“The detective took down his testimony on the spot”.
Is “tirato giù” a literal translation?
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Interesting. It reminds me a little of “Mi butta giù!” (It really got me down!) so perhaps this is how a Detective would speak. Aspettiamo…
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“Tirare” is a very versatile verb. Take a look at the variety of meanings on Wordreference, at least one of which will, er, raise an eyebrow.
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Ahia! Ho capito 
!
Ciao @morbrorper A madrelingua commented “Dante si rivolta nella tomba :-D” Better to say “ha raccolto la testimonianza…” Evidently in Eastern Lombard dialects and in the Veneto, the “giú” is used a lot.
Interesting.
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English Translation
The detective took down his testimony on the spot.
The detective took down his testimony on the spot.I’d like to reopen this discussion. The comments so far are interesting, but none of them directly address the difference between taking down notes and taking down an opponent. Just because the two phrases are exactly the same in English doesn’t mean they are exactly the same in Italian. An Italian might think this meant that the testimony was refuted or criticized. I wouldn’t advise anyone to use this to mean writing something down. Once again, I feel it underscores the dangers of word-for-word translations.
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Interestingly I put “The policeman took down/ beat down the burglar” and it gave me “Il poliziotto ha fermato il ladro” and “Il poliziotto ha picchiato il ladro”.
I’ve heard “Mi butta giù” when something “gets me down” so perhaps “tirato giù” works well here. You’re so right about the dangers of wfw translations.
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