Wikipedia

Thinking about the immortality of the crab

"Thinking about the immortality of the crab" (Spanish: Pensando en la inmortalidad del cangrejo) is a Spanish idiom about daydreaming. It is a humorous way to say that one was not sitting idly but engaged constructively in contemplation or letting one's mind wander.

A person daydreaming may be said to be "thinking about the immortality of the crab"

The phrase is usually used to express that an individual was daydreaming, "When I have nothing to do I think about the immortality of the crab" (Cuando no tengo nada que hacer, pienso en la inmortalidad del cangrejo). It is also used to wake someone from a daydream; "are you thinking about the immortality of the crab?" (¿Estás pensando en la inmortalidad del cangrejo?)

In poetry

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In literature

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Dominican poet and writer Edgar Smith wrote a novel in Spanish called La inmortalidad del cangrejo, about a man who, tired of suffering in life, decides to kill himself, but, after three failed attempts, starts to wonder if he can die at all.[3] The novel was critically acclaimed in Hispanic circles.[4] It was officially released in January 2015 in the Dominican Republic,[5] then it was presented at the Hamilton Grange Library in the United States in June.[6]

In film

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Variants

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The idiom is about daydreaming.[8] Similar phrases are used in various languages and it may vary depending on the country.

  • Czech: přemýšlet o nesmrtelnosti chrousta – thinking about the immortality of the maybug.
  • Slovak: rozmýšľať nad nesmrteľnosťou chrústa – thinking about the immortality of the maybug (chrúst).
  • Finnish: istun ja mietin syntyjä syviä – sitting and wondering about the world's early origins.
  • Polish: myśleć o niebieskich migdałach – literally, "thinking about blue almonds"; sometimes myśleć is replaced with śnić or marzyć, changing the meaning to "dreaming about blue almonds".[9]
  • Portuguese: pensando na morte da bezerra – thinking about the death of the calf.
  • Romanian: a se gândi la nemurirea sufletului – thinking about the immortality of the soul.
  • Colombian Spanish: echando globos – literally, "throwing balloons", but it refers to the act of blowing balloons.
  • Venezuelan Spanish: pensando en pajaritos preñados – thinking about pregnant birds.
  • Peruvian Spanish: pensando en la inmortalidad del mosquito – thinking about the immortality of the mosquito[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Pacheco, José Emilio (1987), McWhirter, George; Hoeksema, Thomas (eds.), "Inmortalidad del cangrejo", Selected Poems, New Directions Publishing, p. 163, ISBN 978-0811210218
  2. ^ "La inmortalidad del cangrejo". Jorge Golowasch. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  3. ^ Smith, Edgar (March 5, 2015). La Inmortalidad del Cangrejo. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0989719339.
  4. ^ Gautreau de Windt, Eduardo (February 3, 2015). "El dolor de vivir contrapuesto al dolor de la posible inmortalidad, según Edgar Smith". Facebook (in Spanish).
  5. ^ "Edgar Smith Presenta obras literarios en la Biblioteca Rep. Dom" (in Spanish). Fox Magazine RD. February 3, 2015.
  6. ^ Montolio, Gladys (August 15, 2015). "Presentacion de Libros y Conversatorio con Edgar Smith". Organizacion Lacuhe (in Spanish). Hamilton Grange library.
  7. ^ Sena/Quina, la inmortalidad del cangrejo at IMDb
  8. ^ "La inmortalidad del cangrejo". WordReference.com Language Forums. September 26, 2006. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  9. ^ "ktoś mysli o niebieskich migdałach". Wielki słownik języka polskiego PAN [pl] (in Polish). Archived from the original on December 18, 2021.
  10. ^ Habla Culta, El (October 21, 2019). "Martha Hildebrandt: El significado de "Pensar en la inmortalidad del mosquito"". El Comercio.
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