The Big Red Book of Spanish Idioms

by Peter Weibel

  cagarla (pop., vulg.) to drop a clanger (sl.), to screw or cock (Br.E.) it/things up (sl.), to ball or balls (Br.E.) it/things up (sl.), to mess it/things up (fig., fam.), to blow it (sl.) ¡Ahora sí que la hemos cagado! Now we’ve really cocked things up!

  cagarse (pop., vulg.) to shit o.s. (vulg.)

  cagarse de miedo (fig., pop., vulg.) to shit o.s. [for fear] (fig., vulg.) Nos cagamos de miedo. We shit/shat ourselves. We were scared shitless. (vulg.) We were in a blue funk. (fam., Br.E.)

  cagarse en algo/alg. (fig., pop., vulg.) not to give a shit (vulg.) or a damn (fam.) about s.th./s.o. ¡Me cago en el gobierno! To hell with the government! (fam.) Screw the government! (vulg.)

  ¡Me cago en diez o en la mar! (pop., vulg.) Shit! (vulg.) Damn [it]! (fam.)

  el cagatintas (pej.) ink-shitter (pej.), hack writer (pej.), penpusher (fam., pej.), petty clerk (pej.)

  Caín Cain

  pasar las de Caín (fam.) to have a ghastly time, to go through hell (fam.), to die a thousand deaths (fam.)

  venir con las de Caín (fam.) to have evil intentions

  la caja box

  la caja boba/idiota/tonta (fam.) (TV): box (fam.), goggle box (fam., Br.E.), [boob] tube (fam., Am.E.)

  echar/despedir a alg. con cajas destempladas (fig., fam.) to kick s.o. out (fam.), to send s.o. packing (fig.) dar el bote a alg.

  el cajón big box

  el cajón de sastre (fig., fam.) motley collection, hotchpotch (fig., Br.E.) or hodgepodge (fam., Am.E.), jumble, mess (fig.) El informe anual es un cajón de sastre. The annual report is a hotchpotch or is a jumble of different things. Su oficina está como [un] cajón de sastre. His office is in utter disorder or is in a terrible mess or is an absolute shambles. (fig.)

  la cal lime

  cerrar algo a cal y canto (fig.) to shut or close s.th. firmly/tight/securely

  de cal y canto (fig.) durable/lasting/solid (peace or building or basis/etc.), unshakable (conviction/etc.), firm, as solid as a rock (fig.)

  dar una de cal y otra de arena (fam.) (a) to be a weathercock (fig.), to blow hot and cold (fig.), to chop and change (fam., Br.E.) (b) to apply a policy of the carrot and the stick or a carrot-and-stick policy (fig.) El gobierno dio una de cal y otra de arena para cambiar la opinión del pueblo. The government applied a policy of the carrot and the stick in order to change the people’s opinion.

  la calabaza pumpkin

  la calabaza (fig.) nut (sl.) la cebolla

  una calabaza (fig., fam.) dope (fam.), idiot un [pedazo de] alcornoque

  dar calabazas a alg. (fam.) (a) (student/candidate): to fail, to flunk (fam., Am.E.), to plough (sl., Br.E.) (b) (suitor): to give the brush-off (fam.); (lover): to jilt Le dieron calabazas en español. They ploughed him or he was ploughed or he was flunked in Spanish. Ella le dio calabazas. She gave him the brush-off. Ella le dio calabazas a su amante. She jilted her lover.

  la calada soaking

  dar una calada a alg. (fig., fam.) to give s.o. a [good] dressing-down or ticking-off (Br.E.) (fam.), to haul s.o. over the coals (fig.) zurrar la badana a alg. (b)

  calado (estar ~ hasta los huesos)

  la calamidad disaster, calamity

  ser alg. una calamidad (fam.) s.o.: to be utterly useless, to be a dead loss (fig., fam.), to be a washout (sl.), to be a [complete] disaster (fig., fam.) Como presidente es una calamidad. As a president he’s a disaster.

  el calcetín sock

  el calcetín (pop.) (condom): rubber (fam., Am.E.), johnny (fam., Br.E.), French letter (fam., Br.E.)

  ir/venir a golpe de calcetín to go/come on Shank’s pony (Br.E.) or on Shank’s mare (Am.E.) (hum.), to hoof it (fam.), to walk

  la caldera ca[u]ldron, kettle

  las calderas de Pe[d]ro Botero (fig., fam.) hell

  el caldo broth

  revolver el caldo (fig.) to stir it/s.th. up again (fig.)

  amargar el caldo a alg. (fig.) to spoil s.o.’s fun, to spoil all the fun, to spoil s.th./things for s.o., to cause s.o. trouble

  hacer el caldo gordo a alg. (fig.) to play into s.o.’s hands, to make it/things easy for s.o.

  cambiar el caldo a las aceitunas (fam., hum.) (men): to have a slash (sl., Br.E.), to take or have (Br.E.) a leak (sl., hum.), to have a pee/piddle (fam., Br.E.), to spend a penny (euph., fam., Br.E.)

  poner a alg. a caldo (fam.) to give s.o. a dressing-down (fam.), to tell s.o. what you think of him

  el calé o calés (pop.) (money): dough (sl., Am.E.), bread (sl.), sugar (sl.), brass/dosh/lolly (sl., Br.E.), wampum (sl., Am.E.)

  las calendas calends

  en las Calendas griegas (fam., hum.) on the Greek calends (hum.), in a month of Sundays (fam.), in a coon’s age (sl., Am.E.), never Pagarán en las Calendas griegas. They’ll pay on the Greek calends. They’ll never pay. Siguiendo así, terminarán el trabajo en las Calendas griegas. Continuing like that, they won’t finish the job in a month of Sundays.

  calentar el asiento

  calentar la cabeza/los cascos a alg.

  calentarse la cabeza

  calentura de pollo

  la calientapollas (vulg., Esp.) sexually provocative woman, prick-teaser (vulg.), cock-teaser (vulg.)

  caliente warm, hot

  Ande yo caliente y ríase la gente. I don’t give a damn what other people say/think (fam.) I couldn’t care less what other people say/think. I dress for comfort, not for other people.

  caliente de cascos

  el cáliz chalice

  apurar el cáliz de cicuta o de [la] amargura o de dolor hasta las heces (fig.) to drain/drink the cup of sorrow or the cup of bitterness [down] to the last drop (fig.)

  callar to be quiet

  callar[se] como un muerto o como una piedra (fam.) to shut up like a clam (fam.), s.o.’s lips are sealed (fig.), to keep absolutely quiet, not to breathe a word

  Quien calla otorga. Silence gives/implies consent.

  callar ( el sabio: es de sabios el ~)

  la calle street

  echarse a la calle (fig.) to take to the streets, to demonstrate, to riot, to express one’s outrage

  hacer la calle (fam.) (prostitute): to walk/work the streets (fam.), to be on the game (fam.)

  llevar/traer a alg. por la calle de la amargura (fam.) to give s.o. a [very] difficult time, to make s.o.’s life a misery (fam.), to make life hell for s.o. (fam.)

  desempedrar la calle (fig., fam.) to dash along/through the street, to shoot off

  echar a alg. a la calle (fam.), poner a alg. de patitas en la calle (fam.) to kick s.o. out (fam.), to boot s.o. out (fam.), to fire s.o. (fam.) dar el bote a alg.

  plantar a alg. en la calle (fig., fam.) to pitch s.o. into the street (fig.) dar el bote a alg.

  calle (estar al cabo de la ~)

  el callo callus

  dar el callo (fig., fam., Esp.) to keep one’s nose to the grindstone (fig.) echar/sudar la hiel

  criar callos (fig.) to develop a thick skin (fig.), to become inured, to become hardened (fig.), to toughen [o.s.] up (make physically or emotionally resilient) Tiene la sensibilidad a flor de piel. Debería criar callos. She’s very easily hurt. She should develop a thick skin.

  calor ( cojón: hacer un ~ de cojones)

  calor ( traer/traérselas: hace un ~ que se las trae)

  calor (abrasarse de ~)

  el Calvario Calvary, Stations of the Cross

  ser un calvario (fig.) to be an ordeal (fig.), to be a misery (fam.), to be torture (fig.), to be hell (fam.) Vivir allí fue un calvario. Life was hell there. La oveja negra de la familia hizo de la vida de sus padres un verdadero calvario. The black sheep of the family made his parents’ life a real misery.

  calvo bald, baldheaded

  el calvo (pop.) (penis): prick (vulg.), cock (vulg.), dick (vulg.), pecker (vulg., Am.E.), dong (vulg., Am.E.)

  Ni tanto ni tan calvo. (fig.) Don’t exaggerate. It’s not that bad. Casi morimos. ¡Ni tanto ni tan calvo! We almost died. Don’t exaggerate! It was not that bad.

  calvo (dentro de cien años todos ~s)<
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  la calzadera lace for abarcas (sandals)

  apretar las calzaderas (fig., fam.) to take to one’s heels, to beat it (sl.)

  calzar (shoes/etc.): to put on, to wear

  calzar algo (fig., fam.) to get s.th. (fam.), to twig s.th. (fam., Br.E.), to catch on to s.th. (fam.), to grasp s.th. (fig.), to understand s.th.

  calzar poco (fig., fam.) to be slow on the up-take, to be pretty dim (fam.), to be a bit dense (fig.)

  calzar[se] a alg. (pop., Esp.) to screw s.o. (vulg.), to fuck s.o. (vulg.), to bang s.o. (vulg.), to bonk s.o. (vulg.), to have it off/away with s.o. (sl., Br.E.), to lay s.o. (sl.), to ball s.o. (sl., Am.E.), to shag s.o. (vulg., Br.E.)

  calzarse a alg. (fig., fam.) to have/keep s.o. under one’s thumb (fig., fam.) Hace un año que esa mujer de armas tomar se calza a él. That Xanthippe has been keeping him under her thumb for a year.

  calzarse algo (fig., fam.) to get s.th., to manage to get s.th., to succeed in getting s.th. Me calzé el empleo. I succeeded in getting the job. I got the job.

  calzárselos (fam.) (punishment/ticking-off/etc.): to deserve it, to serve s.o. right El jefe les echó una bronca fenomenal. Se los calzaron. The boss gave them a terrific ticking-off. They deserved it. It served them right.

  el calzón trousers (Br.E.), pants (Am.E.)

  meterse en sus calzones (fig.) to mind one’s own business ¡Métete en tus calzones! Mind your own business!

  llevar o ponerse los calzones (mujer) (fig.) (woman): to wear the pants (Am.E.)/trousers (Br.E.) (fig.) llevar la batuta Su esposa lleva los calzones. His wife wears the pants.

  los calzoncillos underpants (Am.E.), pants (Br.E.)

  dejar a alg. en calzoncillos (fig., fam.) to fleece s.o. [of everything] (fig.), to milk s.o. [dry] (fig.), to bleed s.o. [white/dry] (fam.)

  la camada litter (animals)

  la camada (fig., pej.) band/gang [of thieves], bunch of no-gooders (fam., pej.)

  ser lobos de una misma camada (fig., pej.) to be tarred with the same brush (fam., pej.), to be birds of a feather Son lobos de una misma camada. They’re tarred with the same brush.

  la camándula (fig., fam.) smartness, shrewdness, cunning

  tener muchas camándulas to be very shrewd/crafty, to be as sly as they come (fam.), to know every trick in the book (fam.)

  el camarón shrimp, prawn

  Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente. (prov.) Time and tide wait for no man. (prov.) Don’t miss the boat. (fig.) Board the boat before it sails or before it has set sail. (fig.)

  el cambiazo (fam.) dishonest switch (fig.)

  dar el cambiazo a alg. to dishonestly switch s.th. No es el diamante auténtico. Me han dado el cambiazo. It isn’t the real diamond. They have switched it for a fake one.

  camello (hacer de una pulga un ~)

  el camelo (fam.) blarney (fam.), leg-pulling (fam.), joke, hoax, lie, bull (sl., Am.E.), con (sl.), swindle Esto es un camelo. It’s all a swindle. Lo que dijo fue puro camelo. What he said was a pack of lies or a load of bull.

  dar [el] camelo a alg. (a) to make fun of s.o., to pull s.o.’s leg (fam.), to kid s.o. (fam.), to have s.o. on (fam.) (b) to take s.o. for a ride (fam.), to fool s.o., to put one/it over on s.o. (fam.), to con s.o. (sl.)

  oler a camelo there’s s.th. fishy about it (fam.), to smell/sound fishy (fam.) Aquí huele a camelo. There’s s.th. fishy here. Eso me huele a camelo. That smells fishy to me. There’s s.th. fishy about that. Esta noticia me huele a camelo. This piece of news sounds fishy to me.

  camino (con pan y vino se anda el ~)

  camino (tirar por un ~)

  el camión truck (Am.E.), lorry (Br.E.)

  estar como un camión (fam., Esp.) (woman): to have a great/fantastic figure or build, to look smashing (fam.), to be a real knock-out (sl.) Su novia está como un camión. His girlfriend has a great figure.

  la camisa shirt

  no llegarle a uno la camisa al cuerpo (fig.) to jump out of one’s skin, to be scared stiff (fam.), to be scared to death (fam.), to be terrified, to be frightened or scared out of one’s wits, to get the fright of one’s life En aquel momento no me llegó la camisa al cuerpo. I was scared stiff at that moment. I was frightened out of my wits at that moment.

  casarse con una mujer en camisa (fig.) to marry a woman without a dowry

  jugar hasta la camisa to lose one’s shirt (fig.), to gamble away everything [one owns]

  dar hasta la camisa (fig., fam.) to give the shirt off one’s back (fig.) Ella te daría hasta la camisa. She’d give you the shirt off her back.

  meterse en camisa de once varas (fam.) (a) to bite off more than one can chew (fam.) (b) to interfere in or poke one’s nose into (fam.) other people’s affairs (c) to get o.s. into a pickle (fam.), to get o.s. into a jam/fix (fam.), to get o.s. into a tight spot (fam.), to get o.s. into a mess (fig.)

  la camorra (fam.) row (fam.), fight, set-to (fam.), scrap (sl.) armar camorra to kick up a row (fam.), to start/pick a fight buscar camorra to look for trouble or for a fight

  la campana bell

  echar las campanas al vuelo to set the bells ringing, to peal the bells

  echar las campanas al vuelo (fig.) to rejoice, to be all excited, to jump for joy, to celebrate [prematurely], to shout about s.th., to proclaim or shout s.th. from the rooftops (fig.) No eches las campanas al vuelo antes de tiempo. Don’t rejoice too soon. Don’t celebrate prematurely. No queremos echar las campanas al vuelo hasta no estar seguro. We don’t want to start shouting about it or shouting from the rooftops until we know for sure.

  oír campanas y no saber dónde (fam.) (a) to have heard s.th. or noises to that effect, not to know exactly (b) to grope in the dark (fig.), to be [totally] in the dark (fig.), not to have a clue (c) to get hold of the wrong end of the stick (fig.) ¿Sabes qué ocurrió? He oído campanas y no sé dónde. Do you know what happened? I’ve heard s.th. about it, but I don’t know exactly. I only have a vague idea. Oigo campanas y no sé dónde. I’m totally in the dark. I’m groping in the dark.

  querer tocar las campanas y asistir a la procesión to want to be in two places at once

  tocar la campana (pop., Esp.) (to masturbate): to jerk off (vulg.), to jack off (vulg.), to toss off (vulg., Br.E.), to wank or have a wank (vulg., Br.E.)

  el campanario belfry, bell tower

  subirse al campanario (fig., fam.) to go up the wall (fig.), to go spare (fam., Br.E.), to go off at the deep end (fam.) salirse de sus casillas

  el campaneo pealing, bell ringing

  el campaneo (fam.) (esp. women): swinging/swaying of the hips, hip-swinging

  la campanilla small bell

  tener muchas campanillas (fam.) to be a bigwig (fam.), to be a big noise (sl.), to be a big shot (fam.), to be a big cheese (sl.), to be a big wheel (fam.), to be a fat cat (fam., Am.E.), to be a top nob (sl., Br.E.)

  de muchas campanillas (fam.) important, distinguished, high-class, big (fam.), grand Es una dama de muchas campanillas. She’s a grand lady.

  campante (fam.) self-satisfied, smug

  quedarse/estar tan campante (fam.) to act as if nothing had happened, not to bat an eyelid (Br.E.) or eyelash (Am.E.) (fig.), not to turn a hair (fig.), … as cool as a cucumber (fig.) Fue declarado culpable por los jurados y allí estaba tan campante. He was found guilty by the jury and he acted as if nothing had happened/and he didn’t bat an eyelid/and there he sat as cool as a cucumber.

  campar to camp

  campar con su estrella (fig.) to be lucky, to be in luck, to be successful

  campar por sus respetos (fig.) to act independently, to act on one’s own hook (fam.), to do as one pleases, to strike out on one’s own (fig.)

  la cana white hair

  peinar canas (fig.) to be old

  echar una cana al aire (fam.) (a) to have an easy day of it, to cut loose (sl.), to go on a fling (fam.), to have a fling (fam.), to whoop it up (fam.), to let one’s hair down (fig.) (b) to be unfaithful (to one’s husband/wife/etc.), to two-time (one’s husband/wife) (fam., Am.E.), to h
ave an affair or a fling (fam.) (with another man/woman) Ayer echamos una cana al aire. We cut loose yesterday. Cada vez que su marido estaba en viaje de negocios echaba una cana al aire. Every time her husband was away on business she was unfaithful to him. She always two-timed her husband when he was away on business.

  el canario canary

  el canario (pop., Esp.) (penis) el calvo

  cambiar el agua al canario (pop., hum., Esp.) (men): to have a slash (sl., Br.E.), to take or have (Br.E.) a leak (sl., hum.), to have a pee/piddle (fam., Br.E.), to spend a penny (euph., fam., Br.E.)

  la canción song

  ¡[Siempre] la misma canción! (fig., fam.) The same old story [every time]! Here he/etc. goes again! Can’t he/etc. change the record!? (fig., fam.)

  Ha vuelto a la misma canción. (fig., fam.) He’s/she’s riding his/her hobby-horse again. (fig.) He’s/she’s on his/her hobby-horse again. (fig.) He’s/she’s onto his/her favorite or pet subject/topic again.

  el canco (pop., Esp.) (gay): queer/fairy/faggot (sl., pej.), pansy (fam., pej.), queen (sl.), poof[ter] (sl., pej., Br.E.), fag (sl., pej., Am.E.), arse bandit (vulg., Br.E.)

  el candado padlock

  echar candado a la boca/a los labios (fig.) to keep a secret to o.s., not to breathe/say a word, to keep mum (fam.), to keep one’s mouth shut (fam.)

  la candela candle

  estar con la candela en la mano (fig., fam.) to be dying, to be at death’s door

  acabársele a alg. la candela (fam.) to snuff it (fam., Br.E.) Se le acabó la candela. He snuffed it.

  arrimar candela a alg. (fam.) to give s.o. a [good] clobbering or hiding or tanning or thrashing (fam.), to beat s.o. up (fam.), to tan s.o.’s hide (fig., fam.), to let s.o. have it (fam.)

  el candelero candlestick

  estar algo/alg. en [el] candelero (fig.) (s.th.): to be of keen current interest, (s.th./s.o.): to be rated highly, to be in the limelight (fig.), to be the center or focus of attention; (s.o.): to be high up (fig.), to be in a position of authority

  poner algo/a alg. en [el] candelero (fig.) to bring s.th./s.o. into the limelight (fig.) or into the center of attention, to give/get s.o. a high post, to build s.o. up (fam.)

  la candelilla small candle, glowlight

  hacérsele a alg. candelillas los ojos (fig.) to be tipsy, to be tiddly (fam.), to have had one too many (fam.) Se te hacen candelillas los ojos. You’re tipsy.