by Peter Weibel
la carta letter
echar una carta al correo (fig., fam.) to do one’s business (fig., fam.), to relieve o.s. Está echando una carta al correo. He’s doing his business. Tengo que echar una carta al correo. I must just pay a visit. (euph., Br.E.) I have to go to the loo (Br.E.) or to the john (Am.E.). (fam.) Nature calls. (fam.)
la cartilla primer, elementary treatise
cantar/leer la cartilla a alg. (fam.) to give s.o.a [severe] ticking-off (fam., Br.E.), to read the riot act to s.o. (fig., hum.), to take s.o. to task (fig.), to give s.o. a good talking-to (fam.)
no saber [ni] la cartilla (fam.) not to know a single thing, not to have the foggiest [idea] (fam.), not to have the faintest idea (fam.), not to have a clue (fam.)
el cartucho cartridge
quemar el último cartucho (fig.) to play one’s last card (fig.)
haber quemado su último cartucho (fig.) to have shot one’s bolt (fig.) No sabe a qué santo encomendarse. Ha quemado su último cartucho. He’s at the end of his tether. He’s shot his bolt.
luchar hasta quemar el último cartucho (literal/fig.) to fight on to the last ditch (literal/fig.), to die in the last ditch (literal/fig.) En la batalla de Álamo lucharon hasta quemar el último cartucho. At the Álamo they died in the last ditch. El sindicato [obrero] luchó hasta quemar el último cartucho. The [labor/trade] union fought on to the last ditch.
la casa house
caérsele a alg. la casa encima o a cuestas (fig.) the bottom falls out of s.o.’s world Cuando se entere de eso se le caerá la casa encima. The bottom will fall out of her world when she finds out about that.
echar/tirar la casa por la ventana to go to enormous expense, to spare no expense, to push the boat out (fig.), to roll out the red carpet (for s.o.) (fig.), to give s.o. the red-carpet treatment (fig.) Para la boda de su hija echó la casa por la ventana. He spared no expense or he [really] pushed the boat out for his daughter’s wedding.
casa (barrer en su propia ~)
casa (en ~ de herrero, cuchillo de palo)
casa (en ~ del gaitero/tamborilero todos son danzantes)
casar[se] to marry, to get married
casarse por detrás de la iglesia (fam.) to move in with each other, to set up house together, to shack up together (sl.), to live together, to cohabit Se casaron por detrás de la iglesia. They moved in with each other. They set up house together. Viven casados [por] detrás de la iglesia. They’re shacked up together. They live together.
casarse con una mujer en camisa
casarse de penalty
el cascabel little bell
poner el cascabel al gato (fig.) to bell the cat (fig.), to stick one’s neck out (fam.), to take on a risky or dangerous assignment/job
cascar to crack, to break
cascar (fam.) to chat, to shoot the breeze/bull (fam., Am.E.), to chatter, to talk a lot
cascar[la] (pop.) (to die): to snuff it (fam., Br.E.), to kick the bucket (fam.), to peg out (fam.), to pop off (fam.), to pop one’s clogs (fam.), to croak (sl.)
cascar a alg. (pop.) (a) to bump s.o. off (sl.) cargarse a alg. (a). (b) (sport/etc.): to beat s.o. hollow (fam.), to slaughter s.o. (fig., fam.)
cascársela (vulg.) (to masturbate) tocar la campana Ese viejo verde se la casca cada día. That dirty old man or randy old goat jerks off every day.
la cáscara shell (egg/nut/etc.)
No hay más cáscaras. (fig.) There’s no choice. There’s no alternative. There’s no other way.
¡Cáscara[s]! (fam.) (amazement/surprise): Blow me! (fam., Br.E.) Well I’m blowed! (fam., Br.E.)
el cascarón [broken] eggshell
llevar todavía el cascarón pegado al culo (pop.) to be still wet behind the ears (fig., fam.)
el/la cascarrabias (fam.) cantankerous or quick-tempered man/woman or person, irritable sort; (woman): battle-ax[e] (fam.), shrew, virago, termagant, Xanthippe (fig.)
el casco helmet
el casco (fig.) head, nut (sl.)
caliente de cascos (fig.) hot-headed
romper los cascos a alg. to smash/bash s.o.’s head in (fam.)
romperse los cascos (fig.) (a) to rack one’s brains (fig.) (b) to kill o.s. with brainwork (fam.)
romper/calentar los cascos a alg. (fig.) to get on s.o.’s nerves (fam.), to get on s.o.’s wick (fam., Br.E.), to get s.o. worked up Me rompe los cascos con sus lamentaciones. Sus lamentaciones me calientan los cascos. He gets on my nerves with his whining. His whining gets me worked up.
ser ligero/alegre de cascos (fam.) to be frivolous, to be flighty
casi almost
De casi no se muere nadie. (prov.) A miss is as good as a mile. (prov.)
la casilla small house, hut
salirse de sus casillas (fig., fam.) to go through the roof (fig., fam.), to hit the roof (fig., fam.), to get one’s monkey up (hum.), to fly off the handle (fam.), to blow/lose one’s cool (sl.), to blow one’s top (sl.), to blow one’s stack (sl.), to blow/pop one’s cork (sl.), to get [very] cross (fam.)
sacar a alg. de sus casillas (fig., fam.) to get s.o.’s goat (sl.), to get s.o.’s monkey up (hum.), to make s.o. cross (fam.), to get s.o. worked up, to get up s.o.’s nose (fam.), to drive s.o. crazy (fam.), to drive s.o. round the bend (sl.), to drive s.o. spare (fam., Br.E.)
el casquete skullcap
echar un casquete (pop., Esp.) to have a screw (vulg.), to screw (vulg), to fuck (vulg), to bang (vulg), to bonk (vulg), to shag (vulg., Br.E.), to ball (sl., Am.E.), to have it off/away (sl., Br.E.), to get a/one’s leg over (sl., Br.E.), to have a shag (vulg., Br.E.), to get one’s rocks off (sl., Am.E.)
casta (de ~ le viene al galgo ser rabilargo)
la castaña chestnut
sacar las castañas del fuego a alg. (fig.) to pull s.o.’s chestnuts out of the fire for him (fig.), to do s.o.’s dirty work for him
ser algo/alg. una castaña (fam.) (s.th./s.o.): to be a drag (fam.)
dar la castaña a alg. (fam.) to cheat s.o., to swindle s.o., to con s.o. (fam.), to make a fool out of s.o.
dar a alg. para castañas (fam.) to punish s.o. Hay que darle para castañas. He has to be punished.
cogerse una castaña (fam.) to get drunk, to get canned/pissed (sl., Br.E.) Ayer nos cogimos una castaña. We got drunk/canned yesterday.
conducir a toda castaña (fam.) to drive flat out (fam.)
castaña (parecerse como un huevo a una ~)
el castaño chestnut tree
pasar de castaño oscuro (fam.) to be really too much, to be really out of line (fam.), to be really the limit, to be pretty strong stuff (fam.), to be a bit thick (sl.), to be beyond a joke, to be close to the bone (fam.), to take the biscuit (fam., Br.E.), to be the height of cheek (fam., Br.E.) Esto pasa de castaño oscuro. This is beyond a joke. Lo que dijeron pasó de castaño oscuro. What they said was really too much or was really out of line.
la castañuela castanet
estar [alegre] como unas castañuelas (fig.) to be very merry, to be very chipper (Am.E.) or chirpy (Br.E.) (fam.), to be as happy as a clam/lark (fam., Am.E.), to be as happy as a sandboy/as Larry (fam., Br.E.), to be in high spirits
el castellano Castilian, Spanish
hablar en castellano [puro y llano] (fig.) to speak openly/freely or straightforwardly, to say s.th. in plain English (fig.) Hablaron en castellano. They spoke openly. Lo dijo en castellano puro y llano. He said it in plain English.
Castellón de la Plana
ser de Castellón de la Plana (hum.) (woman): to be flat-chested, to be [as] flat as a board (fam.), to be as flat as a pancake (fam.), not to be exactly well stacked (sl., iron.)
castigador punitive
el/[la] castigador[a] (fam.) (man): womanizer, philanderer, lady-killer (fam.), wolf (fig., fam.); (woman): sexually provocative woman, seductress, Circe (fig.)
el castillo castle
hacer castillos en el aire (fig.) to build castles in the air or in Spain (fig.)
hacer castillos de arena (fig.) to build on sand (fig.) Esta inversión es
demasiado insegura. No hago castillas de arena. This investment is too insecure. I don’t build on sand.
hacer un castillo de un grano de arena (fig.) to make a mountain out of a molehill (fig.)
derrumbarse como un castillo de naipes (fig.) to fold up or collapse like a house of cards (fig.) Su ambicioso proyecto se derrumbó como un castillo de naipes. His ambitious project collapsed like a house of cards.
los cataplines (pop.) (testicles) las canicas
el catarro catarrh, cold
Al catarro, con el jarro. (fam.) When you have a cold, drink some booze or have a toddy.
cauce (las aguas vuelven a su ~)
el caucho rubber
quemar el caucho (fam.) to tear [along] (fam.), to race/speed [along], to drive/go flat out or [at] full lick (fam.)
caudino (histórico)
pasar por las horcas caudinas (fig.) to suffer a humiliating defeat, to be humiliatingly defeated
ser pasar por las horcas caudinas (fig.) to be a terrible experience, to be a terrible ordeal (fig.), to be torture (fig.) Fue pasar por las horcas caudinas tener que disculparme ante él. It was a terrible ordeal having to apologize to him.
cazar (~las al vuelo)
cebada (asno muerto, la ~ al rabo)
cebar to feed, to fatten
cebarse en algo (fig.) (a) to become absorbed or engrossed or immersed in s.th. (b) to revel in s.th. (fig.), to gloat over s.th. Se cebó en un estudio. He became absorbed in a study. cebarse en la matanza o en la sangre to revel in or gloat over the bloodshed, to be bloodthirsty
cebarse en alg. (fig.) to take one’s anger/fury out on s.o. (sl.), to vent one’s anger/fury on s.o. (fig.)
Se ceba la peste/el fuego. (fig.) The plague/fire is raging.
el cebo feed, bait
morder el cebo (fig.) to swallow/take the bait (fig.)
la cebolla onion
la cebolla (pop.) (head): onion (sl.), nut (sl.), bean/conk (sl., Am.), bonce/noddle (sl., Br.E.)
cebolla (echar ajos y ~s)
Ceca
andar de la Ceca a la Meca to run/chase from pillar to post (fig.) Había tantas formalidades burocráticas. Tuve que andar de la Ceca a la Meca para obtener los papeles. It was red tape all the way. I had to run from pillar to post to get the [identity] papers.
la ceja eyebrow
tener a alg. entre ceja y ceja (fam.) to have a grudge against s.o. tener a alg. atravesado
tener algo metido entre ceja y ceja (fam.) to have a bee in one’s bonnet [about s.th.] (fam.), to be set on s.th.
quemarse las cejas (fig., fam.) to study/work far into the night, to burn the midnight oil, to cram (fam.), to swot (fam., Br.E.), to bone up (fam.)
estar hasta las cejas de algo/alg. (fig.) to be fed up to the back teeth with s.th./s.o. (fam.), to be utterly fed up with s.th./s.o. (fam.), to be sick and tired of s.th./s.o. (fam.), to be cheesed off with s.th./s.o. (fam., Br.E.) estar hasta [más allá de] la coronilla de algo
cejijunto having eyebrows that meet
cejijunto (adj., fig.) frowning, scowling
celemín (meter/poner la luz bajo el ~)
el cemento cement
tener la cara como el cemento (fig., fam.) to stick it on (fam.), to be quite shameless [about making outrageous demands or asking an outrageous price], to feel no shame [about…] Cuando pidió ese precio tuvo la cara como el cemento. He was quite shameless about asking that price. He had the nerve to ask that price.
el cencerro cowbell
estar [loco] como un cencerro (fig.) to be [completely] crazy (fam.) or crackers (sl., Br.E.) no estar bueno de la cabeza
la ceniza ash[es]
escribir algo en la ceniza (fig.) to write s.th. off
huir de la[s] ceniza[s] y caer/dar en la[s] brasa[s] (fig.) to jump out of the frying pan into the fire. Atracó un banco para pagar sus deudas. Huyó de las cenizas y dio en las brasas. He held up a bank to pay [off] his debts. He jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.
centella (echar rayos y ~s)
céntimo (pellizcar los ~s)
cepillar to brush
cepillar[se] a una (pop.) to screw a woman (vulg) calzar[se] a alg.
cepillar[se] a alg. (pop.) to kill s.o. cargarse a alg. (a)
el ceporro old vine stock
un ceporro (fig.) idiot, oaf un [pedazo de] alcornoque
dormir como un ceporro (fam.) to sleep like a log (fam.)
dormirse o quedarse dormido como un ceporro (fam.) to go out like a light (fig., fam.) Estuve tan cansado que me dormí como un ceporro. I was so tired [that] I went out like a light.
la cera wax
No hay más cera que la que arde. (fam.) That’s all there is. What you see is what you get. That’s the best I/we can do.
cera (alzarse/salirse con el santo y la ~)
cerdo (a cada ~ le llega su San Martín)
el cero zero
ser un cero a la izquierda (fam.) to be a walking/real zero (fam., Am.E.), to be a real zilch (sl., Am.E.), to be a nobody (pej.), to be a dead loss (fig., fam.), to be a [complete] washout (fam.), to be utterly useless
cerrado closed, shut
ser más cerrado que un cerrojo (fam.) to be as thick as two short planks (fam.), to be as thick as a brick (fam.) ser más tonto que Carracuca
cerrar algo a cal y canto/a piedra y lodo
cerrar todas las puertas a alg.
el cerro hill
irse por los cerros de Úbeda (fig.) (a) to talk [a lot of] nonsense or rubbish (fam.) or rot (fam., Br.E.), to give silly or ridiculous or absurd answers (b) to wander from the subject/point, to go off at a tangent (fig.)
cerrojo (ser más cerrado que un ~)
la cerviz neck, nape of the neck
doblar/bajar la cerviz (fig.) to submit, to bow down, to humble o.s.
ser de dura cerviz to be stubborn, to be headstrong
César Caesar
O césar o nada. (fig.) All or nothing.
el cesto [large] basket
estar hecho un cesto (fam.) to be [blind] drunk (fam.), to be [totally] plastered or sloshed (fam.), to be [totally] smashed or stoned (sl.), to be [totally] canned or pissed (sl., Br.E), to be legless (fam., Br.E.), to be tight (fam.), to be as pissed as a newt (sl., Br.E.), to be as drunk as a lord (fam., Br.E.), to be [as] drunk as a skunk (fam., hum., Am.E.), to be drunk to the gills (fam.), to have had one over the eight (fam.), to have had one too many, to be out of one’s head (sl.), to be three sheets to or have three sheets in the wind (sl.)
chachi (adj. inv., adv., pop.) great (fam.), brilliant[ly] (fam., Br.E.) cojonudo (a) Lo pasamos chachi. We had a great or fantastic or smashing time.
chalado (pop.)
estar chalado to be nuts (fam.), to be bonkers (sl., Br.E.) no estar bueno de la cabeza
estar chalado por alg. to have a crush on s.o. (fam.), to be crazy/nuts about s.o. (fam.)
la chamusquina scorching, smell of burning
oler a chamusquina (fig., fam.) things are getting hot (fam.), there’s trouble brewing, there’s s.th. nasty (fig.) coming Aquí huele a chamusquina. Things are getting hot here. There’s trouble brewing [here].
el chaparrón cloudburst, downpour
aguantar el chaparrón (fig., fam.) to [patiently] endure the lecture or wigging (fam., Br.E.)
soltar un chaparrón de insultos a alg. (fig.) to hurl a barrage (fig.) or stream of insults at s.o.
el chapero (fam., Esp.) rent boy (fam., Br.E.), ass peddler (fam., Am.E.), male [gay] prostitute
la chaqueta jacket
ser más vago que la chaqueta de un guardia (fam.) to be bone idle (fam., Br.E.), to be very lazy
cambiar de/la chaqueta (fig., pej.) (a) to change sides, to be a turncoat, to turn traitor (b) to trim one’s sails to the wind (fig.) Es un oportunista. Siempre cambia de chaqueta. He’s an opportunist. He always trims his sails to the wind.
el Charly (pop.) (cocaine): coke (sl.), snow (sl.)
el charol varnish
darse charol (fig., fam.) to swank (fam., Br
.E.), to brag, to boast, to show off, to act the big shot (fam.), to act big (fam.)
el chasis chassis
quedarse en el chasis (fig., fam.) to be a bag of bones (fam.), to be all skin and bone (fam.), to be nothing but skin and bone (fam.), to be terribly thin, to be as thin as a rake (fam.)
la chata bedpan
la chata (fam.) (a) stocky woman (b) sawnoff shotgun
chateo (fam.)
andar/ir de chateo to go on a drinking expedition, to go on a bat (sl., Am.E.), to go on a pub-crawl (fam., Br.E.), to do the bars/pubs (fam.), to go from one bar/pub to another
la chaveta cotter pin, cotter
la chaveta (fig., fam.) nut (sl.) la cebolla
estar mal de la chaveta (fam.) to be nuts (fam.) no estar bueno de la cabeza
perder la chaveta (fam.) to go mad/crazy (fam.), to go nuts (fam.), to go ape (fam., Am.E.), to go bonkers (sl., Br.E.), to go off one’s rocker (fam.), to flip one’s lid (fam.)
perder la chaveta por alg. (fam.) to lose one’s head over s.o. (fig.), to go crazy/nuts about s.o. (fam.), to have a crush on s.o. (fam.) Perdió la chaveta por ella. He lost his head over her. He had a crush on her.
la chicha chicha (corn/maize brandy or wine)
no ser ni chicha ni limonada (fam.) to be neither one thing nor the other, to be neither fish nor fowl (fig.)
la chicharra cicada
la chicharra (jerga del hampa) wallet, billfold (Am.E.), purse
Canta la chicharra. (fam.) It’s very/terribly hot.
hablar como una chicharra (fig., fam.) s.o. wouldn’t stop talking, to talk a mile a minute (fam., Am.E.), to talk nineteen to the dozen (fam., Br.E.), s.o. could talk the hind legs off a donkey (fam.)
Quien nace chicharra muere cantando. (prov., Chile). A leopard never changes or cannot change its spots. (prov.)
chico (ponerse como el ~ del esquilador)
chiflado (fam.)
estar chiflado to be nuts (fam.), to be cracked (fam.), to be bonkers (sl., Br.E.) no estar bueno de la cabeza Ella y su hermana están completamente chifladas. She and her sister are completely cracked.
estar chiflado por alg. to have a crush on s.o. (fam.), to be crazy/nuts about s.o. (fam.)