kožne gaće

English translation: narrow escape

21:01 May 17, 2006
Serbian to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Serbian term or phrase: kožne gaće
From a Politika article about Serbian intelligence agencies:

Petog oktobra 2000. na Banjici su se ložile logorske vatre recikliranim papirom. I civilna i vojna služba spasavale su se kožnim gaćama. Niko nije odgovarao za eskadrone smrti.

Huh? Leather underpants?? Or is this an idiom?
David Stephenson
United States
Local time: 06:41
English translation:narrow escape
Explanation:
In the sense of: "have a narrow escape";

Also consider the use of:

-have a narrow squean
- have a close shaver
- escape (death) by a hair's breadth



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Note added at 14 hrs (2006-05-18 11:38:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

correction: it was a narrow squeak instead of "have a narrosw squean"(typo).
Selected response from:

Sherefedin MUSTAFA
Netherlands
Local time: 11:41
Grading comment
Thanks. I ended up going with "they survived by the skin of their teeth."
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3narrow escape
Sherefedin MUSTAFA
2to be in for it, can't avoid it
zoe1
1hopelessely
Nemanja Sićević (X)


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
hopelessely


Explanation:
The term "kožne gaće" is rarely used alone. When one is in a helpless situation you say ,,Ne bi mu pomogle ni kožne gaće" ("Not even a <leather shorts> would help him.") Depending on context, I may have misinterpreted what the writer attended to say.

Nemanja Sićević (X)
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in Serbo-CroatSerbo-Croat

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Militza: Mislim da je u tom tekstu termin "kožne gaće" upotrebljen na neodgovarajući način.
9 hrs
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
to be in for it, can't avoid it


Explanation:
Termin kozne gace kao sto rece kolega znaci da je neko u bezizlaznoj situaciji. U recniku idioma Boska Milosavljevica i Margot Vilijams Milosavljevic mozete naci da kozne gace znaci - ne gine ti..... U kontekstu koji ste vi dali to mi bas i ne odgovara, sve jedno oni su to preveli kao to be in for it or can't avoid it, ali kao sto rekoh cini mi se da u kontekstu bas i ne odgovara. Nekako mi je cudna formulacija da su se spasavali u koznim gacama. Mozda neko ima bolju ideju.

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Note added at 11 hrs (2006-05-18 08:20:43 GMT)
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Da, izraz kozne gace znaci nece ti pomoci ni kozne gace.


    SRPSKO-ENGLESKI RECNIK IDIOMA BOSKO I MARGOT VILIJAMS MILOSAVLJEVIC
zoe1
Local time: 11:41
Native speaker of: Native in Serbo-CroatSerbo-Croat, Native in SerbianSerbian
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
narrow escape


Explanation:
In the sense of: "have a narrow escape";

Also consider the use of:

-have a narrow squean
- have a close shaver
- escape (death) by a hair's breadth



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2006-05-18 11:38:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

correction: it was a narrow squeak instead of "have a narrosw squean"(typo).

Sherefedin MUSTAFA
Netherlands
Local time: 11:41
Native speaker of: Native in AlbanianAlbanian, Native in MacedonianMacedonian
PRO pts in category: 2
Grading comment
Thanks. I ended up going with "they survived by the skin of their teeth."
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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