Spanish idioms Literal translation

English equivalent

Rascarse la barriga

To scratch your belly

To sit on your backside and do nothing

Ahogarse en un vaso de
agua

To drown in a glass of water

To make a mountain out of a molehill.

Estar hecho un Adn

To be like Adam

To look a mess

Un hombre de pelo en
pecho

A man with hair on his chest

A real man

Picture representa

Beber los aires por

alguien

To drink the breezes for

somebody

To be madly in love with someone

Estar hasta las narices de To be up to the nostrils with

algo
something

Fed up to the back teeth with something

Mientras que en mi casa

estoy, rey soy

While in my house I am king

A man`s home is his castle

Llevar a alguien por la

calle de la amargura

To lead somebody down misery To make somebody`s life a misery

street

Sobre gustos no hay

nada escrito

About taste there is nothing

written down

There is no accounting for taste

Tener la cabeza como

una bola de billar

To have a head like a billiard

ball

To be as bald as a coot

Tener cara de pascua

To have an Easter face

To be grinning broadly

Estar mas sano que una

pera

To be healthier than a pear

To be as fit as a fiddle

Hacer las cuentas de la

lechera

To the milkmaid`s sums

To count your chickens before they are

hatched

No estar bien sentado

To be a backside that can't sit

still

To have ants in your pants

Ni de aqu a Lima

Not from here to Lima

Not by a long chalk. There is just no

comparison

Tener cara de pascua

To have an Easter face

To be grinning from ear to ear

Las mentiras tienen patas Lies have short legs

cortas

The truth will out (lies won't get you very

far).

Entre col y col, lechuga

Between cabbage and

cabbage, lettuce.

Variety is the spice of life

Esto no tiene mucha

ciencia

This doesn`t have a lot of

science

There is nothing difficult about it

Untar la mano de alguien To grease somebody`s hand

To grease somebody`s palm. To influence

someone by giving them money.

Ser mas fuerte que un

roble

To be stronger than an oak tree To be as strong as an ox

Al pie de la letra

To the foot of the letter

Las vacas gordas

The fat cows

The boom years

Lo saben hasta las

piedras

Even stones know that

Everyone knows that

Tener buen diente

To have a good tooth

To have a healthy appetite

To the letter, or exactly

Tener a alguien entre

ojos

To have somebody between

your eyes

To have it in for someone

Se arm la de San
Quintn

What happened at San Quintin all hell broke out

broke out

Estar mas loco que una

cabra

To be madder than a goat

To be as mad as a hatter

Meter la cuchara

To put in your spoon

To stick your oar in

Poner toda la carne en el To put all the meat on the

asador
barbecue

Pull out all the stops

Cambiar el chip

To change one`s chip

To change your way of thinking

Eso est hecho

That`s done

It`s a sure thing (promise)

No saber ni papa de

Not to know even a potato

about

To know nothing about

Alzarse con el santo y la

limosna

To take off with the saint and

the alms.

To clear off with everything

Hacer algo volando

To do something on the fly

To do something quickly

Prstame la guitarra

Lend me the guitar

Let me get a word in

Meterse en el sobre

To put oneself in one`s

envelope

To go to bed, to hit the sack

A jalones y estirones

at pulls and stretches

Kicking and screaming / with lots of effort

Rascarse el bolsillo

To scratch the pocket

Spend money unwillingly

Estoy que me caigo

I am about to fall

I am not feeling well

Quemar las naves

To burn one`s shipd

To burn one`s bridges

Tener mucha cuerda

To have a lot of chord

To have a lot of life left in them.

Bajar a todos los santos

To get all the saints down.

To try everything when you are up against

it.

Echar lea al fuego

To add fuel to the fire

To make things worse

Lanzar un rollo

To throw a roll

To start a long story

Que si patatn que si

patatn

And so on and so on

blah, blah, blah, blah

Mrate en ese espejo

Look at yourself in that mirror

Let that be a lesson to you

Navegar con bandera de

inocente

To sail with the flag of an

innocent

To play dumb. To pretend to be innocent

but have a motive for it.

Ni corto ni perezoso

Neither short nor lazy

Doing it right away. Without losing any

time

Liso y llano

Smooth and flat, as a road

A piece of cake. Easy.

La procesin va por
dentro

The procession goes on the

inside

Bottling it all up.

Por un tubo

Through a pipe

Abundantly.

Mirar los toros desde la

barrera

To look at the bulls from behind To stay out of harm`s way

the barrier

Ya tener una pata all

To now have a paw in there

To have a foot in the door

Estar como pez en el

agua

To be like a fish in water

To be in one`s element. To enjoy your own

comforts.

Tapando el sol con un

dedo

Covering the sun with a finger

Covering things up.

Hijos de muchas madres

Children of many mothers

All kinds of people. A diverse group of

people.

Pintarse solo para una

cosa

To paint oneself alone for

something

To be very skillful at something

Pisarle los callos a

alguien

To step on someone`s
callouses

To bother someone without reason

Sin cruzar palabra

Without crossing word

Without saying a word

Que lo haga Rita

Let Rita do it

Let someone else do it

La flor y nata

The flower and whipped cream Upper crust. Highest social class.

Pagar por sustos

To pay in frights

To buy on credit

Los gajes del oficio

The matters of the trade.

Part and parcel of the job. Occupational

hazards.

Tener a alguien en el
alma

To have someone in one's soul To feel for someone who is having

problems. To want to help

Llover a cntaros

To rain tanks/pitchers

Raining buckets

Tener buen diente

To have good tooth

To be a big eater. To have a hollow leg

Fresco

Fresh

Cool as a cucumber. Not worried

Estar muy potable

To be very drinkable

To look attractive

Partirse de la risa

To split with laughter

To crack up with laughter

Dar en el clavo

To strike home

To be spot on. To hit the nail on the head.

Mucho ojo, que la vista

engaa

Much eye, the sight deceives

Appearances are deceptive

Darle lata a alguien

To give someone tin can

To give someone a hard time. To upset

someone.

Quedarse para vestir

santos

To stay dressing saints

To remain an old maid

Llevar la batuta

To carry the baton

To have great influence. To call the shots.

Big shot.

A m, me importa un pito
lo que pienses

To me, I give a damn what you I don't give a toss what you think
think

Tirarse los trastos a la

cabeza

To throw junk at the head

to have a blazing row.

Para dar y tomar

To give and take

In abundance. To burn. ex. money

Bailar en la cuerda floja

To dance on the tightrope

To try to do many things at once

Tener los nervios de

punta

To have one's nerves standing

To have one's nerves on edge

Hacer San Lunes

Make Saint Monday

To skive off work on Mondays

Sufrir un ataque de
cuernos

To suffer an attack of horns

To go into a jealous rage

Estar colgado

To be hung, suspended

To be in love. To have a crush

Hay ropa tendida

There is clothing hung out to

dry

The coast is not clear. Be careful

De buenas a primeras

From good ones to first ones

On the spur of the moment

Poderoso caballero es
Don Dinero

Mighty gentleman is Don

Money

Money makes the world go round / Money

is power, power is money

Ser ua y carne

To be fingernail and flesh.

To be bosom buddies.

Buscarle las pulgas a

alguien

To look for someone`s fleas

To irritate someone. To provoke

Seguir en sus trece

To keep in one`s thirteen

To persist. To stick to one`s guns.

Siempre me toca bailar

con la ms fea

I always have to dance with the I always get the short end of the stick / I
ugliest girl.
always draw the short straw.

Salir por la ventana

To leave through the window

To sneak out the back door.

Tengamos la fiesta en
paz

We have the peace party.

Let`s have some peace and quiet.

Revolver el gallinero

To stir the chicken

To put the cat among the pigeons.

A falta de pan, buenas

son tortas

Where there is no bread, cakes It will do just fine. One thing is as good as
are fine.
another.

Para parar un tren

To stop a train

In large quantities. Tons of

Salir el tiro por la culata

To have the shot go out the butt To backfire. To have the opposite result
of the rifle
from what was anticipated.

Empezar la casa por el

tejado

To begin the house with the

roof

To put the cart before the horse

Atar cabos

To tie ends

To put two and two together

Tonto de capirote

Idiot chief

Dope of dopes. Really stupid

Tiene un humor de perros He`s in a dog mood

He`s in a foul mood

Para colmo de desgracias For the culmination of

misfortunes

To top it all off

Un clavo saca otro clavo

One nail takes out another nail. One problem overshadows another.

Estar como agua para

chocolate

To be like water for chocolate.

To be at boiling point (anger or passion)

Echar flores

To throw flowers

To pat on the back. To compliment

Dar en la torre

To give in the tower

To hit hard. To hurt someone where they

are vulnerable

Un hotel de mala muerte

a hotel of bad death

A grotty hotel

Correr como un galgo

To run like a greyhound

To run like a gazelle

Valer su peso en oro

To be worth its weight in gold

To be worth a fortune

Acostarse con las gallinas To go to bed with the chickens

To go to bed early

Aflojar la cuerda

To loosen the cord

To take a breather

Poner en las nubes

To put in the clouds

To praise to the skies. To highly praise.

Estar metida en un rollo

To be put in a roll

To get into a bind. To get into hot water.

En boca cerrada no
entran moscas

In a closed mouth flies don`t

enter.

Loose talk can get you into trouble.

El hijo de pap

Daddy`s child

Rich kid. Kid who has everything provided

for them.

Ms loco que una cabra

Crazier than a she-goat

Mad as a hatter

Reparar en migajas

To notice crumbs

To split hairs. To pay attention to

unimportant things instead of the bigger
issues.

No dar pie con bola

To not hit the ball with one`s

foot

To not be correct. To make a mess of

things. To not do things right

Donde el diablo perdi el

poncho

Where the devil lost his poncho In a god-forsaken spot

Meterse en el sobre

To put oneself in the envelope

To hit the sack. To go to bed

Meter la cuchara

To put in the spoon

To put in one`s two penny worth

Chiste rojo

Red joke

Dirty joke

No calentar el asiento

To not warm the seat

To not last long

Tener un corazn de
acero

To have a heart of steel

To have a heart of stone

Confundir la gimnasia con To confuse gymnastics with

la magnesia
magnesia

To mix apples and oranges

Montar un nmero

To put on a number.

To make a scene.

Llevar en palmas

To carry palm trees

To treat like a king. To pamper.

Comer a dos carrillos

To eat with two cheeks

To serve two masters. To work for two

people.

Tomar el pelo a alguien

To pull someone`s hair

To pull someone`s leg, to make fun of

El vivo retrato de alguien

The living portrait of someone

The spitting image of someone

Flotar como el corcho en

el agua

To float like cork in water

To come out on top, come out well despite

adversity

No dar el brazo a torcer

To not give one`s arm to twist

To be stubborn

Cortado por la misma

tijera

Cut by the same scissors

Very similar, chip off the old block

No dejar piedra sobre

piedra

To not leave stone upon stone

To leave nothing standing, to destroy

completely

Tener alma a acero

To have a soul of steel

To have a heart of stone, to be without

feelings

Hacer alharacas

To make a fuss

To make a big deal (of something)

Ser plato de segunda

mesa

To be a plate of a second table To feel like a second class citizen

A falta de pan, buenas

son tortas

Where there is no bread, cakes It will do just fine. One thing is as good as
are fine
another.

Quemarse las pestaas

To burn one`s eyelashes

To burn the midnight oil. To cram

Hijo de la gata, ratones

mata

son of the cat kills rats

Like father, like son

No van por ah los tiros

The shots aren`t going that way barking up the wrong tree

Ni soarlo

In your dreams

No way

Fumarse una clase

To smoke oneself a class

To skip a class

Irsele a alguien la lengua To make a slip of the tongue

Speak without thinking

Pon los pies sobre la

tierra

Come down to earth

Put your feet on the ground

La sopa boba

Crazy soup

Life on Easy Street

El da de arreglo de
cuentas

The day of settling accounts

Day of reckoning

Llevar en palmas

To carry with palm trees

To treat like a king, pamper

Con las manos en la

masa

With the hands in the dough

Red-handed

Ponerse las botas

To put one`s boots on

To make a killing

Huir del fuego y caer en

las brasas

To flee from the fire and fall into From the frying pan into the fire
the coals

La despidada de soltero

Sending off of the single man

Stag party

Darle a uno una buena

leja

To give someone a good dose

of bleach

To give someone a good scolding

Hacer mil maromas para

To do a thousand acrobatic
tricks in order to

To go to a lot of trouble to, to spare no

effort to

Bjale de crema a tus

tacos

Decrease the cream in your

tacos

Don`t exaggerate

Estar al loro

To be at the parrot

To pay attention, be attentive, be up to

date

Criado(a) a lo bruto

raised in a brutish way

Brought up in a barn

Ser plato de segunda

mesa

To be second-table dish

To play second fiddle

Jugar con dos barajas

To play with two decks

To cheat, act with duplicity

Cantar de plano

To sing clearly

To spill the beans

Echar agua al mar

To throw water into the sea

To be pointless

Con los brazos cruzados

With arms crossed

Twiddling one`s thumbs

Marcando ocupado

Dialling the busy signal

Not understanding anything

Encendrsele el bombillo To have the lightbulb turned on To get a brilliant idea

Ms feo que el pecado

Uglier than the sin

As ugly as sin

Hacer su santa voluntad

To do one`s holy will

To do as one pleases

Por los buenas o por las

malas

For the good or the bad

One way or another

No saber ni papa de

Not to know even a potato

about

To know nothing about

Caer chuzos de punta

To rain sharp spears

To rain cats and dogs

Tragarle a uno la tierra

To be swallowed by the earth

To disappear into nowhere

No cerrar la puerta

To not close the door

to not cut down on choices/options, or, not

to burn one`s bridges

Quedar a la altura de su
zapatilla

To remain at the height of

one`s slipper

To be a failure

Contigo ni a China me
voy

I`m not even going to China

with you

You`re impossible

Andar de Herodes a
Pilato

To walk from Herod to Pilate

To go from bad to worse

Ser un espantapjaro

To be a scarecrow

Ugly as sin

Tener mal templada la

guitarra

To have one's guitar badly

tuned.

To be in a bad mood

Ser del montn

To be of the heap

No great shakes, nothing to write home

about

Llover sobre mojado

To rain over the wetness

It never rains but it pours.

Ser ms del campo que

las amapolas

To be more from the country

than the poppies

To be a hick

Estar entre la espada y la To be between the sword and

pared
the wall

To be caught between a rock and a hard

place

Como pez en el agua

To be in one`s element

Like a fish in the sea

Un viento de mil
demonios

A wind of a thousand demons

A howling gale

Estar de veinticinco
alfileres

To be of twenty-five pins

To be dressed to kill

Tener angel

To have an angel

to have charm, to be charming

Darle perro a uno

To give someone a dog

To stand someone up, to break a date

Largar a otro el mochuelo To pass the owl on to someone To pass the buck
else

Dar en un hueso

To hit a bone

To hit a snag

Flipar en colores

To flip colours

To be totally amazed

Parecerse como dos

gotas de agua

To look like two drops of water

To look like two peas in a pod

Tener un tornillo flojo

To have a loose screw

To be crazy

El mundo es un pauelo

The world is a handkerchief

It`s a small world

Toda va viento en popa

Everything goes wind at the

stern

All is going well

Dejar a uno en la
estacada

To leave someone in the

stockade

To leave someone in the lurch

No es cosa del otro

mundo

It`s not anything from another

world

It`s nothing to write home about

Decirle a alguien cuatro

verdades

To tell someone four truths

To give someone a piece of one`s mind

Coger a alguien con las

manos en la masa

To catch someone with his or

her hands in the dough

To catch someone red-handed

Costar un ojo de la cara

To cost an eye of the face

To cost an arm and a leg

Aquello fue llegar y besar That was arriving and kissing

el santo
the saint

It was like taking candy from a baby

Andar caminando sobre

huevos

To walk stepping on eggs

To tread on thin ice

Venir con msicas

To come with music

To tell tall tales

Rer con risa de conejo

To laugh with the laughter of a

rabbit

To force a laugh

Empezar la casa por el

tejado

To start building the house at

the roof

To put the cart before the horse

Ir al grano

To go to the seed

Get to the point

Faltarle a uno un tornillo

to have a screw missing

To be nuts

Cortar el bacalao

To cut the codfish

To rule the roost

No hay mal que por bien

no venga

There is not badly that by well

come not

Every cloud has a silver lining