Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Italian term or phrase:
“mai nessuno si penti di aver taciuto”.
English translation:
"least said, soonest mended"("silence is the best watchword")
Added to glossary by
Rachel Fell
Sep 28, 2006 19:41
17 yrs ago
Italian term
“mai nessuno si penti di aver taciuto”.
Italian to English
Social Sciences
Journalism
local press summary
Mi verrebbe da dirgli: “mai nessuno si penti di aver taciuto”.
E' la chiosa di un esponente politico che attacca un collega dell'opposizione su note vicende cittadine
E' la chiosa di un esponente politico che attacca un collega dell'opposizione su note vicende cittadine
Proposed translations
2 hrs
Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Thorough, knowledgeable and resourceful
Native in: English (Variant: UK) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, Italian to English, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
"least said soonest mended"...
is the nearest I can think of... at the moment
Nessuno si pentì mai di aver taciuto, ma d'aver parlato sì
Chi molto parla spesso falla
Il vento non entra mai in luogo di dove non possa uscire. ... Nessuno si pentì mai d’aver taciuto. Non c’è avere che vaglia sapere. Non credere ciò che odi, ...
www.massamarittima.info/proverbi/saggezza.htm
http://www.amistart.it/Pagine di utilità/Citazioni/Citazioni...
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Note added at 2 hrs (2006-09-28 21:59:15 GMT)
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"Proverbi toscani o maremmani. Riguardo la saggezza" (above)
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Note added at 11 hrs (2006-09-29 07:29:35 GMT) Post-grading
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Thanks - I wasn't sure that "Least said...." quite fitted your context, and wondered about something like "Silence is the watchword" (or "Silence is the best watchword", though not sure if you can say that)
Even if a government official knows of wrong-doing, silence is the watchword. Omertà all the way. And the worst part is that we, the people, don't seem to ...
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/selfnews/viewnews.cgi?newsid1...
Secrets, our buisness, silence, our watchword, darkness, our ally.We are the shadow which comes by night and builds your house!Now recruiting. ...
www.eve-online.com/alliances/a_748398192.asp
Nessuno si pentì mai di aver taciuto, ma d'aver parlato sì
Chi molto parla spesso falla
Il vento non entra mai in luogo di dove non possa uscire. ... Nessuno si pentì mai d’aver taciuto. Non c’è avere che vaglia sapere. Non credere ciò che odi, ...
www.massamarittima.info/proverbi/saggezza.htm
http://www.amistart.it/Pagine di utilità/Citazioni/Citazioni...
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Note added at 2 hrs (2006-09-28 21:59:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Proverbi toscani o maremmani. Riguardo la saggezza" (above)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2006-09-29 07:29:35 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Thanks - I wasn't sure that "Least said...." quite fitted your context, and wondered about something like "Silence is the watchword" (or "Silence is the best watchword", though not sure if you can say that)
Even if a government official knows of wrong-doing, silence is the watchword. Omertà all the way. And the worst part is that we, the people, don't seem to ...
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/selfnews/viewnews.cgi?newsid1...
Secrets, our buisness, silence, our watchword, darkness, our ally.We are the shadow which comes by night and builds your house!Now recruiting. ...
www.eve-online.com/alliances/a_748398192.asp
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot! It was precisely a past tense!!! I awarded the straightforwardness of the motto..."
+2
15 mins
nobody has ever regretted having kept silent
literal, but that's it
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
texjax DDS PhD
: nobody ever regretted keeping the silence...io la direi cosi'...
1 hr
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Grazie, bella! buona alternativa. Volevo pero' mantenere quel passato remoto perche' mi sembra significativo.
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| agree |
Patricia Crotty
: keeping silent
10 hrs
|
20 mins
Never get sorry for not speaking up
That's the best that I can think of that stays within the practical meaning.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2006-09-28 22:37:10 GMT)
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Another option to consider -while assuming the verb tense to be subjunctive.
Let nobody ever regret keeping silent.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2006-09-28 22:37:10 GMT)
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Another option to consider -while assuming the verb tense to be subjunctive.
Let nobody ever regret keeping silent.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
writeaway
: not idiomatic English and it's in imperative mode, which the Italian certainly isn't
41 mins
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You are right about it not being idiomatic english. I used the imperative since I assumed this was a subjunctive ( w/ typo). Umberto has a point about a possible past tense. Only the asker can clarify. Thanks for the feedaback!
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9 hrs
No one has ever regretted keeping quiet/keeping their mouth shut.
Just a different approach-very similar to Fiorsam's but a bit stronger (mouth shut) if you're talking about 'tattling'.
Discussion