Phrases and Idioms

[hypnotik1]

There are many phrases and idioms that do not translate literlly from Spanish to English and Vice Versa.

Lets try and compile a list of some of the more common ones, and some of the best translations for them. This can work both ways, Spanish --> English and English ---> Spanish.


Here are a few idioms that I've found (feel free to add or make corrections)

To cry like a baby - Llorar a lágrima viva

To take a joke - Soportar una broma

To hit the nail on the head - Dar en el clavo

To have a weakness for - Tener debilidad por

It's all over - Ya se acabó

To come in handy - Servir bien

What is done is done - Lo hecho, hecho está (a lo hecho, pecho)




I'll add more later...

[qwerty]

I don't have any to contribute, but you've got a good start there.

[sosia]

llover a cántaros -> to rain bucketsful
hasta el día del juicio final -> when the cows come home ¿?

[celador]

un dia sí, un dia no. / every other day

[hypnotik1]

Escrito originalmente por sosia

llover a cántaros -> to rain bucketsful

I think, "To rain Cats and Dogs" is the best fit for this.

I dont think I've eve heard anyone say it's raining bucketsful.

[sosia]

I've never heard "it's raining bucketsful", but it was in Tomisimo's dictionary.
I prefer ""To rain Cats and Dogs"

[Tomisimo]

Escrito originalmente por hypnotik1

I think, "To rain Cats and Dogs" is the best fit for this.

I dont think I've eve heard anyone say it's raining bucketsful.

You're right, I haven't heard to rain bucketsful either, but I have read it in English literature. I think it's used in other versions of English from other places or other times.

So I think to rain cats and dogs or simply to pour down rain would be right.

[hellothere]

Oh, what's the Spanish equivalent of "You're pulling my leg!"?

I'm much better at thinking of English idioms. Here are a couple.

I'm all ears.
To fall in love
To give someone a hand
To go nuts

There's are so many more. How would you translate some of these into spanish?

[hypnotik1]

Here's what I've heard for these idioms.

To pull someones leg - Tomar el pelo a ...
In Spanish you pull hair, not legs. lol
Tomisimo says - A otro perro con ese hueso.
Which sounds kinda gross. Something about a dogs penis.

I'm all ears - Soy todo oídos
To fall in love - Enamorar
To give someone a hand - Echar una mano a - Ayudar
To go nuts - Volver loco/a

[sosia]

I agree with hypnotik
To pull someones leg - Tomarle el pelo a alguien
I'm all ears - Soy todo oídos
To fall in love - Enamorarse
To give someone a hand - Echar una mano a alguien , Ayudar
To go nuts - Volver loco/a
---------------------------
A otro perro con ese hueso.( literally To another dog with that bone!)
Go try that on somebody else.
Don't try that one on me.
Don't be trying that on me.
I'm not biting on that one.
You're not getting me to bite.
You're not getting me to bite on that/that one.
Go fool someone else


full: A otro perro con ese hueso, que yo roido lo tengo
I'm not a fool (naive), go tell that to someone else.
I know you're pulling my leg, go tell that to someone else.

similar: !A otro con este cuento!

some dog's
atar los perros con longaniza --> to have money to burn
llevarse como el perro y el gato --> to fight like cat and dog
tiempo de perros --> awful weather

saludos

[pogo]

sitting on the fence: entre dos aguas

[celador]

interesante -- That it would be used this way in the idiomatic phrase.

entre dos aguas / among (or between) two waters

el sentarse en la cerca / he sits on the fence

[Elaina]

Hola....

As far as idioms go, I think you can find many that mean the same thing. For example:

A otro perro con ese hueso .... can also mean..... me quiere ver el pelo -o- me quiere tomar el pelo..... or - me quiere ver la cara - I don't think you can truly translate this to English and make sense.

What about.... "tengo mucho colmillo" which means I am too experienced for you to fool me.

Try this one....
Cuando digo que la burra es parda es porque tengo los pelos en la mano...

Good luck with that one.
Elaina

[celador]

Cuando digo que la burra es parda es porque tengo los pelos en la mano

this phrase in English means: When you have hairy palms, you are an ass.

(pero solamente una persona retardada comprobaría para ver.)

[Tomisimo]

I did some research on this phrase (including asking some Mexicans) and found a few variations:

Cuando digo que la burra es parda, es porque tengo los pelos en la mano.
Cuando digo que la burra es parda, es porque traigo los pelos en la mano.
Cuando digo que la mula es pinta, es porque traigo los pelos en la mano.
Cuando digo que el caballo es pardo, es porque tengo los pelos en la mano.

What this means is basically that you should think about what you're going to say before saying it. Something like "Think before you speak", or "don't state the obvious". Literally, it means When I say the donkey/mule is brown/gray, it's because I have (some of its) hairs in my hand. In other words you're stating the obvious, and you should have thought about what you were going to say before saying it.

[celador]

Ooops... I should have thought about what I said.

That's an old joke we did as kids. About the hairy palms. lol

[Tomisimo]

Escrito originalmente por celador

Ooops... I should have thought about what I said.

That's an old joke we did as kids. About the hairy palms. lol

not a problem.

[Tomisimo]

So Elaina... who's right, celador or me?

[Elaina]

Well put David! I think you are right and I would prefer your response.

It means ..... when I say something or state something, I know for a fact that it is true because I have proof (traigo los pelos en la mano). This saying was used many, many years ago in Mexico. I work with elderly people and I have learned so much..... culture, language, idioms/sayings, etc.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to explain this particular saying that I thought was so funny when I first learned it.

Eliana