Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
¿usted es la autoridad?
English translation:
Are you the law?
Spanish term
Also an Engineer
Native in: Spanish (Variant: Venezuelan)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, Spanish
¿usted es la autoridad?
En este caso, "¿usted es la autoridad"?" es una manera genérica de preguntar si este general es un funcionario de gobierno. El campesino también está escondiéndose y está asustado.
CANALES:
"¡Epa, amigo!, ¡Salga de ahí!
¿Quién es usted?
CAMPESINO (CON MIEDO):
Patrón!...¿**usted es la autoridad**?
CANALES:
Ahora no...¡Estoy huyendo!
CAMPESINO:
Yo también!...yo también…"
Sep 10, 2007 16:26: Rafa Lombardino changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/97116">Yvonne Becker's</a> old entry - "¿usted es la autoridad?"" to ""Are you the law? / Are you the government?""
Proposed translations
United States
A network of professional translators
Native in: Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian) 
, English (Variants: British, UK, US, Canadian)
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, Spanish to Portuguese, and 8 more.
Are you the law?
Poynter Online - Chip On Your Shoulder
Are you the law all of a sudden? Teague produces a document, which he waves in the air. TEAGUE. That's right, son. Home Guard for Haywood County. ...
www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=52&aid=69689
The Day the Town Slept
"Your rifle please!" "The rifle stays with me!" "Are you in the habit of breaking the law Mr. McCain?" "Are you the law Mr. Judson?" "In this instance I am! ...
www.riflemanconnors.com/frame72.htm
WFI, are you the law? LJ, are you? No? My, it certainly doesn't seem like it. “Can’t you people see that by attacking fandom journals, you’re driving the ...
www.gunmetal-gray.livejournal.com/19056.html
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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-09-08 19:00:01 GMT)
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I have another suggestion, but it depends on the context (i.e.: interaction between the two characters):
"Who died and made you king?"
That's a pretty harsh one :)
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Jairo Payan
: Contexto más amplio y apropiado. Usted es la ley, se dice coloquialmente (es decir la autoridad) y no necesariamente debe ser un militar.
2 hrs
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¡Gracias, Jairo!
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Rocio Barrientos
3 hrs
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:)
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Esther Hermida
8 hrs
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:)
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Aïda Garcia Pons
: En las pelis lo dicen así tmb.
8 hrs
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sí, ¡y de manera muy irónica! :-D
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Gacela20
20 hrs
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:-)
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Refugio
1 day 12 hrs
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:)
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Are you still in command?
A reliable hard- working person.
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Are you the boss?
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-08 17:44:01 GMT)
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me pareció una expresión coloquial.
Yo también diría: "Are you in charge?"
United States
Organized, Deadline-Oriented, Reliable
Native in: English , Spanish
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish
Are you the commanding officer here???
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-08 18:13:26 GMT)
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Yvonne,
If the context would not work for a military situation here as you stated in your note for authority figure, commander,etc..... then you best bet is just to state: Are you in charge here..... It's very direct and to the point... Everyone will understand!!!!
Hope this helps!
Argentina
45 yrs' experience in most every field
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Latin American, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Standard-Spain, Uruguayan, Bolivian, Argentine, US, Rioplatense) 
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, Spanish, and 1 more.
So you're the law?
Are you in charge here?
United States
Telecom/new media tech, law, bus, mktg
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, Portuguese to English, French to English, and 1 more.
Are you a cop?
United States
Multilingual. Very careful & precise.
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, Italian to English
Are you the government?
'Are you the government? Nope, I'm just a representative of the government. President Bush! What Say You, Sir? Are you the government? ...' :)
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