly be piped down."
There's no unequivocal link between this naval practice and the 'be quiet' meaning. It could well have derived from the fact that, if there was a disturbance onboard ship, officers could quell it by sending the crew below decks, i.e. by piping them down. This notion is supported by records of ship's crew's being told to 'pipe down' rather than signaled to by the use of an actual pipe. For example, this report from The Gettysburg Star And Banner, April 1850:
'I don't care what happens to me now!' wept Peter, going among the crew, with blood-shot eyes, as he put on his shirt. 'I have been flogged once, and they may do it again, if they will. 'Let them look out for me now'. 'Pipe down!' cried the Captain, and the crew slowly dispersed.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
-1
1 hr
Paul O'Brien
Argentina
Argentina
Native in English
Argentina
Legal and environment specialist, PhD
Native in: English
Works in: Italian to English, Spanish to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
34
don't get me into deep water
i.e. don't get me into a difficult situation by, in this case, telling everyone about X.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/get into deep water
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/get into deep water
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
PB Trans
: That has a negative connotation to it and in most case implies trouble or danger. Not a good image for a peaceful diving expedition./ Italian text shows light-hearted irony. Get into deep water sounds too ominous here, given the inherent dangers of diving
27 mins
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"stai zitto, mi raccomando" doesn't seem like a bed of roses either.
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1 hr
silence is golden / still waters run deep
This expression doesn't have a water theme but it is a widely recognized one that could be used in the context of your translation.
SILENCE IS GOLDEN -"It is best not to speak. Now also used in the sense that quiet is a priceless gift. The proverb has been traced back to 1865, and was first attested in the United States in 'Changes' (1923) by H.W. Nevinson."From the "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" (1996) by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/8/messages/573.html
I also found "still waters run deep" but this usually means that what may seem calm on the outside is actually more complex on the inside. I don't think you want that imagery for your diving text as you want to emphasize calm and serenity underwater. However, if you take on a less literal translation of your text, you could make it work... in the vein that it is silent and peaceful underwater but there could be interesting things to discover during the diving expedition. That would be one way to keep the "water" theme.
STILL WATERS RUN DEEP - "Don't be fooled by appearances. Quiet people are likely to be passionate or complex, even though they don't show it. The proverb has been traced back to 'Cato's Morals' (about 1400) in 'Cursor Mundi' (1873). In 1721, it was included in James Kelly's collection of proverbs. It was first attested in the United States in the 1768 'Works of William Smith,' (1803)." From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" (1996) by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/26/messages/306.htm...
just because the surface of a body of water - say a wide river - appears flat-calm (ie still/unruffled), that does not mean that, below the surface, everything is the same. There may be fast-flowing undercurrents.
In other words, outer appearances can be deceptive and that is why the phrase is applied to people who may seem quiet but can turn out to be a seething cauldron of emotions!
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Phrases-and-Sayings/Question5...
SILENCE IS GOLDEN -"It is best not to speak. Now also used in the sense that quiet is a priceless gift. The proverb has been traced back to 1865, and was first attested in the United States in 'Changes' (1923) by H.W. Nevinson."From the "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" (1996) by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/8/messages/573.html
I also found "still waters run deep" but this usually means that what may seem calm on the outside is actually more complex on the inside. I don't think you want that imagery for your diving text as you want to emphasize calm and serenity underwater. However, if you take on a less literal translation of your text, you could make it work... in the vein that it is silent and peaceful underwater but there could be interesting things to discover during the diving expedition. That would be one way to keep the "water" theme.
STILL WATERS RUN DEEP - "Don't be fooled by appearances. Quiet people are likely to be passionate or complex, even though they don't show it. The proverb has been traced back to 'Cato's Morals' (about 1400) in 'Cursor Mundi' (1873). In 1721, it was included in James Kelly's collection of proverbs. It was first attested in the United States in the 1768 'Works of William Smith,' (1803)." From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" (1996) by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/26/messages/306.htm...
just because the surface of a body of water - say a wide river - appears flat-calm (ie still/unruffled), that does not mean that, below the surface, everything is the same. There may be fast-flowing undercurrents.
In other words, outer appearances can be deceptive and that is why the phrase is applied to people who may seem quiet but can turn out to be a seething cauldron of emotions!
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Phrases-and-Sayings/Question5...
Example sentence:
As far as I'm concerned to be away from traffic, phones and radios on holiday is perfect bliss because to me silence is golden.
6 hrs
not breathe a word
I can't think anything closer... :)
I mean, if you have water in your mouth you can't both open it to breathe air and utter anything...
http://www.answers.com/topic/breathe
I mean, if you have water in your mouth you can't both open it to breathe air and utter anything...
http://www.answers.com/topic/breathe
+1
14 hrs
Maria Luisa Dell'Orto
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in Italian
United Kingdom
25 yrs Technical field. Reliable, fast
Native in: Italian
Works in: English to Italian, French to Italian, Italian to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
3
mum's the word
Dopo tutte queste belle alternative, non ho saputo resistere e ti propongo anche la mia :-)
Mum's the word
Meaning
Keep quiet - say nothing.
Origin
Mum; not mother but 'mmmmm', the humming sound made with a closed mouth. Used by Shakespeare in Henry VI, Part 2:
"Seal up your lips and give no words but mum."
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/251850.html
http://www.google.com/search?hl=it&q=Mum's the word&lr=
Mum's the word
Meaning
Keep quiet - say nothing.
Origin
Mum; not mother but 'mmmmm', the humming sound made with a closed mouth. Used by Shakespeare in Henry VI, Part 2:
"Seal up your lips and give no words but mum."
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/251850.html
http://www.google.com/search?hl=it&q=Mum's the word&lr=
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Vittorio Preite
: infatti questa e' l'espressione GB piu'usata
10 hrs
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Grazie Vittorio!
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+1
1 day 3 hrs
as dumb/silent as a fish
The expression "dumb as a fish" gives 1,800 Google hits. Here is an example of its usage:
"Russians use the expression "dumb as a fish" (nem kak ryba) for someone who does not speak."
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Note added at 1 day4 hrs (2008-04-27 11:41:34 GMT)
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The expression "silent as a fish" gives 394 Google hits. Here is an example of its usage:
"... I can never find the right words to say to comfort someone, so I just keep silent as a fish..."
www.halfbakery.com/idea/Smallmark/topic-show.pl?tid=2461
The origin of the expression "acqua in bocca" is an idea of a confessor. A woman who used to gossip asked for his help. He gave her a small bottle of water and suggested that whenever she felt like gossiping she would put 2 drops of water on her tongue. The she would shut her mouth until the temptation will be over.
Reference: http://it.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2006072203073...
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Note added at 1 day4 hrs (2008-04-27 11:48:10 GMT)
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correction: whenever she will feel like gossiping she would put 2 drops on her tongue.
"Russians use the expression "dumb as a fish" (nem kak ryba) for someone who does not speak."
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Note added at 1 day4 hrs (2008-04-27 11:41:34 GMT)
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The expression "silent as a fish" gives 394 Google hits. Here is an example of its usage:
"... I can never find the right words to say to comfort someone, so I just keep silent as a fish..."
www.halfbakery.com/idea/Smallmark/topic-show.pl?tid=2461
The origin of the expression "acqua in bocca" is an idea of a confessor. A woman who used to gossip asked for his help. He gave her a small bottle of water and suggested that whenever she felt like gossiping she would put 2 drops of water on her tongue. The she would shut her mouth until the temptation will be over.
Reference: http://it.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2006072203073...
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Note added at 1 day4 hrs (2008-04-27 11:48:10 GMT)
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correction: whenever she will feel like gossiping she would put 2 drops on her tongue.
1 hr
James (Jim) Davis
Seychelles
Seychelles
Native in English
Seychelles
25 years experience constantly improving
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: Italian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
30
keep it zipped (in context)
I think this works better "keep your mouth zipped", which is an exhortation to keep your mouth closed (and the water out of it) which is why the underwater world is an oasis of golden silence. (paraphrasing)
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Note added at 1 day5 hrs (2008-04-27 13:01:54 GMT)
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Having seen more of the context, and having seen that nobody has come up with a really convincing "watery keep quiet answer" I feel that the best possible answer is quit probably a simple "keep your mouth closed".
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Note added at 1 day5 hrs (2008-04-27 13:05:28 GMT)
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P.s. Dear Moderator, here we all are doing our best to answer a difficult question with only a line and a half of source context to go on and you are worrying about which box the *asker* puts that context in.
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Note added at 1 day5 hrs (2008-04-27 13:01:54 GMT)
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Having seen more of the context, and having seen that nobody has come up with a really convincing "watery keep quiet answer" I feel that the best possible answer is quit probably a simple "keep your mouth closed".
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Note added at 1 day5 hrs (2008-04-27 13:05:28 GMT)
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P.s. Dear Moderator, here we all are doing our best to answer a difficult question with only a line and a half of source context to go on and you are worrying about which box the *asker* puts that context in.
Reference:
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=deskbar&q=%22keep+your+mouth+zipped%22
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Paul O'Brien
: that's what i thought, too, but the asker wants some reference to water in the translation. yes, a bit more context wouldn't go astray.
25 mins
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"words in" "water out", but this asker is only giving us a keyhole to look through for the context, when a copy and paste could give us a window.
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| neutral |
PB Trans
: I agree that this Moderator is over-zealous. She has done this in other questions as well. She systematically deletes comments in the ask the asker section so there is no possibility of a discussion.
2 days 2 hrs
|
48 mins
Gad Kohenov
Israel
Israel
Israel
30 years of experience+satisfied clients
Native in: French 
, Hebrew
Works in: English to Hebrew, Hebrew to English, French to Hebrew, and 8 more.
Keep it under you hat
acqua in bocca (f)
n. keep it to ourselves, keep a secret, keep it under your hat
I prefer keep it under you hat.
By the way in Hebrew:
למלא את פיו מים
Means to fill you mouth with water (meaning keeping silent about something).
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Note added at 1777 days (2013-03-09 00:15:50 GMT) Post-grading
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your and not you!
n. keep it to ourselves, keep a secret, keep it under your hat
I prefer keep it under you hat.
By the way in Hebrew:
למלא את פיו מים
Means to fill you mouth with water (meaning keeping silent about something).
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Note added at 1777 days (2013-03-09 00:15:50 GMT) Post-grading
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your and not you!
Discussion
"Forse perchè i pesci non hanno corde vocali, forse perchè ”acqua in bocca” è un’esortazione che equivale a ”stai zitto, mi raccomando”, i più ritengono che quello subacqueo sia in effetti un mondo assolutamente silenzioso. In realtà è vero il contrario, anche se i rumori sott’acqua sono sempre ovattati."