dar el batacazo

[VikaNigu]

"dar el batacazo"

It's an expression we use in Spanish that refers to have a last-minute triumph in an activity or situation, especially an unexpected success that almost nobody expected (either because the person involved had never achieved it before, either because was extremely difficult, etc.).

 

[katiesg]

Could you put it in a sentence?
The only phrases I can think of are "to throw a hail Mary" or "a last ditch effort" -- but neither of these imply a victory, just a last-minute effort.

 

[Kitinuchi]

A lucky strike?

 

[VikaNigu]

Thanks, people... I´m an IGCSE History teacher here in Argentina, and wanted to stress the fact that one student, who´s usually withdrawn and also doesn´t get good marks, made a great performance in the last test, getting one of the best marks in the class. Nobody else than me really expected much from him, as he´s usually on the brink of being bullied, so all I wanted to do was to emphasise his victory using a more... colloquial or informal expression. Dar el batacazo was originally used here in Argentina by inmigrants and so who´d bet their money on horse races, and when a horse that didn´t have the best odds made it in the first place, we say "dió el batacazo", that sort of great and unexpecyed victory of the "outcasts"

 

[Moritzchen]

Tal vez, perdiendo el efecto sorpresa pero acentuando la capacidad del chico, podrías decir "You showed them all!"

 

[Bungo]

"Dar el batacazo" proviene del mundo de las carreras de caballo, y se usa para un caballo que gana inesperadamente una carrera. Un concepto similar en inglés es el de "dark horse".

 

[VikaNigu]

"Dar el batacazo" proviene del mundo de las carreras de caballo, y se usa para un caballo que gana inesperadamente una carrera. Un concepto similar en inglés es el de "dark horse".

That´s exactly what I was talking about in my previous post. Could you please lend me a hand in terms of how to collocate "dark horse" in a sentence about this? Thanks in advance, Bungo

 

[Bungo]

I hope a native English speaker helps with this. I don't know exactly how much "dark horse" is known and used outside the horse races.

 

[k-in-sc]

A "dark horse" doesn't necessarily win. It's usually more of an outside possibility or unknown quantity.

a : a usually little known contender (as a racehorse) that makes an unexpectedly good showing. b : an entrant in a contest that is judged unlikely to succeed. 2. : a political candidate unexpectedly nominated usually as a compromise between factions.

Moritzchen's suggestion of "in the end he showed them all" sounds good to me, or maybe "he showed his true colors." What was your sentence?

 

[catspanish]

Podríamos decir entonces que la victoria de Trump fue un batacazo?

 

[Bevj]

Podríamos decir entonces que la victoria de Trump fue un batacazo?

That would depend on your point of view and is not really a language question.

 

[catspanish]

Ha ha noted
- and the political neutrality of the forum being adhered to I mean it purely as a linguistic question.

So I could write « Para muchos periodistas la victoria de Trump fue un batacazo, pero hay tros que la habían predicho »?

 

[sound shift]

I've seen this in the context of Argentinian football, where it means "caused an upset", "gave us a real surprise" (by winning unexpectedly). "Tiro Federal dio el batacazo ante Rosario Central."

 

[Elixabete]

Ha ha noted
- and the political neutrality of the forum being adhered to I mean it purely as a linguistic question.

So I could write « Para muchos periodistas la victoria de Trump fue un batacazo, pero hay tros que la habían predicho »?

In Spain "un batacazo" has a different meaning altogether, it means " a great fall/ failure/blow", not "an unexpected/lucky victory" so depending on who you are writing to I'd choose something else.

 

[Ciprianus]

Yo diría que la traducción de dark horse es tapado.
Los tapados son los que dan el batacazo.

 

[MrMadrid]

In Spain "un batacazo" has a different meaning altogether, it means " a great fall/ failure/blow", not "an unexpected/lucky victory" so depending on who you are writing to I'd choose something else.

Exactamente. Cuidado. Un batacazo en ESPAÑA es un DESASTRE

 

[Cerros de Úbeda]

- He had a / the surprise hit.
- He was a / the big surprise.
- He was a / the dark horse.
- He was an unexpected success.


La 'Fundeu BBVA' tiene una entrada interesante sobre este 'autoantónimo' ('término con dos acepciones de significados opuestos');


(*) Fundéu BBVA
- El batacazo va por barrios
[editado]
"(...) el sustantivo batacazo es uno de esos autoantónimos empleados para expresar una idea y la contraria:

Del uso español dan fe frases como (...) «Luis Enrique marea a un Barça que se pega un batacazo contra la Real».

Por su parte, reflejan el uso americano los siguientes titulares: «El equipo de Carlo Ancelotti visitará el estadio Nuevo Arcángel para enfrentar al Córdoba, que buscará dar el batacazo». (...)

Como se aprecia en los ejemplos, este sustantivo entra en combinación por lo común con los verbos dar y pegar. Con una diferencia: en España, el verbo aparece con se: darse/pegarse el batacazo, pronombre que desaparece en América: dar/pegar el batacazo."


El batacazo va por barrios (CRÓNICA)

 

[gato radioso]

Yes in Spain a "batacazo" is a sudden failure (in business, in the stock market, in politics...) but the literal meaning is when a person collapses and falls directly on the ground hitting it with their back and/or buttocks.

 

[peronia]

I agree with Soundshift. An unexpected upset,specialy in sports when the underdog gets the upper hand

 

[Lyrica_Soundbite]

Encontré "to become the summer's sleeper" y "prove to be a summer sleeper", pero desconozco si se usa en otros contextos que no sean el rendimiento en taquilla de películas, o si es un término de uso extendido.


Summer's sleeper:
Someone or something unpromising or unnoticed that suddenly attains prominence or value.
The low-budget film became the summer's sleeper.
Fuente: Definition of SLEEPER

Summer sleeper:
Released in June of 2004, the film proved a summer sleeper, raking in nearly $100 million [...]

 

[rajulbat]

Encontré "to become the summer's sleeper" y "prove to be a summer sleeper", pero desconozco si se usa en otros contextos que no sean el rendimiento en taquilla de películas, o si es un término de uso extendido.


Summer's sleeper:
Someone or something unpromising or unnoticed that suddenly attains prominence or value.
The low-budget film became the summer's sleeper.
Fuente: Definition of SLEEPER

Summer sleeper:
Released in June of 2004, the film proved a summer sleeper, raking in nearly $100 million [...]

Primera vez que lo veo.

 

[sound shift]

Primera vez que lo veo.

Ídem.

 

[pops91710]

Primera vez que lo veo.

Which part summer sleeper or just sleeper? Something being a "sleeper" is a very common term, just in case.
Summer sleeper I have never heard of.