buscan la eficacia

English translation: strike home

23:11 Nov 24, 2014
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Journalism
Spanish term or phrase: buscan la eficacia
Otra cosa es esta página pecadora y semanal, donde quien se expresa no es el arriba firmante, sino un personaje literario, o algo por el estilo, situado a medias entre el novelista que soy, el reportero que fui y el ciudadano de barra de bar inclinado a ajustar cuentas con métodos y expresiones que buscan la eficacia.

I wonder how we might translate "buscan la eficacia" here, bearing in mind that this is a fictitious character who is "inclinado a ajustar cuentas" and might have a personal agenda ...
David Hollywood
Local time: 03:54
English translation:strike home
Explanation:
OR hit where it hurts

well aimed

on the nose

carefully crafted

etc...

~~~~~

IE, they are extremely effective.

In other words, the words or actions are designed " to hit the intended place or have the intended effect " (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/strike-ho...
Selected response from:

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:54
Grading comment
Thanks to all on this and hard to decide but I'm going to go with Carol here
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2strike home
Carol Gullidge
4 +1no-nonsense
neilmac
4rather direct
David Ronder
4without any BS
George Rabel
3seek out their intended effect
TravellingTrans
3(methods etc. which) prioritise results ...
Jennifer Levey
3in the most pertinent way / most effectively
Rachel Fell
Summary of reference entries provided
Taña Dalglish

  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
seek out their intended effect


Explanation:
with methods and expressions which seek out (efficacy) their intended effect

TravellingTrans
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
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33 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(methods etc. which) prioritise results ...


Explanation:
The logical prolongation of the phrase would be (something like) " ... over the niceties of civil behaviour'. However, one of the 'niceties' of the English language is the ease with which we can leave sentences hanging in the air...

Jennifer Levey
Chile
Local time: 03:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
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39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
strike home


Explanation:
OR hit where it hurts

well aimed

on the nose

carefully crafted

etc...

~~~~~

IE, they are extremely effective.

In other words, the words or actions are designed " to hit the intended place or have the intended effect " (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/strike-ho...


    Reference: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/strike-ho...
Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 48
Grading comment
Thanks to all on this and hard to decide but I'm going to go with Carol here

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
47 mins
  -> Thanks Patricia!

agree  Charles Davis: Excellent: strike home, hit where it hurts, find their target, make their mark...
8 hrs
  -> Thanks Charles :)// … or perhaps "carefully honed/contrived for the most telling effect". But I think "designed to strike home", etc, already covers this
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
in the most pertinent way / most effectively


Explanation:
Advertising Account Director | Cool FM Jobs
www.coolfmjobs.co.uk/content/advertising-account-director
This is a company that believes in helping businesses to achieve their dreams and to target the desired audience in the most pertinent way possible. Their ideal ...
or even just "most effectively", depending how you phrase the rest

Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
rather direct


Explanation:
I would replace the verb phrase with an adjective here - "rather direct methods and expressions". I think that's what it means and how it works in English.

David Ronder
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:54
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
no-nonsense


Explanation:
"... inclined to settle scores with non-nonsense methods and expressions"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2014-11-25 12:34:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

no-non·sense (n -n n s ns , -s ns). adj. Not tolerating irrelevancies; direct, efficient, and practical: the no-nonsense tones of a stern parent; plain, no-nonsense ...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2014-11-25 12:38:51 GMT)
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Although sometimes I wonder why I bother, as the askers often choose more lacklustre suggestions.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2014-11-25 12:40:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

And "no-nonsense type of guy" gets 410 hits on Google...

neilmac
Spain
Local time: 07:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Ronder: Neil, it is lustrous to me
19 hrs
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
without any BS


Explanation:
I like neilmac's interpretation, but I'll take it up a notch, no stress the difference between the novelist and the reporter's approach.
"To the point, and without any BS" is the meaning, as I understand it.

George Rabel
Local time: 02:54
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 12
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Reference comments


40 mins
Reference

Reference information:
David: there is a posting here:
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2305514
"....methods and expressions which struggle to have the desired effect."

Taña Dalglish
Jamaica
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
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