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4º V
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Glossary entry

Portuguese term or phrase:

o "grosso"

English translation:

the big monthly stock-up

Added to glossary by Mario Freitas
Aug 6, 2014 02:53
9 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Portuguese term

o "grosso"

Portuguese to English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings Groceries
PDV - FREQUÊNCIA E PLANEJAMENTO
As compras das brasileiras são de dois tipos, segundo a frequência:
- “O grosso”: As donas de casa brasileiras fazem uma compra maior mensal, que denominam de
“grosso”, são os alimentos não-perecíveis, higiene e produtos de limpeza e
inseticidas.
- Semanais: Semanalmente fazem compras menores de frutas e legumes, mas
essas compras podem ser feitas em feiras e nos supermercados de bairro, não
necessariamente nas grandes redes.

Algumas possíveis traduções me ocorreram, mas não gostei de nenhuma, tipo "bulk groceries", "big set", "large volume". O melhor aqui é usar a expressão que se usa em inglês para o mesmo fim. Não dá para inventar.

TIA
Proposed translations (English)
3 +8 the big monthly purchase
4 +3 basic
3 +4 the bulk (of non-perishables)
References
o grosso »» the bulk
Change log

Aug 7, 2014 05:49: Mario Freitas Created KOG entry

Discussion

Mario Freitas (asker) Aug 7, 2014:
Thank you all for the valuable help and for the discussion!
Mario Freitas (asker) Aug 7, 2014:
Great, Muriel. I had actually used "big monthly shop", but I'm only delivering the document on Friday. So, I'll switch "shop" to "stock-up". I'll choose your answer as best and edit it on the glossary with "stock-up", ok? Thank you!
Muriel Vasconcellos Aug 7, 2014:
Stock up I've found another one for you, Mario! This just occurred to me. I did find a lot of hits for 'the monthly stock up' and the 'monthly stock up trip'
Muriel Vasconcellos Aug 7, 2014:
Frequency of the paycheck I'm *guessing* that in the U.S., many or most people get paid biweekly or weekly. The Federal, state, and local governments pay biweekly, and so do most of their contractors. In a two-income family, the monthly income isn't likely to all come in at once, which may contribute to the pattern of weekly shopping.

Also, with grocery stores open until midnight or 24 hours, people find it convenient to shop more often.
Richard Purdom Aug 6, 2014:
citando Mario O melhor aqui é usar a expressão que se usa em inglês para o mesmo fim.

Bulk basically means wholesale or loose loads of sand, stone etc.
Cyro Leão Aug 6, 2014:
Concordo com a Verginia.

BULK

Foram citadas duas expressões distintas, com significados diferentes:

"In bulk" = em grande quantidade

"The bulk of" = a maior parte de

I just bought 300 pounds of rice. It's cheaper to buy staple food IN BULK.

For the next six months, rice will make up THE BULK OF my diet.

O GROSSO

"O grosso" é a parte maior ou mais básica de alguma coisa. Isso não se aplica só a compras e não é usado só por donas de casa.

Por exemplo, se você já fez o piso, as paredes e o telhado, agora só falta o acabamento: o grosso da obra já foi concluído.

Notem que o texto não divide as compras com base na essencialildade dos produtos e sim no VOLUME que cada grupo (grosso/semanal) representa no total das compras.

BASIC não serve justamente porque desviaria o sentido do volume para a essencialidade dos itens componentes (e introduziria uma tremenda contradição, afinal o pão é mais básico que o inseticida).

Por isso, acho que "THE BULK OF..." é uma opção razoável para "O GROSSO".


Richard Purdom Aug 6, 2014:
'The bulk' isn't what anybody would say in the UK/US Mario, so it isn't appropriate. Then you are using the informal term in the description...
"The big monthly shop": Brazilian homemakers tend to buy a large amount of non-perishable items that they call the "big monthly shop".
Mario Freitas (asker) Aug 6, 2014:
I though this would be easier! Sílivia, o termo "o grosso" é muito comum por aqui (MG). E a pesquisa que estou traduzindo foi feita em Fortaleza, então acho que lá também.
Gilmar, I can't omit the term because the text has a whole paragraph about it.
Muriel & Georgia: I think I could translate the stretch above as "The bulk: The Brazilian homemakers usually do a big monthly shop of non-perishable items that they call the "bulk".
What do you think?
Paulinho Fonseca Aug 6, 2014:
Caros, acredito que trata-se de um caso de adaptação. Concordei com Muriel, mas como mencionei antes, ouvi muito este termo em minha família, meu pai mesmo usava muito. Hoje falei com algumas pessoas em minha família e o que dizem é: 'grosso' > o mais consumido durante o mês que é o básico, essencial, outros como carnes, etc seriam complementares. Isto é o que diziam muito atrás. Espero que ajude.
Richard Purdom Aug 6, 2014:
Nobody I know uses the word 'purchase' unless they are writing contracts. It is not used in informal spoken language, which is what this is. Take it from a native.
Silvia Aquino Aug 6, 2014:
Além de tradutora sou também pesquisadora de mercado há mais de 30 anos. E nas muitas pesquisas que fiz com donas de casa sobre esse assunto observei que há expressões regionais para o evento das grandes compras mensais: no Sul elas dizem "feira", por exemplo, enquanto que em SP feira é algo semanal. Em outros locais, falam "despesa" e por aí vai. Nunca ouvi a expressão "grosso" para isso. Pode ser que o analista se apropriou da fala de alguma entrevistada e agora ficamos a nos debater para encontrar o equivalente em inglês. Acho que o mais apropriado para isso é o "big monthly purchase".
Richard Purdom Aug 6, 2014:
my mum would call it 'the big monthly shop' for sure!
Georgia Morg (X) Aug 6, 2014:
Portugal Just to add, from what I have seen here in Portugal, the Portuguese tend to shop like the British, not the Brazilians. Except for bacalhau, of which they buy tons all at once.....
Georgia Morg (X) Aug 6, 2014:
different culture In the UK, people do what many term "a big shop" once a week, but this includes perishables. It would be unusual to do bulk shopping once a month, as seems to take place in Brazil (trolleys piled high with 20 kilos of rice, 15 kilos of beans, 10 kilos of sugar etc), Personally, I don't think people make a distinction in their minds between perishable/non-perishable. Partly this is because what Brazilians would buy fresh every day, or when they need it, like bread, meat, seems to have a much longer "shelf-life) in the UK, enabling people to shop just once a week and many get everything, including bread, under one roof, ie at the supermarket. This difference was one of the things that most struck me about Brazil when I moved there. So, for the translation here, I would recommend "big, monthly shop", adding, if you want to be precise "of non-perishable goods"
Mario Freitas (asker) Aug 6, 2014:
Ok, Verginia, There are other occurrences of "basic" in the text, although it wouldn't really make a big confusion. Let's wait until tomorrow to hear other people's opinions. Thank you.
Verginia Ophof Aug 6, 2014:
@Mario the greater part; main mass or body: The bulk of the debt was paid.

buying in bulk can be buying in big quantities or big pack/packages
But as I mentioned, it can easily be confused or taken as bulk shopping so perhaps "basics" is better
Mario Freitas (asker) Aug 6, 2014:
O Basic inclui perecíveis, como pães e vegetais. Vamos aguardar mais sugestões. O David também não concordou com o "bulk".
Paulinho Fonseca Aug 6, 2014:
Também pensava como David. Mário, obrigado pela contextualização. :)
Mario Freitas (asker) Aug 6, 2014:
@ Verginia, I had thought of bulk, but isn't bulk used for non-packed produts sold by pounds or in large quantities? Does it apply to groceries?
Mario Freitas (asker) Aug 6, 2014:
Paulinho O "grosso" seria uma compra mais volumosa, para durar o mês todo, apenas com produtos não perecíveis (enlatados, caixas) e produtos de limpeza, que não têm validade curta e podem ser comprados em volumes maiores. É a compra maior, mais cara e feita apenas uma vez por mês.
A outra compra, que não é o grosso, são compras de carnes, frutas e vegetais, etc. que têm validade menor e precisam ser comprados toda semana.
Acredito que deve haver um termo para isto em inglês.
Paulinho Fonseca Aug 6, 2014:
Amigo, estou tentando primeiro entender em pt o que seria exatamente o 'grosso'. Já ouvi o termo várias vezes e pensava que fosse 'necessário'.

Proposed translations

+8
3 hrs
Selected

the big monthly purchase

It means repeating 'month' later, unless you can figure out a way to reword the rest of the sentence.

We don't really have an equivalent, at least in U.S. English. There's a cultural difference here. Americans don't follow the pattern you describe. We tend to buy roughly the same amount each week. We buy paper goods and cleaning supplies when they run out, not all at once. And most Americans buy a lot of frozen stuff, which they take out thaw throughout the week. If they're into organic, then they shop more often. But they still don't make one big monthly purchase.

Large families may buy in bulk at warehouse stores like Costco, but most families don't buy in bulk. (I agree with your definition.)

'Basic' doesn't necessarily apply because basics are bought throughout the month, as needed.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2014-08-07 04:35:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

After saying that we didn't have an equivalent, I just thought of 'the monthly stock-up [trip]. It's not too common, but hey, it solves your problem. Here are some examples:

hartbeat.hartman-group.com/article/141/Experiences-Vs-Products
Jun 6, 2006 - These tasks may include procuring dinner, relaxation, an after-workout snack, indulging one's child, the monthly "stock-up" trip, and so forth.

www.forbes.com/.../why-bjs-ceo-laura-sen-doesnt-get-an-empl...
Forbes
by Jenna Goudreau - Oct 13, 2010 - ... and offering more groceries (which already contribute to 75% of sales), **she wants to “get the weekly shop” rather than the monthly stock-up**

www.ers.usda.gov/ersDownloadHandler.ashx...
Economic Research Service
child, **the monthly stock-up trip** and so forth” (Hartman Group, 2007). While frequent consumers of organic products may not change their organic purchasing ...

wholediligence.wordpress.com/category/food/page/2/
Feb 21, 2010 - -Stick to my budget of $300 a month for fruits veggies, dairy at Lassens (adding bananas and apples), **and the monthly stock-up items if needed**
Peer comment(s):
agree Georgia Morg (X) : I agree wholeheartedly with your analysis! sorry I didn't see it before I posted almost the same thing under "discussion"
2 hrs
Thanks, Georgia!
agree Richard Purdom : the big monthly shop...
5 hrs
Thanks, Richard! I agree with 'big monthly shop'.
agree Rachel Fell : I'd say a/the big monthly shop
5 hrs
Thanks, Rachel! I agree with big monthly shop.
agree Silvia Aquino
6 hrs
Thanks, Silvia!
agree Gilmar Fernandes : Agree: "We don't really have an equivalent, at least in U.S. English" So you do have to omit "o grosso" and do a descriptive translation.
6 hrs
Thanks, Gilmar!
agree Tom Jamieson : Also agree on "the big monthly shop" being a bit more natural
6 hrs
Thanks, Tom! I agree with 'the big monthly shop'.
agree Paulinho Fonseca : This is it.
7 hrs
Thanks, Paulinho!
agree T o b i a s : monthly stock up http://tinyurl.com/mdp8lgy
1 day 9 hrs
Thanks, Tobias!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you, Muriel!"
+3
14 mins

basic

I wiuld say

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2014-08-06 03:10:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

they buy the necessary items

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 mins (2014-08-06 03:11:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

basic items that they have to have

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2014-08-06 03:17:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

don't think it means "bulk" here

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 36 mins (2014-08-06 03:30:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

still not convinced by "bulk"
Peer comment(s):
agree Verginia Ophof
37 mins
agree Patricia Franco
1 hr
agree Claudio Mazotti
6 hrs
neutral Jennifer Byers : Actually, I would say either "the basics", as in "I'm going to buy the basics today", or "the basic shop" as in, "I'm going to do the basic shop today". I agree with "basic" as a starting point but to make it more colloquial, suggest one of those.
23 hrs
Something went wrong...
+4
28 mins

the bulk (of non-perishables)

suggestion
not to be mistaken with bulk shopping

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2014-08-06 03:58:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

the bulk of my weekly shopping
Peer comment(s):
agree Vitor Pinteus : Just "the bulk"
2 hrs
Thank you Vitor !
agree Clauwolf
10 hrs
Thank you Clauwolf !
agree Cyro Leão
13 hrs
agree Lais Leite
17 hrs
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

3 hrs
Reference:

o grosso »» the bulk

1. http://www.infopedia.pt/portugues-ingles/grosso
2. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bulk:
2.1: (the main part): the bulk of the work is repetitious.
2.2: (the greater part; main mass or body): The bulk of the debt was paid.
2.3: (the main part): "the bulk of his customers prefer it"; "the bulk of the work is finished"
2.4: (the greater part/a maior parte): "The bulk of his money was spent on food"
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree Verginia Ophof
6 hrs
Something went wrong...
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