Has a Spanish friend ever said you’re weirder than a green dog? Or asked you if you’re the one who cuts the cod at home? Don’t be surprised, the Spanish use all manner of expressions involving our furry and feathered friends.
Estar como una cabra: ‘To be like a goat’ is used to describe somebody who’s nuts.
Example: ¡Está como una cabra! – He’s bonkers.
Levantar la liebre: ‘To lift the hare’ is like letting the cat out of the bag.
Example: No se quien levantó la liebre pero ahora todo el mundo sabe que suspendí el examen. – I don’t know who let the cat out of the bag but everybody knows I failed my exam.
Matar el gusanillo: ‘To kill the little worm’ is to take the edge off your hunger.
Example: A ver si con esta tapa matas el gusanillo. – Let’s see if you take the edge off your hunger with this tapa.
Ser un rata: ‘To be a rat’ is to be tight-fisted.
Example: No seas rata, déjame €5. – Don’t be so tight-fisted, lend me €5.
Pagar el pato: ‘To pay the duck’ is to carry the can for something.
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Example: Ahora me toca pagar el pato por lo que he hecho. – Now I have to take responsibility for what I’ve done.
Cortar el bacalao: ‘To cut the cod’ is to call the shots or wear the trousers.
Example: Desde que se fue mi padre, yo soy el que corta el bacalao en esta casa. – Since my father left, I’m the one who calls the shots in this house.
Aquí hay gato encerrado: ‘There’s a trapped cat here’ means there’s something fishy going on.
Example: Aquí hay gato encerrado. No me estás contando lo que realmente pasó. – There’s something fishy going on. You’re not telling me what really happened.
Los perros no están atados con longanizas: In English you say the streets aren’t paved with gold, but in Spain you say ‘the dogs aren’t tied up with sausages’.
Example: No te vayas a Alemania, ahí los perros no están atados con longanizas. – Don’t go to Germany, the streets aren’t paved with gold over there.
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Sudar como un pollo: When the Spanish get a sweat up, they do it chicken-style.
Example: ¡Que calor! Estoy sudando como un pollo! – It’s so hot! I’m sweating bucketloads.
Mas raro que un perro verde: In Spanish, if you say someone is ‘weirder than a green dog’ it means they are very odd.
Example: Es más raro que un perro verde, se pone la ropa de su abuela. – He’s so weird, he wears his grandma’s clothes.
