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robarle a alguien el protagonismo

English translation: steal the spotlight / steal the show

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:robarle a alguien el protagonismo
English translation:steal the spotlight / steal the show
Entered by: Marian Martin (X)

19:18 Mar 23, 2013
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Linguistics
Spanish term or phrase: robarle a alguien el protagonismo
The text is explaining the workings of metaphorical processes in language in order to coin new expressions.

Context:
En la expresión alemana ‘jemandem die Schau stehlen’ (robarle a alguien el protagonismo) se seleccionarían del verbo ‘stehlen’ (robar), frente a los componentes ‘heimlich, widerrechtlich’ (a escondidas, ilegalmente), sólo los elementos semánticos ‘jemandem, gegen seinen Willen, etwas, wegnehmen’ (a alguien, contra su voluntad, algo, quitar).

I'm looking for a way to render "robarle a alguien el protagonismo". Could this be "steal the limelight from someone" or something similar?

Thank you!
Marian Martin (X)
Spain
Local time: 04:31
steal the spotlight / steal the show
Explanation:
I agree with Charles that your suggestion is fine, but I think that "spotlight" works better than limelight, and is also more common in this particular set phrase (at least in US English). "Steal the show" could also possibly work.

Suerte.

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Note added at 17 mins (2013-03-23 19:35:31 GMT)
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Addendum:

You would not typically refer to the subject either (i.e., along the lines of "stealing the spotlight *from* someone). The indirect subject would normally be understood from the context....
Selected response from:

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 22:31
Grading comment
Thanks very much, Robert.
I'll go with "steal the show" for the interesting similarity with the German phrase and it also sounds less marked regarding register.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +8steal the spotlight / steal the show
Robert Forstag
4 +4steal someone's thunder
Billh


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +8
steal the spotlight / steal the show


Explanation:
I agree with Charles that your suggestion is fine, but I think that "spotlight" works better than limelight, and is also more common in this particular set phrase (at least in US English). "Steal the show" could also possibly work.

Suerte.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2013-03-23 19:35:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Addendum:

You would not typically refer to the subject either (i.e., along the lines of "stealing the spotlight *from* someone). The indirect subject would normally be understood from the context....

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 22:31
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 44
Grading comment
Thanks very much, Robert.
I'll go with "steal the show" for the interesting similarity with the German phrase and it also sounds less marked regarding register.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Darius Saczuk
2 mins
  -> Thank you, Dariusz.
agree  Lydia De Jorge: 'steal the spotlight' was the first thing that came to mind.
7 mins
  -> Thank you, Lydia.
agree  Cesar Serrano
47 mins
  -> Gracias, Cesar. Que te vaya bien.
agree  Charles Davis: This is fine too, of course. "Steal the limelight" comes more naturally to me; perhaps it's more of a limey expression :)
1 hr
  -> Perhaps 'tis so. Thank you, Charles.
agree  Sean Mitchell: Limelight/limeylight sounds more natural to me too; it must be a pond thing. Interesting how the Gerrman is so close to the English for 'steal the show', wonder which direction that went in. Please don't write 'limeylight' in your translation.
2 hrs
  -> In the US, one hears, "in the limelight" but "steal the spotlight." At any rate, this is my subjective impression.... Thank you, Sean.
agree  ormiston: limelight works best for me too
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Orms.
agree  anademahomar
6 hrs
  -> Gracias, Ana.
agree  Mike Yarnold (X): In English we say "To steal the show" = "ser la sensación de la fiesta" "llevarse la palma" "monopolizar la atención" "ser el heroe de la journada" fuente:- diccionario de modismos ingleses y norteamericanos . Alfredo Torrents del Prats (barcelona 2006)
6 hrs
  -> Thank you, Mike.
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
steal someone's thunder


Explanation:
a humble suggestion

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Note added at 16 hrs (2013-03-24 11:41:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It seems to me this is really a German-English question. A quick google gives

to steal the show from so. jmdm. die Schau stehlen [ugs.]
to steal so.'s thunder jmdm. die Schau stehlen [ugs.]
to upstage so.

http://dict.leo.org/ende/?lp=ende&lang=de&searchLoc=0&cmpTyp...

So it's really a question of take your pick

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2013-03-24 17:46:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It also seems to me that to translate a document on linguistics in a three-language triangle is a further challenge which I do not envy. I think I'll stick to the law.

Billh
Local time: 03:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for your contribution, Bill. You're right, it's a challenge, but fortunately for every German phrase the author provides the Spanish equivalent, so in fact I'm actually only translating Spanish to English.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carol Gullidge: stealing someone's thunder is somehow more personal than merely stealing the spotlight
19 mins
  -> Yes, thanks. And rather more Germanic, almost Wagnerian.....
agree  Sean Mitchell: Presumably because of the possessive adjective; he stole MY thunder! It was mine. As opposed to THE limelight/spotlight (could be anyone's or no-one's).
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Sean.
agree  Charles Davis: Although a pedant might object that this has a slightly different meaning (forestalling someone), that doesn't matter in this context, and it has the advantage of naturally including the indirect object (corresponding to jemandem), as the others have said
3 hrs
  -> Thanks CD.
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
15 hrs
  -> Thanks Gallagy.
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