Leche

[Iris]

I agree with Alfonso. I mean, you wouldn't use it if you were having dinner with the Queen, but in everyday situations people say it all the time. Sometimes I say "Eres la leche en polvo" (a more elaborate version...).

[poli]

I spoke to a Colombian friend who laughed saying he hadn't heard the expression in years, but in his country they sometimes say "estás de la leche" when somebody does something really good like scoring a goal.

Thanks for being so informative

[Alfonso]

An inquisitive question:

Originally Posted by poli

It's really tempting to think that today's daily leche and Jane's post about el colmo have the same meaning. daily word, leche, to Jane's today post, el colmo, as:

Originally Posted by poli

A clarified correction:
I'm tempted to link today daily word, leche to Jane's post about el colmo.

Originally Posted by Alfonso

It's really tempting to link this daily word, leche, to Jane's today post, el colmo, as...

I'm really sorry I'm still thinking about the reasons of your corrections, Poli. I can't see it!

[poli]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

It's really tempting to link this daily word, leche, to Jane's today post, el colmo, as:

• Es el colmo.
• Es la leche.

... mean the same, with the latter being vulgar, and the former not. Do you use it the same way in other Hispanic countries?

I understand what you wrote but it's chapurreado. Here's a better way of saying it keeping as many words you originally chose as I could:
I am tempted to link todays daily word leche to Jane's post about
el colmo.
Consider the following two phrases:

Es la leche
Es el colmo

They mean the same, but the former is vulgar and the latter isn't.
Are both terms used in other Spanish-speaking countries?
(You could also say"they both mean the same with the former being
vulgar and the latter no vulgar at all)

Other words for colmo in English:
The final word in elegance. can you use la ultima palabra en elegancia?
The very model of ...
The paradigm of ... (not often used)

[Alfonso]

I'm sorry, but I still can't see why these syntagmas are not correct:

• It's really tempting to do something.
• Jane's today post.
• Hispanic countries.

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

I'm sorry, but I still can't see why these syntagmas phrases are not correct:

• It's really tempting to do something.
• Jane's today post.
• Hispanic countries.

I'd say that the first and third are fine. For the middle one, you'd have to say Jane's post from today or the post Jane wrote today. Oh, and in English a sintagma is simply a phrase. (phrase does not equal sentence, unlike frase y oración en Spanish)

[Alfonso]

Thanks a lot, David. That's really clear. By the way, I found syntagma as an English term in Tomísimo Dictionary, but not in Merrian-Webster.
Modification: It wasn't at Tomísimo Dictionary where I found it, but at dictionary.com, here. And the ie English corrector allows it.

[poli]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

It's really tempting to link this daily word, leche, to Jane's today post, el colmo, as:

• Es el colmo.
• Es la leche.

... meaning the same, with the latter being vulgar, and the former not being vulgar (former / latter phrases need to be balanced or they will sound broken.There are less awkward ways of writing writing this, but my my correction here is less intrusive. Additionly, referring to the latter first and the former later is bad form--not quite cantiflando but getting there . Do you use it the same way in other Hispanic countries?

Regarding "hispanic countries". I believe hispanic is an incorrect word choice although it my be technically correct and a matter of symantics. Nevertheless, it fees wrong. Example: Cuban people are hispanic because they are Spanish-speaking, but Cuba is not an hispanic country. Austrians are germanic for the same reason. Austria is not a germanic country but it is a German-speaking country. The people Turmenistan may be Turkic, but Turmenistan is not a Turkik country unless it is owned by Turkey, and it is not.

[Iris]

To me Hispanic doesn't mean that it belongs to Spain, but that it shares the same language, heritage and cultural roots.

[Rusty]

I can't think of a phrase using milk that means last straw, height, epitome, or brim.

I wanted to add that the vulgarity associated with milk and cream, as Poli mentioned, is not widespread. We say (and buy) milk and cream all the time without thinking about the possibility that it may be taken the wrong way (that it may seem vulgar to some). There are many words that have both a good and a vulgar meaning.