ratcheting mechanism on Spanish Navajas

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Chris Evans

...That painting is titled `El Enano De La Venta’ (The Dwarf Of Sale) by Antonio Medina and is located in the Museo Taurino De Madrid.

`The Dwarf Of Sale’ is a quaint popular expression that is based on a fictional personality and which is used to describe a person who makes bombastic threats but cannot carry them out...

A little preciousness ... if i may, Chris . The term 'Venta' has a double meaning, both in castillian and portuguese; in this context would not mean 'sale', but a place where women would buy groceries and men would spend time drinking and playing cards, or the like; a sort of tavern. This would make it more consistent with the legend of the dwarf:


Parece que antes había
En la venta del Candil
Un enano que tenía
Voz equivalente a mil.

in a strict translation:


Apparently there was
In Candil's 'tavern'
A dwarf that had
Voice equivalent to a thousand.

.

[Chris Evans]

Fernando,

Originally Posted by fernando

A little preciousness ... if i may, Chris . The term 'Venta' has a double meaning, both in castillian and portuguese; in this context would not mean 'sale', but a place where women would buy groceries and men would spend time drinking and playing cards, or the like; a sort of tavern. <snip>

Thank you for clarifying that Iberian idiomatic expression. I learned my Spanish in Sth America and never associated "venta" with a grocery store.

Much appreciated and,

Cheers
Chris