SURVIVAL SPANISH GUIDE FOR GUIRIS 2

"E X P R E S S I O N S"

Well, while being in Spain, you probably are hearing them around you really, really often, we have thousands of them, and we use them a lot. Some come from a popular origin or are traditional sayings, some of them are nowadays slang creations, but all of them are very helpful to express yourself, and if you got to learn some of them you will impress, for sure, your spanish friends.

This section will be, probably, the most enjoyable and funniest of this web page, for you to practise on, and the harder for me to work on, cause I have to think about how to explain the situations in which we use the expressions and specially about translating the idea of the meaning. The inspiration for the whole web page came for those hilarious and funny moments in which I tried to explain some of these expressions to my intercambio "guiri" friend Alex, he sometimes, specially while being with my group of friends turned into a sort of desperation about expressions. That“s how the idea of a web page to help you "guiris" with this stroke me.
A good place to find common and slang spanish expressions are the songs of a spanish singer named Joaquin Sabina,... well that was an Alex“s discovery, and it is a very good tip for you all.

I will organize them by alfabetical order and explain you the meaning, so you can know when you can drop them in a conversation. Don“t forget that the section dedicated to the verbs "Ser & Estar" , is close connected to this one because it contains the expressions made with those verbs, you will find here links to go and see them.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - L
LL - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - Z

A

A LA CHITA CALLANDO

It is said when someone has done something stealthyly that has brought him/her a profit. You say for example: look at this one "a la chita callando" he has achieved this goal.

A HURTADILLAS

It is said when someone has done something on the sly.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSION: "A ESCONDIDAS"

A TONTAS Y A LOCAS

When you act recklessly, you act "a tontas y a locas".

A TRANCAS Y BARRANCAS

When you find too many difficulties to achieve something, but you finally manage to do it , you do it "a trancas y barrancas".

ACABAR COMO EL ROSARIO DE LA AURORA

It means something ended with a quarrel or a fight.

AL BUEN TUNTŚN

To do something haphazard: To do something "al buen tuntśn".

ALEGRARSE LAS PESTAŃAS

It“s used, when you see someone, boy or girl, who seems to you goodlooking, so your eyes, in this case, it“s said your eyelashes get happy to see that.

ANDAR A SALTO DE MATA

It“s used when you go from a place to another rushing, and you don“t have time to get any food or drink or rest.

ANDARSE CON RODEOS

It means to beat about the bush.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSION: "ANDARSE POR LAS RAMAS"

B

BAJADA DE PANTALONES

When you accept something in bad conditions to your interests, it has been a "bajada de pantalones".

BUSCARLE LOS TRES PIES AL GATO

When something is clear but someone tries to complicate it, or find a more complicated explanation to it, we say to him/her:
"No le busques los tres pies al gato".
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSION: "BUSCARLE LAS VUELTAS A ALGO"

C

CAER ALGO EN SACO ROTO

An advise that is not taken on account: "cae en saco roto"

CORTAR EL BACALAO

It“s said that someone "corta el bacalao" when he/she is the one who rules or takes the decisions.

D

DAR ESQUINAZO

When someone is bothering you and you got to avoid him/her or someone is following you and you got to make him/her loose the scent.

DAR LA LATA

To bore someone.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"DAR LA PALIZA", "SOLTAR UN ROLLO", "PONERSE PESADO".

DEJAR A ALGUIEN EN LA ESTACADA

To leave someone in the lurch.

DIVERTIRSE COMO UN ENANO

When you have had really great fun: "Me he divertido como un enano".
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"PASARSELO COMO UN ENANO" , "PASARSELO CAŃÓN", "PASARLO BOMBA", "PASARLO PIPA".

E

GO TO VERB ESTAR

ECHAR DE MENOS

To miss someone or something.

ECHAR LAS CAMPANAS AL VUELO

To make a big celebration because you have achieve a goal.

EN BOCA CERRADA NO ENTRAN MOSCAS

It is said to someone that has said something he/she shouldn“t have said, so he has put his/her foot on his/her mouth.

F

FALTARLE A ALGUIEN UN HERVOR

It is said of someone who desperate you because he/she is tardy to understand or to do something. In a figured way it means that when her/him was made the work finished before the proper time to be normal.

FALTARLE A ALGUIEN UN PELO PARA . . .

To have been about to do or to happen to you something that you didn“t do or finally didn“t happen to you: Example: "Me faltó un pelo para caerme" - "I was about to fall".
It can also be said with a different construction: "Faltó un pelo para que me cayera"
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"ESTAR A PUNTO DE . . ."

FUMAR EN PIPA

It means someone is very angry. This expressions must be used with the verb ESTAR: "ESTOY QUE FUMO EN PIPA".

G

H

HACER DE TRIPAS CORAZÓN

HACER EL INDIO

To fool around

HACERSE EL SUECO

To pretend not to hear.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"HACERSE EL SORDO".

HACE UN DIA DE PERROS

When the day is very cold and rainy.

I

IR DE UN LADO A OTRO

To go from here to there, to be very busy.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
ANDAR DE AQUI PARA ALLĮ, "ESTAR QUE NO PARAS" (example: "Estoy que no paro"), "ESTAR DE AQUI PARA ALLĮ", "IR DE UN LADO PARA OTRO".

J

L

LL

LLORAR A LAGRIMA VIVA

LLOVER A MARES

M

MAREAR LA PERDIZ

It is used when you talk and talk about something in an useless way, that won“t take you to any solution, walking in circles around the problem.

METER LA PATA

It means to put your foot on your mouth.

N

O

P

PARAR EN SECO

To stop suddenly.

PONER CARA DE POCOS AMIGOS

To show in your face yhat you are not friendly.

PONER ALGO EN ENTREDICHO

To doubt about something someone has said.

PONER EN PRĮCTICA

To carry out.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"LLEVAR A LA PRĮCTICA" , "LLEVAR A CABO".

PONER EN REMOJO

PONERSE MANOS A LA OBRA

To get busy.

PONER MALA CARA

To show in your face that you dislike something.

Q

R

S

GO TO VERB SER

SACAR A BAILAR

SACAR ADELANTE

SACAR A ALGUIEN DE QUICIO

To exasperate someone, make someone lose his/her temper, drive someone crazy. Example: Someone or something "me saca de quicio".
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"SACAR A ALGUIEN DE SUS CASILLAS", "VOLVER LOCO A ALGUIEN", "PONER A ALGUIEN DE LOS NERVIOS", "SACAR DE SI A ALGUIEN".

SACAR ALGO DE QUICIO

To strain something.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"SACAR ALGO DE MADRE", "RETORCER LAS COSAS".

SACAR A RELUCIR

To mention something.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"SACAR A COLACIÓN".

SACARSE ALGO DE LA MANGA

SACAR EN CLARO

To deduce clearly from a fact.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"SACAR EN LIMPIO".

SACAR FUERZAS DE FLAQUEZA

SACAR LAS CASTAŃAS DEL FUEGO A ALGUIEN

EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"SACAR A ALGUIEN DEL ATOLLADERO", "SACAR DE APUROS A ALGUIEN", "DAR LA CARA POR ALGUIEN".

SACAR LAS UŃAS

SACAR LOS TRAPOS SUCIOS

SACAR LOS COLORES A ALGUIEN

SACAR LOS PIES DEL TIESTO

When someone does something surprising because it is completely opposite to his/her nature, for example someone very shy who one day acts very openly.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"SACAR LOS PIES DEL PLATO".

SACAR PARTIDO A ALGO

SACARSE PARTIDO

SACAR PECHO

EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"HACERSE EL VALIENTE".

SACAR TAJADA

To get a profit.

SACAR VENTAJA

SALIRSE DE MADRE

EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"DESMADRARSE". (It is a verb).

T

TENER ALGO ENTRE MANOS

To be busy with something, just when someone talks to you.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"ESTAR OCUPADO" , "ESTAR LIADO CON ALGO".

TENER MAS CARA QUE ESPALDA

Someone "tiene mįs cara que espalda" is said of that people who , for example, invite themselves to your home, drink and eat everything on your fridge without replacing anything, if you are on a queue that one who tries to sneak in.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"SER UN CARADURA" , "TENER MUCHA CARA", "TENER MUCHO MORRO" , "TENER UN MORRO QUE SE LO PISA", "TENER MORRAZO".

TENER UN RIFIRRAFE CON ALGUIEN

To have a squabble with somebody.

TIRAR A ALGUIEN DE LA LENGUA

It means to persuade someone to tell you something he/she is reluctant to tell, we say to the one who is demanding us to tell it: "no me tires de la lengua".

TRAERSE ENTRE MANOS

Having plans in mind.
EQUIVALENT EXPRESSIONS:
"ESTAR OCUPADO" , "ESTAR LIADO CON ALGO".

U

V

Z

E
GO TO VERB ESTAR
ECHAR DE MENOS	To miss someone or something.
ECHAR LAS CAMPANAS AL VUELO	To make a big celebration because you have achieve a goal.
EN BOCA CERRADA NO ENTRAN MOSCAS	It is said to someone that has said something he/she shouldn“t have said, so he has put his/her foot on his/her mouth.