Idiomaticity in the English Subtitling of Jordanian Movies on Netflix: A Cultural Analysis

This review of the relevant research focuses on the translation of idioms in audiovisual content, with particular emphasis on the Arabic-English context, and provides insight into the strategies, challenges, and decisions translators make when translating idioms.

Within the domain of audiovisual translation (AVT) and particularly within the Arabic-English context, translating idiomatic expressions (e.g., proper idioms and proverbs) could be difficult due to the linguistic and cultural divergence between the source and the target language (Bahumaid 2010; Al-Qudah 2022; Haider and Shohaibar 2024; Shuhaiber and Haider 2023). More precisely, there may exist ideas in the source language that the target language lacks (e.g., religious beliefs and societal norms) (Baker 1992).

In the relevant literature, several taxonomies of techniques for translating idiomatic expressions exist. Baker’s (1992) is a widely accepted taxonomy that summarizes the ways that translators typically deal with idiomatic expressions, and therefore, the techniques that constitute this taxonomy are illustrated below:

• The use of analogous idioms in both form and meaning: a translator may find an idiomatic expression in the target language (e.g., English) that has the same or similar meaning and form of the source idiomatic expression (e.g., an Arabic idiom).

• The employment of idioms with similar meanings but distinct forms: The only difference between this technique and that in (A) is that the idiomatic expression in the target language is different from the source idiom in form. Note that in the analysis, the term semi-equivalence could be used to refer to idioms that have similar meanings but different forms.

• Translation by paraphrasing: This strategy is about breaking down a spoken idiom by avoiding the use of the idiomatic combination of words that could be unfamiliar to the target audience and explaining the idiom while translating it in a simplified, non-idiomatic, and direct way (let us say in other simple words).

• Translation by omission: This strategy is employed when an idiomatic expression from the original text is left out or swapped with a different one in the translated text. This strategy is used when the target language lacks a similar idiomatic expression or when the source idiomatic expression is difficult to translate in a way that preserves all its meaningful components. Note that translators do not need to use this strategy, as paraphrasing is still available and should be prioritised. In other words, why should we use omission (deletion or swapping) when we could explain the source idiomatic expression in simple words from the target language? Therefore, we need a more satisfying reason for using omission instead of paraphrasing (e.g., does the source idiom raise a sensitive issue?).

These strategies, which may constitute a straightforward taxonomy for translating idiomatic expressions, are treated in the current study as a theoretical background for visualizing how translators deal with idiomatic expressions, particularly those drawn from Jordanian Arabic, when translating into English.

In this study, it is expected that the translator (particularly in the Netflix translation of the two target movies) opts for idiomatic translations (i.e., the first two strategies). This prediction is based on the view that cultures tend to have many common idiomatic expressions that may have similar meanings and forms, or at least similar meanings, as people from different cultural backgrounds tend to have many similar past experiences that generate relatively similar idiomatic expressions that summarize these experiences. Concerning translation by paraphrase, it is predicted to be used but less frequently, especially in the absence of an idiomatic equivalent in the target language. It is expected to be a last resort to preserve the meaning of a source idiomatic expression, either denotative, connotative, or both. As for translation by omission, it is not expected to be used much, as it is so costly; it wastes the meaning of the source idiom by deleting or replacing it.

Several studies have discussed the challenges of translating idioms between Arabic and English, including those by Al-Musawi (2014), Dweik and Suleiman (2013) and Thalji and Dweik (2015). Howwar (2013) discusses the meanings and translations of selected Arabic and English idioms, along with the challenges encountered by learners and translators. He asserts that idioms cannot be translated literally, as context, semantic relativity, and equivalence become significant considerations. An excellent translation is closely tied to communicative and linguistic competence, knowledge of the idiomatic context, and the effective deployment of suitable translation techniques. His findings indicate that, although an idiom may be available in the target language the translator seeks to develop, the entire process is both exhausting and time-consuming.

As far as AVT is concerned, studies on idiomatic translation in Arabic-English subtitling are scarce. However, recent literature has begun to address subtitling on streaming platforms, focusing on the challenges of conveying culturally bound or sensitive language in a subtle way. Olimat et al. (2023) study, for instance, the subtitling of Jinn and Al-Rawabi School for Girls. It shows that the balance between translation and cultural substitution tends to tip in favor of the former, whereas generalization and omission often lead to meaning loss and audience dissatisfaction. El Farahaty and Alwazna (2024) similarly state that subtitling cultural references and sensitive elements in Netflix content often entails loss of cultural specificity. This loss is typically conditioned by time/space constraints, the choice of translator, and platform conventions. Ali et al. (2024) examine the subtitling of Saudi Arabic slang in Netflix films and show that, while strategies such as paraphrasing, generalization, and cultural substitution are employed, they are sometimes unsuccessful at conveying the intended meaning.

These studies generally advocate a combined approach to idiomatic translation in AVT, prioritizing idiomatic equivalence whenever feasible. When no direct equivalents exist, they suggest using paraphrasing or other strategies. The current study tests this hypothesis by subtitling two Jordanian films, The Alleys and Blessed Benefits, and examining both the actual Netflix subtitles and the alternative translations proposed by the researchers.

Data have been drawn from the popular audiovisual platform Netflix, aligning with the study’s interests in the careful harvesting of tokens and other core segments from the two target films produced in Jordan, which are steeped in Jordanian dialectal idioms. The Standard Arabic and English versions have been systematically aligned with the gathered idiomatic expressions in both intralingual and interlingual translated contexts.

A manual method of data collection has been adopted precisely and controlled in this respect. This collection of data is then aligned with the original Arabic dialogues, as well as their corresponding renditions in Standard Arabic and English translations, through a series of meticulous alignment procedures. Such alignment, as illustrated at the beginning of Section 3 in Table 1, provides a channel for a holistic, thorough comparison between the original Arabic text and its English translation.

The compiled Jordanian idiomatic expressions, along with their corresponding subtitling, underwent an in-depth qualitative analysis. The primary objective of this analysis is to identify the strategies employed in translating target Jordanian idiomatic expressions, based on Baker’s Taxonomy. Additionally, it aims to highlight the challenges that translators encounter in accurately conveying the meaning of an idiomatic expression within a specific context and translating it into the target language in the most effective manner. The expected strategies that translators employed are those listed in Baker’s (1992) Taxonomy. Note that the source idiomatic expression can be literally translated and integrated into the target text. Thus, this could be treated as a fifth strategy.

The main procedures of the current study are as follows:

• Gathering common idiomatic expressions that were spoken in the two selected Jordanian movies.

• Aligning the Arabic Jordanian idiomatic expressions with their English translation in tables.

• Classifying the selected Jordanian idiom with its English translation

• Identifying the used strategy to translate each idiomatic expression, following Baker’s taxonomy.

• Determining challenges or obstacles that could make a particular translation inaccurate or not optimal.

• Offering alternative translations if the available translation is not accurate or optimal, and illustrating why an alternative translation is superior to the available translation.

As stated at the end of Section 2, this analysis is meant to test the plausibility of the following hypothesis: idiomatic translation should be prioritized, and in the absence of idiomatic equivalents, translation by paraphrase is the resort to secure the meaning of the idiom. Any other translation strategy should be kept aside unless it is made evident that any other strategy (e.g., omission and literal translation) is adequate in a particular context.

The first idiomatic expression, which is an oath, is علي الطلاق (ʕala-j jit ^ʕ -t ^ʕ alaag). It is a means of stating an oath that may show that the speaker tries to add more emphasis on the stated proposition and show seriousness and/or honesty, as the speaker knows that the addressee doubts what is said. The same level of emphasis, maybe, does not exist in other oath expressions, such as والله ‘by Allah’, due to the sensitivity of the issue of الطلاق ‘divorce’. On this basis, it seems that translating علي الطلاق as I swear (to God/Allah) is not precisely equivalent, as the cultural dimension of the sacredness of divorce is not carried along with the meaning of making an oath to English, the target language. Furthermore, the seriousness of the speaker and the accompanying message, which asserts that the speaker is honest, have also not been effectively conveyed in the target language (and certainly not to the target English audience or those who know English).

Netflix translation of this token is provided in Table 1. The strategy employed in the Netflix translation involves using an English idiomatic expression in a different form, yet one that retains a meaning that appears similar.

However, it should be noted that the translator finds an oath or idiom in the target language that serves a similar meaning, albeit not the exact meaning, of the source language. The exact meaning of the Arabic oath is ‘I swear I will divorce my wife (e.g., the hearer does not do what the speaker asks him/her to do).’ This kind of extra meaning seems difficult for the target audience to grasp, so there is no exact equivalent in the target language. Using a meaningfully similar oath, such as “I swear,” could be clear to the target audience, though it loses some of the source oath’s meaningful specifications. To wrap up, the idea of finding an idiom that has the same meaning appears to be so optimistic, as the source idiom has its own peculiarities (e.g., cultural, religious, and social specificities) that cannot altogether be carried by the target idiom, as it may already lack them. Moreover, the opposite scenario is possible; the intrinsic peculiarities of the target idiom that may not exist in the source idiom are impossible to detach from because they are built in the minds of most native speakers. This discussion implies that having the same meaning for two idioms from different languages and cultures is not impossible, but is hard to find. It also implies that the translation, ‘I swear’, seems to be acceptable, yet it is not optimal due to the loss of extra meaning of the source idiom. The loss is cultural and connotative. To secure this loss (or, more precisely, some of it), translation by paraphrase may come at work to explain the seriousness of the speaker and his/her insistence on his/her honesty, especially in serious situations. For example, ‘look! I am serious, and I swear that…’ can preserve the seriousness expressed by the source idiom. Another possible translation can be achieved by seeking an alternative idiomatic expression that conveys the same extra meaning. In this case, ‘I swear by God’, which is the full form of I swear, should replace it, as this full form definitely expresses seriousness.

The second colloquial expression under study is النكد اجا (ʔin-nakad ʔidʒa). The word nakad is glossed as misery; however, it should be noted that the exact meaning of nakad is equivalent to the nominal form of the adjective bad-tempered (supposedly, that English native speakers could easily understand the just-invented noun bad-tempered (-ness), which should mean the permanent quality of being bad-tempered).

As shown in the literal translation suggested by the researchers in Table 2, the Jordanian idiom describes the extent of a person is badness. The English nominal forms suggested by the literal translation should convey the same permanent meaning as the Arabic noun nakad. Specifically, the Arabic idiom does not contain the adjectival form nikid, which can be roughly translated as ‘grumpy’. It rather has the nominal form nakad to indicate that the quality of being ill-tempered is rooted and permanent in the personality of the referent. Another possible connotation using the nominal form is to indicate that the referent himself/herself is the incarnation of the quality of being bad-tempered, to show exaggeration. At this point, the English audience is expected to be watching the host’s translation of this Jordanian idiom and should be able to understand this message as they see the referent move towards the table where the speaker is sitting. On this basis, literal translation, albeit non-idiomatic, is informative at the semantic and pragmatic levels.

Let us now consider the Netflix translation provided in Table 2: ‘comes the nagging’. The semantic/direct meaning is delivered by this translation, as nagging is very close in meaning to nakad. More specifically, being bad-tempered could be linked to consistent complaining. However, the bad-tempered person could remain silent and spread a sense of misery among those close to them. As for the connotative load of the Arabic idiom, it can be conveyed by this English translation, as both have a negative sense. Concerning the cultural aspect, a more idiomatic expression can be found in English. For example, ‘consider the Grinch’, which is a name typically associated with a grumpy person who enjoys spoiling the pleasure of others (Online Merriam-Webster). On this basis, the Netflix translation partially fails to convey the denotative, connotative, and cultural load of the Arabic idiom.

Adopting Baker’s taxonomy, Netflix’s translation in Table 2 should be treated as a paraphrase. If we deal with Baker’s taxonomy as a hierarchy and what incurs fewer violations to this taxonomy is better, ‘here comes the Grinch’ should be superior to ‘here comes the nagging’, as both convey the intended meaning, yet the former is idiomatic (i.e., it has the same meaning but different form). The previous discussion suggests that paraphrasing is an effective translation technique, particularly when an English idiom is unavailable to convey the intended meaning.

The third colloquial expression that is explored in this part is المرا حردت (ʔil-marah ħardat). The verb ħardat means that a wife went to her parents’ house. As shown in Table 3, the Netflix translation of this expression is not faithful to its direct semantic meaning in the source language. In other words, leaving the husband/the house could be for any reason, not necessarily because of being angry. Alternatively, she could be sad or disappointed. Moreover, the English translation does not accurately reflect the wife’s decision to leave the house. It only tells that she is angry. It should be noted here that the verb ħardat, which involves the meaning of leaving and a reason for leaving, exceptionally in the context of a husband and a wife, may not exist in the English culture. The verb ‘leave’ is not exceptional in the context of a husband and a wife. As for the cultural load, the failure to convey the literal meaning of the idiom results in cultural loss, as the meaning of ‘leaving with anger’ is not expressed. This implies that this translation leads to denotative and, therefore, cultural loss. Thus, finding an idiomatic expression in the target language that could be equal to the Arabic one seems to be impossible.

Hence, paraphrasing, as in ‘the woman left me alone and went back to her parents’ house’, could be the optimal translation strategy of this Arabic idiomatic expression. Not that paraphrasing is paired with precise explicitation. Specifically, it is made clear that the Arabic verb ħardat involves leaving and returning to one’s parents’ house. Another optional piece that could be added is the reason; however, this information can be inferred by the English audience from the movie’s sequence of events. To summarize the discussion of the translation of the idiom in Table 3, Netflix’s translation relies on paraphrasing, which is adequate, but fails to convey its full meaning. Therefore, translators should use this strategy with caution.

The fourth expression is the colloquial sarcastic expression فرطت معنا (fart ^ʕ at maʕ-i). This expression means that the speaker is fed up and cannot bear a certain situation, as in the following example: اتحملت اهاناته, بالاخير فرطت معي وبهدلته (ʔitħammal-it ʔihaanaat-u w-b-il-ʔaxiir fart ^ʕ at maʕi ) ‘I bore his insults, but at the end I could not bear it and I insulted him back.’

Let us consider the Netflix translation in Table 4. The strategy used is paraphrasing, which seems appropriate. However, the negative connotation of the Arabic idiomatic expression does not exist in the English paraphrase ‘We’re done for tonight’. This translation does not convey the impression that the speaker is upset, fed up, or unable to bear it. Moreover, this translation does not convey the sarcastic meaning of the Arabic idiom, namely that the speaker is about to explode. Thus, the English translation seems to be connotatively neutral, unlike the Arabic idiom. Since the pragmatic sense of this Arabic idiom is culturally bound, this Netflix translation also leads to cultural loss.

This means that paraphrasing that carries the full meaningful load is a suitable translation strategy, particularly when there is no direct English equivalent. In this case, ‘we are fed up with’ is a suitable paraphrase, as it suggests that the speaker is upset, has grown tired of something, and is about to sarcastically explore it. However, an idiom with a similar meaning, even if it has a different form, such as ‘be fed up to the back teeth with…’ in the following sentence, ‘I’m fed up to the back teeth with being criticized all the time’, should be more adequate, as it can carry much of the connotative load of the Arabic idiomatic expression.

Another Arabic expression is الله لا يخلف عليك (ʔallah laa jixlif ʕalee-k). This expression is a prayer against somebody, as in أخذت حقي، الله لا يخلف عليك ʔaxað-it ħagg-i! ʔallah laa jixlif ʕalee-k ‘You commandeered my property! May Allah not pay you back.’

The translation of the prayer indicates that the speaker is so upset by the bad deed of the hearer. Therefore, he is praying to Allah that He will not give the hearer anything back. As for the Netflix translation in Table 5, which is ‘it’s your fault’, it does not transfer the direct semantic meaning of the Arabic prayer to English. Furthermore, it does not convey the connotative message that the speaker feels that he is a victim and that the hearer is unfair. As noted above, pragmatic loss typically leads to cultural loss. Specifically, the speaker’s wish that Allah would not compensate the addressee, which is a cultural and religious concept, is not transferred to the foreign audience.

The phrase ‘May Allah not pay you back in (10)’ is not familiar to the target audience and may cause misunderstanding. Therefore, translators could look for a religious idiomatic expression that serves this purpose, even if it differs in form (and perhaps slightly in meaning). One alternative is ‘May God curse you!’ Cursing leads to seizing God’s blessings and rewards, which is similar to the meaning of ‘May Allah not pay you back’. Again, idiomatic semi-equivalence is way better than paraphrasing, even if the idiom has a different form and a slight difference in meaning. Here, we present some cultural alternatives that may convey the intended meaning: ‘May God let you down,’ ‘May God not grant you success,’ and ‘May God disappoint you.’

Another sarcastic expression under scrutiny in this part is سحبو النمل saħab-o ʔin-nimil. This expression is typically used when people are looking for a person in a particular place but do not know where he/she is. It is an expression of ironic exaggeration. It contains a visual image; the referent is pulled by ants after sugar is sprinkled on this person.

Turning to the translation of this expression in Table 6, the Arabic expression is translated literally:

At first glance, the literal translation could be understood by some members of the English audience if they could grasp the image of being dragged away by ants. If the foreign audience can grasp the image, this translation successfully conveys all meaningful aspects: denotative, connotative, and cultural. However, it is possible that English has an idiom with a similar meaning, even if it takes a different form.

For example, this Arabic idiom can be translated using the English partially equivalent idiom ‘to vanish into thin air,’ which means to disappear completely. One of the merits of this idiomatic translation strategy, specifically an English idiom with a similar meaning but a different form, is that it conveys the source idiom’s sense of humor; the source and target expressions use different images to ironically mock the absence of a person. The first image is being dragged by ants, and the second image is fading away like a spirit.

To wrap up this subsection, the most frequently used strategy for translating idioms on Netflix is paraphrasing. It could be an adequate translation strategy when the direct meaning of the source idiom and most of its connotative core are transferred to the target language. However, semi-equivalent idiomatic translation (i.e., similar in meaning and distinct in form) is possible. When it is found, it should outrank paraphrase, as this type of translation pairs a cultural component (i.e., idiom) from the source language with one from the target language. It has also been demonstrated in this subsection that finding an idiom in the target language that is similar in meaning to the source idiom but differs in form is possible, although it requires time and effort from translators. As for finding an idiom that is identical to the source idiom in meaning and form is much harder and many times impossible, as people in different parts of the world typically undergo many experiences in life, yet they end with the same messages, and this is why we find a lot of idioms that differ in form in different languages, yet they give similar meanings.

The first idiomatic expression in this part is قصة يعلكوها gis ^ʕ s ^ʕ ah jiʕilk-uu-ha. This expression is often used in Jordanian Arabic when a particular event keeps circulating. The connotation of this idiomatic expression is that the speaker is trying to mock how people insist on circulating this event. Note that the mockery of this act is visual; it is described as chewing gum, which is commonly used to waste time. Circulating a trivial event, which could be personal, is just like chewing gum. The source idiomatic expression may involve exaggeration, as some details can be intentionally changed.

Concerning the Netflix translation in Table 7, the Arabic expression قصة يعلكوها is literally translated in English, as shown in bold:

However, the image of chewing gum as a visual representation of a trivial event for no real purpose does not seem to be available in the target culture (in English). Therefore, this translation may not be fully understood by most of the audience. Another reason that the image of chewing may not be easily linked to circulating a trivial event is that the image of chewing is tied with actions more than tales and stories in English, as can be observed in the English idiomatic expressions ‘bite off more than he could chew’, for example in ‘he bought the old hotel but soon realized he had bitten off more than he could chew.’ The image of chewing off more than one could chew means that he is trying to do something very difficult. On this basis, the literal translation of the Arabic idiom seems problematic, as it is expected to fail connotatively and culturally.

Alternatively, the translator should look for a more appropriate English idiomatic expression that conveys the idea that circulating rumors without a reason is bad. At this point, an English idiomatic expression like ‘dishing the dirt’ could be used to convey that when people repeatedly share an event/tale, they are doing so in an embarrassing way. Note that the original image of chewing off is replaced with a more negative image, depicting the act of dishing out the dirt.

Another expression is القصة مستوية ʔil-gis ^ʕ s ^ʕ ah mistawijjeh. This Arabic idiomatic expression indicates that an incomplete piece of news is now complete. However, the elements that make it complete are not necessarily taken from authentic sources. They could be mere fabrications.

In the Netflix translation, القصة مستوية in Table 8 is rendered idiomatically as ‘spin a web,’ which effectively captures the meaning of the Arabic idiom, whereas the English counterpart suggests that one lie leads to another big lie. On this basis, the Netflix translation, which employs a strategy of using an idiom with a similar meaning, is skillfully conducted, as the translator seeks a suitable English idiomatic expression that reflects the denotative, connotative, and cultural load of the source idiom.

The expression لقطة lugt ^ʕ ah is widely spoken in Arabic vernaculars. It means that something is a catch or a perfect choice. The Netflix translation provided in Table 9 involves rendering the colloquial Arabic expression عريس لقطة into English as He’s a catch.

According to Baker’s taxonomy, the applied translation strategy is the use of an idiom of similar meaning and form. The English idiom ‘he’s a catch’ conveys a similar meaning to the Arabic expression عريس لقطة. Both expressions suggest that the person being referred to is highly desirable or attractive. The translator has opted for an idiomatic expression in the target language that effectively communicates the intended meaning in a culturally appropriate manner. Thus, ‘he’s a catch’ is generally culturally equivalent to the Arabic idiom. The expression عريس لقطة is often used in Arabic vernaculars to compliment or praise someone, indicating that the person is desirable or attractive, especially in the context of marriage. The English translation ‘he’s a catch’ carries a similar connotation, suggesting that the person is worth pursuing or has desirable qualities. In this case, the Netflix translation captures the positive and complimentary nature of the original Arabic expression. Thus, it conveys the denotative and cultural aspects of the source idiom.

The last Jordanian Arabic expression in this study is يغص بالك jɣus ^ʕ baala-k. It is a means of stating a wish to the addressee to make his/her mind full of bad thoughts. The connotative image of ‘bad thoughts stuck in the mind’ in this expression is similar to that in ‘a bite that is stuck in the throat’. Typically, this idiom is used when the addressee does something the speaker dislikes, considers wrong, or considers a bad act.

Regarding the Netflix translation, the translator deletes the source idiom from the English translation and replaces it with a translation that is only loosely related to the source idiom, as shown in Table 10, because it cannot convey the full denotative and connotative meanings of the Arabic idiom. Thus, the Netflix translation fails to convey the denotative, connotative, and cultural load of the source idiom.

Due to the lack of an idiomatic (semi-)equivalent in English, paraphrasing could be an optional strategy to translate this idiom, such as ‘I wish that you become ill-tempered’, as you did something bad to me.

Consider Table 11, which shows the number of occurrences of each strategy employed to translate the targeted idioms. Regarding Strategy 1 (Idiom of Similar Meaning and Form), the only available translation is denotatively, connotatively, and culturally adequate. It is scarce, as it is difficult to find. Concerning Strategy 2 (Idiom of Similar Meaning but Dissimilar Form), it has been observed that in one case, the translation is denotatively, connotatively, and culturally adequate. Regarding the other instance, an alternative strategy is suggested: pairing an Idiom of Similar Meaning but Dissimilar Form with an added explanatory phrase to convey the connotative load. Paraphrasing is the most common type of translation used by Netflix. One translation is effective denotatively and connotatively, yet it is not culturally adequate. Therefore, translation by an Idiom of Similar Meaning but Dissimilar Form is suggested to resolve this problem. Another translation by paraphrase totally fails to convey all the meaningful and cultural aspects. Therefore, Literal Translation is suggested, as it could secure the denotative and connotative load of the source idiom. The last two cases of Translation by Paraphrase lead to connotative, and therefore cultural loss. As a resolution, translations that are based on the strategy of Idiom of Similar Meaning but Dissimilar Form are suggested to preserve these aspects. Regarding the two cases of Literal Translation, one Netflix translation can convey the denotative, connotative, and cultural aspects of the source idiom; however, a translation that is a form of Idiom of Similar Meaning but Dissimilar Form is also suggested. Although the cultural image is different, nonetheless, it should sound more natural to the English audience. As for the second case, it is expected to fail on both connotative and cultural grounds. Therefore, a translation that has an Idiom of Similar Meaning but dissimilar form is provided to avoid this problem. Finally, Omission is a form of total loss. In this case, all the other strategies should be better than omission. If a (semi-)equivalent English idiom could not be found, the translator could resort to Translation by Paraphrase or even Literal Translation.

A final remark, raised by one of the anonymous reviewers and worth discussing, concerns how subtitling idiomatic expressions affects the target audience’s comprehension and cultural perceptions. Idioms are intrinsically culture-bound and often rely on figurative meanings. When idioms are translated literally in audiovisual media, the target audience may misinterpret the intended message or perceive it as nonsensical or humorous. For instance, the literal translation of the Jordanian Arabic idiom ‘سحبو النمل’, which is ‘the ants pulled him’ or ‘he got dragged by the ants’ fails to capture the intended meaning, which is ‘he is lost’ or ‘he disappeared.’ This is a literal translation that may puzzle English-speaking audiences, who, upon a brief glance, either visual or literal, fail to perceive the figurative implication of absence or disappearance. The intended meaning translation does not carry along the pragmatics of that idiom. The speaker uses the expression humorously to emphasize the person’s absence, almost joking that the referent has been taken away by ants. That humor, together with the soft irony, is difficult to recreate in an English subtitle; however, with that loss of figurative liveliness, the English subtitles remain almost meaningless. This example demonstrates that subtitle strategies significantly shape viewers’ perceptions, cultural understanding, and emotional engagement with the audiovisual text. The discussion thus emphasizes that, where no direct equivalent exists in the target language, idiomatic translation or paraphrasing should take precedence over literal translation.

Such context-sensitive strategies help preserve both the semantic and pragmatic dimensions of the idiom while maintaining naturalness and cultural coherence in the subtitle.

To wrap up, in the absence of an idiomatic equivalent (in form and meaning) or semi-equivalent (only in meaning), a paraphrase should come to work as a last resort. As for deleting the source idiom, it is costly and wastes some of the source text’s content; therefore, it should not be an option for a translator. Finally, literal translation is typically not a good strategy; however, it can be adequate by coincidence when the source idiom is easily understood by the target (English) audience (e.g., the image of the source idiom can be perceived by both audiences in the same way).