Quitar la espinita
 

A Google search indicates that this means to get it off one's chest, but does it always mean this? Could it also mean come to realise or face
an unpleasant fact?

Quitarse/sacarse la espina/espinita, mean to verify something you suspected and wasn't sure but now "te sacaste la espina" (salir de dudas). It also means that finally spoke your mind so now you don't have it in your chest.

:)

It comes from an unpleasant physical sensation when you have a tiny thorn or splinter stuck in your skin. It's so small, it doesn't really hurt, but each time something rubs the part where it is, you get a slightly painful reminder that it's there.

The expression, in a figurative sense, means that you get rid of something you have been tempted to do or know, but you hadn't tried or dared.

·Después de dos años de no ganar ni un partido, por fin el equipo se sacó la espinita y ganó por goliza.
·Desde hace mucho quiero ir a Europa. Hoy compré los boletos y por fin me voy a sacar la espinita.
·Juan se quedó con la espinita de preguntarte si tienes novio.
·No sé si contarles todo; mejor los dejo con la espinita clavada.

Completely agree with Angélica, but not much with chileno (Sorry :D)
Saludos :D
PD: aquí goliza-->goleada

In Chile "goleada" is used too.

The rest, must be used in Chile only? I am not sure.

I tend to agree with Sosia, as well, but in checking Moliner, the other meaning is also totally valid.

Here is this from the current María Moliner:
Sacarse alguien una espina. 1 *Desquitarse o tomar la revancha en algo; particularmente, en el *juego. 2 *Desahogarse diciendo o haciendo algo de que ha estado reprimiéndose por alguna consideración.

This also reminds me the old song "Eres como una espinita que se me ha clavado en el corazón... sabes que me estás matando, que estás acabando con mi amor..." (And while this may sound more or less corny... interestingly enough follows a literary tradition linking "love" and "pain".

A very good Machado poem goes,

En el corazón tenía la espina de una pasión...
logré arrancármela un día: ya no siento el corazón...

And and older one by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, said something on the order of,

Amargo es el dolor, pero siquiera, padecer es vivir...

Of course talking about love and such things...

But in the normal conversation, recently I read that Sergio Ramos "quiere sacarse la espinita de no haber ganado la Champions..." (Well, I am for the Pep Guardiola boys, so, I don't mind if he keeps his "espinita" a bit longer...)

Probably I could say some more things here, but for now, "creo que me he sacado una espinita... y he dixho lo que m'ha paresío..."

Y claro, otra cosa son las "espinillas" (shins!) :D (or acne... of all things!):rolleyes:

You may like to take a look at this:

http://www.andalucia.cc/andalu/

These people would like andalusian being writen as it sounds.

Escrito fonéticamente al princípio parece muy raro, pero cuando gasto el tiempo de leerlo, a mi me parece un castellano estilo latinoamericano. No me parece un idioma distinto.

:):);)