Comments for Like A Spaniard...

Comment on Spanish Idiom March 27, 2012 by Chebibet

Chebibet — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 23:59:31 +0000

Love your blog. We lived in Spain for twelve years back when our kids were small In Utrera, Seville and then Madrid. So I reizgncoe the locations of some of your photos. We’re from CA too and I really do miss our Spanish friends and the rhythm of life there. I’ll keep reading. thanks!

Comment on Spanish Idiom July 17, 2010 by Pablo

Pablo — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:03:36 +0000

Hi again,

I don’t know where did you learn all these idioms but you’ve got a huge database here.

The correct form for this idiom is “Pasarse de castaño a oscuro”. In this sentence, “castaño” is not the well-known chestnut, but a colour similar to brown. We use it when something’s got worse than before.

Comment on Spanish Saying October 22, 2009 by l. charles

l. charles — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:41:52 +0000

I’ve heard another meaning of this refrain, which has to do with receiving help when help is no longer needed, as in the following example: Say that you’re cleaning your house and a friend arrives just as you’re finishing, and offers to help you clean it. Your response might me “A buenas horas mangas verdes”, which is to say “Thanks a lot, but it’s too late, and now I don’t need help.
I think that the derivation comes from the reign of the Catholic Kings. when soldiers of the court would be dispatched to deal with emergencies of various kinds, and they wore leather doublets with green sleeves. In the 16th and 17th centuries, they earned a reputation for showing up late to resolve the dispute in question, and by the time they arrived, the people had already resolved it themselves. I believe that’s where the refrain comes from, “Finally, the green sleeves,” spoken with a good degree of irony.

Comment on Spanish Idiom March 18, 2009 by l. charles

l. charles — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:52:06 +0000

La explicación: taken from the website
http://belcart.com/belcart_es/del_dicho/estar%20a%20la%20cuarta%20pregunta.htm

Antiguamente, en los interrogatorios judiciales, era de fórmula realizar cuatro preguntas al imputado: ¿tenemos salud?, ¿tenemos ingenio?, ¿tenemos amores? y la temida cuarta pregunta: ¿tenemos dinero?

Aparentemente, los novatos iban contestando afirmativamente a todo, salvo cuando oían la cuarta pregunta.

Cuando la indagación concernía a persona desheredada o indigente, ésta, naturalmente respondía siempre negativamente, declarándose pobre de solemnidad y si el juez, deseoso de aclarar la situación, insistía por ese lado, el interesado podía abstenerse o, mejor dicho, estar a la cuarta pregunta.

La expresión, con el tiempo, vino a hacerse homóloga del estado de suma pobreza o indigencia de determinada persona.

Comment on Spanish Idiom April 22, 2008 by Sandra

Sandra — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:35:49 +0000

Me gusta mucho tu blog.

En español también se dice: “pasar el sombrero” o “pasar la gorra”.
Saludos

Comment on Spanish Idiom April 24, 2008 by Sandra

Sandra — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:35:49 +0000

Me gusta mucho tu blog.

En español también se dice: “pasar el sombrero” o “pasar la gorra”.
Saludos

Comment on Spanish Idiom February 28, 2008 by Manuel Rochell

Manuel Rochell — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:24:24 +0000

Another equivalent in Spanish (Cuban) would be “Tener guayabitos en la azotea” which literally means “To have mice on the rooftop”

Comment on Idiom of the Day March 19, 2007 by sjg

sjg — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:43:20 +0000

How about “yellow” meaning a coward or cowardly.
And “seeing red” when one is very angry.
and “brown-nosing” as in someone going out of their way to ingratiate themselves with a person in authority, especially an employer, in order to gain special favors, a “boot licker.” — which would be one for your clothing section.

or “black and white” as either one thing or its opposite, pro or con, with no third option. or as being perfectly plain or self explanatory “It’s right there in black and white”

or “being in the pink” — healthy.
or “being in the red” to be overdrawn or in debt, from the days when bookkeeping was done by hand, and debits were written in red ink.
or “being in the black” — solvent, not in debt — credits were written in black ink.

or “talk a blue streak” chatter incessantly

Comment on Modismo del Dia 27 de Mayo de 2007 by sjg

sjg — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:25:11 +0000

P.S., English also has the expression “give a fig” — as in “I don’t give a fig what you think!” implying that whatever it is, is not even worth as much as a fig. “I don’t give a ______!” as a way to deride something as useless, worthless, insignificant, totally lacking in importance, or beneath contempt is a common idiomatic phrase in English in which you may fill in the blank with any of a variety of words — i.e., a fig, a rat’s ass, a flying f**k, a tinker’s damn, or any other nasty, vulgar, obscene or ridiculous word or phrase you care to. One of my personal favorites is “I don’t give two hoots in a hot place” (i.e., hell).

Comment on Idiom of the Day July 31, 2007 by sjg

sjg — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 22:32:00 +0000

The “apple of discord” is a reference to Greek mythology. This was a golden apple thrown into a banquet of the gods by Eris (goddess of discord–who had not been invited). Written on the apple was `for the fairest’ and Hera, Athena and Aphrodite all claimed it. When Paris, Prince of Troy, awarded it to Aphrodite (this was “the judgement of Paris”), it set off a chain of events that led to the Trojan War. (This was the same Paris who ran off with King Menelaus’ wife Helen, which provoked the Trojan war). The “bone of contention” can also refer to the specific reason people are fighting or disagreeing, as “Everyone wanted peace, but the bone of contention was how to implement that peace.”