C1 · 50 words
Set expressions in Spanish
Fixed phrases whose meaning does not follow from the words.
Irse por los cerros de Úbeda is to wander off the point, and what makes it worth a paragraph is that it has a real address inside it. Úbeda is a town in Jaén and the hills around it are on the map. Where the saying came from is disputed, and this page is not going to pick a version. English has place-name idioms of its own — to send somebody to Coventry, to carry coals to Newcastle — but none of them is about losing the thread, and no English speaker hears what a Spanish speaker hears here: a particular stretch of hill country, a long way from wherever the conversation set out. A phrase with a place in it is the hardest kind to carry across, because the place is the first thing that has to be given up.
The words
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Phrase (50)
meter la patato put one's foot in itPhraseC1
Metí la pata en la primera frase.I put my foot in it in the first sentence.
estar en las nubesto have one's head in the cloudsPhraseC1
Estaba en las nubes toda la reunión.He had his head in the clouds for the whole meeting.
no tener pelos en la lenguanot to mince wordsPhraseC1
No tiene pelos en la lengua y se nota.She does not mince words, and you can tell.
ponerse las pilasto get one's act togetherPhraseC1
Se puso las pilas en septiembre.He got his act together in September.
estar hasta las naricesto be fed up to the back teethPhraseC1
Estoy hasta las narices de repetirlo.I am fed up to the back teeth with saying it again.
irse por los cerros de Úbedato wander miles off the subjectPhraseC1
Se fue por los cerros de Úbeda otra vez.He wandered miles off the subject once more.
dar en el clavoto hit the nail on the headPhraseC1
Diste en el clavo con esa pregunta.You hit the nail on the head with that question.
tirar la toallato throw in the towelPhraseC1
Tiró la toalla al tercer intento.She threw in the towel at the third attempt.
echar una manoto lend a handPhraseC1
Échame una mano con la caja.Lend me a hand with the box.
estar al pie del cañónto be still at one's postPhraseC1
Sigue al pie del cañón después de veinte años.He is still at his post after twenty years.
costar un ojo de la carato cost an arm and a legPhraseC1
La reparación costó un ojo de la cara.The repair cost an arm and a leg.
estar sin blancato be skintPhraseC1
A final de mes está sin blanca.By the end of the month he is skint.
hacer su agostoto make a killingPhraseC1
Los hoteles hicieron su agosto.The hotels made a killing.
a buenas horasa fine time to say soPhraseC1
A buenas horas lo dices.A fine time to say so.
en un abrir y cerrar de ojosin the blink of an eyePhraseC1
Lo resolvió en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.She sorted it out in the blink of an eye.
de la noche a la mañanaovernightPhraseC1
Cambió de idea de la noche a la mañana.He changed his mind overnight.
a la vuelta de la esquinajust round the cornerPhraseC1
El examen está a la vuelta de la esquina.The exam is just round the corner.
estar en el aireto be up in the airPhraseC1
La decisión sigue en el aire.The decision is still up in the air.
poner las cartas sobre la mesato put one's cards on the tablePhraseC1
Puso las cartas sobre la mesa en la primera reunión.She put her cards on the table at the first meeting.
no dar el brazo a torcernot to give an inchPhraseC1
No dio el brazo a torcer en dos horas.He did not give an inch in two hours.
salirse con la suyato get one's own wayPhraseC1
Al final se salió con la suya.In the end she got her own way.
hacer la vista gordato turn a blind eyePhraseC1
Hicieron la vista gorda con el horario.They turned a blind eye to the hours.
llevarse el gato al aguato carry the day, to get one's way in the endPhraseC1
Se llevó el gato al agua por dos votos.He carried the day by two votes.
estar entre la espada y la paredto be caught between a rock and a hard placePhraseC1
Estaba entre la espada y la pared.She was caught between a rock and a hard place.
tener la sartén por el mangoto have the whip handPhraseC1
Ellos tienen la sartén por el mango.They have the whip hand.
buscarle tres pies al gatoto look for trouble where there is nonePhraseC1
No le busques tres pies al gato.Do not go looking for trouble where there is none.
ser pan comidoto be a piece of cakePhraseC1
El examen fue pan comido.The exam was a piece of cake.
costar Dios y ayudato take heaven and earth to doPhraseC1
Nos costó Dios y ayuda cerrarlo.It took heaven and earth to close it.
estar como una cabrato be as mad as a hatterPhraseC1
Está como una cabra, en el buen sentido.He is as mad as a hatter, in the best sense.
quedarse con la coplato get the messagePhraseC1
Se quedó con la copla enseguida.She got the message straight away.
ir al grano sin rodeosto get straight to the pointPhraseC1
Fue al grano sin rodeos.He got straight to the point.
dar la latato be a nuisancePhraseC1
El aviso da la lata cada media hora.The alert is a nuisance every half hour.
poner el grito en el cieloto raise the roofPhraseC1
Pusieron el grito en el cielo por la subida.They raised the roof about the increase.
no pegar ojonot to sleep a winkPhraseC1
No pegué ojo en toda la noche.I did not sleep a wink all night.
ponerse moradoto stuff oneselfPhraseC1
Nos pusimos morados de fruta.We stuffed ourselves with fruit.
estar de mírame y no me toquesto be touchy about everythingPhraseC1
Está de mírame y no me toques desde ayer.She has been touchy about everything since yesterday.
hablar por los codosto talk the hind leg off a donkeyPhraseC1
Habla por los codos en cuanto coge confianza.She talks the hind leg off a donkey once she feels at ease.
tomar el pelo a alguiento pull somebody's legPhraseC1
Me estaba tomando el pelo.He was pulling my leg.
dar plantónto stand somebody upPhraseC1
Me dio plantón dos veces.He stood me up twice.
quedarse de piedrato be struck dumbPhraseC1
Me quedé de piedra al leerlo.I was struck dumb when I read it.
romper el hieloto break the icePhraseC1
Rompió el hielo con una pregunta tonta.She broke the ice with a silly question.
llover sobre mojadoto be one more thing on top of the restPhraseC1
Llueve sobre mojado con esta noticia.This news is one more thing on top of the rest.
ser la gota que colma el vasoto be the last straw on top of the restPhraseC1
Fue la gota que colmó el vaso.That was the last straw.
poner los puntos sobre las íesto dot the i's and cross the t'sPhraseC1
Puso los puntos sobre las íes en dos frases.He dotted the i's and crossed the t's in two sentences.
a ojo de buen cuberoat a rough guessPhraseC1
A ojo de buen cubero son cien metros.At a rough guess it is a hundred metres.
por si las moscasjust in casePhraseC1
Lleva el paraguas por si las moscas.Take the umbrella just in case.
sin ton ni sonfor no earthly reasonPhraseC1
Cambian las normas sin ton ni son.They change the rules for no earthly reason.
a regañadientesgrudginglyPhraseC1
Aceptó a regañadientes.He accepted grudgingly.
de buenas a primerasout of the bluePhraseC1
De buenas a primeras cambió de tema.Out of the blue she changed the subject.
en un santiaménin the blink of an eye, in no timePhraseC1
Lo montaron en un santiamén.They put it up in no time.
This list belongs to Language and expression — 22 lists and 1102 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.