by Peter Weibel
la chimenea chimney
fumar como una chimenea (fig., fam.) to smoke like a chimney (fig., fam.)
la China China
acá y en la China (fam.) everywhere Las cosas son así acá y en la China. That’s the way things are everywhere.
ni aquí/acá ni en la China (fam.) neither here nor anywhere Las cosas no funcionan así, ni aquí ni en la China. That’s not the way things work, neither here nor anywhere.
China (¡Naranjas de la ~!)
la china small stone, pebble
la china (fam.) (money): dough (sl., Am.E.), bread (sl.), sugar (sl.), brass/dosh/lolly (sl., Br.E.), wampum (sl., Am.E.)
aflojar/soltar la china to cough up (fam.), to fork out (fam.), to stump up (fam., Br.E.)
poner chinas a alg. (fig.) to put or place obstacles in s.o.’s path/way (fig.), to make things difficult for s.o.
tocarle a alg. la china (fig., fam.) to have bad luck, to have to carry the can (fam., Br.E.) Nos tocó la china. We had to carry the can.
la chinche bedbug
el/la chinche (fig., fam.) pest (fig.), bore, nuisance, pain in the neck (fam.), pain in the ass (Am.E.) or in the arse (Br.E.) (vulg.), annoying individual/person
caer/morir como chinches (fam.) to drop/die like flies (fam.), to go down like ninepins (fig., fam.)
chinche (tener sangre de ~s)
chino; el chino Chinese; Chinese
ser chino algo para alg. (fam.) (a) to be Chinese to s.o. (fig., fam.), to be all Greek to s.o. (fig., fam.), to be above s.o.’s head (b) to be double Dutch to s.o. (fam., Br.E.) Lo que dijeron fue chino para mí. What they said was all Greek to me or was above my head. Tu discurso fue chino para ellos. You were talking over their heads.
engañar a alg. como a un chino (fam.) to play s.o. for a sucker (fam.), to take s.o. for a ride (fam.)
tener la paciencia de un chino (fig.) to have the patience of Job (fig.) or of a saint (fam.)
chino (el cuento ~)
chino (¡Naranjas chinas!)
la chiquita little girl
no andarse con/en chiquitas (fam.) not to fuss about details, to come/get [straight] to the point, to get [straight] down to business or brass tacks (fam.), to come straight out [with s.th.], not to beat about/around the bush (fig., fam.), not to pull [one’s] punches (fig., sl.), to lay it on the line (fam.) No me anduve en chiquitas para decírselo a ellos. I came straight out with it. I didn’t beat about the bush or pull my punches when it came to telling them.
la chiribita spark
echar chiribitas (fig., fam.) to be [really] fuming (fig., fam.), to be livid (fam., Br.E.) estar hecho un basilisco
la chirigota (fam.) joke
tomarse algo a chirigota not to take s.th. seriously, to take s.th. very lightly, to take s.th. as a joke Todo se lo toman a chirigota. They don’t take anything seriously. They take everything very lightly.
la chispa spark
echar chispas (fig., fam.) to be hopping mad (fam.) estar hecho un basilisco
tener mucha chispa (fig.) to sparkle with wit (fig.)
ni chispa de (fig.) not the least bit of, not an ounce/iota/atom of (fig.), not a scrap of, not a spark of (fig.), (not to know) beans (about s.th.) (sl., Am.E.) No tiene ni chispa de inteligencia. He doesn’t have a spark of intelligence. No entienden ni chispa de eso. They don’t know beans about that. They don’t know the least bit or the first thing about that.
chistar
sin chistar [ni mistar] (fam.) without a word, without so much as a word Lo aceptaron sin chistar ni mistar. They took it without a word.
no chistar not to say/utter a word
la chita anklebone
a la chita callando (fam.) on the quiet (fam.), on the sly, stealthily Salió a la chita callando. He left on the quiet.
chivarse (fam.) to grass/sneak (sl., Br.E.), to rat/squeal (sl.), to snitch (fam.)
chivarse contra/de alg. [con/a alg.] to inform on s.o. [to s.o.], to grass/rat/sneak on s.o. [to s.o.], to squeal/snitch on s.o. [to s.o.], to blow the whistle on s.o. (fam.) Se chivaron. They grassed. They squealed. Ella se chivó contra él. She ratted/sneaked on him. She blew the whistle on him. Ella se chivó contra él al profesor. She sneaked on him to the teacher. El traficante de drogas fue detenido por la policía porque alg. se chivó contra él. The drug dealer was arrested by the police because somebody ratted/grassed on him.
el chivatazo (fam.) tip-off (fam.)
dar el chivatazo to give a tip-off
el chivato, la chivata (fam.) grass/sneak (sl., Br.E.), stool pigeon (fam.), telltale (fam., Br.E.), snitch (fam.), canary (sl., Am.E.), informer
chocar (¡choca esos cinco!)
el chocho (pop.) (vagina) el conejo
el chocolate (fig., pop.) (marijuana): hash/pot (fam.), grass/shit/weed (sl.), tea (sl., Am.E.)
la cholla (fam.) (a) nut (sl.) la cebolla (b) brains (fam.), nous (fam.), gumption (fam.)
el chorizo chorizo (typical Spanish paprika sausage)
el chorizo (pop.) (penis) el calvo
chorlito (cabeza de ~)
chorrera (¡Y un jamón [con ~s]!)
el chorro jet of water
hablar a chorros (fig.) to talk in a torrent (fig.), to talk a mile a minute (fam., Am.E.), to talk nineteen to the dozen (fam., Br.E.), s.o. wouldn’t stop talking
sudar a chorros (fig.) to sweat buckets/streams (fam.), to be dripping with sweat
llover a chorros to rain in torrents, to come down in buckets/sheets, to rain cats and dogs, to be pouring [down or with rain], to be bucketing down (Br.E.), the floodgates of heaven open (fig.) Ayer llovió a chorros. It rained in torrents yesterday. It was pouring yesterday. The floodgates of heaven opened yesterday.
soltar el chorro [de la risa] (fig.) to burst out laughing (fig.), to roar with laughter
la chuleta chop, cutlet
la chuleta (fig., fam.) box or clip (fam.) round the ears
la chuleta (argot) (school): crib (fam.), trot/pony (sl., Am.E.)
la chupa (histórico) doublet (historical)
la chupa (pop., Esp.) jacket
poner a alg. como chupa de dómine (fig., fam.) to give s.o. a tremendous ticking-off or wigging (fam., Br.E.); (criticism/etc.): to attack s.o. violently (fig.), to give s.o. a sound pasting (sl.), to slam s.o. (fam.), to slag s.o. off (sl., Br.E.), to have a real go at s.o. (fam.), to tear s.o. to pieces or to shreds (fig., fam.) En la prensa le pusieron como chupa de dómine. They gave him a sound pasting in the press. Los críticos pusieron al escritor como chupa de dómine. The critics tore/pulled the writer to pieces.
chupar to suck
¡Chúpate ésa! (fam.) Put that in your pipe and smoke it! (fam.)
chuparle a alg. la sangre
chuparse el dedo
chuparse el dedo (no ~)
chuparse los dedos [por algo]
el chupatintas (fam., pej.) penpusher (fam., pej.), ink-shitter (pej.), petty clerk (pej.), minor bureaucrat (pej.), hack writer (pej.)
¡Chus! Come here! (dog)
no decir [ni] chus ni mus (fam.) to keep one’s mouth shut (fam.), not to say a word, to keep mum (fam.)
chutar to shoot (at goal)
ir que chuta (fam.) to go swimmingly (fig.) or very well, to go fine Todo va que chuta. Everything’s going fine.
chutarse (fam.) (drug): to shoot/jack up (sl.), to give o.s. a shot/fix (sl.), to give o.s. a jab (sl., Br.E.)
el chute (fam.) (drug injection): shot (sl.), fix (sl.)
el cicatero, la cicatera (a): (fam.); (b): (jerga del hampa) (a) miser, penny-pincher (fam.), skinflint (fam.), tightwad (fam., Am.E.), scrooge (fig., fam.) (b) pickpocket
cicuta (apurar el cáliz de ~ hasta las heces)
el ciego blind man
Lo ve un ciego. (fig.) You can see that with half an eye. (fam.) Anyone can see that.
En tierra de ciegos o en el país/reino de los ciegos el tuerto es [el] rey. In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king.
ciego (dar palos de ~)
ciego (ser más
~ que un topo)
el cielo sky
estar en el séptimo o quinto cielo (fig.) to be in seventh heaven (fam.), to be over the moon (fam.), to be on cloud nine (fam.) Está en el séptimo cielo. Ganó un million de dólares. She’s in seventh heaven. She won a million dollars.
venir como llovido o llegar como caído del cielo (fig.) to come like manna from heaven (fig.), to be a [real] godsend (fig.), to come at just the right time, s.th. couldn’t have come at a better time, to be just what s.o. needs/needed, to be just what the doctor ordered (fig., fam.) El dinero me vino como llovido del cielo. The money was a real godsend. The money was just what I needed.
caerle a alg. como llovido del cielo (fig.) to fall/drop into s.o.’s lap (fig.) Si crees que todo te va a caer como llovido del cielo, estás muy equivocado. If you think everything will fall into your lap, you’ve got another think coming. No le va a caer como llovido del cielo. It won’t drop into his lap.
[re]mover cielo y tierra [para + infinitivo] to move heaven and earth [to + infinitive]
aunque se junten el cielo y la tierra not for anything in the world, not for love [n]or money, not for all the tea in China, not for all the whiskey in Ireland No me lo perderé aunque se junten el cielo y la tierra. I won’t miss it for anything in the world.
cielo (clamar/escupir al ~)
ciencia (ser un pozo de ~)
ciento y la madre
el cierne [time of] pollination
estar en ciernes (fig.) to be in its infancy (fig.) La empresa está aún en ciernes. The enterprise is still in its infancy.
ser un escritor/etc. en ciernes (fig.) to be a budding writer/etc., to be a writer/etc. in the making
el cierre locking device
echar el cierre (pop.) to shut one’s trap (sl.), to pipe down (fam.), to belt up (fam., Br.E.) ¡Echa el cierre! Shut your trap! Pipe down! Belt up!
la cigüeña stork
pintar la cigüeña (fig., fam.) to play lord of the manor, to act the big shot (fig.), to act high and mighty (fam.)
el cimbel decoy
el cimbel (pop.) (penis) el calvo
cinco five
saber cuántas son cinco (fam.) to be no fool, to know a thing or two (fam.), to know what’s what (fam.)
decir a alg. cuántas son cinco (fam.) to tell s.o. what’s what (fam.), to tell s.o. a thing or two (fam.), to give s.o. a piece of one’s mind
¡Choca esos cinco! (fam.) Give me five! (fam.) Put it there! (fam.)
la cintura waist
meter a alg. en cintura (fig.) to make s.o. listen to or see reason, to bring s.o. under control Tenemos que meterle en cintura. We have to make him listen to reason.
el cinturón belt
apretarse el cinturón (fig.) to tighten one’s belt (fig.), to draw in one’s horns (fig.) Durante la recesión tuvimos que apretarnos el cinturón. We had to tighten our belts during the recession.
ciscar (pop.) to soil, to dirty
ciscarse de miedo (fig., pop.) to shit o.s. [for fear] (fig., vulg.) Nos ciscamos de miedo. We shit/shat ourselves. We were scared shitless. (vulg.) We were in a blue funk. (fam., Br.E.)
ciscarse en algo (fig., vulg.) not to give a shit/fuck about s.th. (vulg) ¡Me cisco en el gobierno! I don’t give a shit about the government! Screw the government! (vulg.) To hell with the government! (fam.)
el cisco coaldust
armar [un] cisco (fig., fam.) to kick up a stink/row (fam.), to make trouble Se armó un tremendo cisco. There was an almighty stink/row.
estar/quedar hecho cisco (fam.) to be completely exhausted, to be completely shattered or whacked (fam., Br.E.), to be completely washed out (fam.), to be totally worn out (fig.), to be completely bushed (fam.), to be completely pooped (sl., Am.E.), to be completely knackered (sl., Br.E.), to be completely drained (fig.), to be completely done in/up (fam.), to be completely beat (fam., Am.E.), to be dead-beat (fam.), to be all in (fam.), to be shagged out (sl., Br.E.), to be dog-tired (fam.)
hacer algo cisco to shatter s.th., to smash s.th. to pieces, to tear s.th. to bits
clamar to clamor
clamar en el desierto (fig.) to be a voice crying in the wilderness (fig.), to preach in the wilderness (fig.), to talk at deaf ears (fig.), to talk to the winds (fig.) Nadie estaba escuchando. Clamaste en el desierto. Nobody was listening. You were a voice crying in the wilderness. You were talking at deaf ears.
clamar al cielo to cry out to heaven, to stink to high heaven (fig., fam.), to be a scandal, to be outrageous Esto clama al cielo. This cries out to heaven.
clandestinamente (mudarse ~)
claro (estar más ~ que el agua)
claro (ser más ~ que el sol)
clavado nailed
dejar clavado a alg. (fig.) to leave s.o. speechless (fig.), to floor s.o. (fam.), to dumbfound s.o. Su pregunta me dejó clavado. His question left me speechless. I was completely floored by his question.
ser clavado a alg. o ser alg. clavado (fam.) to be the spitting image or the spit and image of s.o. (fam.), to be a dead ringer for s.o. (fig., fam.) Es su madre clavada. She’s the spit and image of her mother. Eres clavado a mi hermano. You’re a dead ringer for my brother.
a las seis clavadas (fam.) at 6 [o’clock] sharp, at 6 on the dot (fam.), on the dot of 6 (fam.), at 6 [o’clock] on the nose (fam.)
la clavija dowel, pin
apretar las clavijas a alg. (fig., fam.) to put the pressure on s.o. (fig.), to tighten up on s.o. (fig.), to put the screws on s.o. (fig.)
el clavo nail
dar en el clavo (fig.) to hit the nail on the head (fig.), to be right on (fam., Am.E.), to be spot-on (fam., Br.E.) Tu observación dio en el clavo. Your remark hit the nail on the head. Dio en el clavo con ese regalo. He was right on with that gift/present. Damos en el clavo con nuestra predicción. Our prediction was spot-on.
dar una en el clavo y ciento en la herradura (fig., fam.) to be wrong nine times out of ten
agarrarse a un clavo ardiendo to clutch at straws (fig.), to do anything Están tan necesitados que se agarrarían a un clavo ardiendo. They’re so needy they would do anything [to help themselves].
remachar el clavo (fig.) to make matters worse
poner un clavo a una (pop.) to bang a woman (vulg.) calzar[se] a alg.
¡Por los clavos de Cristo! Por los clavos de una puerta vieja! (hum.). For heaven’s sake! For goodness’ sake!
la clueca broody hen
ponerse como una gallina clueca (fig., fam.) to puff o.s. up (fig.), to act big (fam.), to act the big shot (fam.)
la coba (fam.) flattery, cajolery
dar coba a alg. to play up to s.o., to butter s.o. up (fam.), to soap s.o. up (fam.), to soft-soap s.o. (fam.), to sweet-talk s.o. (fam., Am.E.), to suck up to s.o. (fam.), to toady to s.o.
cobarde de siete suelas
cobrar una miseria
el cobre copper
batir[se] el cobre (fig.) to work very hard, to work with a will, to exert o.s., to make a tremendous effort, to bust a gut (fam., Am.E.), to put one’s back into it
batirse el cobre por + infinitivo (fig.) to work/go all out to + infinitive Me batí el cobre por terminar el trabajo. I worked all out to finish the job.
batirse el cobre (fig.) (debate/etc.): to be a tough/pitched battle (fig.), things get a bit rough/tough, both/all sides are driving a hard bargain En la última reunión se batieron el cobre. Things got a bit rough at the last meeting. Durante la negociación se batieron el cobre. During the negotiation[s] both sides were driving a hard bargain. Nos batimos el cobre en el debate. The debate took it out of us.
enseñar el cobre (América Latina) to show [o.s. in] one’s true colors Nunca se sabe qué piensa ese tío. No enseña el cobre. You can never tell what that guy is thinking. He doesn’t show his true colors.
la coca (fam.) (a) (cocaine): coke (sl.), snow (sl.) (b) nut (sl.) la cebolla (c) biff/rap on the nut (fam.) or on the head
cocer to cook
cocerse (fig., fam.) (a) to get drunk, to get sloshed or plastered
(fam.), to get tight (fam.), to get canned or pissed (sl., Br.E.), to get tanked up (sl.), to get smashed or stoned (sl.), to get legless (fam., Br.E.), to get as pissed as a newt (sl., Br.E.) (b) to be cooked up (fig.), to be hatched [out] (fig.) Este complot se coció ayer. This plot was hatched yesterday.
estar cocido (fig., fam.) to be drunk, to be plastered or sloshed (fam.), to be tight (fam.), to be canned or pissed (sl., Br.E.), to be pie-eyed (fam.), to be in one’s cups estar completamente cocido to be blind drunk (fam.), to be smashed out of one’s mind (sl.)
cocérsele a alg. los sesos (fig.) s.o.’s head is/starts spinning (fig.) Estudiaba hasta que se me cocían los sesos. I was studying until my head started spinning.
cocer (dejar a alg. ~ en su propia salsa)
cocerse en su propia salsa
el cochazo (fam., Esp.) big flashy car (fam.), luxury flash car (fam.), whacking great car (fam.), flashy cruisemobile (sl.)
el coche car
ir/venir en el coche de San Francisco o de San Fernando (hum.) to go/come on Shank’s pony (Br.E.) or on Shank’s mare (Am.E.) (hum.), to walk, to hoof it (fam.)
el cocinero cook
haber sido cocinero antes que fraile (fig., fam.) to know what one is doing, to be no beginner, to be no novice
el coco coconut
el coco (fig., fam.) (a) nut (sl.) la cebolla (b) brains (fam.), nous (fam.), gumption (fam.)
comer el coco a alg. (pop.) to brainwash s.o., to befuddle s.o.’s brain (with words, in order to manipulate), to soft-soap or sweet-talk (Am.E.) s.o. (into doing s.th.) (fam.) Durante la dictadura comían el coco a todo el pueblo. During the dictatorship all the people were brainwashed. La hija le comió el coco a su madre para que le diese dinero. The daughter sweet-talked her mother into giving her money.
comerse el coco (pop.) to rack one’s brains (fig.), to think hard, to worry a lot
estar hasta el coco de algo (fam.) to be utterly fed up with s.th. (fam.) estar hasta [más allá de] la coronilla de algo
cocodrilo (llorar/derramar lágrimas de ~)
el cocotazo (fam.) biff/rap on the nut (fam.) or on the head
codearse con los de arriba
el codo elbow
alzar/empinar el codo (fam.) to bend/lift one’s elbow (fam.), to hoist one or a few (sl., Am.E.), to belt one or a few down (fam., Am.E.), to have a drink or a few drinks