Common Spanish Expressions

[eldeano]

Originally Posted by John Hurt

Pagar el pato to pay for something thats not your fault, or bear the brunt of it (so different to 'time to pay the piper')
e.g. Todos rompimos la ventana, pero yo pagué el pato

To take the rap?

[Paquito]

Originally Posted by tad

¿Nos vas a ayudar Paquito (el Chocolatero)?

Wow... estoy realmente impresionado, tad. Has acertado muchas!!

"¡La madre que lo parió!": se dice cuando una persona hace o dice algo que cause impresión (shocking), o hace algo muy mal (o muy bien). Seguro que existe alguna expresión equivalente en inglés, pero no sé cual es.

"¡Manda huevos!" es como "F*ck!" (con perdón).

"Irse por los cerros de Úbeda": exacto, es "to go on a wild goose chase".

"Que si quieres arroz, Catalina": Se usa cuando tú dices algo a otra persona, you insist and insist, y la persona no quiere escucharte. (Ejemplo: Le pedí varias veces a Pepe que me ayudara, pero nada, que si quieres arroz, Catalina).

"No puedo con mi alma": I am very tired.

"No das pie con bola": se dice cuando alguien lo hace todo mal de manera contínua.

El resto de frases las ha explicado muy bien tad (tad, tienes una buena nota ).

[eldeano]

Originally Posted by Paquito

Wow... estoy realmente impresionado, tad. Has acertado muchas!!

¿y lo de 'no es moco de pavo' y 'pagar el pato'?

[Paquito]

Originally Posted by eldeano

¿y lo de 'no es moco de pavo' y 'pagar el pato'?

tad explicó bien esas dos.

[omeyas]

Originally Posted by tad

Por si las moscas take care, watch out for....

Just in case. Esta expresión es sinónimo de “por si acaso"

[tad]

Originally Posted by omeyas

Just in case. Esta expresión es sinónimo de “por si acaso"

Sí, eso.

Hay otra con las moscas:

¿Qué mosca te picó? What's bugging you?

Remember this thread didn't start as 'dichos' but just weird phrases to english ears. I am still looking for 'por lo alto' I have 'overhead' ?

-but I think there are a few meanings

[Paquito]

"Por lo alto" es una expresión utilizada en América del centro y del sur. En España se dice "por todo lo alto". Quizá por eso no la encuentras.

Eso se dice cuando alguien hace una celebración muy grande (ejemplo: El Real Madrid celebró la victoria por todo lo alto).

[motley]

Originally Posted by tad

Oh sorry, I didnt know that. I didn't realise that it could be used in the sense of emotional 'missing'

BTW motley (on my screen anyway) there is a curious thing on your posts: a rotating time thing next to the edit function as though it is trying to do something but not getting there.

I was wondering about that too & just thought is was normal.
Is it trying to tell me something, did I say something wrong, oh my ?

[ValenciaSon]

"Vaya tela" is an expression I see used alot lately. Is that a comment on how complex a situation has become?

[Elvis]

Originally Posted by Paquito

"¡La madre que lo parió!": se dice cuando una persona hace o dice algo que cause impresión (shocking), o hace algo muy mal (o muy bien). Seguro que existe alguna expresión equivalente en inglés, pero no sé cual es.

I think you will find it's English equivalent is, to stop someone in their tracks.

[Ben]

Originally Posted by ValenciaSon

"Vaya tela" is an expression I see used alot lately. Is that a comment on how complex a situation has become?

Yes that sounds right. 'Es tela marinera' is the original phrase I think, It's 'sail cloth' tough.

(Some posts in this thread have been moved to a new thread so we can stay on topic in this useful sticky thread)

[José Miguel]

A toro pasado = second-guessing ?

[Juanjo]

"I think you will find it's English equivalent is, to stop someone in their tracks."

........ or perhaps an ironic "His mother would be so proud of him!"

I have also heard it used as the second part of a vulgar insult such as "¡*******.... y tu madre que te parió!"

[hugh]

Lo paso un bien - I had a good time
Lo pasamos un bien - we had a good time

can I also say - lo pasaste un bien? - did you have a good time?

[Don]

Originally Posted by hugh

Lo paso un bien - I had a good time
Lo pasamos un bien - we had a good time

can I also say - lo pasaste un bien? - did you have a good time?

Hi Hugh,

You need to omit the "un".

Lo pasé bien. - I had a good time.

Yes, you could also say, lo pasaste bien?

[loulou]

Originally Posted by tad

Isn't hacer falta more like; to need? lit.: it makes a 'lack'

Nos hace falta un reloj - A watch lacks to us - We need a watch

To miss in idiomatic form might be: Echar de menos

Echo de menos los momentos que pasamos juntos :I miss the moments that we spent together.

Un amigo mejicano suele usar el verbo extranar para decir echar de menos. En espana se usa tambien?

[Paquito]

Originally Posted by loulou

Un amigo mejicano suele usar el verbo extranar para decir echar de menos. En espana se usa tambien?

Sí, también se usa "extrañar", pero suena más... poético.

Te extraño = I miss you.

[tad]

Originally Posted by Paquito

tad explicó bien esas dos.

pero sólo con la ayuda de Word Reference

Originally Posted by Paquito

"Por lo alto" es una expresión utilizada en América del centro y del sur. En España se dice "por todo lo alto". Quizá por eso no la encuentras.

Eso se dice cuando alguien hace una celebración muy grande (ejemplo: El Real Madrid celebró la victoria por todo lo alto).

Gracias, no estoy seguro donde oí 'por lo alto'

[Carola]

More expresions:

- Meter la pata: Do something wrong.
Example: Queríamos hacerle una fiesta sorpresa a Marta, pero su hermano metió la pata y se lo contó.

- Se te cae la baba: Se le cae la baba con su bebé: He dotes on his baby.
It is used too when you see a hot person, so handsome and sexy.
Example: "Ey, que se te cae la baba" someone says to you when appears this hot new teacher.
Sometimes your friend would say: "cierra la boquita..."(although your mouth is closed) because you know, se te cae la baba.

- Las reglas están para saltárselas. The rules are estabilished to break itself (Is it well estructured?)

- Es más lento que el caballo del malo: From western. It is more slow than the horse of the bad one. Because in western movie the enemie of the main character never catch (or get: atrapar?) him on time.

- No tengo abuela: I havent got grandma. It is said when someone praise themself so much, it is always the task of the grandmother so if you havent one...you do it.

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