The Big Red Book of Spanish Idioms

by Peter Weibel

  no tener pelos en la lengua (fig., fam.) not to mince one’s words (fig.), to shoot from the hip (fig., fam.), to be very outspoken Habla en plata. No tiene pelos en la lengua. He speaks bluntly. He doesn’t mince his words. He shoots from the hip.

  soltarse el pelo (fig.) to drop all scruples, to drop all restraint

  ponerle o ponérsele a alg. los pelos de punta Esa escena me puso los pelos de punta. That scene made my hair stand on end or made my hair curl. (fam.) That was a spine-chilling scene. That scene gave me the heebie-jeebies or the willies. (fam.) Se me pusieron los pelos de punta. My hair stood on end. I got the willies. (fam.)

  tomarle el pelo a alg. (fig., fam.) to pull s.o.’s leg (fam.), to take the mickey out of s.o. (fam., Br.E.), to have s.o. on (fam.), to put s.o. on (fam., Am.E.), to rag s.o. (fam., Br.E.), to chip s.o. (fam.), to have a lark with s.o. (fam., Br.E.), to tease s.o.

  no tocar un pelo [de la ropa] a alg. (fig.) not to harm or hurt a hair on s.o.’s head, not to lay a finger on s.o.

  no ver el pelo a alg. (fam.) not to see hide nor hair of s.o. (fam.) Hace mucho que no le veo el pelo. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him for a long time. Ya no se le ve el pelo por aquí. You never see him around here any more.

  ¡Se le/etc. va a caer el pelo! (fig., fam.) He’s/etc. in for it! (fam.) He/etc. won’t know what’s hit him/etc.! (fam.) ¡Se te va a caer el pelo! You’re in for it [now]!

  venirle a alg. al pelo (fig., fam.) to be just what s.o. needs/needed, to be just what the doctor ordered (fig., fam.) El dinero me vino al pelo. The money was just what I needed.

  andar al pelo (fig., fam.) to get/be at each other, to be at loggerheads, to fight, to squabble

  ser capaz de contar los pelos al diablo (fig., fam.) to be as sly as they come (fam.)

  buscar pelos en la sopa/leche o al huevo (fig., fam.) to have/find s.th. to grouse about, to have/find s.th. to gripe or bellyache about (fam.), to have/find s.th. to criticize Siempre le busca pelos al huevo. He always has something to grouse about or to criticize.

  traer algo por los pelos (fig.) to be far-fetched (fig.) Me parece un poco traído por los pelos. I think it’s a bit far-fetched. Lo has traído por los pelos. It (what you’ve said) is far-fetched.

  con [todos sus] pelos y señales in great detail, in minute detail, down to the last detail, with chapter and verse (fig.) Me lo contó con todos sus pelos y señales. He told it to me down to the last detail. La describieron con pelos y señales. They gave a very detailed description of her.

  por un pelo (fig.), por los pelos (fam.) by a hair’s breadth (fam.), by the skin of one’s teeth (fam.), only just, [very] nearly, (to be saved) by the bell (fig.), (to be/have) a close/narrow shave (fig., fam.) or a close call (fam.) [Nos] escapamos por un pelo. We escaped by a hair’s breadth. We had a narrow escape. We had a close shave. Nos salvamos por los pelos. We escaped by a hair’s breadth or by the skin of our teeth. We were saved by the bell. No perdí el tren por los pelos. I very nearly missed the train. I caught the train by the skin of my teeth. I only just caught the train in time. Por un pelo me atropellan. I just missed being run over by the skin of my teeth. Aprobaron el examen por los pelos. They just scraped (fig.) through the exam.

  pelo (coger/asir la ocasión por los ~s)

  pelo (cuando las ranas críen ~)

  pelo (estar hasta la punta de los ~s/del ~ de alg./algo)

  pelo (gente de ~)

  pelo (¡Hasta que/cuando las ranas críen ~!)

  pelo (ser hombre de ~ en pecho)

  pelo (ser largo como ~ de huevo)

  la pelota ball

  devolver la pelota a alg. (fig.) to turn the tables on s.o.

  La pelota está en el tejado. (fig., fam.) It’s all up in the air. (fig.) The situation is unresolved. Nothing has been decided.

  La pelota sigue en el tejado. (fig., fam.) It’s still all up in the air. (fig.) The situation is still unresolved. Nothing has been decided yet.

  las pelotas (pop.) (testicles) las canicas

  hinchar las pelotas a alg (vulg.) to get on s.o.’s tits (vulg., Br.E.), to get up s.o.’s nose (fam.)

  en pelota[s] (fig., pop.) stark naked (fam.), starkers (fam., hum., Br.E.), not to have a stitch on (fam.)

  la pelotilla little ball

  hacer la pelotilla a alg. (fig., fam.) to suck up to s.o. (sl.), to toady to s.o., to brownnose s.o. (sl., Am.E.), to ingratiate o.s. with s.o.

  el pelotillero (fig., fam.) arse-licker (vulg.), crawler (fig.), creep (fam.), toady, bootlicker (fam.), yes-man (pej.)

  la peluca wig

  echar una peluca a alg. (fig., fam.) to give s.o. a dressing-down or a tongue-lashing or a roasting (fam.), to give s.o. a ticking-off or a wigging (fam., Br.E.)

  el peluquín small wig

  ¡Ni hablar del peluquín! (fig., fam.) It’s out of the question!

  pelusa (gente de ~)

  la pena trouble, toil, grief

  pasar las penas del purgatorio (fig.) to go through hell

  sin pena ni gloria (fig.) mediocre, ordinary, undistinguished Fue un partido sin pena ni gloria. It was a mediocre game. Cada uno de ellos pasó por la universidad sin pena ni gloria. Each of them had an undistinguished university career. Su última película pasó por las carteleras sin pena ni gloria. His last movie came and went almost unnoticed.

  a duras penas with great/utmost difficulty, only just, hardly, scarcely, just barely A duras penas llegó a la meta. Only with the utmost difficulty he reached the finishing line. Aprobó el examen a duras penas. He just scraped (fig.) through the exam. Te oí a duras penas. I could hardly/scarcely hear you.

  el penalty penalty [kick]

  casarse de penalty (fam., Esp.) (girl): to have a shotgun wedding (fam.)

  pender de un cabello/hilo

  pendiente (tener cuentas ~s con alg.)

  el pendón (fig., fam.) floozie (fam.), slag (sl., pej., Br.E.), slut (fam.)

  Penélope Penelope

  tejer la tela de Penélope (fig.) to live in a fool’s paradise

  pensamiento (el ~ no conoce/tiene barreras)

  pensar to think

  ¡Ni pensarlo! (fig., fam.) Forget it! No way! (fam.) Not on your life! (fam.)

  Piensa mal y acertarás. If you think the worst, you won’t be far wrong.

  el día menos pensado one day when you/etc. least expect it, when least expected

  pensar (más vale un “por si acaso” que un “¿quién pensara?”)

  el penseque (fam.) thoughtless error

  ¡A penseque lo ahorcaron! (fig., fam.) Better [to be] safe than sorry! (prov.)

  pensión de tapujo

  la peña rock

  dormir como una peña (fig.) to sleep like a log (fam.)

  peor worse

  ponerse en lo peor (fig.) to prepare for the worst

  Pepa (fam.) familiar form of Josef[in]a

  ¡Viva la Pepa! To hell (fam.)/blazes (sl.) with everybody else or with the work/etc.!

  Pepe (fam.) familiar form of José

  ponerse como un Pepe (fig., fam.) to have a great time (fam.)

  el pepino cucumber

  el pepino (fig., fam.) unripe melon

  pepinos (fig., fam.) bullets

  [no] importar a alg. un pepino (fig., fam.) not to give/care two hoots (fam.) no importar a alg. un ardite

  la pepita pip

  no tener pepita en la lengua (fig., fam.) (a) to talk a mile a minute (fam., Am.E.), to talk nineteen to the dozen (fam., Br.E.) (b) not to mince one’s words (fig.), to be outspoken

  la pera pear

  del año de/en el año de la pera (fam.) donkey’s years ago (fam.) año de Maricastaña

  saber de qué lado caen las peras (fig.) to know which way the cat jumps (fig.) or which way the cookie crumbles (fam., Am.E.) or which way the wind is blowing (fig.)

  [esperar a] ver de qué lado caen las peras (fig.) to [wait and/to] see which way the cat jumps (fig.) or which way the cookie crumbles (fam., Am.E.) or which way the wind is blowing (fig.)

  poner a alg.
las peras a cuarto to give s.o. a piece of one’s mind

  no quisiera partir peras con alg. (fig., fam.) s.o. is a tough customer (fam.) No quisiera/quisiéramos partir peras con él. He’s a tough customer.

  pedir peras al olmo to ask the impossible

  No se le puede pedir peras al olmo. (prov.) You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. (prov.)

  pera (de uvas a ~s)

  el percebe barnacle

  un percebe (fig., fam.) idiot un [pedazo de] alcornoque

  la percha perch

  tener buena percha (fig., fam.) to have a good build/physique; (woman): to have a good figure

  perder to lose

  llevar las de perder, salir perdiendo (fig.) to [be bound to] lose, to come off a loser, to come offworst, to lose out (fam.) Lleva las de perder. He’s bound to lose. No discutas con ellos porque llevas las de perder. Don’t argue with them because you’ll lose or come off a loser. Salimos perdiendo. We lost out. We came off worst.

  perder la chaveta

  perder la chaveta por alg.

  perder la onda/tramontana

  perder los libros

  perder terreno

  la pérdida loss

  no tener pérdida (fig., fam.) to be very easy to find, s.o. can’t miss it La calle no tiene pérdida. The street is very easy to find. You can’t miss it.

  perdidizo (fam.) [seemingly] not to be found

  hacerse el perdidizo to make o.s. scarce (fam.), to slip/sneak away

  perdido lost

  ser un caso perdido (fam.) to be a hopeless case (fam.)

  ser un borracho perdido (fam.) to be a hardened boozer (fig., fam.), to be an out-and-out drunkard, to be an inveterate drinker

  De perdidos, al agua/río. (fam.) In for a penny, in for a pound. (Br.E.) In for a dime, in for a dollar. (Am.E.)

  estar perdido por alg./algo to be head over heels in love with s.o. (fam.), to be smitten with s.o. (fam.), to be mad or crazy or wild about s.o./s.th. (fam.)

  estar o ponerse perdido de algo (fig., fam.) Estás perdido de suciedad. You’re covered in dirt. You’re dirt all over. Te has puesto perdido de polvo. You’ve got covered in dust. You’re totally dust-covered. Te has puesto la chaqueta perdida de tinta o de suciedad. You’ve got ink all over your jacket. Your jacket is thick with dirt.

  perdido (estar más ~ que Carracuca)

  perecer to die, to perish

  perecerse de risa (fig.) to die laughing (fig.)

  perecerse de envidia (fig.) to be dying of envy (fig.), to be eaten up with envy, to be green with envy (fig.)

  perecerse por algo (fig.) to be mad/crazy about s.th. (fam.), to crave for s.th., to long for s.th., to pine for s.th., to be dying for s.th. (fig.)

  perecerse por + infinitivo (fig.) to be dying/itching to + infinitive (fig.), to be champing at the bit to + infinitive (fig.), to long to + infinitive, to love + gerund Me perezco por hacerlo. I’m dying to do it. I’d love doing it. Se perecía por verla. He was dying/longing to see her.

  el perejil parsley

  huir del perejil y dar en el berenjenal (fig., fam.) to jump out of the frying pan into the fire Atracó un banco para pagar sus deudas. Huyó del perejil y dio en el berenjenal. He held up a bank to pay [off] his debts. He jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.

  perejiles (fig., fam.) (a) frills (fig.), trimmings, fancy bits (fam., Br.E.), fripperies (fig.), buttons and bows (b) handles to one’s name (fam.), extra titles

  perejil (poner a alg. como hoja de ~)

  el perigallo double chin, dewlap (fam.)

  el perigallo (fig., fam.) (person): beanpole (fig., fam., hum.)

  la perilla pear-shaped ornament

  venir de perilla[s] (fig., fam.) to be just what s.o. needs/needed, to come in very handy (fam.) El dinero me vino de perillas. The money was just what I needed.

  el periódico newspaper

  el periódico amarillo (fig.) sensational or gutter or yellow newspaper

  ser periódico de ayer (fig.) to be old news, to be old hat (fam.)

  el periodicucho (fam.) (newspaper): rag (fam., pej.)

  peripatética (fig., fam.)

  ser una peripatética to be on the game (fam.), to walk/work the streets, to be a prostitute

  peripuesto (fam.)

  estar peripuesto to be dressed up to the nines (fam.), to be in one’s glad rags (fam., Br.E.), to be in one’s Sunday best (fam.)

  la perla pearl

  de perlas (fig., fam.) (to be) just what s.o. needs/needed, (to come in) very handy (fam.), (to come) just right, (to suit) perfectly or down to the ground, (to go) perfectly or very well El dinero me vino de perlas. The money was just what I needed. El martes me vendría de perlas. Tuesday would suit me down to the ground. Todo marchó de perlas. Everything went perfectly. Everything went very well.

  Pero Botero (las calderas de ~)

  el pero objection

  ¡No hay pero que valga! There’s no buts about it! No buts!

  la perra female dog

  la perra chica (fig., fam., Esp.) 5-céntimo coin

  la perra gorda (fig., fam., Esp.) 10-céntimo coin

  costar unas perras (fig., fam.) to cost a few coppers (fam.), to cost a few bucks (fam., Am.E.), to cost a few quid (fam., Br.E.)

  no tener [ni] una perra (fig., fam.) to be flat broke (fam.), to be stone-broke (fam., Am.E.)

  hasta la perra le/etc. parirá lechones (fam.) he’s/etc. always damned lucky (fam.)

  la perrada (fig., fam.) dirty trick (fig., fam.)

  hacer una perrada a alg. to play a dirty/nasty trick on s.o. (fig., fam.)

  el perro dog

  el perro salchicha (fam.) dachshund, sausage dog (fam., Br.E.)

  ser [un] perro viejo (fig., fam.) to be an old hand, to be an old fox (fig.), to be a cunning old devil (fam.)

  tratar a alg. como a un perro (fig.) to treat s.o. like dirt (fig.)

  dar perro a alg. (fam.) to keep s.o. waiting

  darse a perros (fam.) to get hopping mad (fam.), to get livid (fam., Br.E.), to get terribly angry

  echar los perros a alg. (fig., fam.) (a) to take drastic action against s.o. (b) to come down on s.o. like a ton of bricks (fam.)

  meter los perros en danza (fig.) to set the cat among the pigeons

  hacer tanta falta como los perros en misa, ser como perro en misa (a) to be very/wholly out of place (b) to be like a fifth wheel (fig., fam.)

  irle a alg. como a los perros en misa (fig.) not to have an easy time of it (fam.), to have a terrible time of it (fam.)

  Le conocen hasta los perros. Everybody knows him.

  de perros (fam.) la vida de perros (fig., fam.) the dog’s life (fig.) estar de un humor de perros to be in a foul/stinking mood (fig.), to be in a very bad mood, to be like a bear with a sore head (fam.) Hace un tiempo de perros. The weather’s foul (fig.) or lousy (fam.) or terrible. hacer un frío de perros to be [absolutely] freezing (fam.), to be freezing cold (fam.), to be cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey (fam., Br.E.), to be brass monkey weather (sl., Br.E.), not to be half cold (fam., Br.E.)

  A perro flaco no le faltan pulgas. (prov.) It never rains but it pours. (prov.)

  Muerto el perro, se acabó la rabia. (prov.) The best way to solve a problem is to attack the root cause of it.

  Perro ladrador, nunca buen mordedor o poco mordedor. (prov.) Perro que ladra no muerde. (prov.) A barking dog never bites. (prov.) His/etc. bark’s worse than his/etc. bite. (fig.)

  ser [como] el perro del hortelano[, que ni come la berza ni la deja comer] to be a dog in the manger Aunque el vestido le está demasiado ancho, no se lo da a su hermana. Es como el perro del hortelano. Although this dress is too big/wide for her, she doesn’t let her sister have it. She’s a dog in the manger. Tiene una entrada para ir al teatro, pero no puede ir. Si no fuese como el perro del hortelano, me la daría. He has a ticket for the theater, but he can’t go. If he were not a dog in the manger, he would give it to me.

  perro ( nariz: tener narices de ~ perdiguero) />
  perro (¡A otro ~ con ese hueso!)

  perro (Allí tampoco atan los ~s con longaniza.)

  perro (atar ~s con longaniza)

  perro (cual el dueño, tal el ~)

  perro (hinchar el ~)

  perro (tener carne de ~)

  el Perú Peru

  el Perú (fig.) gold mine (fig., fam.), money-spinner (fam., Br.E.), moneymaker

  valer algo/alg. un Perú (fig., fam.) (a) s.th.: to be invaluable, to be worth a fortune (b) s.o.: to be worth one’s weight in gold (fig.) Mi secretaria vale un Perú. My secretary is worth her weight in gold.

  pesar lo suyo

  pescado (no ser carne ni ~)

  pescar to fish

  pescar en aguas turbias (fig.) to fish in troubled waters (fig.)

  no saber uno lo que se pesca (fig., fam.) not to have a clue what it’s [all] about (fam.), to have no idea what it’s [all] about

  pescarse un marido (fig., fam.) to get or hook (fam.) o.s. a husband

  pescar (~las al vuelo)

  pescar (No se pescan truchas a bragas enjutas.)

  pescar al candil

  pescar el bulto a alg.

  pescar en río revuelto

  pescar una trucha

  el pescuezo neck, scruff of the neck

  jugarse el pescuezo (fig., fam.) to risk one’s neck (fam.)

  retorcer el pescuezo a alg. (fam.) to wring s.o.’s neck (fam.) ¡Cierra el pico, o te retuerzo el pescuezo! Shut your trap, or I’ll wring your neck!

  la peseta peseta

  A quien cuida la peseta nunca le falta un duro. (prov.) Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves or will take care of themselves.

  cambiar la peseta (fig., fam.) to vomit, to throw up (fam.), to blow one’s cookies/lunch (sl.), to feed the fishes (seasick person) (fam.)

  peseta (¡Salud, amor y ~s!)

  la pesetera (pop.) cheap tart (sl.), cheap hooker (sl., Am.E.), cheap prostitute

  el peso weight

  quitársele a alg. un [gran] peso de encima (fig.) to be a [heavy/real] load off s.o.’s mind (fig.) Se me quitó un gran peso de encima. That was a heavy load off my mind.

  quitarle a alg. un [gran] peso de encima (fig.) to take a [heavy/real] load off s.o.’s mind (fig.)

  no estar en su peso (fig., fam.) to be under the weather (fam.)