Spanish Idiom January 30, 2008
January 30, 2008In English we employ the phrase “the plain truth”. In Spanish, they like the truth not only plain, but also smooth, as in “la verdad llana y lisa”.
Archive for January, 2008
Spanish Idiom January 29, 2008
January 29, 2008In English, when we describe a disparaging look we use the phrase “To look down one’s nose at”. In Spanish, to accomplish the same result, one must look from on top of the shoulder, as in “Mirar por encima del hombro”.
Spanish Saying January 28, 2008
January 28, 2008“Arbol que nace torcido, jamas su tronco endereza” literally translates to “Tree that is born twisted, its trunk never straightens out”. Two equivalents in English are: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” and “The leopard doesn’t change its spots”.
Spanish Idiom January 25, 2008
January 25, 2008In English, when we succeed in doing something difficult we might use the phrase “To pull it off”. An animal related equivalent in Spanish is “Llevarse el gato al agua”, which literally means “To carry the cat to the water”.
Spanish Idiom January 24, 2008
January 24, 2008Here’s a saying that straddles the categories of anatomy and places: “Tener un ojo aqui y el otro en Pekin” literally translates to “To have one eye here and the other in Peking”. The colloquial meaning is “To be cross-eyed”.
Spanish Idiom January 23, 2008
January 23, 2008“Bailar al son que tocan” translates to “To dance to the sound they’re playing”. Equivalents in English are: “To run with the pack” and “To toe the line”.
Spanish Saying January 22, 2008
January 22, 2008“A donde te quieren mucho no vengas a menudo” literally means “To where they love you a lot don’t come often”. One equivalent in English is “A constant guest is never welcome”, but I prefer the more colloquial “Don’t wear out your welcome”.
Spanish Idiom January 21, 2008
January 21, 2008“A donde el corazon se inclina, el pie camina” literally translates to “To where the heart is inclined, the foot walks”. The equivalent saying in English would be “Home is where the heart is”.
Spanish Idiom January 18, 2008
January 18, 2008When we can’t figure out something, we say “I can’t make head or tail out of this”. The equivalent in Spanish is similar, as in “Esto no tiene pies ni cabeza”, which literally translates to “This doesn’t have feet or head”.
Spanish Idiom January 17, 2008
January 17, 2008“Tragar saliva” literally means “To swallow saliva”. The colloquial translation is “To swallow one’s feelings” or “to hold one’s peace”.
