Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: to be in the tank

Mi è capitato di sentire questa frase usata ovviamente in senso non
letterale.
Ad es. The economy in in the tank,  the gold and silver industry is in the
tank , etc.
Evidentemente non in senso positivo.
Qualcuno mi sa dire cosa esattamente significa e l'origine, il motivo di
tale modo di dire ? Google non è stato di grande aiuto, o forse io non bravo
a cercare. Al massimo si trovano altri esempi.
grazie
Lapo

 is in the tank , etc.
Essere in una botte di ferro?
P.
-- 
Crediamo innanzitutto necessaria l'abolizione della pastasciutta, 
assurda religione gastronomica italiana.

 P.
I'm not certain of "essere in una botte di ferro" but I think it implies to
be in a safe position. This is almost the opposite of "being in the tank"
in English, which means to be in serious trouble (financially or
otherwise). You'll also hear such expessions as: "The industry tanked and
everyone went out of business."
M-W has:
(to tank)
"2 : to make no effort to win : lose intentionally <tanked the match>
intransitive senses : to lose intentionally : give up in competition"
but I don't believe the element of intent is indicated in common use.
-- 
If you feel the need to e-mail me, un-not my address first.

 intransitive senses : to lose intentionally : give up in competition"
Quindi : "to be in the tank" puo' voler dire : arrendersi ?
ciao

 Quindi : "to be in the tank" puo' voler dire : arrendersi ?
I would say that "to tank" può voler dire "arrendersi", mentre "to be in
the tank" vuol dire "essere nei guai"  (si dice?; l'ho sentito da qualche
parte.)


On Sun, 08 Aug 2004 14:23:20 GMT, Joey DoWop Dee wrote:
"essere nei guai"  (si dice?; l'ho sentito da qualche parte.)
Si dice, si dice. Familiarmente puoi anche dire "essere nei pasticci".
Ciao, FB
-- 
"Gli americani sono ignoranti per loro stessa natura"
that is "The Americans are naturally ignorant"
(Paolo Bonardi on it.cultura.linguistica - 
http://snipurl.com/7ryg
)

Si dice, si dice. Familiarmente puoi anche dire "essere nei pasticci".
E volgarmente "essere nella merda". Ecco, non poteva mancare. :)
Sebastiano



We are slightly more descriptive here: "to be in deep sh*t" or, if you
don't want to offend and you want more alliteration: "to be in deep
doo-doo."


doo-doo."
Ho sentito dire "essere nella merda più nera". :)
Sebastiano

 doo-doo."
Essere "nella merda fino al collo" è un classico, per l'italiano.
Can I say: "I'm  in shit up to my neck " ?
In inglese ho letto "in shit up to ears"
("up to ears"  effettivamente è meglio. Rende l'idea che è meglio tenere la
bocca chiusa :-))



You can really say it any way you want, since it's slang anyway.
Be creative! :)
I've heard:
knee-deep in shit
in shit up to my eyeballs/ears/nose/neck
up shit's creek without a paddle
up to my neck in shit
the shit has really hit the fan
I shit you not (different meaning: = "I'm serious!")
Are you shitting me? (= Are you fooling? ...kidding me? ...pulling my leg?
...yanking my chain?)
The answer to "Are you shitting me?" is: No, because I'd have to eat you
first.
and one of my personal favorites:
Don't shit a shitter. (Don't try to fool *me* because I'm better at it.)


 Don't shit a shitter. (Don't try to fool *me* because I'm better at it.)
wow, il file di frasi da imparare a memoria cresce a vista d'occhio :)
thanks Joey

 everyone went out of business."
pensavo: forse l'espressione italiana che più si avvicina è "in fondo al
pozzo" o qualcosa di simile;
de mauro dice:
pozzo
...
4 CO fig., condizione esistenziale, psicologica o sentimentale carica di
angoscia e affanno o dominata da un sentimento intenso e profondo
(il mio quarto di euro...)



That sounds pretty close, but it deals more with the psychological than the
physical or economic.
But I'll remember "in fondo al pozzo"


 wrote in message
news:ha8efp6ec3dl.1q...@40tude.net...

The original meaning of "in the tank" is in the sense of intentionally
losing, especially in the boxing profession. "Some say Liston went in
the tank when he lost to Ali". When a fighter "takes a dive" he is "in
the tank". If someone is "in the tank" with someone else, he is a
flunky for that person. "The Senator was in the tank with the power
company when the hearings on closing the nuclear plant were held".
The verb "to tank" means "to fail badly", especially when referring to
a sports team or a stock on Wall Street.
I think Wall Street has strayed from the original meaning of "in the
tank", and uses this phrase to mean something it did not originally
mean.
Joe from Massachusetts



You might as well not. I'd never heard of it before, but I do like it
myself now. So you'll be able to choose "sto nella merda" or "sto in fondo
al pozzo", depending on the people you're with. (witty face)
Bye, FB
-- 
"Nasalization is just a part of life"
(Joey DoWop Dee on it.cultura.linguistica.inglese)

 Ho sentito dire "essere nella merda più nera". :)
"affogare nella merda"
"essere nella merda fino al collo" <- stronger than "essere nella merda"



I'm in terrible trouble. 
Bye, FB
-- 
Mrs. Palmer, in her way, was equally angry. 'She was determined to drop his
acquaintance immediately, and she was very thankful that she had never been
acquainted with him at all'. (Jane Austen)

 I'm in terrible trouble.
Why? What did you do *now*? :)


 Why? What did you do *now*? :)
What? (what-does-he-mean face)
Bye, FB
-- 
Se dico "siedi!" manca l'oggetto.
Siedo chi? Lei o me?
(da it.cultura.linguistica.italiano)