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calibre

English translation: calibre / caliber

18:58 Apr 7, 2010
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Food & Drink / EU classification of fruit and vegetables
Spanish term or phrase: calibre
Hi there,
I am working on a leaflet for a well-known hypermarket, and in the leaflet we have photos of the fruit and veg on offer, with their "cat." or category, variety, etc.
"cal" or calibre refers to the size or caliber (?), but there is surprisingly little information available on how these categories work in English: either that, or I am looking in the wrong places. I am finding far too much conflicting information.

I am unsure as to whether I should use "size" or "caliber", and while I would tend to go for size, my main issue is that sometimes this category refers to the fact that there are two in a pack, for example.

I am not coming up with anything definite on EU websites and the like, and am still unsure after consulting the kudos archives also, and am feeling a little stumped. Your help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance. UK Eng. Cheers.
Kate Major Patience
Spain
Local time: 06:07
English translation:calibre / caliber
Explanation:
I work in an Argentine Poultry firm, and I've seen that we and our clients (English clients) buy the products as "calibrated" (in Spanish we call it calibrada) when it concerns to "weight" but "graded" when it concerns to "quality". E.g: "a calibrated breast (130)" is a breast that weights 130g +/-10g, but a "grade A chicken" is one which has no broken bones, bruises, blodspots, etc.
Maybe you'll need different words in English for the same word in Spanish if it refers to different classification ... Hope it helps!
Selected response from:

Maria Cossani
Argentina
Local time: 01:07
Grading comment
I'm still not totally happy with this mysterious term: it's still giving me problems. But calibre seems to be the only option, since the term covers all manner of characteristics, like a general description, almost. Thank you all so much for your help, all of you. Cheers.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1format
philgoddard
4Type
margaret caulfield
3 +1calibre / caliber
Maria Cossani
2 +1grade
Taña Dalglish
3size (equatorial diameter); (alternatively) weight
Bubo Coroman (X)


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Type


Explanation:
"Calibre" can also simply mean "type". Just a suggestion.

margaret caulfield
Local time: 06:07
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Margaret: as I specified above, I'm looking for some help with EU fruit and veg classification, and really need something a bit more specific. Any particular reason why "type" would work in my context? I haven't come across this on UK fruit and veg, for example, as far as I remember...

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17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
grade


Explanation:
What about grade?

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3049...
Other: This section is used for reporting non-defective factors of size, quality or condition. These nondestructive
factors include size ranges, defect and decay description, and other factors, which do not
affect grade but customarily have been reported on certificates because of their importance to applicants.
This area is not to be used to report quality or condition defects, which are not serious enough to score.

http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/agriculture/agricultu...

Unless I am as confused as you? hee..hee.

HTH!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2010-04-07 19:21:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Calibre usually refers to "quality":
http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/calibre.htm

Sense 1 calibre
Meaning:
A degree or grade of excellence or worth
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
caliber; calibre; quality
Context examples:
the quality of students has risen / an executive of low caliber
Hypernyms ("calibre" is a kind of...):
degree; grade; level (a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality)
Attribute:
superior (of high or superior quality or performance)
inferior (of low or inferior quality)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "calibre"):
high quality; superiority (the quality of being superior)
inferiority; low quality (an inferior quality)

Taña Dalglish
Jamaica
Local time: 23:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 40
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi there Taña. My intial thought was "quality", but in the case I mention above it seems to refer to the fact that there are 2 in the pack "2 piezas". It seems to cover all sorts of things... :S


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  traductorchile
13 mins
  -> Thank you. traductorchile. Given additional context, cal. 45, cal. 33, cal. 7/8, it would appear that "size" appears to the most appropriate. Again, thanks for your vote of confidence.
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
size (equatorial diameter); (alternatively) weight


Explanation:
it can mean both things:

El calibre se determina por el diámetro máximo de la sección ecuatorial o por peso de fruto.
ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/ccffv15/ff15_04s.pdf

If you have to put only one word then "size".
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/agriculture/199...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2010-04-07 19:24:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

the "weight" meaning would cover the case of "two in a pack".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2010-04-07 19:25:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

although in fact, two in a pack would be "count: 2".

Bubo Coroman (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 94
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42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
format


Explanation:
Now that the asker has posted more context, I think it's clear that it refers to how the items are packaged (eg two lettuces in a pack).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-04-07 20:08:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As Kate says below, it can refer to different things depending on the product, such as the quantity, weight or size, but "format" covers all of these.

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 36
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Phil, As I mentioned, there's also weight and such specified for each item. I'm not sure that this refers only to how many come in a pack, since in the case of the potatoes, for example, we have the mysterious "cal: 45 y +".... Thanks for your help though. It's not a straightforward term, evidently!

Asker: I've also just come across a few being sold by weight (loose). Although it just occurred to me that "45 y +" is "45 +" (ie "and over"), and therefore refers perhaps to size. It seems to me that it can refer to quite a few different characteristics. :S


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dr. Andrew Frankland
1 hr
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
calibre / caliber


Explanation:
I work in an Argentine Poultry firm, and I've seen that we and our clients (English clients) buy the products as "calibrated" (in Spanish we call it calibrada) when it concerns to "weight" but "graded" when it concerns to "quality". E.g: "a calibrated breast (130)" is a breast that weights 130g +/-10g, but a "grade A chicken" is one which has no broken bones, bruises, blodspots, etc.
Maybe you'll need different words in English for the same word in Spanish if it refers to different classification ... Hope it helps!

Maria Cossani
Argentina
Local time: 01:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
I'm still not totally happy with this mysterious term: it's still giving me problems. But calibre seems to be the only option, since the term covers all manner of characteristics, like a general description, almost. Thank you all so much for your help, all of you. Cheers.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Christine Walsh: I think that with fruit the expression applies more to size
1 hr
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