no decían ni fú ni fá

English translation: they didn't say anything

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:no decían ni fú ni fá
English translation:they didn't say anything
Entered by: Barbara Cochran, MFA

22:00 Dec 17, 2020
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / In An Autobiography
Spanish term or phrase: no decían ni fú ni fá
Contexto:

La prueba, sin embargo, no daba señales de ser efectiva, pues pasaban los días y en las alturas no decían ni fú ni fá.

Gracias,

Barbara
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 04:42
they didn't say anything
Explanation:
I've always loved this very Spanish expression. "No decir ni fú ni fá" means to not say anything, to be silent. It can refer to a decision or not. "Ni fú ni fá" usually means "neither one or the other", but when coupled when the verb "decir", it becomes this. Another few ways to translate it (which would depend on the context, I'm not quite sure from that short context who is doing the saying):
- they didn't say anything either way
- they were suspiciously quiet
- there was radio silence (from them)
- we didn't hear anything from them
- they didn't make a decision either way

Etc. It doesn't necessarily mean one thing or the other, as I said with this verb it can become "nothing".

Hope this helps!
Selected response from:

S. Kathryn Jiménez Boyd
Spain
Local time: 09:42
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7they didn't say anything
S. Kathryn Jiménez Boyd
3 +5not a word from them
Steven Huddleston
4 +1did not utter a word
Tigranuhi Khachatryan
4said nothing one way or the other
neilmac


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
not a word from them


Explanation:
It's a colloquialism.

Steven Huddleston
Mexico
Local time: 02:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 39

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Pablo Waldman
5 mins
  -> ¡Gracias Pablo!

agree  S. Kathryn Jiménez Boyd: Hi Steven, yes, you're right. We must have been typing at the same time ;)
7 mins
  -> Thank you, Kathryn!

agree  philgoddard: The first eight Google hits give translations for this. You don't even have to click on the links.
8 mins
  -> Thank you, Philgoddard!

agree  Moises Cortez
3 hrs
  -> Thank you, Moises!

agree  Cláudia Pinheiro Pereira
11 hrs
  -> ¡Gracias Cláudia!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
they didn't say anything


Explanation:
I've always loved this very Spanish expression. "No decir ni fú ni fá" means to not say anything, to be silent. It can refer to a decision or not. "Ni fú ni fá" usually means "neither one or the other", but when coupled when the verb "decir", it becomes this. Another few ways to translate it (which would depend on the context, I'm not quite sure from that short context who is doing the saying):
- they didn't say anything either way
- they were suspiciously quiet
- there was radio silence (from them)
- we didn't hear anything from them
- they didn't make a decision either way

Etc. It doesn't necessarily mean one thing or the other, as I said with this verb it can become "nothing".

Hope this helps!


    Reference: http://https://www.collinsdictionary.com/es/diccionario/espa...
S. Kathryn Jiménez Boyd
Spain
Local time: 09:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks. Your interpretation reflects how I interpreted it. Will come back and look at the other possibilities you suggested when I do the editing.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: Good explanations always take longer to post
12 mins
  -> Thanks Yvonne ;)

agree  Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
1 hr
  -> Thanks Beatriz!

agree  Robert Carter: "Didn't hear a peep out of them" was what came to mind here, or "they didn't say squat".
3 hrs
  -> Thanks Robert, yes, those are good ones, too!

agree  David Hollywood: or "mum"
5 hrs
  -> Thanks David!

agree  Álvaro López
10 hrs
  -> ¡Gracias Álvaro!

agree  EirTranslations
11 hrs
  -> Thank you!

agree  Linda Grabner
18 hrs
  -> Thanks Linda!
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
did not utter a word


Explanation:
not utter a word -idiom
Definition of not utter a word
: to not say anything
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not utter a word

Tigranuhi Khachatryan
Armenia
Local time: 12:42
Native speaker of: Native in ArmenianArmenian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Álvaro López
3 hrs
  -> Gracias, Álvaro :)
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3 days 13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
said nothing one way or the other


Explanation:
Another option. As an example of usage, here's some juicy Royal gossip.
"He said nothing, one way or the other, despite her repeatedly imploring him to set the record straight"
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1098885/Prince-Ph...

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Note added at 3 days 13 hrs (2020-12-21 11:37:07 GMT)
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As Steve says, it's colloquial.
The only reason I'm not posting an agree to Kathryn's perfectly correct suggestion is that I find it rather flat and perhaps not quite colloquial enough to capture the very colloquial feeling of "ni fú ni fá" ...

Slightly off topic, another similar Spanish expression I like is "“ni chicha ni limonada”...(neither one thing nor the other).

Example sentence(s):
  • You may like to note that I've said nothing one way or the other as to whether...
  • I've said nothing one way or the other about the US. Guidelines
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 09:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 155
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