Dar hostias a

[poli]

Does anyone know what this means?

[aleCcowaN]

You need some Spaniard to explain it. "Hostias" is used just in Spain as a multitask word similar to "sh**" or "f***ing" in English. I know that if some people "no está para hostias", you won't like messing with them. Sometimes I think "hostias" is a blow, sometimes and insult. I suppose "dar hostias a alguien" may mean to insult the person abundantly, or maybe to give him a punch.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

Sometimes I think "hostias" is a blow, sometimes and insult.

The DRAE only recognises the first of those:

Originally Posted by DRAE

3. malson. Golpe, trastazo, bofetada.

Although it gets close to "insult" with a compound:

Originally Posted by DRAE

|| mala ~ malson. Mala intención.

[Luna Azul]

It's a very common expression in Spain. "Hostias" is considered an insult most of the time, a bad vulgar word. I don't understand why, but that's just the way it is.

In Latin America it couldn't be nicer and holier = "host" as in the "Holy Communion".

[aleCcowaN]

But what about there in Valencia?

"Dar la hostia" is to give a consecrated host as part of the rite of Eucharist.

I suppose that by extension "dar hostias" is giving punchs or slaps in the face, and "no estar para hostias" is an ironic remark about a bunch of people with sinister visages not being there attending heavenly business. From that, all the usual meanings might come. But it may be regional differences as I remember having heard one in Madrid and the other one in Barcelona.

[Perikles]

The level of vulgarity seems to depend on the context. I like the uso expletivo given in the Oxford dictionary:

hostia femenino
A (Religión) host

B (España vulgar o familiar) (golpe) slap, smack in the face (o mouth etc); te voy a dar or pegar una hostia you're going to get o you're asking for a smack in the face (familiar); darse or pegarse una hostia (España vulgar o familiar): se pegó una hostia con el coche he had a really bad car crash o smash (familiar)

C (uso expletivo) (España vulgar o familiar) ¡hostia! or ¡hostias! or ¡la hostia! jeez! (inglés norteamericanofamiliar), bloody hell! (inglés británicoargot); de la hostia (España vulgar o familiar): se acaba de comprar un coche de la hostia she's just bought herself an amazing car (familiar), the car she's just bought is something else (familiar); hace un frío de la hostia it's goddamn o (inglés británico) bloody freezing! (argot); la hostia de (España vulgar o familiar) a hell of a lot of (familiar); habían invitado a la hostia de gente they had invited a hell of a lot of o a real crowd of people, they had invited the world and his wife (familiar); ¡qué hostias …! (Españavulgar o familiar) what the hell …! (argot); ser la hostia (España vulgar o familiar): ¡este mechero es la hostia! (expresando fastidio) this lighter is the pits! (familiar), this lighter is a pain in the ass! (vulgar); (expresando admiración) this lighter's great! (familiar); ¡este tío es la hostia! this guy is too much! (familiar)

[poli]

Wow Perikles!
Thanks.