Comments for Colloquial spanish - speak like a spaniard

Comment on Spanish Idiom July 15, 2008 by Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:05:11 +0000

Apparently British soldiers used to use the expression “he could fall asleep on a clothes line”. Same idea as the Spanish, less painful image.

Comment on Spanish Idiom July 14, 2008 by Nick

Nick — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:04:47 +0000

I remember using “Indian file” as a child, meaning going in “single file” when a group is walking, usually through a wood or something.

Comment on Spanish Idiom June 18, 2008 by B

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:04:51 +0000

My dictionary gives the phrase
“cuando las ranas críen pelos”
which means “when frogs grow hair”.
The similar phrase in english is
“when pigs fly”.

Comment on Idiom of the Day April 6, 2007 by B

Wed, 28 May 2008 04:36:26 +0000

“As useless as a chocolate teapot”

Comment on Spanish Saying April 29, 2008 by David

David — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:36:30 +0000

I use to say “A quien madruga Dios le ayuda” which means roughly: if you wake up early God will help you…

Comment on Spanish Idiom April 22, 2008 by Sandra

Sandra — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:35:49 +0000

Me gusta mucho tu blog.

En español también se dice: “pasar el sombrero” o “pasar la gorra”.
Saludos

Comment on Spanish Idiom February 28, 2008 by Manuel Rochell

Manuel Rochell — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:24:24 +0000

Another equivalent in Spanish (Cuban) would be “Tener guayabitos en la azotea” which literally means “To have mice on the rooftop”

Comment on Spanish Idiom January 23, 2008 by Antonio Vazquez

Antonio Vazquez — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:08:12 +0000

Actually, the equivalent English expression “to dance to someone’s tune” exists. You can find it in the Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms.

Regards,

Antonio

Comment on Idiom of the Day March 15, 2007 by sjg

sjg — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:43:20 +0000

How about “yellow” meaning a coward or cowardly.
And “seeing red” when one is very angry.
and “brown-nosing” as in someone going out of their way to ingratiate themselves with a person in authority, especially an employer, in order to gain special favors, a “boot licker.” — which would be one for your clothing section.

or “black and white” as either one thing or its opposite, pro or con, with no third option. or as being perfectly plain or self explanatory “It’s right there in black and white”

or “being in the pink” — healthy.
or “being in the red” to be overdrawn or in debt, from the days when bookkeeping was done by hand, and debits were written in red ink.
or “being in the black” — solvent, not in debt — credits were written in black ink.

or “talk a blue streak” chatter incessantly

Comment on Spanish Idiom of the Day May 25, 2007 by sjg

sjg — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:25:11 +0000

P.S., English also has the expression “give a fig” — as in “I don’t give a fig what you think!” implying that whatever it is, is not even worth as much as a fig. “I don’t give a ______!” as a way to deride something as useless, worthless, insignificant, totally lacking in importance, or beneath contempt is a common idiomatic phrase in English in which you may fill in the blank with any of a variety of words — i.e., a fig, a rat’s ass, a flying f**k, a tinker’s damn, or any other nasty, vulgar, obscene or ridiculous word or phrase you care to. One of my personal favorites is “I don’t give two hoots in a hot place” (i.e., hell).