# Translate please one Spanish, one Italian...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-please-one-spanish-one-italian/401997>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 28, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-please-one-spanish-one-italian/401997 "2007-04-28T21:56:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-please-one-spanish-one-italian/401997/1 "2007-04-28T21:56:57Z")

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“Por Una Cabeza”

It’s the title of a Tango. I assume it’s Spanish. Literally, it looks like “For a Head.”

But, damn. Tangos are romantic. **For a Head** doesn’t sound so romantic to this owl.

“Madon” (Italian—like I had to tell you.)

Anyway, when I had subtitles turned on for The Sopranos, I’d get “Madon,” as uttered by one of the thugs. Is it that ,or is it something like “Maron”?

In any event, what does it mean, please?

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**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-please-one-spanish-one-italian/401997/2 "2007-04-28T22:08:06Z")

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[QUOTE=BarnOwl]  
“Madon” (Italian—like I had to tell you.)  
[/QUOTE]

It is a dialectal pronounciation of “Madonna”, which is of course, the Virgin Mary. It’s used as an exclamation, a bit like one could say “Oh, God!”

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**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-please-one-spanish-one-italian/401997/3 "2007-04-28T22:13:51Z")

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[QUOTE=Lars Aruns]  
It is a dialectal pronounciation of “Madonna”, which is of course, the Virgin Mary. It’s used as an exclamation, a bit like one could say “Oh, God!”  
[/QUOTE]

Thank you. **Lars Aruns**.

Whenever I heard it, in real life or on The Sopranos, it always sounded like the “d” is rolled like an “r”. I guess it must have been an aural illusion - on my part.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-please-one-spanish-one-italian/401997/4 "2007-04-28T22:18:12Z")

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[QUOTE=BarnOwl]  
“Por Una Cabeza”

It’s the title of a Tango. I assume it’s Spanish. Literally, it looks like “For a Head.”

But, damn. Tangos are romantic. **For a Head** doesn’t sound so romantic to this owl.  
[/QUOTE]

[Por Una Cabeza](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Por_Una_Cabeza) is about a horse-track gambler who compares his love for horse racing to his love for women. “By a head” refers to a horse losing a race in that manner. I suppose it’s more romantic than “by a nose.” 🙂

[Por Una Cabeza](http://www.planet-tango.com/lyrics/porunaca.htm)

Losing by a head of a noble horse  
who slackens just down the stretch  
and when it comes back it seems to say:  
don’t forget brother,  
You know, you shouldn’t bet.

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**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-please-one-spanish-one-italian/401997/5 "2007-04-28T22:20:04Z")

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That particular song is translated to “By a head”, not “For a head”.  
You lost at love by a head in the race of love.