Mexicanismos 1 Flashcards
Chile that goes on side of plateraw chile, toasted chile
Chile de amor chile crudo, chile toreado
Packed in (people)bursting at the seams
A reventar¿Fuiste al antro anoche? El lugar estaba a reventar.
speaking a lot without saying anything
cantinfleardeja de cantinflear
a little bit, a small amount
chirrisSírveme un chirris de whiskey.Ese coche es demasiado chirris para mí.
completely
de planoEse tipo de plano está loco.
a little of everything
de tocho morochoElena entró en la panadería y compró de tocho morocho.
in a group
en bolaFuimos en bola a ver la nueva peli.When Mexicans go out en bola, they are going out with the whole gang.
a lot of, very
hartoMi patrón tiene harto dinero.El vestido te queda harto grande.Hace harto frío.
there is a lot of something
hay pa’ aventar pa’ arriba.Después de la boda, todos nuestros amigos nos mandaron las fotos que sacaron. Ahora hay pa’ aventar pa’ arriba.
a little bit
tantito, aRegálame tantita azúcar, porfa.Espéreme tantito, por favor.
everyone and his mother
un titipuchal¡No! ¡Hubieras visto el titipuchal de gente!
Válgame Dios, Mirx, me acabas de decir rural o iletrado, pos mire asté (sic) :D, es verdad que no diría nunca “titipuchal” enfrente de amigos que acabo de conocer y muchísimo menos en alguna conferencia, pero en mi familia o con amigos de confianza sí la digo (y ellos también) sobre todo, porque no es lo mismo que “un montón”, es más que eso (sin embargo algunos de ellos, que sí pecan de poca educación y no precisamente académica dicen “un chingo “
get the drift
agarrar la ondaTraté de explicar al jefe mi ausencia, pero no me agarró la onda.
reveal secrets
balconearEn la fiesta del domingo sus amigas la balconearon con todas sus indiscreciones.
don’t say anything
No chistes nada; hay pájaros en el alambre.No chisté nada. I didn’t say a word. 2 El niño fue a la escuela sin chistar. The boy went to school without complaint.
this and that
asi y asado (from asi y asa)No seas así y asado.
no! really?, oh wow
a pocoA: ¿Escuchaste que María está encinta? B: ¿A poco?
to check
checar (instead of revisar)There are certain elements of Mexican Spanish with unusual syntax, that is, a curious word order. You may hear people say: Deja checo. (Let me check.) Normally, this would be Déjame checar. Also, the pronoun su means his, her, or your. Due to the possible ambiguity, instead of saying su mamá, in everyday speech you will often hear su mamá de ella, which sounds like overkill to Spanish speakers from elsewhere. Usually, the antecedent of su can be deduced by context.
supposed
dizqueFui al dizque médico, pero no me ayudó para nada.
excuse me (as in could you say something again)
mande¡Mande! No te oí.
you’re comparing apples to oranges
no es lo mismo que lo mesmoIN rural Mexico, some mispronounce mismo as mesmo. This saying is akin to: Compare apples to apples. Protest with this when you doubt the parallelism.
who knows
sepa la bolaA: ¿A qué hora es la reunión? B: Sepa la bola.
in the end said no
siempre noYo iba a jugar al parque, pero ahora mi mamá dice que siempre no.
not so fast (stop exaggerating?)
bajaleBájale, Nostradamus. Es falso que haya epidemias cada 100 años.
it would take a miracle
ni yendo a bailar a chalmaNo te van a dar el préstamo, ni yendo a bailar a Chalma.CHALMA is a town in the State of Mexico where pilgrims trek and perform a ritual dance in hopes of getting a miracle.
in exaggerated amounts
a morirCómete todo lo que quieras. Hay tacos a morir.Le echó salsa a morir en su comida.
right now
luego luego¿Quieres que vaya luego luego?
fancy talk
palabras domingueras¡Ya deja de tus palabras domingueras! Háblame sencillo.ONCE upon a time, Sundays were for church. Remember that for decades mass was held in Catholic Mexico in Latin, a language unknown to parishioners. Seldom used words plucked from dictionaries now carry this label.
it’s drizzling
chipi chipiA: ¿Cómo está el clima? B: Está chipi chipi. (Another option: Está chispeando.)
More common terms: chispear, lloviznar
thingamajig
un chuncheYes, chunche is a generic filler word. Its cousins are cachivache, tiliche, or in the plural chivas. If you are visiting the Yucatán area around Cancún, try negociante. Yet another option is to point to the object you want and say: Dame desa. Who said Spanish was hard?
boring
equisNo voy a ir a esa fiesta equis con Maribel. Ella es una chava equis. I’m not going to that boring party with Maribel. She’s a wallflower.
variation of pues
posSELECT this adverb to start your sentences, and you will sound more local. Yes, the correct pronunciation is pues, but live a little! During the 2017 Mexico City protests, some students created #posmebrinco on social media, encouraging riders to jump the turnstiles in the subway entrances.
what’s happening
¿Qué Pachuca por Toluca?A common Spanish greeting is ¿Qué pasó? Creative minds twisted this into the more informal ¿Qué pachó? From there it was just one more jump to ¿Qué Pachuca por Toluca? In this case the only relation between the two cities is that they rhyme.
my house isn’t much but you’re welcome to it
Vivo en San Juan de los Ranchos. Allí tiene su pobre casa.ONE of the first things we ask a person we meet for the first time is where they live. After telling you the name of the town, rural folks will add this line. It’s a self-deprecating offer of hospitality.
nametag
un gafeteWE all cherish wearing those little tags on our lapels at conferences that say: Hello, my name’s Bob. And especially if your name really is Bob. Standard Spanish dubs them tarjetas de solapa, but here they are gafetes.Jamison, Lee. My Burning Tongue: Mexican Spanish (p. 59). Kindle Edition.
alive and kicking
A: ¿Cómo estás? B: ¡Vivito y coleando!
imagine that
haz de cuenta que…Haz de cuenta que tienes a 100 empleados y todos piden vacaciones al mismo tiempo. ¿Qué pasaría?
canned, same old
de cajonIn English thinking outside the box is praise for creativity. But what if you stayed inside the box? Meet the Mexican phrase de cajón, literally from the box. If you are asked preguntas de cajón, they are standard questions. Chistes de cajón could be rendered the same old jokes.
oh no, dang
chale¡Chale, me estafaron!¡Chale, quebré mi taza de café!
oh my goodness
¡Chanclas, Petra!¡Chanclas, Petra! Pos, habla con él y ya. ¿Cuál es la bronca?
gross
guacalaTHIS is another interjection of surprise similar to the aforementioned ¡Chanclas! To add culinary variety, exclaim: ¡Chispas de chocolate!.
exclamation of surprise or dismay
hijole¡Híjole! ¡Esos son los mejores tacos! Wow! Those are the best tacos. 2 ¡Híjole! ¡La fila está larguísima!
okay (as in doing okay)
dos que tresA: ¿Cómo está tu abuelo? B: Dos que tres.A: How’s your grandpa? B: He’s tolerable.
chaperone
mal tercioVoy a la película gratis esta noche, pero como mal tercio. I am going to the movie tonight for free, but unfortunately as the chaperone.IN English your spouse is your better half. But what is the bad third? The chaperone, of course.
set a trap
ponerle un cuatroEl policía le puso un cuatro al ratero. The policeman set a trap for the thief.
esta frase tan mexicana —que significa que a alguien le tendieron una trampa con la mala intención y hacerlo caer mediante un engaño o un señuelo
have something dawn on you
caerle el veinteDiez minutos después de escuchar el chiste, se echó a reír. Le cayó el veinte. Ten minutes after hearing the joke, she started laughing. It finally dawned on her.Years ago in Mexico you had to put a twenty-cent coin in the machine and, when it fell, you got a dial tone.
get outta here
como creesA: Siento que no soy inteligente. B: ¿Cómo crees? ¡Eres todo un genio!
what do you think
como vesSalgamos mañana a las seis. ¿Cómo ves? Let’s leave tomorrow at six. What do you think?
guess what
que crees¿Qué crees? Decidí siempre mudarme. Guess what? I decided to move after all.
to like the idea
latirle chocolateMe late chocolate. I like the idea
do me a favor
hazme el paroAmigo, hazme el paro. Recógeme un kilo de tortilla, porfa.
beggars can’t be choosers
limosnero y con garrote
i need
ocupoOcupo un martillo. ¿Tienes uno? I need a hammer. Do you have one?
share something with me
mochate conOye, móchate con los churros. Hey, share some of your churros with me.In true street lingo, you might even beg: ¡Mochilas para los cuadernos!. The meaning is the same. See also #436, hecho la mocha.
share some of the love
ponte la de pueblaPUEBLA’S professional soccer team sports a unique uniform design. A wide band cuts diagonally across each player’s body down to the waist. If it were a knife, it would slice him in half. Consequently, this has the same meaning as the previous term, Móchate. If your friend has something that you would like, do this: Spread your thumb and index finger out wide and gesture cutting a diagonal swath from your shoulder to your waist. As you do so, with sad eyes implore: Ponte la de Puebla. We hope it works, but mileage may vary.
high-class people
gente bienLa gente bien no son siempre bien gente. High-class people aren’t always very nice.
really hip
muy acaMe compré unas mezclillas muy acá. I bought myself some really hip jeans.
show off, be impressed
apantallarLa presentación del gerente general nos dejó a todos apantallados. The general manager’s presentation left us all very impressed. 2 Mi papá anduvo por todo el pueblo apantallando a todos su nuevo coche. My dad was going around town showing off big new car to everyone.
drag out
dar largasEvita dar largas a un amor malsano Avoid dragging out an unhealthy relationship
right away
de voladaNecesito que me traigas el pedido de volada. I need you to bring me the order on the double.
this time
ora siViene el patrón. Ora sí te va a despedir. The boss is coming. This time he’s really going to fire you.Ora sí nos vamos a poner los tapabocas cuando andamos en la calle. Now we’re determined to wear our masks when we walk in the streets.THIS is the shortened version of ahora sí. It may announce an imminent consequence of our actions or a resolution to begin anew.
let me know if anything’s coming
Échame aguas.NEVER take the humble toilet for granted. Back in the old days, you would have to do your business in a primitive container and then dump the unsavory contents out the window. As a courtesy, just before dropping the bomb, a Spanish speaker would yell out: ¡Aguas! The feared waters were coming! Today it just means: Watch out! When driving a vehicle, you might exhort your copilot:
Tactfully, carefully
con mucho tientoComo Manuela está grave en el hospital, hay que informarle de la muerte de su hermana con mucho tiento.
you had better…
mas te valeVa a llover por la tarde. Más te vale llevar una sombrilla. It’s going to rain this afternoon. You had better take an umbrella.
sleepy
como caballo lecheroVa a llover por la tarde. Más te vale llevar una sombrilla. It’s going to rain this afternoon. You had better take an umbrella.PITY the poor horse at the dairy. He had to get up before the crack of dawn and haul huge containers of milk all day. What kind of velocity would he muster? Barely a snail’s pace.
There’s more for us (when someone else doesn’t show up or doesn’t want to partake)
Entre menos burros, más olotesA: No vinieron los Vargas. B: Entre menos burros, más olotes. A: The Vargas family didn’t show up. B: Great! There’s more for us.
Two stubborn people are arguing
Entre mula y mula nomás las patadas se oyen.
i know what i’m telling you
Si te digo que la burra es parda, es porque traigo los pelos en la mano.
think you are god’s gifts
se cree la divina garzaYo no me creo la divina garza; soy la divina garza.
it sounds too good to be true
Se me hace muy ojona para ser paloma.
police officer or night watchman
el tecoloteEse tecolocote es bien gente; de noche siempre me acompaña hasta la puerta. That night watchman is super nice; at night he walks me all the way to my door.MEET the local term for owl, different from the standard Spanish búho. This nocturnal bird frequently has its eyes wide open. Perhaps for this reason this term is informally applied to police officers or night watchmen.
danger zone
color de hormigaPodría ponerse color de hormiga la economía Economy could be in jeopardy
overly demanding
pelon y con piojosEso es desafiar al Eterno…del marido pelón y con piojos. That is to defy God…and from an overly demanding husband.
to disappear (go away)
volverse ojo de hormigaSe volvió ojo de hormiga la mujer que tanto quería. The woman that he so loved hit the road.
you caught me while i’m pooping
Amigo, me agarraste como El Tigre de Santa Julia. ¿Te devuelvo la llamada?SANTA JULIA was formerly a neighborhood in Mexico City, now a part of the Miguel Alemán Delegation. Its most notorious resident was a certain José de Jesús Negrete Medina, nicknamed El Tigre. After a life of crime, he was finally captured in 1906 while he was defecating in a cactus field. Practical usage? If you happen to be in the bathroom when your phone rings and it is someone with whom you are very familiar, just answer with:
look like, appear
dar el gatazoNo es nuevo, pero da el gatazo.ACCORDING to an article on the website for IMER, the Mexican Radio Institute, this phrase is a derivative of dar gato por liebre. In most Spanish-speaking countries, this saying is applied when a salesman gives us the switcheroo and sells us inferior goods. Mexicans took the gato from the phrase to form this phrasal verb, which means to look like.
to give a quick cleaning
darle una manita de gatoLaura se fue al baño para darse una manita de gato. Laura went to the ladies’ room to powder her face. 2 Esta tarde voy a darle una manita de gato a mi cochera. This afternoon I’m going to give my garage a light cleaning.
it’s the same old thing
Es la misma gata, pero revolcada.Cambié a otra compañía de telefonía para ver si ahorraba dinero. Pero al final era la misma gata, pero revolcada.
watch out for two different things
Un ojo al gato, y el otro, al garabato.Frente al coronavirus, un ojo al gato y otro al garabato en la inestabilidad de laderas Watch out for the coronavirus and possible landslides
que garabato también se le dice al gancho de hierro donde se cuelgan grandes trozos de carne o las canastas con embutidos. Esto, en las cocinas antiguas, de modo que había que vigilar que el gato no trepara hasta el garabato para comer los embutidos que se ponían ahí a secar o guardar simplemente. La expresión popular de echar un ojo al gato y otro al garabato significa vigilar o hacer dos o más cosas al mismo tiempo”.
saying for when indecision and perhaps a little greed leave us empty-handed.
quedarse como el perro de las dos tortasPedro comenzó a noviar con Ariana y Selena al mismo tiempo. ¡Pobrecito! Quedó como el perro de las dos tortas. Pedro started dated Ariana and Selena at the same time. The poor guy ended up with neither one!A dog loiters just in front of a stand where tortas, hoagie-like sandwiches, are sold. Suddenly, a stroke of fortune comes his way when two tortas fall to the ground. Upon which of the two does he pounce? This one? That one? This one? Before he decides, other animals rush in for the steal; he is left with nothing.
to be embarrassed
chivearseCuando me di cuenta que había dado todo el discurso con un frijolazo en los dientes, me chiveé. When I realized that I had given the entire speech with a piece of bean stuck between my teeth, I was so embarrassed.GOATS are happiest aloof, left to themselves. When we are ashamed, we feel the same. Choose this verb when embarrassment overtakes someone.
en México se usa en el lenguaje popular para denotar pena(por decirlo de alguna manera), por ejemplo, cuando un chavo se le queda viendo a una chava y esta se sonroja, algunas veces decimos que la chiveo.
things got away from me
írsele las cabras al monteDisculpe, se me fueron las cabras al monte.DESPITE our best efforts, we may lose control of a given situation, just as a distracted shepherd might suddenly realize that his goats have run off. When that happens, you might offer the following apology:
I am the only one in charge here.
Aquí solo mis chicharrones truenan.PICTURE yourself back in the day, ready for the family meal. On the menu is chicharrón, or pork rinds. Who gets first dibs? The father, of course. He selects the largest and crunchiest piece. When he tears it in two, according to this saying, it thunders. Nothing captures macho authority better than this.Although tronar in Spanish generally means to thunder, Mexicans use it in another sense as well. If someone asks you if the copier is working, you might respond with: No, ya tronó. That means: No, it’s broken.
don’t go looking for problems
buscarle ruido al chicharrónCONSIDERING the thunderous sound that pork rinds produce when snapped, would it be difficult to spot where the noise was coming from? You might hear the following friendly advice:No le busques ruido al chicharrón.
I’m feeling super sleepy
mal de puercoIT’S two o’clock in the afternoon and you’ve just feasted on tacos al pastor. How alert and energetic will you be? It’s more likely that you’ll take a snooze. Después de esa comida pesada, ya me está dando el mal de puerco.
faking being sick
calentura de pollo (, mal de perrera, y el zapato roto)HAVE you ever called in sick? What did you have? The flu? Barely a trickle of runny nose? A sprained eyelash? If your superiors don’t believe you, then they will surmise that you are suffering from this.Juanito llamó y dijo que estaba enfermo. Pero yo creo que lo que tiene es calentura de pollo. Juanito called in sick. But I think he’s faking it.
you snooze, you lose
dormirsele el galloLe dije a mi marido que los boletos a Nueva York estaban a mitad de precio, pero se le durmió el gallo.
Play dumb
hacerse patoWHEN have you ever seen a busy duck? Sure, they spend hour after hour paddling around in the water, but what do they ever accomplish? If someone is not working their fair share, this idiom should fit the bill. Manuel solo se hace pato. Dígale que trabaje.
Es una frase común: en México cuando una persona se resiste a hacer algo, o finge que no sabe un tema, se dice que “se está haciendo pato”
Es decir, según los adversarios del presidente “hacerse ganso” equivale a “hacerse pato”.
En México un objeto “patito” equivale a falso o mal hecho
i guarantee
me canso, gansoEn tres años, me canso, ganso, estará funcionando el nuevo aeropuerto internacional. In three years, against all odds, Mexico’s new international airport will be operating.TO understand the real meaning of this phrase we must go back to the 1947 movie El niño perdido, which starred the Mexican comic Germán Valdés, better known as Tin Tan. In poetic humor, Tin Tan attributes the above quote to a poor mosquito. Why was he so tired? He wasn’t able to fly because he sprained his foot, had a knot in the other, contracted hoof-and-mouth disease, and even went mute. The moral of the story? Against all odds, the little mosquito never gave up. It’s a narrative similar to The Little Engine that Could. The current president of the country recently promised:
hit the road
pelar galloYOU’VE just cut the rooster’s head off. Now it’s time to pluck the feathers. Will you wait until tomorrow? Of course not. It needs to be done quickly. For that reason, pelar gallo speaks of a fast getaway. Al escuchar sonar la alarma, los rateros pelaron gallo. When the thieves heard the alarm, they hit the road.
you think you are the shit
sentirse la mamá de los pollitosSe siente la mamá de los pollitos con 20k amigos en Facebook. ¿A cuántos de ellos conoce realmente? She thinks she’s hot snot on a rock with 20k friends on Facebook. How many of them does she even know?THERE may be a dozen little chicks waddling about the yard, yet they have but one mother. They are the followers; she is their unquestioned leader. Apply this metaphor to the female who thinks too much of herself.
let’s see your biceps
¡A ver tus conejos!Similarly, when a Mexican asks to see your rabbits, he’s really talking about your biceps.
to stir up trouble and then leave
dejar la vibora chillandoJUST the sight of a snake would send many into panic. If that snake were to stick around crying, it would draw even more attention to itself. Es un acto cobarde irte y dejar la víbora chillando. It is a cowardly act to stir up trouble and then leave.
you say jump and i say how high
Di rana, y yo salto.
pushups
lagartijasA ver, muchachos. ¡Todos, a hacer 100 lagartijas! OK, boys. Everybody, let’s do 100 push-ups!
we’ll see what happens
saber de qué lado masca la iguana¿Eres bueno? Ven a jugar conmigo y te mostraré de qué lado masca la iguana.You’re good? Come play with me and we will see what happens!
you’ve got BO
te chilla la ardillaMás vale ponerte desodorante. Te chilla la ardilla.
bookworm
raton de bibliotecaEse Ramón es ratón de biblioteca. Se la pasa estudiando.
mind your own business
cada chango a su mecate
feel ashamed
dar osoAT least some bears have been known to go into hibernation. When we are embarrassed, we cannot disappear from the public eye long enough. One young woman tweeted: Ora sí le voy a poner ganas a hacer cardio porque ya me dio oso mi cuerpo con tantas morras flacas y preciosas en Instagram. Now I’m more resolved than ever to hit the cardio because I feel ashamed of my body after seeing so many skinny and beautiful girls on Instagram.
Yo también coincido en cuanto a que las frases “que oso” y “hacer el oso” son usadas en México para denotar las expresiones “que ridículo” y “hacer el ridículo” respectivamente.
¡Qué oso he hecho! = ¡Qué ridículo he hecho!.
¡Esta vez me tocó hacer el oso! = ¡Esta vez me tocó hacer el ridículo!.
take a nap
echarse un coyotitoCURLED into a ball, the sleeping coyote is the poster child for shut-eye bliss. Feel like nodding off? Just announce: Voy a echarme un coyotito. I am going to take a nap. Another option is echarse una pestañita, literally to throw a little eyelash.
so fervent your bones are burning
de hueso coloradoARE you a die-hard? If so, this phrase may be applied to you. Your fervor is so great, it is as if your bones are burning red-hot. Mi tía es católica de hueso colorado. My aunt is a staunch Catholic.
head over heels in love
cacheteando las banquetasThis idiom combines two examples of local Spanish: cachetes for cheeks instead of the standard mejillas, and banqueta for sidewalk instead of acera, andén or other terms. Julio está chacheteando las banquetas por su novia. Julio is head over heels in love with his girlfriend.
put on some weight
cachetonHAVING a hard time laying off those enchiladas? Bad news! You may be described as this. No había visto a Miguel en años; se puso bien cachetón. I hadn’t seen Miguel in years; he’s really put on some weight.
of ruddy complexion, embarrased
Chapeado, a / chapetado, a
“Chapeado” es un uso coloquial con el que nos referimos a una persona que tiene las mejillas sonrojadas o rosadas. Tiene que ver con “chapeta” y con “chapa”. Cito esto del DRAE:
chapeta.
(Del diminutivo de chapa).
- f. Mancha de color encendido que suele salir en las mejillas.
chapa.
(Voz onomat.).
[…] - f. chapeta.
- f.
Mancha de color rojo que se ponían artificialmente las mujeres en el rostro.
chapeteadoARE you of ruddy complexion? Then Mexicans will describe you as chapeteado. And don’t get embarrassed, or they may say to you: Te estás poniendo chapeteado. Your cheeks are turning red.
shoelaces
agujetasSince aguja in Spanish is needle, here the “little needles” are the shoelaces, especially for tennis shoes. Amárrate bien las agujetas; si no, te va a dar un ranazo. Tie your shoelaces well; if not, you’ll going to fall and hurt yourself.
naked
bichiEL Monumento al Pescador, or Fisherman’s Monument, juts out of the sand along the seafront in Mazatlán. Naked figures of a fisherman, a woman, and marine life pose around a prominent lighthouse. Despite its official name, the natives call it El Monumento de los Monos Bichis, that is, the Naked Monkey Monument. From the indigenous Cahita language, bichi is readily understood in northwest Mexico.
look disheveled
cuachalote (cuachalota)Andas todo cuachalote. Cambia esos pantalones y métete bien la camisa. You look like a wreck. Change those pants and tuck your shirt in well.
shoot the breeze
echar el chalLiterally, it means to throw your shawl to the wind. In English, you will be shooting the breeze. Example: Pasé como media hora con Mariela, echando el chal nomás. Translation: I spent about a half an hour with Mariela, just shooting the breeze.
se dice que surgió cuando las mujeres se quedaban a platicar por horas y horas con sus amigas, vecinos o cualquier otra persona que se les cruzara en el camino. A estas mujeres se les solía caer el chal de sus hombros durante la plática y volvían a ponérselo o ‘echárselo’ para volver a acomodarlo mientras contaban todos los chismes del pueblo.
look like a mess
fachosoFACCIA in modern Italian is the word for face. By extension, our face represents our entire appearance. This also appears as andar en fachas. Me dio pena contestar la puerta porque andaba todo fachoso. I was embarrassed to answer the door because I looked like a mess.
coathanger
gancho (versus percha, which is standard)
baggy
guangoCambíate esos pantalones. Están todos guangos. Change those pants. They are too baggy.
let your hair down, or a situation that accelerates rapidly
ir como hilo de mediaCuando en confianza, nos dejamos ir como hilo de media y lo contamos todo.When we feel comfortable, we let our hair down and tell all. It can also denote any situation that accelerates suddenly. 2 En una semana, la canción se fue como hilo de media y ya cuenta con más de 74 millones de visitas en YouTube. In just a week, the song’s popularity skyrocketed and now boasts more than 74 million YouTube views.Jamison, Lee. My Burning Tongue: Mexican Spanish (p. 159). Kindle Edition.
Run someone over
llevar de corbataTHE tie hangs around our neck and must follow us, like it or not. Eating in haste? The poor tie gets stained with ketchup. Running to shred that confidential document? Watch out! Otherwise, the paper won’t be the only victim. This sartorial idiom reaffirms that haste makes waste. It frequently appears in newspapers in highway casualty headlines.Lo llevaron de corbata: pepenador atropellado en el kilómetro 45 Collateral damage: poor recycler run over at Kilometer 45
Se lo llevó de corbata es una frase que se utiliza cuando alguien, por llevar prisa, provoca que alguien o algo más se caiga o sea arrastrado.
…Pasó corriendo tan rápido que se llevó de corbata al niño que estaba sentado.
blue jeans
las mezclillas (pantalon de mezclilla)Es momento de pánico; todas mis mezclillas están sucias. It’s panic time; all my blue jeans are dirty.
t-shirt
playeraIf you choose to cover your upper torso, it will be with a playera, the local word for any T-shirt not considered underwear. For the latter, use camiseta. En el tianguis compré cuatro playeras por 100 pesos. At the outdoor street market, I picked up four T-shirts for 100 pesos.
eyeballing it
ojo de buen cuberoBEFORE the advent of plastics, vendors sold and dispensed liquids in small hand-made buckets. In Spanish the bucket is a cubeta, and the one who makes them, the cubero. How could he ensure that each bucket would be the same? He couldn’t. He merely relied on his eyes. This phrase is your best bet to describe your best guess. Notice this comment in a product review: Lindísimo tapete, pero pensé que era más grande. Esto pasa por no medir y confiarse a ojo de buen cubero. Gorgeous rug, but I thought it was bigger. That’s what happens for not measuring and just eyeballing it.
Turn it down a little
Bájale dos (o tres) rayas (o rayitas) (a …)
