| Spanish idioms |
Literal translation |
English equivalent |
Picture representation |
| Tener la cabeza hueca |
To have the head hollow |
To be brainless |
 |
| Es peor el remedio que la enfermedad |
The remedy is worse than the disease. |
It just makes things worse. |

|
| jugarse la cabeza |
To bet one's head |
to bet one's life |
 |
| Dar bola a alguien |
To give someone the ball |
To pay attention to someone |
 |
| Serrucharle el piso a alguien |
To saw off the floor under someone |
To cook someone's goose |
|
| Empezar la casa por el tejado |
To start the house with the roof |
To put the cart before the horse |

|
| Escapar del trueno y dar con el relámpago |
To escape the thunder and get hit by lightning |
To jump out of the frying pan into the fire |
 |
| Saber de que pie cojea alguien |
To know what foot someone is limping on |
To know someone's Achilles heal |
 |
| El raton de biblioteca |
Library mouse |
Bookworm |
 |
| Todo me sale torcido |
Everything turns out twisted for me |
Everything turns out badly for me |
 |
| Apearse del burro |
To get off the donkey |
To back down |
 |
| Miel sobre hojuelas |
Honey on pastries |
Perfect. So much the better |
 |
| Donde el diablo perdio el poncho |
Where the devil lost his poncho |
In a godforsaken spot |
 |
| Que lo pase bien |
May you spend it well |
Have a good day |
 |
| Las desgracias nunca vienen solas |
Bad things never come alone or one at a time |
It never rains but it pours |
 |
| Pasar a mejor vida |
To go to a better life |
To pass away |
|
| Suerte, valor y al toro |
luck, courage and the bull |
The very best of luck to you |
 |
| Rizar el rizo |
To curl the curl |
Make a mountain out of a molehill |
 |
| Estar como un regadera |
To be like a watering can |
To have a mind like a sieve. To forget things. |
|
| Matar dos pajaros con un tiro |
To kill two birds with one shot |
To kill two birds with one stone |
 |
| No pintar nada |
To not paint anything. |
To be of no importance. To not have any say. |
 |
| Ir hecho bala |
To go made into a bullet |
To go like a shot |
 |
| Siempre la segundona |
Always the second one |
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride |
 |
| Alli dondes fueres, haz lo que vieres. |
Where you are, do as you see it. |
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
 |
| Siempre me toca a mi pagar el pato |
The duck always touches me for my money |
I always end up getting the blame. I always end up taking the rap. |
 |
| Darle lata a alguien |
To give someone tin can |
To give someone a hard time. To upset someone. |
|
| la nesesidad hace maestros |
the necessity makes teachers |
necessity is the mother of invention |
 |
| Loro viejo no aprende a hablar |
Old parrot does not learn to speak |
You can`t teach an old dog new tricks |
 |
| El que rie ultimo,rie mejor |
He who laughs last, laughs best |
He who laughs last laughs longest |
 |
| El sapo a la sapa tienela por guapa |
The male toad to the female toad is considered good-looking |
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder |
 |
| Hablando del rey de Roma - (y el que se asoma) |
Talking of the king of Rome - (and he appears) |
talk of the devil - (and the devil appears) |
 |
| Mas vale tarde que nunca |
More value late than never |
better late than never |
 |
| Si quieres ser bien servido, sirvete a ti mismo |
If you want to be well served, serve you to you same |
If you want a thing done well, do it yourself |
 |
| El tiempo es oro |
Time is gold |
Time is money |
 |
| Reír con risa de conejo |
To laugh like a rabbit |
To force a laugh |
|