Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
Mejorando lo presente
English translation:
present company excepted
Added to glossary by
Jairo Payan
Apr 1, 2007 18:09
17 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Spanish term
Colombia
"Knowledge and quality"
Native in: Spanish 
Works in: English to Spanish, Portuguese to Spanish, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
Mejorando lo presente
Spanish to English
Social Sciences
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Siempre que halagamos la belleza de una dama citamos "mejorando lo presente" en clara muestra de respeto y como no, de que la realidad de lo presente está muy por encima de lo comentado. Esta expresión se extiende a otros aspectos y al parecer es sinónimo de "sin agraviar lo presente" muy utilizada por el "Shakespeare Chiquito" (Chespirito)
¿Hay algún equivalente definido en inglés?. Mil gracias
¿Hay algún equivalente definido en inglés?. Mil gracias
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+4
11 mins
Selected
present company excepted
is what I've always heard
present company excepted British, American & Australian, humorous, American, humorous)
something that you say which means that the criticism you have just made does not describe the people who are listening to you now. People just don't know how to dress in this country, present company excepted, of course.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day14 hrs (2007-04-03 08:13:59 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Thank you Jairo.
present company excepted British, American & Australian, humorous, American, humorous)
something that you say which means that the criticism you have just made does not describe the people who are listening to you now. People just don't know how to dress in this country, present company excepted, of course.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day14 hrs (2007-04-03 08:13:59 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Thank you Jairo.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
David Cahill
: Take a look at this. It's a commonly misused version of the rreal expression http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_frequently_misused_Engl...
2 mins
|
|
You may be right, but it IS widely used and appears in idiom glossaries. Plus the ref you give states it as standard - the misuse refers to ACCEPT AND EXCEPT, if you read it over, you'll see...
|
|
| agree |
Edward Tully
: spot on Patricia! It may be misused, but we deal in reality here...
1 hr
|
|
Thank you Edward!
|
|
| agree |
Noni Gilbert Riley
: Excepted is what I´d say, rightly or wrongly!!
14 hrs
|
|
Thanks Noni. I insist David misread the wikipedia explanation!
|
|
| agree |
Marga Demmers (X)
15 hrs
|
|
Thank you Marga.
|
|
| agree |
Refugio
: Not misused at all.
23 hrs
|
|
Thank you Ruth!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a million to everybody."
+2
3 mins
David Cahill
Native in English
16 yrs. in nuclear engineering
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
present company excluded
Suerte
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Edward Tully
: excluded or excepted are both in use...
3 hrs
|
|
thanks, edward
|
|
| agree |
Gacela20
3 hrs
|
|
thanks, gacela
|
+1
5 mins
Lydia De Jorge
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
&
English
Specializes in field
United States
Don't just say it, say it right!
Native in: Spanish , English
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
94
present company excluded/included
excluded, included, added, subtracted etc.
6 mins
Adriana de Groote
Guatemala
Guatemala
Native in Spanish
Guatemala
Precise & properly researched jobs
Native in: Spanish 
Works in: English to Spanish, French to Spanish, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
18
improving on the original
Podría ser una opción.
-1
3 hrs
Just like you
Or, “as you are, too”, or "but you are more so", or something similar. I don’t see how “present company excepted/excluded/etc” fit the context.
A husband and wife are talking and the man says: “Angelina Jolie is very beautiful, present company excepted.” How is that a mark of respect? In fact, how does it even make sense?
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day14 mins (2007-04-02 18:24:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Ruth: the context of your comment is directly contrary to that of the question posed by the asker.
A husband and wife are talking and the man says: “Angelina Jolie is very beautiful, present company excepted.” How is that a mark of respect? In fact, how does it even make sense?
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day14 mins (2007-04-02 18:24:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Ruth: the context of your comment is directly contrary to that of the question posed by the asker.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Refugio
: In a seminar given by Ramon Sender, he used to say to us, "todas las mujeres son o locas o tontas, mejorando lo presente."
19 hrs
|
|
Thanks, I understand the term. But the excepted/accepted debate is a red herring and confuses the matter. There is a double meaning of satirical ambiguity that not everyone grasps. See Collins: http://dictionary.reverso.net/spanish-english/presente
|
Discussion
1. expr. U. por cortesía cuando se alaba a alguien delante de otra persona