The international iDiOM

January 24th, 2003

Every language has its idioms (a phrase not immediately comprehensible from the words used). But native English speakers are just as likely to be confused throughout mainland Europe… especially in Spain ;)

Más loco que una cabra (crazier than a goat)
In England it is the “hatters” who are considered mad, but presumably in Spain it’s the goat who sits next to unsuspecting people on the bus and rants about the state of the country.

Yo te conozco bacalao, aunque vengas disfrazado (I know you codfish, even though you wear a disguise)
This means “I know your game”, but it makes you wonder how Spanish codfish do disguise themselves. Do they wear a strap-on pointy thing and call themselves swordfish?

Yo tengo una tía que toca la guitarra (I have an aunt who plays guitar)
“So what?” you may reply when a Spaniard tells you this. Good point: this idiom is equivalent to “And what does that have to do with the price of eggs?”

Comer frijoles y repetir pollo (To eat beans and to belch chicken)
This is the Spanish version of “his bark is worse than his bite”. But the Spaniards don’t seem to have researched this point since beans have a much more explosive effect wind-wise than chicken.

– extracted from “in-flight”

5 Comments Add your own

  • 1. Samer  |  January 26th, 2003 at 20:14

    As usually, I have been visiting your website almost everyday hoping to finally find an update. And when it comes, it’s just… idioms.
    Well, if somehow I could contribute to the richness of your site, here we go. It’s a lot of them, and they’re very silly. I received them by e-mail, and they fit well here, you’ll see. I delegate upon you the responsability to translate them properly or explain them, as it seems that you have plenty of time for such a deed ;-)

    Speaking in silver - Hablando en plata
    You have more tale than little street - Tienes más cuento que calleja.

    From lost to the river - De perdidos al río.

    The mother who gave birth to him - La madre que lo parió.

    Sissy the last - Marica el último.

    For if the flies - Por si las moscas.

    Your pan has gone - Se te ha ido la olla.

    Everywhere they boil beans - En todas partes cuecen habas.

    Composed and without girlfriend - Compuesto y sin novia.

    Go out by legs - Salir por piernas.

    If I have seen you I don’t remember - Si te he visto no me acuerdo.

    Switch off and let’s go - Apaga y vámonos
    It is not turkey mucus - No es moco de pavo
    Let’s go, Don’t fuck me - Vamos, no me jodas
    That if you want rice Catherine - Que si quieres arroz Catalina
    Shit little parrot - Cágate lorito
    Morning-singer - Cantamañanas
    Another who such dance - Otro que tal baila
    To another thing butterfly - A otra cosa mariposa
    What of-taylor - Que desastre
    Among whistles and flutes - Entre pitos y flautas
    Like water of May - Como agua de Mayo
    To fuck the female pig - Joder la marrana
    Marking parcel - Marcando paquete
    To put in a cigar - Meter un puro
    My happiness in a hole - Mi gozo en un pozo
    Sissy beach - Marica playa
    Which-o - Cualo
    It finished what it was given - Se acabó lo que se daba
    To go by the Ubeda’s mountains - Irse por los cerros de Ubeda
    You see less than Joseph Milks - Ves menos que Pepe Leches
    Until then Lucas - Hasta luego Lucas
    What brown - Que marrón
    The gold that shited the Arabian man - El oro que cagó el moro
    What so doggish life - Que vida tan perra
    You shited Burt Lancaster - La cagaste Burt Lancaster
    You roll yourself like a window blinde - Te enrollas como una persiana
    Go away to frie asparagous - Vete a freir espárragos
    Send eggs! - Manda huevos!
    Who sings his bads frightens - Quien canta sus males espanta
    I can’t with my soul - No puedo con mi alma
    Good of the Paraguay - Guai del Paraguay
    You hallucinate little cucumbers - Alucinas pepinillos
    Without-shame! - Sinvergüenza!
    You don’t give foot with ball - No das pie con bola

  • 2. ()s(ar  |  January 26th, 2003 at 20:29

    Thanx Samer! I’ll add these to my personal to-do list ;)

  • 3. Ciro Guerra  |  April 5th, 2003 at 3:06

    It’s as easy as hitting a parrot with a canvas hat = es tan fácil cómo darle un chonetazo a una lora (este es costarricense for if the flies.

  • 4. Oscar  |  April 5th, 2003 at 10:39

    Hehe! That’s a funny one :)

  • 5. Ciro Guerra  |  April 9th, 2003 at 1:59

    Just in case: Es cómo darle un chonetazo a una lora means that something is easy.

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