spanish idioms with pictures
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Spanish idioms Literal translation English equivalent Picture repr
Rascarse la barriga To scratch your belly To sit on your backside and do nothing
Ahogarse en un vaso deagua
To drown in a glass of water To make a mountain out of a molehill.
Estar hecho un Adn To be like Adam To look a mess
Un hombre de pelo enpecho
A man with hair on his chest A real man
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Beber los aires poralguien
To drink the breezes forsomebody
To be madly in love with someone
Estar hasta las narices dealgo
To be up to the nostrils withsomething
Fed up to the back teeth with something
Mientras que en mi casaestoy, rey soy
While in my house I am king A man`s home is his castle
Llevar a alguien por lacalle de la amargura
To lead somebody down miserystreet
To make somebody`s life a misery
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Sobre gustos no haynada escrito
About taste there is nothingwritten down
There is no accounting for taste
Tener la cabeza comouna bola de billar
To have a head like a billiardball
To be as bald as a coot
Tener cara de pascua To have an Easter face To be grinning broadly
Estar mas sano que unapera
To be healthier than a pear To be as fit as a fiddle
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Hacer las cuentas de lalechera
To the milkmaid`s sums To count your chickens before they arehatched
No estar bien sentado To be a backside that can't sitstill
To have ants in your pants
Ni de aqu a Lima Not from here to Lima Not by a long chalk. There is just nocomparison
Tener cara de pascua To have an Easter face To be grinning from ear to ear
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Las mentiras tienen patascortas
Lies have short legs The truth will out (lies won't get you veryfar).
Entre col y col, lechuga Between cabbage andcabbage, lettuce.
Variety is the spice of life
Esto no tiene muchaciencia
This doesn`t have a lot ofscience
There is nothing difficult about it
Untar la mano de alguien To grease somebody`s hand To grease somebody`s palm. To influencesomeone by giving them money.
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Ser mas fuerte que unroble
To be stronger than an oak tree To be as strong as an ox
Al pie de la letra To the foot of the letter To the letter, or exactly
Las vacas gordas The fat cows The boom years
Lo saben hasta laspiedras
Even stones know that Everyone knows that
Tener buen diente To have a good tooth To have a healthy appetite
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Tener a alguien entreojos
To have somebody betweenyour eyes
To have it in for someone
Se arm la de SanQuintn
What happened at San Quintinbroke out
all hell broke out
Estar mas loco que unacabra
To be madder than a goat To be as mad as a hatter
Meter la cuchara To put in your spoon To stick your oar in
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Poner toda la carne en elasador
To put all the meat on thebarbecue
Pull out all the stops
Cambiar el chip To change one`s chip To change your way of thinking
Eso est hecho That`s done It`s a sure thing (promise)
No saber ni papa de Not to know even a potatoabout
To know nothing about
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Alzarse con el santo y lalimosna
To take off with the saint andthe alms.
To clear off with everything
Hacer algo volando To do something on the fly To do something quickly
Prstame la guitarra Lend me the guitar Let me get a word in
Meterse en el sobre To put oneself in one`senvelope
To go to bed, to hit the sack
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A jalones y estirones at pulls and stretches Kicking and screaming / with lots of effort
Rascarse el bolsillo To scratch the pocket Spend money unwillingly
Estoy que me caigo I am about to fall I am not feeling well
Quemar las naves To burn one`s shipd To burn one`s bridges
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Tener mucha cuerda To have a lot of chord To have a lot of life left in them.
Bajar a todos los santos To get all the saints down. To try everything when you are up againstit.
Echar lea al fuego To add fuel to the fire To make things worse
Lanzar un rollo To throw a roll To start a long story
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Que si patatn que sipatatn
And so on and so on blah, blah, blah, blah
Mrate en ese espejo Look at yourself in that mirror Let that be a lesson to you
Navegar con bandera deinocente
To sail with the flag of aninnocent
To play dumb. To pretend to be innocentbut have a motive for it.
Ni corto ni perezoso Neither short nor lazy Doing it right away. Without losing anytime
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Liso y llano Smooth and flat, as a road A piece of cake. Easy.
La procesin va pordentro
The procession goes on theinside
Bottling it all up.
Por un tubo Through a pipe Abundantly.
Mirar los toros desde labarrera
To look at the bulls from behindthe barrier
To stay out of harm`s way
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Ya tener una pata all To now have a paw in there To have a foot in the door
Estar como pez en elagua
To be like a fish in water To be in one`s element. To enjoy your owncomforts.
Tapando el sol con undedo
Covering the sun with a finger Covering things up.
Hijos de muchas madres Children of many mothers All kinds of people. A diverse group ofpeople.
Pintarse solo para unacosa
To paint oneself alone forsomething
To be very skillful at something
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Pisarle los callos aalguien
To step on someone`scallouses
To bother someone without reason
Sin cruzar palabra Without crossing word Without saying a word
Que lo haga Rita Let Rita do it Let someone else do it
La flor y nata The flower and whipped cream Upper crust. Highest social class.
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Pagar por sustos To pay in frights To buy on credit
Los gajes del oficio The matters of the trade. Part and parcel of the job. Occupationalhazards.
Tener a alguien en elalma
To have someone in one's soul To feel for someone who is havingproblems. To want to help
Llover a cntaros To rain tanks/pitchers Raining buckets
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Tener buen diente To have good tooth To be a big eater. To have a hollow leg
Fresco Fresh Cool as a cucumber. Not worried
Estar muy potable To be very drinkable To look attractive
Partirse de la risa To split with laughter To crack up with laughter
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Dar en el clavo To strike home To be spot on. To hit the nail on the head.
Mucho ojo, que la vistaengaa
Much eye, the sight deceives Appearances are deceptive
Darle lata a alguien To give someone tin can To give someone a hard time. To upsetsomeone.
Quedarse para vestirsantos
To stay dressing saints To remain an old maid
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Bailar en la cuerda floja To dance on the tightrope To try to do many things at once
Tener los nervios depunta
To have one's nerves standing To have one's nerves on edge
Hacer San Lunes Make Saint Monday To skive off work on Mondays
Sufrir un ataque decuernos
To suffer an attack of horns To go into a jealous rage
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Estar colgado To be hung, suspended To be in love. To have a crush
Hay ropa tendida There is clothing hung out todry
The coast is not clear. Be careful
De buenas a primeras From good ones to first ones On the spur of the moment
Poderoso caballero esDon Dinero
Mighty gentleman is DonMoney
Money makes the world go round / Moneyis power, power is money
Ser ua y carne To be fingernail and flesh. To be bosom buddies.
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Buscarle las pulgas aalguien
To look for someone`s fleas To irritate someone. To provoke
Seguir en sus trece To keep in one`s thirteen To persist. To stick to one`s guns.
Siempre me toca bailarcon la ms fea
I always have to dance with theugliest girl.
I always get the short end of the stick / Ialways draw the short straw.
Salir por la ventana To leave through the window To sneak out the back door.
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Tengamos la fiesta enpaz
We have the peace party. Let`s have some peace and quiet.
Revolver el gallinero To stir the chicken To put the cat among the pigeons.
A falta de pan, buenasson tortas
Where there is no bread, cakesare fine.
It will do just fine. One thing is as good asanother.
Para parar un tren To stop a train In large quantities. Tons of
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Salir el tiro por la culata To have the shot go out the buttof the rifle
To backfire. To have the opposite resultfrom what was anticipated.
Empezar la casa por eltejado
To begin the house with theroof
To put the cart before the horse
Atar cabos To tie ends To put two and two together
Tonto de capirote Idiot chief Dope of dopes. Really stupid
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Tiene un humor de perros He`s in a dog mood He`s in a foul mood
Para colmo de desgracias For the culmination ofmisfortunes
To top it all off
Un clavo saca otro clavo One nail takes out another nail. One problem overshadows another.
Estar como agua parachocolate
To be like water for chocolate. To be at boiling point (anger or passion)
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Echar flores To throw flowers To pat on the back. To compliment
Dar en la torre To give in the tower To hit hard. To hurt someone where theyare vulnerable
Un hotel de mala muerte a hotel of bad death A grotty hotel
Correr como un galgo To run like a greyhound To run like a gazelle
Valer su peso en oro To be worth its weight in gold To be worth a fortune
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Acostarse con las gallinas To go to bed with the chickens To go to bed early
Aflojar la cuerda To loosen the cord To take a breather
Poner en las nubes To put in the clouds To praise to the skies. To highly praise.
Estar metida en un rollo To be put in a roll To get into a bind. To get into hot water.
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En boca cerrada noentran moscas
In a closed mouth flies don`tenter.
Loose talk can get you into trouble.
El hijo de pap Daddy`s child Rich kid. Kid who has everything providedfor them.
Ms loco que una cabra Crazier than a she-goat Mad as a hatter
Reparar en migajas To notice crumbs To split hairs. To pay attention tounimportant things instead of the biggerissues.
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No dar pie con bola To not hit the ball with one`sfoot
To not be correct. To make a mess ofthings. To not do things right
Donde el diablo perdi elponcho
Where the devil lost his poncho In a god-forsaken spot
Meterse en el sobre To put oneself in the envelope To hit the sack. To go to bed
Meter la cuchara To put in the spoon To put in one`s two penny worth
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Chiste rojo Red joke Dirty joke
No calentar el asiento To not warm the seat To not last long
Tener un corazn deacero
To have a heart of steel To have a heart of stone
Confundir la gimnasia conla magnesia
To confuse gymnastics withmagnesia
To mix apples and oranges
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Montar un nmero To put on a number. To make a scene.
Llevar en palmas To carry palm trees To treat like a king. To pamper.
Comer a dos carrillos To eat with two cheeks To serve two masters. To work for twopeople.
Tomar el pelo a alguien To pull someone`s hair To pull someone`s leg, to make fun of
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El vivo retrato de alguien The living portrait of someone The spitting image of someone
Flotar como el corcho enel agua
To float like cork in water To come out on top, come out well despiteadversity
No dar el brazo a torcer To not give one`s arm to twist To be stubborn
Cortado por la mismatijera
Cut by the same scissors Very similar, chip off the old block
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No dejar piedra sobrepiedra
To not leave stone upon stone To leave nothing standing, to destroycompletely
Tener alma a acero To have a soul of steel To have a heart of stone, to be withoutfeelings
Hacer alharacas To make a fuss To make a big deal (of something)
Ser plato de segundamesa
To be a plate of a second table To feel like a second class citizen
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A falta de pan, buenasson tortas
Where there is no bread, cakesare fine
It will do just fine. One thing is as good asanother.
Quemarse las pestaas To burn one`s eyelashes To burn the midnight oil. To cram
Hijo de la gata, ratonesmata
son of the cat kills rats Like father, like son
No van por ah los tiros The shots aren`t going that way barking up the wrong tree
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Ni soarlo In your dreams No way
Fumarse una clase To smoke oneself a class To skip a class
Irsele a alguien la lengua To make a slip of the tongue Speak without thinking
Pon los pies sobre latierra
Put your feet on the ground Come down to earth
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La sopa boba Crazy soup Life on Easy Street
El da de arreglo decuentas
The day of settling accounts Day of reckoning
Llevar en palmas To carry with palm trees To treat like a king, pamper
Con las manos en lamasa
With the hands in the dough Red-handed
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Ponerse las botas To put one`s boots on To make a killing
Huir del fuego y caer enlas brasas
To flee from the fire and fall intothe coals
From the frying pan into the fire
La despidada de soltero Sending off of the single man Stag party
Darle a uno una buenaleja
To give someone a good doseof bleach
To give someone a good scolding
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Hacer mil maromas para To do a thousand acrobatictricks in order to
To go to a lot of trouble to, to spare noeffort to
Bjale de crema a tustacos
Decrease the cream in yourtacos
Don`t exaggerate
Estar al loro To be at the parrot To pay attention, be attentive, be up todate
Criado(a) a lo bruto raised in a brutish way Brought up in a barn
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Ser plato de segundamesa
To be second-table dish To play second fiddle
Jugar con dos barajas To play with two decks To cheat, act with duplicity
Cantar de plano To sing clearly To spill the beans
Echar agua al mar To throw water into the sea To be pointless
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Con los brazos cruzados With arms crossed Twiddling one`s thumbs
Marcando ocupado Dialling the busy signal Not understanding anything
Encendrsele el bombillo To have the lightbulb turned on To get a brilliant idea
Ms feo que el pecado Uglier than the sin As ugly as sin
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Hacer su santa voluntad To do one`s holy will To do as one pleases
Por los buenas o por lasmalas
For the good or the bad One way or another
No saber ni papa de Not to know even a potatoabout
To know nothing about
Caer chuzos de punta To rain sharp spears To rain cats and dogs
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Tragarle a uno la tierra To be swallowed by the earth To disappear into nowhere
No cerrar la puerta To not close the door to not cut down on choices/options, or, notto burn one`s bridges
Quedar a la altura de suzapatilla
To remain at the height ofone`s slipper
To be a failure
Contigo ni a China mevoy
I`m not even going to Chinawith you
You`re impossible
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Andar de Herodes aPilato
To walk from Herod to Pilate To go from bad to worse
Ser un espantapjaro To be a scarecrow Ugly as sin
Tener mal templada laguitarra
To have one's guitar badlytuned.
To be in a bad mood
Ser del montn To be of the heap No great shakes, nothing to write home
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Llover sobre mojado To rain over the wetness It never rains but it pours.
Ser ms del campo quelas amapolas
To be more from the countrythan the poppies
To be a hick
Estar entre la espada y lapared
To be between the sword andthe wall
To be caught between a rock and a hardplace
Como pez en el agua Like a fish in the sea To be in one`s element
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Un viento de mildemonios
A wind of a thousand demons A howling gale
Estar de veinticincoalfileres
To be of twenty-five pins To be dressed to kill
Tener angel To have an angel to have charm, to be charming
Darle perro a uno To give someone a dog To stand someone up, to break a date
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Largar a otro el mochuelo To pass the owl on to someoneelse
To pass the buck
Dar en un hueso To hit a bone To hit a snag
Flipar en colores To flip colours To be totally amazed
Parecerse como dosgotas de agua
To look like two drops of water To look like two peas in a pod
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Tener un tornillo flojo To have a loose screw To be crazy
El mundo es un pauelo The world is a handkerchief It`s a small world
Toda va viento en popa Everything goes wind at thestern
All is going well
Dejar a uno en laestacada
To leave someone in thestockade
To leave someone in the lurch
No es cosa del otro
mundo
It`s not anything from another
world
It`s nothing to write home about
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Decirle a alguien cuatroverdades
To tell someone four truths To give someone a piece of one`s mind
Coger a alguien con lasmanos en la masa
To catch someone with his orher hands in the dough
To catch someone red-handed
Costar un ojo de la cara To cost an eye of the face To cost an arm and a leg
Aquello fue llegar y besarel santo
That was arriving and kissingthe saint
It was like taking candy from a baby
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Andar caminando sobrehuevos
To walk stepping on eggs To tread on thin ice
Venir con msicas To come with music To tell tall tales
Rer con risa de conejo To laugh with the laughter of arabbit
To force a laugh
Empezar la casa por eltejado To start building the house atthe roof To put the cart before the horse
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Ir al grano To go to the seed Get to the point
Faltarle a uno un tornillo to have a screw missing To be nuts
Cortar el bacalao To cut the codfish To rule the roost
No hay mal que por bienno venga
There is not badly that by wellcome not
Every cloud has a silver lining