Toco plegar velas

[poli]

I'm almost sure it means, my opinions change. (a candle bending as a metaphor for softening one's hard edged opinions.) Has anyone heard this
phrase before?

[Rusty]

This looks like it might mean the same thing as recoger velas (to change one's mind, to regret), so I agree that it would mean something like time to change my mind.

[sosia]

"plegar" means "doblar", and in someplaces "recoger"
"recoger velas/plegar velas" literally is not to use the wind to continue sailing, so stop going in one direction.
So it means (RAE) "Contenerse, moderarse, ir desistiendo de un propósito"
to hold/restrain oneself, to abandon an intention.
So Rusty's answer is accurate.
saludos

[poli]

Now, I have a question about the toco part of this phrase. I hear this use
a lot. For example Mañana toco ir al mercado. I alway assumed that it's another form of the future tense like ir a but not I'm not so sure. Can someone clarify this for me?

[Rusty]

Unless I'm mistaken, it's translated as it's my turn (or, it's time). That is what I wrote above. This, I think, is just a shortened form of me/te/le tocó.

Me toca ir al súper = It's my turn to go to the supermarket.
Ayer me tocó ir al súper = Yesterday it was my turn to go to the supermarket.
Me tocó plegar velas = It was time to shift gears.

However, if you're certain you heard mañana toco ir, maybe this is another way to say mañana tengo que ir. A ver que dicen los nativos.

[sosia]

Rusty's right.
You have two possible origins (both invented )
1) "toco"-->"tocar" --> "to ring"
Suppose you are doing something (for example sleeping), and you wait for the clock to do something (get up). When the clock rings the bell/clocks (cuando toca el reloj/la campana/el timbre) you do that thing.
So simply saying tocó means "it's time to.../it's my turn to.." impliyng "el reloj tocó/ ha llegado la hora/ es momento de"
"mañana toca ir de compras" means simply "tomorrow it's time to go shopping"
"tocó la hora de irse a comer"/"it's time to go to eat"

2) "tocó" --> "tocar" --> "to gain a prize"
"Me ha tocado la lotería", "me ha tocado en un sorteo un viaje", "Me ha tocado la gorda"
So it's like someone is drawing a duty, and you're the one selected.
"mañana toca ir de compras", tomorrow is the day designed to go shopping -->"tomorrow it's time to go shopping"


"Ayer tocó ir al partido"--> Yesterday we went to the game (Yesterday was the time for going to the game/ Yesterday we were "self"-selected to go to the game.

Saludos

[poli]

¿Te has tocado el gordo? í Enhorabuena!

So is would be incorrect to say toco ir al mercado. The correct way to say it is : me toca ir al mercado. Me avisan si no tengo razón.
Gracias Don Speedy y Señor Groucho.

[Rusty]

I've always used me (te/etc.) toca + infinitive.

[Tomisimo]

Just to confirm here, "plegar velas" is referring to a ship's sails, not candles.

As for the other quesion, it should be "me toca ir/me tocó ir" in present or past tense, which if said fast, could easily be heard as "toco ir".