olfatear el suéter

English translation: set the hounds on him

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:olfatear el suéter
English translation:set the hounds on him
Entered by: patinba

21:51 Dec 6, 2019
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Journalism / Argentina
Spanish term or phrase: olfatear el suéter
I'm not sure how to translate this Argentine expression, which literally means "to sniff the sweater." Here's an example in a newspaper opinion piece I'm translating:

"... si en adelante el blanco será Macri, quiere decir que él mismo [Alberto Fernández], como nuevo presidente, les hará olfatear el suéter."

Thank you!
Lisa Grayson
United States
Local time: 05:42
set the hounds on him
Explanation:
I have never come across it before, but from the context (the president -elect encouraging the courts to go after the outgoing president) I think this is what it means.
Selected response from:

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 07:42
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4set the hounds on him
patinba
3 +2smell him out
Cecilia Gowar


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
set the hounds on him


Explanation:
I have never come across it before, but from the context (the president -elect encouraging the courts to go after the outgoing president) I think this is what it means.

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 07:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 40
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, patinba! I checked with my Argentine client, who said pretty much the same thing.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  neilmac: Groan... :-)
10 hrs
  -> Or scents? Thanks Neil!

agree  Chema Nieto Castañón: It is a bit more to "set the dogs to track him down" (more than "to attack him"), while trying to convey that he is going to put the means to thoroughly investigate the outgoing president. Surely you can think of more idiomatic equivalents ;)
1 day 31 mins
  -> Thank you!

agree  Wendy Streitparth
1 day 16 hrs
  -> Thank you!

agree  Marcelo González: To be sure, spelling things out ("explicitation") is a viable approach as well. Cheers, Pat :-)
13 days
  -> Thank you, Marcelo!
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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
smell him out


Explanation:
¨If Macri is going to be the target, that means the new president will make sure they (the magistrates) smell him out¨

It is not an expression as such. In the context (the legal system being at the service of the political power) it means the new president will make sure his predecessor is prosecuted.

In the given phrase, ¨them¨ is the magistrates.
(https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/el-inquietante-debate-s...
El presidente electo ofreció un ejemplo de la miseria conceptual de esta polémica cuando dijo que Macri será perseguido por los mismos magistrados con los que él persiguió a la señora de Kirchner. Fernández comparte, por lo visto, la presunción de su compañera de fórmula: los tribunales obedecen al poder político. Por lo tanto, si en adelante el blanco será Macri, quiere decir que él mismo, como nuevo presidente, les hará olfatear el suéter.

Cecilia Gowar
United Kingdom
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 68

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chema Nieto Castañón
3 hrs

agree  Marcelo González: Yes, I was shooting for something along these lines, where it's not quite as spelled out, i.e., without mentioning dogs, hounds, or bloodhounds. I wonder if 'flush him out' would work, too.
3 days 16 hrs
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