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chistar

English translation: psst

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:chistar
English translation:psst
Entered by: Wendy Gosselin

20:39 Aug 20, 2019
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Spanish term or phrase: chistar
This is from a screenplay that takes place in Argentina in the 70s. It is the sound characters make to get one another's attention (can't think of anything more colloquial in English than "call out to"):

S señala una zona en el techo. Ambos quedan alertas, durante varios segundos, con el oído atento, mirándose de cucheta a cucheta.
bunks.

JOSE (41), el cocinero, pasa entre los camastros y al verlos en esa actitud, les chista.

It's like whistle, but more onomatopoeia

Thanks
Wendy Gosselin
Argentina
Local time: 21:43
psst
Explanation:
Add. used for getting someone's attention without other people noticing. Expressions used for telling someone to pay attention:right, now then, hello...
psst (interjection) definition and synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/psst
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Web results
psst - Urban Dictionary

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=psst

Used mostly in quiet circumstances to obtain the attention of another person. Occasionally used in a loud, sarcastic tone in a situation that obviously doesn't

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Note added at 28 mins (2019-08-20 21:08:16 GMT)
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Lucio chistó para llamar mi atención y de solapa me pasó un papel.
Lucio said "psst" to get my attention and then passed me a piece of paper on the sly
Selected response from:

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:43
Grading comment
thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7psst
AllegroTrans
3hiss at
Adrian MM.
Summary of reference entries provided
chistar
AllegroTrans

  

Answers


27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
psst


Explanation:
Add. used for getting someone's attention without other people noticing. Expressions used for telling someone to pay attention:right, now then, hello...
psst (interjection) definition and synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/psst
Feedback
About Featured Snippets
Web results
psst - Urban Dictionary

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=psst

Used mostly in quiet circumstances to obtain the attention of another person. Occasionally used in a loud, sarcastic tone in a situation that obviously doesn't

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2019-08-20 21:08:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------


Lucio chistó para llamar mi atención y de solapa me pasó un papel.
Lucio said "psst" to get my attention and then passed me a piece of paper on the sly

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:43
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Veronica Tolosa
27 mins
  -> thank you
agree  MollyRose
1 hr
  -> thank you
agree  David Hollywood: I would add "and goes" before but "psst" is on the button
2 hrs
  -> thank you
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: absolutely
3 hrs
  -> thank you
agree  Rachel Fell
13 hrs
  -> thank you
agree  neilmac: Yes, hissing is what snakes and pantomime audiences do...
1 day 12 hrs
  -> thank you
agree  William Parucki
2 days 23 hrs
  -> thank you
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
hiss at


Explanation:
hisses at them - also an onomatopoeically 'catty' word...


    Reference: http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=chis...
Adrian MM.
Austria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: do you hiss at someone to get their attention?
8 mins
  -> Not if you are an Englishman in the Home Counties. Yes, if you are a jinetero or jinetera on Cuba.
neutral  David Hollywood: not so sure about "hiss" as this would have a different connotation
2 hrs
  -> my initial idea had been 'mouthed (at)' but the asker's onomatopaeic suggestion had sent me on a different tack.
neutral  neilmac: I've seen the Spanish habit of going "psst" to attract attention described as hissing by English sources, but I don't think it's an apt translation, due to its negative connotations...
1 day 12 hrs
neutral  MollyRose: I agree with Neilmac.
1 day 21 hrs
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Reference comments


24 mins peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: chistar

Reference information:
Definitions of chistar
verb
1
Emitir algún sonido como para empezar a hablar.
"metí al loro en un mantel que había sobre una mesa, atando bien las cuatro puntas para que no se moviese ni pudiera chistar, y volví al barco ."
2
Llamar a una persona haciendo un sonido parecido a chis.
Examples of chistar.
metí al loro en un mantel que había sobre una mesa, atando bien las cuatro puntas para que no se moviese ni pudiera chistar, y volví al barco .

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2019-08-20 21:05:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

a. to say "psst"
Lucio chistó para llamar mi atención y de solapa me pasó un papel.Lucio said "psst" to get my attention and then passed me a piece of paper on the sly.

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  writeaway
13 hrs
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