jer, I've never heard any Spaniard say "eres retentivo anal", as in all languages, the term anal retentive, can mean a lot of things, picky, demanding, hard to please, selective and so on.
To try to find a correct translation, it would be best if you could tell us what you are trying to say, tiquismiquis, just might be what you're looking for.
In Spanish, there isn't a real direct translation for "anal retentive" but what comes to mind is: neurótico, posesivo, egoísta, maybe parsimonia
hope it helps
Posts: 66 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 23 July 2002
i was not saying it is commonly used, in fact, it is hardly ever used in everyday life for the average person.
i was simply providing the translation for it which, in castellano IS retentivo anal or anal retentivo. i am sure that in the psychological and proctological fields it is used quite often.
unfortunately, none of those (neurótico, posesivo, egoísta, maybe parsimonia) quite express the idea.
if you want to get a better idea of what anal retentive is, just google it.
to help you further conjur up an image, the felix unger (the odd couple) character would have his photo along side "anal retentive" in a dictionary. yes, he is nuerotic but that just does not quite get the whole picture across.
I agree with you in that it’s in spanish as a medical term, but I'm not quite sure it would be translated as a psychological term. Anyway that is not the point, the point is that jarbacky wanted to know how to translate "anal retentive", I think it was more in the figurative sense than looking for a medical term.
There is not specific translation for anal retentive, so depending on what he wants to "mean" with being anal retentive, it's hard to translate. Someone who organizes their cloths in the closet by color swatches might be anal retentive.
At the same time, if someone is being anal...they're just simply a pain in the ass (sorry about the pun, there) so Jarbacky tell us what exactly you want to say in english and we'll try to find the correct translation.
cheers
Posts: 66 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 23 July 2002
Sorry to have been out of touch. strange and busy week.
I wanted to learn an appropriate term for "anal retentive" as we use it in the states becuase I needed to be able to explain my roommate situation to various people. One friend suggested "mariatico/a del orden" and that seems to be getting my point across thus far. My roommate needs to have things done her way or she gets all moody and won't speak to me until she wants something. For example, we alternate cleaning weekends and, sometimes, after I clean she comes to me to point out that I missed the little bar that holds the toilet paper! Yet, when she cleans she leaves major streaking on our glass coffee and dinner tables. She's just a little odd that way (not to mention pretty rude and immature)
Though this is off topic I would like to vent some more: At the end of October she said "my mother is coming (from Mexico) on Wednesday." Mom arrived the first week in November AND IS STILL HERE!!! Good thing is, I like the mom more than the daughter, but still....!!!
Okay, that's it for now. Appreciate all the input and will see some of y'all at the winner's table on the 22nd.
Ciao, jar
Posts: 75 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 28 August 2005
I hope you mean "hooked up" in the most friendly sense!! I mean he's cute and all but....
Again, off topic, but I'm, obviously, looking for a new place to live. I posted an ad in the classifieds but have heard no response yet, so... If any of y'all know of an opening in a flat with bi-linguals, keep me in mind, okay?
'nite, jar
Posts: 75 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 28 August 2005
) means "picky"
, "tipo anal retentivo"/"físico retentivo anal" or just "anal retentivo"/"retentivo anal".
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fields it is used quite often.
