Another way to say housework: Oficios Domésticos

I preferred QQ.DD. just because of the mystery behind it. However, Ecuador is a long way from El Salvador, and the authorities prefer Oficios Domésticos to QQ.DD, apparently. The good part about this term, is that it leaves no room for conjecture as to what it means. The word "domésticos" gives it away.

The odd part about both terms is that they do not describe an occupation but rather what the housewife (or more politically correct, homemaker) does. Why not put "ama de casa" instead?

Now back to my "oficios traduccionales".

QQ.DD.

Context means so much to us translators. I can't think of anything that makes me scratch my head (or perhaps tear my hair out) more is an abbreviation or acronym without any context! I might as well be translating with my eyes closed.

The other day, I came across QQ.DD. on an Ecuadorian marriage certificate under the heading of occupation. I looked high and low, long and hard on Google and Kudoz and came up with nothing but the initials QQ.DD. on an Ecuadorian website. I knew two things from the outset: It was an occupation because it was under that heading, and whatever the initials stood for, it was a plural word (how inventive of Spanish to double initials for the plural!).

And bingo! I thought of quehaceres domésticos(homemaker or housewife in English), because the person was a woman, and I couldn't think of any kind of a pharmacist's title in Spanish that would fit the bill (they are called químico farmaceútico in Chile). I immediately went to Google and entered: QQ.DD. Quehaceres Domésticos, and this is what I got: http://www.google.cl/search?q=qq.dd.+quehaceres+domesticos.

It's wonderful when those gears in my head churn and I am able to pounce on an answer like this. I am sure I will remember this term for the rest of my life!