Agitare lo spauracchio

English translation: Brandishing the threat of jihadism

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:Agitare lo spauracchio
English translation:Brandishing the threat of jihadism
Entered by: Elena T.

16:33 Feb 11, 2021
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - History
Italian term or phrase: Agitare lo spauracchio
Si parla di un gruppo di milizie libiche che decidono di unirsi per combattere il terrorismo islamico in Libya:

Se fino al 2015 la religione rappresenta un collante identitario, con il nuovo leader il blocco di Ṭobruq agita lo spauracchio del jihadismo, lanciandosi nell'operazione di guerra all'islamismo.
Elena T.
Local time: 07:40
brandishing the threat of jihadism
Explanation:
The collocation is 'agitare lo spauracchio' which means to use the threat of something menacing to obtain something else or to one's own advantage. I wouldn't say it's in the sense of stirring up jihadism but using it as an excuse.

See: To wave/brandish the threat of something


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Note added at 14 hrs (2021-02-12 06:47:06 GMT)
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https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brandish
Selected response from:

Lisa Jane
Italy
Local time: 05:40
Grading comment
Yes, I think this is the best fit! Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2brandishing the threat of jihadism
Lisa Jane
4 +1is stirring up the bogeyman of jihadism
Tom in London
3summon the bogeyman
martini
3 -1Fomenting Jihadism threat
Alessandra Cassol
Summary of reference entries provided
Uso errato di foment
BdiL

  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
is stirring up the bogeyman of jihadism


Explanation:
...

Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 91

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: "Stirring up" is a mixed metaphor. You can stir up hatred, or a crowd, but not one person. How about "raising", which gets loads of hits? And you could also say "spectre".
4 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
summon the bogeyman


Explanation:
The Bogeyman (/ˈbəʊɡimæn, ˈboʊɡi-/;[1] also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogie man, or boogie woogie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogeyman

martini
Italy
Local time: 05:40
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Italian
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
brandishing the threat of jihadism


Explanation:
The collocation is 'agitare lo spauracchio' which means to use the threat of something menacing to obtain something else or to one's own advantage. I wouldn't say it's in the sense of stirring up jihadism but using it as an excuse.

See: To wave/brandish the threat of something


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2021-02-12 06:47:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brandish

Lisa Jane
Italy
Local time: 05:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Yes, I think this is the best fit! Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  martini
2 hrs
  -> Thanks martini!

agree  Alessandra Cassol
3 days 7 hrs
  -> Thanks Alessandra!
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1 day 20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Fomenting Jihadism threat


Explanation:
Io sottolineerei l’immagine di creare
una minaccia più che mantenere la
metafora dello spauracchio

Alessandra Cassol
Italy
Local time: 05:40
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Italian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  BdiL: V. my reference
1 day 21 hrs
  -> Ok thank you BdiL.But what I meant is that the phrase "agitare lo spauracchio" is an allocation (as Lisa Jane suggested) which should be translated with a periphrase and not literary.
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Reference comments


3 days 18 hrs
Reference: Uso errato di foment

Reference information:
Soprattutto leggendo i sinonimi di foment (rouse, incite, initiate) appare l'uso improprio del verbo foment con threat, in questa frase soprattutto.
One foments a rebellion, not the threat of a rebellion, whereas, a threat can be underlined or stressed. Else, the Tobruk militias would be helping, not fighting jihadism.
In the end, I believe the metaphor should stand.


    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foment
BdiL
Italy
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 8
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