Spanish Slang and Idioms

Question 1

en un abrir y cerrar de ojos

Answer 1

(in an opening and closing of the eyes) in the blink of an eye

Question 2

aburrirse como una ostra

Answer 2

(to be bored as an oyster) to be or get very bored

Question 3

acasito

Answer 3

(used instead of acá) here (e.g. ‘ven acasito, mi amor)

Question 4

achantarse

Answer 4

to put a lid on it, stifle it, comply and be quiet about something

Question 5

brindar por las otras (cervezas que vienen)

Answer 5

to toast the others (the other beers to come)

Question 6

buzo

Answer 6

(diver) smart, alert, on the ball

Question 7

el buscón, la buscona

Answer 7

1. (searcher) someone who is looking for a fight, troublemaker
2. (searcher) opportunist, operator

Question 8

buscar chichis a las culebras

Answer 8

(to look for breasts on a snake) to look for the impossible or for something one can never find

Question 9

buscarle las pulgas a alguien

Answer 9

(to look for someone’s fleas) to provoke or irritate someone

Question 10

dar a entender

Answer 10

(to give to understand) to lead to believe or think (something)

Question 11

dar diente con diente

Answer 11

(to have teeth hitting each other) to be very cold or to be afraid, when teeth chatter

Question 12

la depre

Answer 12

(short for depresión) blues, depression

Question 13

dejar plantado(-a)

Answer 13

(to leave [someone] planted) to stand up, ditch

Question 14

el que las hace las paga

Answer 14

(he who makes them pays for them) you made your bed, now lie on it

Question 15

el que pestañea pierde

Answer 15

(the person who blinks loses) if you snooze you lose

Question 16

embotellarse

Answer 16

(to bottle) to memorize, cram

Question 17

el muerto al hoyo y el vivo al bollo

Answer 17

(the dead person in the hole and the opportunist at the bread roll) what an opportunist!

Question 18

llevar bien puestos los pantalones

Answer 18

(to wear the pants well placed) to impose one´s authority, especially in a home setting, throw one´s weight around

Question 19

liso(-a) y llano (-a)

Answer 19

(smooth and flat, as a road) a piece of cake, easy, without difficulty

Question 20

me lleva la chingada

Answer 20

I´m fucked!

Question 21

llevar a alguien al huerto

Answer 21

(to take someone to the garden) to take someone down the garden path, deceive someone making them think they are favoured when they are not; to convince someone to have sex

Question 22

pura verdad

Answer 22

(pure truth) true, right you are

Question 23

qué curvas y yo sin freno

Answer 23

(what curves and me without brakes) street compliment

Question 24

¿qué bicho te ha picado?

Answer 24

(what insect has bitten you?) what´s bothering (bugging) you?

Question 25

para parar un tren

Answer 25

(to stop a train) in large quantities, tons of

Question 26

ser para chuparse los dedos

Answer 26

(to be to suck one’s fingers) to be delicious, finger-lickin’ good

Question 27

el/ la paracaidista

Answer 27

(parachutist) freeloader, party crasher (also, less common, someone who jumps into a discussion but doesn’t know anything about the topic)

Question 28

pintar su calaverita

Answer 28

(to paint one’s little skull) to take off, disappear

Question 29

de pipa y guante

Answer 29

(with pipe and glove) all dressed up, dressed up to the nines

Question 30

ser pan comido

Answer 30

(to be eaten bread) to be very easy, a piece of cake

Question 31

vaya a decírselo a su abuela

Answer 31

(go tell it to your grandmother) oh, come on!, go figure!

Question 33

irse con el viento que corre

Answer 33

to go with the prevailing wind (opinions, ideas)

Question 34

irse de rumba

Answer 34

(to) go out on the town

Question 35

ir para rato

Answer 35

(to go for a while) to be a while e.g. ya va para rato que trabaja aquí - he (she) has been working here for a while

Question 36

dárselas de…

Answer 36

(to give them to oneself as…) to pretend to be or act like… (also, picarse de…)

Question 37

decir al pan pan y al vino vino

Answer 37

(to call bread bread and wine wine) to tell something directly and without beating around the bush, tell it like it is

Question 38

el caliche

Answer 38

street slang

Question 39

estar mal de la cholla

Answer 39

(to be bad in the head) to be off one’s rocker, crazy

Question 40

mal nacido(-a)

Answer 40

(badly born, meaning bastard) jerk