mess about in the Oxford Spanish Dictionary

Translations for mess about in the English»Spanish Dictionary

mess about VB [Am mɛs -, Brit mɛs -] Brit

mess about → mess around

See also mess around

I.mess around VB [Am mɛs -, Brit mɛs -] inf (v + adv)

1. mess around (misbehave):

mess around children:

hacer travesuras

mess around children:

tontear

she found out he'd been messing around

descubrió que había tenido líos or enredos con otras

he started messing around with drugs

empezó a meterse con drogas

2. mess around (fiddle, waste time):

I was just messing around with some friends

andaba por ahí ganduleando con unos amigos

he enjoys messing around in boats

le gusta entretenerse or pasar el tiempo navegando

she didn't mess around: she told him straight out

no se anduvo con vueltas; se lo dijo sin más inf

3. mess around (interfere):

to mess around (with sth/sb) they keep messing around with the arrangements

cambian los planes una y otra vez

stop messing around with my things!

¡deja mis cosas tranquilas!

don't mess around with me

no juegues conmigo

don't mess around with me

no me tomes el pelo inf

II.mess around VB [Am mɛs -, Brit mɛs -] inf (v + o + adv) Brit

1. mess around (treat inconsiderately):

don't mess me around: are you going to come or not?

no me fastidies or decídete de una vez ¿vienes o no? inf

he messed us around over the date

nos cambió mil veces la fecha

he messed me around so much that I left him

jugó conmigo de tal manera, que lo dejé

2. mess around (muddle):

mess around

armar un lío con inf

Translations for mess about in the Spanish»English Dictionary

perdona el desorden

sorry about the mess

perdona el desorden, estamos de o en obras

sorry about the mess, we're having some building work done

perdona el desorden, estamos de o en obras

sorry about the mess, we've got the builders in inf

Translations for mess about in the English»Spanish Dictionary

I.about [Am əˈbaʊt, Brit əˈbaʊt] ADV about often appears as the second element of certain verb structures in English (fool about, knock about, move about, etc). For translations, see the relevant verb entry (fool, knock, move, etc)

1. about (approximately):

about

más o menos

about

aproximadamente

he's about my age

tiene más o menos mi edad

she must be about 60

debe (de) tener alrededor de or unos 60 años

she must be about 60

debe (de) andar por los 60 inf

at about six o'clock

alrededor de or a eso de las seis

at about six o'clock

sobre las seis Spain

there were about 12 of us

éramos unos 12

there were about 12 of us

éramos como 12

they should be arriving about now

deben (de) estar a punto de llegar

in about three hours

en unas tres horas

about a month ago

hace cosa de un mes

about a month ago

hará un mes

the soup must be about ready by now

la sopa tiene que estar ya casi lista

that's about it for today

eso es todo por hoy

about time too!

¡ya era hora!

2. about:

to be about to + infin I'm sorry, you were about to say something

perdón, ibas a decir algo

we were just about to start eating

estábamos a punto de empezar a comer

we were just about to start eating

justo estábamos por empezar a comer LatAm

I'm not about to mention it to her

no tengo la más mínima intención de mencionárselo

3.1. about (from one place to another):

the dog followed him about

el perro lo seguía a todas partes

she travels about a lot

viaja mucho

he knows his way about

conoce la ciudad (or la zona etc.)

she's very old and can't get about very easily

es muy mayor y le cuesta desplazarse

3.2. about (in various directions):

he was waving a knife about

blandía un cuchillo

she rummaged about in her bag

revolvió en el bolso

he glanced about nervously

miraba nervioso a su alrededor

4.1. about (in the vicinity, in circulation) esp Brit :

is Teresa about?

¿Teresa anda por aquí?

there's not much traffic about today

hoy no hay mucho tráfico

she's about somewhere, she's somewhere about

anda por aquí

I'm not usually about that early

no suelo estar allí/aquí tan temprano

there's a lot of flu about

hay mucha gente con gripe

he's very mean — there's a lot of it about

es muy tacaño — eso es algo que abunda

4.2. about (on all sides):

about esp Brit liter

por todas partes

II.about [Am əˈbaʊt, Brit əˈbaʊt] PREP

1.1. about (concerning):

about

sobre

about

acerca de

a book about Greece

un libro acerca de or sobre Grecia

what's the play about?

¿de qué se trata la obra?

he wants to see you — what about?

quiere verte — ¿acerca de qué?

she said nothing about that

no dijo nada acerca de or (con) respecto a or sobre eso

about tonight: are you coming?

(con) respecto a lo de esta noche ¿vas a venir?

what was all that shouting about?

¿a qué venían todos esos gritos?

what about Helen? isn't she coming?

¿y Helen? ¿no viene?

and Helen? — what about Helen?

¿y Helen? — ¿qué pasa con Helen?

that's what it's all about

de eso se trata

politics is all about persuading people

en política de lo que se trata es de convencer a la gente

I don't know what to buy her — what about a record?

no sé qué comprarle — ¿qué te parece or qué tal un disco?

she won — how about that!

ganó — ¡pues qué te parece! or ¡pues mira tú!

what he is/they are about I hope you know what you're about

espero que sepas lo que haces

I don't understand what he's about

no entiendo qué es lo que pretende

1.2. about (pertaining to):

there's something about him that I don't like

tiene algo que no me acaba de gustar

what's so unusual about that?

¿qué tiene eso de raro?

the place has a certain charm about it

el lugar tiene cierto encanto

2. about (engaged in):

while you're about it, could you fetch my book?

¿me traes el libro de paso?

while you're about it, could you fetch my book?

ya que estás ¿me traes el libro?

why did you take so long about it?

¿por qué tardaste tanto (en hacerlo)?

why did you take so long about it?

¿por qué demoraste tanto (en hacerlo)? LatAm

3.1. about (in, on, through) esp Brit :

they were playing about the house

estaban jugando en la casa

he wandered about the empty streets

recorrió las calles vacías

3.2. about (encircling):

about liter

alrededor de

3.3. about (on one's person) Brit:

do you have a pencil about you?

¿tienes un lápiz?

I.mess [Am mɛs, Brit mɛs] N

1.1. mess no pl (untidiness, disorder):

mess

desorden m

mess

revoltijo m

what a mess!

¡qué desorden!

tidy up this mess!

¡arregla este desorden!

the bedroom was (in) a mess

el dormitorio estaba todo desordenado

the bedroom was (in) a mess

el dormitorio estaba patas para arriba inf

my hair is a mess inf

tengo el pelo hecho un desastre

the pair of them look a mess inf

los dos van muy desarreglados or desastrados

her toys were in a mess all over the floor

tenía todos los juguetes desparramados por el suelo

he's a good cook, but he makes such a mess in/of the kitchen

cocina bien, pero deja la cocina hecha un desastre or un asco

you can play here, but don't make any mess

puedes jugar aquí, pero no desordenes nada

1.2. mess no pl (dirt, soiling):

to make a mess (of sth)

ensuciar algo

you've made a mess of your new shirt

te has ensuciado la camisa nueva

1.3. mess U (excrement) Brit:

mess inf, euph

caca f inf

dog's/cat's mess

caca de perro/gato inf

2. mess no pl (confused, troubled state):

she's in such a mess, she has huge debts

está metida en un verdadero lío, tiene deudas enormes

their marriage was (in) a mess

su matrimonio andaba muy mal

the country is (in) a complete mess

la situación del país es caótica

my life's a mess

mi vida es un desastre

to get into a mess

meterse en un lío

to get sb out of a mess

sacar a alguien de un lío or de un apuro

to make a mess of sth/-ing , you made a real mess of this job

hiciste muy mal este trabajo

she made a real mess of her life

se arruinó la vida

he made a mess of fixing the car

arregló muy mal el coche

3. mess C MIL:

officers' mess

casino m de oficiales

officers' mess

comedor m de oficiales

4. mess no pl (large quantity) Am:

mess inf

montón m

a whole mess of friends

un montón or la tira de amigos inf

a whole mess of friends

pilas de amigos AmS inf

II.mess [Am mɛs, Brit mɛs] VB intr

1.1. mess (waste time):

mess inf

tontear

off to bed now, kids, and no messing!

a la cama, chicos ¡y sin tontear! or ¡y nada de tonterías!

she told him straight out and no messing

se lo dijo directamente

she told him straight out and no messing

se lo dijo sin rodeos

she told him straight out and no messing

se lo dijo de golpe y porrazo inf

1.2. mess (excrete) Brit inf, euph:

the dog messed on the carpet

el perro ensució la alfombra euph

2. mess MIL:

mess

comer el rancho

III.mess [Am mɛs, Brit mɛs] VB trans euph

to mess one's pants

hacerse encima inf, euph

to mess one's pants

hacerse caca encima inf

mess about in the PONS Dictionary

Translations for mess about in the English»Spanish Dictionary

I.mess about VB intr

mess about

hacer el tonto

II.mess about VB trans always sep

mess about

tratar mal

Translations for mess about in the English»Spanish Dictionary

I.about [əˈbaʊt] PREP

1. about (on subject of):

about

sobre

about

acerca de

a book about football

un libro sobre fútbol

what is the film about?

¿de qué trata la película?

to talk about cinema

hablar sobre cine

while he is about it Brit inf

mientras esté haciendo eso

2. about (surrounding):

about

alrededor de

the garden about the house

el jardín alrededor de la casa

3. about (in and through):

about

por

to go about a place

andar por un lugar

4. about (characteristic of):

that's what I like about him

eso es lo que me gusta de él

5. about Brit (with):

I have no money about me

no llevo dinero encima

Phrases:

how about that!

¡vaya!

what about it? (suggestion)

¿quieres/queréis?

what about it? (so what?)

¿y qué?

what about a drink?

¿qué tal si tomamos algo?

II.about [əˈbaʊt] ADV

1. about (around):

all about

por todas partes

to leave things lying about somewhere

dejar cosas tiradas por un sitio

to be the other way about

ser exactamente al revés

is Paul about?

¿está Paul por ahí?

2. about (approximately):

about

aproximadamente

about my size

más o menos de mi tamaño

round about 5 km

cerca de 5 kilómetros

about here

más o menos aquí

about 5 years ago

hace unos cinco años

about twenty

unos veinte

to be somewhere about

estar por aquí

to have had just about enough of sth

estar harto de algo

that's about it for today

eso es todo por hoy

3. about (almost):

about

casi

to be (just) about ready

estar casi listo

4. about (willing to):

not to be about to do sth

no estar dispuesto a hacer algo

5. about (on the point of):

to be about to do sth

estar a punto de hacer algo

mess <-es> [mes] N

1. mess no pl:

mess (confusion)

confusión f

mess (disorganized state)

desorden m

to be in a mess things

estar revuelto

to be in a mess person

estar hecho un lío

to make a mess of sth

echar a perder algo

to make a mess of sth things

desordenar algo

2. mess no pl (trouble):

mess

lío m

mess

merengue m Arg

3. mess (dirt):

mess

suciedad f

4. mess no pl inf (animal excrement):

mess

caca f

5. mess (dining hall):

mess

comedor m

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

English

We are a manufacturer -- we don't mess about with six.

www.express.co.uk

Children don't mess about with their food here.

www.bbc.co.uk

This issue gets to the heart of the contemporary mess about the boundaries between childhood and adulthood, and the authority of parents.

www.spiked-online.com

Will he get bored during the service and start to mess about?

www.bbc.co.uk

There are three sections and the second door has always been left open so the birds have a bigger section to mess about in.

www.elimarpigeons.com

There's no time to mess about with atmospherics (one of the few things the show's doing well).

www.denofgeek.com

If they fall off well that's unfortunate but accidents happen when you mess about.

www.theboltonnews.co.uk

The boy began to mess about with a wooden metre rule.

www.telegraph.co.uk

The trek is not a walk in the woods, don't mess about, follow the direction of the wise ones.

www.irishcentral.com

I don't want to mess about.

en.wikipedia.org