Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
can the can
English answer:
make this guy yours and hold on to him
Added to glossary by
Giordano B (X)
Jan 27, 2011 10:02
13 yrs ago
English term
Giordano B (X)
can the can
English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Please explain the meaning or rephrase
Can the Can
(Chinn/Chapman)
Well you call your mama tiger
And we all know you are lying
And your boyfriend´s name is eagle
And he lives up in the sky (High, high)
Watch out the tiger don´t go claw the eagle´s eye
But let the eagle take the tiger by surprise
(Scratch out her eyes)
Refrain:
So make a stand for your man, honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can, honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Well can the can
Well your sister´s got the feline touch
She touches up your mind
And your eagle lover likes his little bit of evil
Loving all the time
Don´t let the cat get into the eagle´s nest at night
Because the eagle could say „yes“ without a fight
(Scratch out her eyes)
Refrain:
So make a stand for your man, honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can, honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Well can the can
Ooh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Uhh huh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Can the can
(Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Ah honey,
Honey
Honey
Honey, honey, honey
Make a stand for your man honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Make a stand for your man honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
(Chinn/Chapman)
Well you call your mama tiger
And we all know you are lying
And your boyfriend´s name is eagle
And he lives up in the sky (High, high)
Watch out the tiger don´t go claw the eagle´s eye
But let the eagle take the tiger by surprise
(Scratch out her eyes)
Refrain:
So make a stand for your man, honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can, honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Well can the can
Well your sister´s got the feline touch
She touches up your mind
And your eagle lover likes his little bit of evil
Loving all the time
Don´t let the cat get into the eagle´s nest at night
Because the eagle could say „yes“ without a fight
(Scratch out her eyes)
Refrain:
So make a stand for your man, honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can, honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Well can the can
Ooh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Uhh huh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Can the can
(Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can
(Can the can honey)
Ah honey,
Honey
Honey
Honey, honey, honey
Make a stand for your man honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Make a stand for your man honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Responses
| 2 +2 | make this guy your boyfriend |
Jonathan MacKerron
|
| 5 | something impossible |
Nikita Kobrin
|
Responses
+2
5 mins
Jonathan MacKerron
Native in English
&
English
Retired as of Jan 2019!
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
37
Selected
make this guy your boyfriend
take his can (backside) and seal it in a can (so he only belongs to you)
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Allison Wright (X)
: I think Jonathan's answer is polite, but agree nevertheless. Very difficult to translate, because of the endless plays on the word "can" - and the word "honey" (which can imply the vagina)
6 mins
|
|
where is big, juicy boy thing is to be canned is another question....
|
|
| agree |
British Diana
: Possibly more "try and hold onto him", he is already a boyfriend (see Discussion). Agree there are many other implications if one wants to look...
13 mins
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you, Jonathan! Nikita has a very strong case :) but I needed these knee-jerk reactions & explanations for my research"
1 hr
Nikita Kobrin
Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania
Translator/Journalist/Voiceover Pro
Native in: Russian (Variants: Standard-Russia, Standard-Latvia, Standard-Lithuania, Standard-Belarus, Standard-Ukraine) 
Works in: English to Russian, Russian
Related KudoZ points
:
4
something impossible
This song is penned by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. When asked what 'Can the Can' means, Chinn replied: "It means something that is pretty impossible, you can't get one can inside another if they are the same size, so we're saying you can't put your man in the can if he is out there and not willing to commit. The phrase sounded good and we didn't mind if the public didn't get the meaning of it."
Discussion
The boyfriend is likened to an eagle and the Mama to a tiger. In the first verse the girl is entreated not to let the tiger get her claws on the eagle, but to encourage the eagle to attack the tiger. So the boyfriend is to ward off the mother's advances.
In the second verse it is about the boyfriend warding off the sister (likened to a cat).
Thus "can the can" means here to "enclose" the guy in a "container" so that he cannot stray. (Make a stand for your man).
The other uses of "can" are the usual verbal meanings ("if you can" - "if it is possible").
Suggest looking up "can" in www.urbandictionary.com