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at the edge of our seats

Spanish translation: estábamos con el alma en vilo

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:at the edge of our seats
Spanish translation:estábamos con el alma en vilo
Entered by: Barbara Cochran, MFA

00:41 Jun 28, 2017
English to Spanish translations [PRO]
Religion / A devotional book
English term or phrase: at the edge of our seats
In the story/anecdote, a family is watching a hockey game, and they are *at the edge of their seats*. Sort of "muy emocionados", but I'd like something more idiomatic, perhaps.
Marjory Hord
Mexico
Local time: 20:27
con el alma en vilo
Explanation:
Referencia: http://context.reverso.net/translation/english-spanish/on th...
Selected response from:

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 22:27
Grading comment
Gracias!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2con emoción desbordada
Liliput
3 +3al límite de la emoción / con el alma en vilo
JohnMcDove
4 +1con el alma en vilo
Barbara Cochran, MFA
5Al filo de la butaca
Juan Jacob
4(está) a punto de levantarse de la emoción
Richard Vranch
3en el borde de sus asientos/sillas / la emoción las tienen al filo del infarto
Neil Ashby


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
con el alma en vilo


Explanation:
Referencia: http://context.reverso.net/translation/english-spanish/on th...

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 22:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Gracias!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  JohnMcDove: Te adelantaste un minuto... Aunque yo lo sugiero también, dependerá del contexto si funciona bien o no... :-)
1 hr
  -> Gracias, John.
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
al límite de la emoción / con el alma en vilo


Explanation:
"Estar en ascuas" (which would be more like "to be on tenterhooks"

https://es.oxforddictionaries.com/translate/english-spanish/...

These may work.

Saludos cordiales.

JohnMcDove
United States
Local time: 19:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 75

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gabriela Alvarez
1 min
  -> Muchas gracias, Gaby. :-) Saludos desde los calores californianos...
agree  Barbara Cochran, MFA: De acuerdo, por supuesto, con la segunda opción.
1 hr
  -> Muchas gracias, Barbara. :-) ¡Saludos!
agree  Beatriz Ramírez de Haro: Voto por "en ascuas" y "en vilo" (sin "alma").
7 hrs
  -> Muchas gracias, Beatriz. :-)
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
con emoción desbordada


Explanation:
Es una expresión metafórica de emoción y expectativa al límite.

Example sentence(s):
  • La madre observaba a su hijo dar los primeros pasos con la emoción desbordada.
Liliput
Colombia
Local time: 21:27
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Toni Castano
5 hrs
agree  Maïté Mendiondo-George
5 days
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54 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Al filo de la butaca


Explanation:
Expresión idiomática muy común... y casi igual al inglés.

Juan Jacob
Mexico
Local time: 20:27
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in FrenchFrench
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1 day 10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
ON [not "at"] the edge of their seats
en el borde de sus asientos/sillas / la emoción las tienen al filo del infarto


Explanation:
I've heard the literal translation ("en el borde de sus asientos/sillas") of the phrase on TV, but probably just poor and overly direct/literal translations of the English expression (you native hispanoparlantes will know better than me)?

Neil Ashby
Spain
Local time: 04:27
Native speaker of: English
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4 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(está) a punto de levantarse de la emoción


Explanation:
My take...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2017-07-02 16:06:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As they are watching a hockey game, the more literal approach works as they are literally at the edge of their seat about to leap in the air...

Richard Vranch
Local time: 03:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  JohnMcDove: (After grad) From a Spaniard viewpoint (mine), the literal approach doesn't really work. As a concept it is very graphic, but not quite idiomatic, at least for Spain Spanish. (It may work in Mexico or elsewhere ;-) "Al borde de un ataque de nervios", yes.
9 hrs
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