unusual Spanish expressions Flashcards
COMER POR LA PATILLA
1) – Eat because of your sideburn
we use this saying when we eat for free.
No sabía que ibas a venir, pensaba que no te gustaban las fiestas
I did not know you were coming, I thought you did not like parties.
Tienes razón, no me gustan, solo estoy aquí para comer por la patilla.
You are right, I do not like them, I’m just here to eat for free.
doesn’t need to be used with food - - this might be used for everything even without a verb, we will just say “por la patilla” to express “for free”.
NI HARTO DE VINO
- Not even full of wine
“ni harto de vino”, that means something is a no-no, as in no way it’s going to happen: not even if you were to drink a lot of wine which makes your brain hazzy.
!Estás loco tío, yo no salto de un puente ni harto de vino!
You are crazy man, no way I would not jump from a bridge!
NO ESTÁ EL HORNO PARA BOLLOS
The oven is not ready for buns
it is not a good moment.
If you are having trouble grasping this saying, then maybe consider it this way if it makes more sense for you: the oven is not ready yet, so just wait for the perfect moment to get a better result.
No seas pesada, he dicho que no y no me aburras que no está/tengo el horno para bollos.
Do not be annoying, I said no, and do not insist since it is not a good moment.
LA DOLOROSA
The painful one
This is just another way to refer the bill
Bueno chicos creo que toca pedir la dolorosa ¿no?
Well guys I think it’s time to ask for the bill, isn’t it?
MALA LECHE
Bad milk
This means to be in a bad mood.
Yo que tú no lo haría hoy, acaba de recibir un informe y está de mala leche.
If I were you I would not do it today, he just got a report and he is in a bad mood.
Note: There are so many ways to express bad mood (mala uva, mala ostia, humor de perros) so choose as you will.
ECHARLE HUEVOS
- Throw eggs to it
In this life you just need to do it, to be courageous. You cannot be scared, life is to live it up.
!Claro que sí! Hazlo, en esta vida tienes que echarle huevos.
Of course! Do it!In this life you need to be courageous.
Dar la vara a alguien
o bother someone continuously. To repeat and repeat the same thing to someone from whom you want something.
Martín me está dando la vara para que compre una tele nueva.
La madre al hijo: “Córtate el pelo, que lo tienes muy largo…”. El hijo responde: “¡No me des la vara!”
Estar de buen rollo
It feels great! Everyone is happy, chill and cool!!
It means to be in a cool and relaxed mood, everything is chill and great and there is no problem with anyone around. To have good vibes, to have good chemistry.
¡Cómo mola!
The best thing to say ever! When we like something very much. It’s like saying “how cool!”
¡Cómo mola ir a la playa en moto!
Te apetece comer un helado? Sí, ¡cómo mola!
Comerse un marrón
It’s all on you now! It’s your fault!
To own up or to take all the responsibility for a negative action involuntarily. To be blamed for something which is not good.
Hoy se ha roto un jarrón muy caro y yo me he comido el marrón. Me han echado la bronca a mí.
No decir ni mu
Those times when it is better not to respond or say anything! To stay very quiet about something, not to say a word, not to complain at all.
Manolo no está contento con el nuevo trabajo pero no dice ni mu.
Yo no estaba de acuerdo con lo que estaban diciendo pero no he dicho ni mu.
Darse un farol
To show off, to put on airs.
Luis dice que habla cinco idiomas y siempre se está dando el farol con eso.
No te des el farol con eso de que ganas más que nadie.
Vender la moto
You know it is not true! Somebody wants to convince you of something that you know is not true at all.
¿Que no puedes venir a trabajar porque estás haciendo una película en Hollywood? ¡No me vendas la moto!
Eva me quiere vender la moto diciendo que ayer no pudo venir porque estaba enferma, está mintiendo.
¡A toda leche!
Those times when you really need to hurry or you will lose a flight. It means at full speed, very quickly, super fast.
¡Me tengo que ir a toda leche porque si no llego tarde!
Íbamos a toda leche a coger el bus y se me ha caído la cartera.
Expression #9: Es la pescadilla que se muerde la cola
Going round in circles again? This is what you need to say!
Going round and round in circles without finding a final solution or answer to a problem. A vicious circle.
Si quiero trabajar tengo que tener referencias y para tener referencias tengo que trabajar: ¡es la pescadilla que se muerde la cola!
Cuando suben los precios baja el consumo, sube el desempleo y tienen que bajar los precios… es la pescadilla que se muerde la cola.
