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  September 17, 2012 HOME >GRAMMAR AND LANGUAGE >SPANISH IDIOMS

 
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SPANISH IDIOMS

To show true fluency in Spanish, try throwing in some of the spanish idioms below. They will impress the locals without a doubt! Remember though that idioms should only be used in a similar situation to as they are used in English - i.e. in a familiar colloquial situation - not a formal situation. See even more spanish idioms.

Spanish idioms Literal translation English equivalent Picture representation
trabajar como una hormiga to work like an ant to work very hard
work-like-an-ant
Dios los cría y ellos se juntan God brings them up and they get together Birds of a feather stick together  
contra viento y marea against wind and tide against all odds  
Mandar a alguien al demonio To send someone to the devil To tell someone to get lost, go to hell  
No hay nada tan atrevido como la ignorancia There is nothing so daring as ignorance Fools rush in where angels fear to tread  
¡No me toques las narices! - Do not touch my noses Stop bugging me
No-me-toques-las-narices.jpg
Poner un candado a la boca To put a lock on one`s mouth To keep secret. Button one`s lip.
keep-your-lips-locked.jpg
Y dale la burra al trigo And let the donkey keep at the wheat

Same old story

Used when someone keeps repeating the same old story.

donkey-eating-straw.jpg
se le pusieron los ojos como platos her eyes became like plates her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets
smiley-face-plates.jpg
Me cae gordísimo She falls on me very very fat I can't stand her
falls-on-me-very-fat.jpg
A buenas horas mangas verdes In good time green sleeves It`s too late now
A buenas horas, mangas verdes
En dos patadas In two kicks In no time at all
En dos patadas
Haberse caído del guindo To have fallen out of the cherry tree To have been born yesterday
to-have-been-born-yesterday.jpg
Trabajar como un burro To work like a donkey To work really hard, to work your socks off donkey-working-hard.jpg
Dale el pie y te tomará la mano Give him your foot and he will take your hand Give him an inch and he will take a mile
give-him-an-inch.jpg
Estar todavía en pañales To be still in nappies To be naive, wet behind the ears to-be-wet-behind-the-ears.jpg
A toda mecha At full fuse like greased lightning usain-lightning-bolt.jpg
Regalar el oído a alguien To regale somebody`s ears To flatter somebody regalar-el-oido-a-alguien.jpg
Vivir a cuerpo de rey to live like the body of a king to live like a king king-henry-eight
El habito no hace al monje The habit doesn`t make the monk Don`t judge by appearances monk habit.jpg
No lo voy a hacer ni loco I'm not going to do it even if (I was) mad Nothing in the world would make me do it.
I AM LOCO
Conocer algo como la palma de la mano To know something like the palm of your hand To know something like the back of your hand
know-like-back-of-hand.jpg
Rascarse la barriga To scratch your belly To sit on your backside and do nothing sit-on-backside-doing-nothing.jpg
Ahogarse en un vaso de agua To drown in a glass of water To make a mountain out of a molehill.
molehill
Estar hecho un Adán To be like Adam To look a mess estar-hecho-un-adan.jpg
Un hombre de pelo en pecho A man with hair on his chest A real man un-hombre-de-pelo-en-pecho.jpg
Beber los aires por alguien To drink the breezes for somebody To be madly in love with someone madly-in-love
Estar hasta las narices de algo To be up to the nostrils with something Fed up to the back teeth with something fed-up-to-the-back-teeth.jpg
Mientras que en mi casa estoy, rey soy While in my house I am king A man`s home is his castle man`s-home-his-castle.jpg
Llevar a alguien por la calle de la amargura To lead somebody down misery street To make somebody`s life a misery
make-life-a-misery.jpg
Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito About taste there is nothing written down There is no accounting for taste there-is-no-accounting-for-taste.jpg
Tener la cabeza como una bola de bilar To have a head like a billiard ball To be as bald as a coot
bald-as-coot.jpg
Tener cara de pascua To have an Easter face To be grinning broadly
cara-de-pascua.jpg
Estar mas sano que una pera To be healthier than a pear To be as fit as a fiddle
fit-as-a-fiddle
Hacer las cuentas de la lechera To the milkmaid`s sums To count your chickens before they are hatched
Todothemilkmaidssums.jpg
Ser un culo de mal asiento To be a backside that can't sit still To have ants in your pants
ants-in-pants
Ni de aquí a Lima Not from here to Lima Not by a long chalk. There is just no comparison peru-lima-mini.jpg
Tener cara de pascua To have an Easter face To be grinning from ear to ear
big-grin.jpg
Las mentiras tienen patas cortas Lies have short legs The truth will out (lies won't get you very far).
terriers-short-legs.jpg
Entre col y col, lechuga Between cabbage and cabbage, lettuce. Variety is the spice of life
variety-is-the-spice-of-life.jpg
Esto no tiene mucha ciencia This doesn`t have a lot of science There is nothing difficult about it
science.jpg
Untar la mano de alguien To grease somebody`s hand To grease somebody`s palm. To influence someone by giving them money.
grease-someones-palm.jpg
Ser mas fuerte que un roble To be stronger than an oak tree To be as strong as an ox
strong-as-an-ox.jpg
Al pie de la letra To the foot of the letter
To the letter, or exactly
al-pie-de-la-letra.jpg
Pasar las vacas gordas To spend the fat cows To have a good time / To have a grand time of it. Pasar las vacas gordas
Lo saben hasta las piedras Even stones know that Everyone knows that
Rolling-stones.jpg
Tener buen diente To have a good tooth To have a healthy appetite
tener-buen-diente.jpg
Tener a alguien entre ojos To have somebody between your eyes To have it in for someone
tener-a-alguien-entre-ojos.jpg
Se armó la de San Quintín What happened at San Quintin broke out all hell broke out
all hell broke loose
Meter la cuchara To put in your spoon To stick your oar in meter-la-cuchara
Poner toda la carne en el asador To put all the meat on the barbecue Pull out all the stops
pull-out-all-the-stops.jpg
Cambiar el chip To change one`s chip To change your way of thinking
computer-chip.jpg
Eso está hecho That`s done It`s a sure thing (promise)
sure-thing
No saber ni papa de Not to know even a potato about To know nothing about
potato.jpg
Alzarse con el santo y la limosna To take off with the saint and the alms. To clear off with everything
steal-everything.jpg
Hacer algo volando To do something on the fly To do something quickly
on the fly
Préstame la guitarra Lend me the guitar Let me get a word in
electric-guitar.jpg
Meterse en el sobre To put oneself in one`s envelope To go to bed, to hit the sack
hit-the-sack1.jpg
A jalones y estirones at pulls and stretches Kicking and screaming / with lots of effort
great-effort.jpg
Rascarse el bolsillo To scratch the pocket Spend money unwillingly
pocketmoney.jpg
Estoy que me caigo I am about to fall I'm dead tired
getwell
Quemar las naves To burn one`s shipd To burn one`s bridges
burn-bridges.jpg
Tener mucha cuerda To have a lot of chord To have a lot of life left in them.
lot-of-life-left-in-them.jpg
Bajar a todos los santos To get all the saints down. To try everything when you are up against it.
todos-los-santos.jpg
Echar leña al fuego To add fuel to the fire To make things worse
echar-lena-al-fuego.jpg
Lanzar un rollo To throw a roll To start a long story
long-story.jpg
Que si patatín que si patatán And so on and so on blah, blah, blah, blah
blah-blah-blah
Mírate en ese espejo Look at yourself in that mirror Let that be a lesson to you
mirate-en-ese-espejo.jpg
Navegar con bandera de inocente To sail with the flag of an innocent To play dumb. To pretend to be innocent but have a motive for it.
Innocent.jpg
Ni corto ni perezoso

Neither short nor lazy

 

Doing it right away. Without losing any time
do-it-immediately.jpeg
Liso y llano Smooth and flat, as a road A piece of cake. Easy.
piece-of-cake.JPG
La procesión va por dentro The procession goes on the inside Bottling it all up. bottle-it-all-up.jpg
Por un tubo Through a pipe Abundantly. tubes
Ver los toros desde la barrera To look at the bulls from behind the barrier To stay out of harm`s way
Ver los toros desde la barrera
Ya tener una pata allí To now have a paw in there To have a foot in the door
foot-in-door.jpg
Estar como pez en el agua To be like a fish in water To be in one`s element. To enjoy your own comforts. Estar como pez en el agua
Tapando el sol con un dedo Covering the sun with a finger Covering things up.
tapar el sol
Hijos de muchas madres Children of many mothers All kinds of people. A diverse group of people. diverse-group.jpg
Pintarse solo para una cosa To paint oneself alone for something To be very skillful at something
skilled-at-something-pythagoras.jpg
Pisarle los callos a alguien To step on someone`s callouses To bother someone without reason bother-someone.jpg
Sin cruzar palabra Without crossing word Without saying a word without-saying-a-word.jpg
Que lo haga Rita Let Rita do it Let someone else do it
let-someone-else-do-it.jpg
La flor y nata The flower and whipped cream Upper crust. Highest social class.
upper-class.jpg
Pagar por sustos To pay in frights To buy on credit
pagar-por-sustos.jpg
Los gajes del oficio The matters of the trade. Part and parcel of the job. Occupational hazards.
occupational-hazards.jpg
Tener a alguien en el alma To have someone in one's soul To feel for someone who is having problems. To want to help
help.jpg
Llover a cántaros To rain tanks/pitchers Raining buckets
Raining-Buckets.jpg
Tener buen diente To have good tooth To be a big eater. To have a hollow leg
big-eater.jpg
Fresco Fresh Cool as a cucumber. Not worried
cool-as-cucumber.jpg
Estar muy potable To be very drinkable To look attractive
physically-attractive.jpg
Partirse de la risa To split with laughter To crack up with laughter
crack up with laughter
Dar en el clavo To strike home To be spot on. To hit the nail on the head.

nail on head

Mucho ojo, que la vista engaña Much eye, the sight deceives Appearances are deceptive
appearances are deceiving
Darle lata a alguien To give someone tin can To give someone a hard time. To upset someone.
spanish tin can
Quedarse para vestir santos To stay dressing saints To remain an old maid
quedarse para vestir santos
Llevar la batuta To carry the baton To have great influence. To call the shots. Big shot.
big shot

A mí, me importa un pito lo que pienses

 

To me, I give a damn what you think I don't give a toss what you think
give a damn

Tirarse los trastos a la cabeza

 

To throw junk at the head to have a blazing row.
blazing row
Para dar y tomar To give and take In abundance. To burn. ex. money
money to burn
Bailar en la cuerda floja To dance on the tightrope To try to do many things at once
tightrope - la cuerda floja
Tener los nervios de punta To have one's nerves standing To have one's nerves on edge
nerves on edge
Hacer San Lunes Make Saint Monday To skive off work on Mondays
skive off work
Sufrir un ataque de cuernos To suffer an attack of horns To go into a jealous rage
sufrir un ataque de cuernos
Estar colgado To be hung, suspended To be in love. To have a crush
to be in love
Hay ropa tendida There is clothing hung out to dry The coast is not clear. Be careful
hay ropa tendida
De buenas a primeras From good ones to first ones On the spur of the moment
suddenly
Poderoso caballero es Don Dinero Mighty gentleman is Don Money Money makes the world go round / Money is power, power is money
don dinero
Ser uña y carne To be fingernail and flesh. To be bosom buddies.
bosom buddies
Buscarle las pulgas a alguien To look for someone`s fleas To irritate someone. To provoke
perrito enojado
Seguir en sus trece To keep in one`s thirteen To persist. To stick to one`s guns.
stick to your guns

Siempre me toca bailar con la más fea

 

I always have to dance with the ugliest girl.

I always get the short end of the stick / I always draw the short straw.
I always have to dance with the ugliest girl
Salir por la ventana To leave through the window To sneak out the back door.
leave through the window
Tengamos la fiesta en paz We have the peace party. Let`s have some peace and quiet.
peace and quiet
Revolver el gallinero To stir the chicken To put the cat among the pigeons.
Revolver el gallinero
A falta de pan, buenas son tortas Where there is no bread, cakes are fine. It will do just fine. One thing is as good as another.
bread and cakes
Para parar un tren To stop a train In large quantities. Tons of
parar parar un tren
Salir el tiro por la culata To have the shot go out the butt of the rifle To backfire. To have the opposite result from what was anticipated.
to back fire
Empezar la casa por el tejado To begin the house with the roof To put the cart before the horse
cart before the cart
Atar cabos To tie ends To put two and two together
two and two - four brothers
Tonto de capirote Idiot chief Dope of dopes. Really stupid
dope of dopes
Tener un humor de perros To be in a dog mood To be in a foul mood
Tener un humor de perros
Para colmo de desgracias For the culmination of misfortunes To top it all off
misfortune
Un clavo saca otro clavo One nail takes out another nail. One problem overshadows another.
nails
Estar como agua para chocolate To be like water for chocolate. To be at boiling point (anger or passion)
como agua para chocolate
Echar flores To throw flowers To pat on the back. To compliment
echar flowers - to pat on the back
Dar en la madre To give in the mother To hit hard. To hurt someone where they are vulnerable
dar en la madre - to hit hard
Un hotel de mala muerte a hotel of bad death A grotty hotel
grotty hotel - fawlty towers
Correr como un galgo To run like a greyhound To run like a gazelle
greyhounds
Valer su peso en oro To be worth its weight in gold To be worth a fortune
gold
Acostarse con las gallinas To go to bed with the chickens To go to bed early sleeping cat
Aflojar la cuerda To loosen the cord To take a breather loosen up
Poner en las nubes To put in the clouds To praise to the skies. To highly praise. clouds
Estar metida en un rollo To be put in a roll To get into a bind. To get into hot water. to get into hot water or get into a bind
En boca cerrada no entran moscas In a closed mouth flies don`t enter. Loose talk can get you into trouble. en boca cerrada no entran moscas
El hijo de papá Daddy`s child Rich kid. Kid who has everything provided for them. rich kids
Estar más loco que una cabra To be crazier than a she-goat To be as mad as a hatter
Estar más loco que una cabra
Reparar en migajas To notice crumbs To split hairs. To pay attention to unimportant things instead of the bigger issues. split hairs
No dar pie con bola To not hit the ball with one`s foot To not be correct. To make a mess of things. To not do things right to not hit the ball with one`s foot
Donde el diablo perdió el poncho Where the devil lost his poncho In a god-forsaken spot Devil's poncho
Meterse en el sobre To put oneself in the envelope To hit the sack. To go to bed to hit the sack
Meter la cuchara To put in the spoon To put in one`s two penny worth spoons
Chiste rojo Red joke Dirty joke dirty joke
No calentar el asiento To not warm the seat To not last long to warm the seat
Tener un corazón de acero To have a heart of steel To have a heart of stone heart of steel
Confundir la gimnasia con la magnesia To confuse gymnastics with magnesia To mix apples and oranges apples and oranges
Montar un número To put on a number. To make a scene. make a scene
Llevar en palmas To carry palm trees To treat like a king. To pamper. to treat like a king
Comer a dos carrillos To eat with two cheeks To serve two masters. To work for two people. to eat with two cheels
Tomar el pelo a alguien To pull someone`s hair To pull someone`s leg, to make fun of to pull someones leg
El vivo retrato de alguien The living portrait of someone The spitting image of someone twin bears
Flotar como el corcho en el agua To float like cork in water To come out on top, come out well despite adversity cork float
No dar el brazo a torcer To not give one`s arm to twist To be stubborn no dar el brazo a torcer
Cortado por la misma tijera Cut by the same scissors Very similar, chip off the old block chip off the old block
No dejar piedra sobre piedra To not leave stone upon stone To leave nothing standing, to destroy completely demolish all
Tener alma a acero To have a soul of steel To have a heart of stone, to be without feelings heart of stone

Hacer alharacas

 

To make a fuss To make a big deal (of something) no big deal
Ser plato de segunda mesa To be a plate of a second table To feel like a second class citizen second class citizen
A falta de pan, buenas son tortas Where there is no bread, cakes are fine It will do just fine. One thing is as good as another. cakes
Quemarse las pestañas To burn one`s eyelashes To burn the midnight oil. To cram to cram for exams
Hijo de la gata, ratones mata son of the cat kills rats Like father, like son like father like son
No van por ahí los tiros The shots aren`t going that way barking up the wrong tree barking up the wrong tree
Ni soñarlo In your dreams No way in your dreams
Fumarse una clase To smoke oneself a class To skip a class fumarse una clase
Irsele a alguien la lengua To make a slip of the tongue Speak without thinking slip of the tongue
Pon los pies sobre la tierra Put your feet on the ground Come down to earth feet on the ground
La sopa boba Crazy soup Life on Easy Street easy street
El día de arreglo de cuentas The day of settling accounts Day of reckoning judgement day
Llevar en palmas To carry with palm trees To treat like a king, pamper
Con las manos en la masa With the hands in the dough Red-handed caught red-handed
Ponerse las botas To put one`s boots on To make a killing boots
Huir del fuego y caer en las brasas To flee from the fire and fall into the coals From the frying pan into the fire from the frying pan into the fire
La despidada de soltero Sending off of the single man Stag party stag party
Darle a uno una buena lejía To give someone a good dose of bleach To give someone a good scolding bleach
Hacer mil maromas para To do a thousand acrobatic tricks in order to To go to a lot of trouble to, to spare no effort to acrobatics
Bájale de crema a tus tacos Decrease the cream in your tacos Don`t exaggerate tacos
Estar al loro To be at the parrot To pay attention, be attentive, be up to date parrot
Criado(a) a lo bruto raised in a brutish way Brought up in a barn brought up in a barn
Ser plato de segunda mesa To be second-table dish To play second fiddle violinist
Jugar con dos barajas To play with two decks To cheat, act with duplicity two decks of cards
Cantar de plano To sing clearly To spill the beans spilled the beans
Echar agua al mar To throw water into the sea To be pointless water
Con los brazos cruzados With arms crossed Twiddling one`s thumbs twiddling thumbs
Marcando ocupado Dialling the busy signal Not understanding anything out of it
Encendérsele el bombillo To have the lightbulb turned on To get a brilliant idea light bulb idea
Más feo que el pecado Uglier than the sin As ugly as sin ugly as sin
Hacer su santa voluntad To do one`s holy will To do as one pleases saint of the day
Por los buenas o por las malas For the good or the bad One way or another good bad and ugly
No saber ni papa de Not to know even a potato about To know nothing about Mr Potato
Caer chuzos de punta To rain sharp spears To rain cats and dogs
Caer chuzos de punta
Tragarle a uno la tierra To be swallowed by the earth To disappear into nowhere earth
No cerrar la puerta To not close the door to not cut down on choices/options, or, not to burn one`s bridges burning bridge
Quedar a la altura de su zapatilla To remain at the height of one`s slipper To be a failure slippers
Contigo ni a China me voy I`m not even going to China with you You`re impossible travel to China
Andar de Herodes a Pilato To walk from Herod to Pilate To go from bad to worse pontius pilate
Ser un espantapájaro To be a scarecrow Ugly as sin scarecrow
Tener mal templada la guitarra To have one's guitar badly tuned. To be in a bad mood bad mood
Ser del montón To be of the heap No great shakes, nothing to write home about no great shakes
Llover sobre mojado To rain over the wetness It never rains but it pours. it never rains but it pours
Ser más del campo que las amapolas To be more from the country than the poppies To be a hick poppies in flanders fields
Estar entre la espada y la pared To be between the sword and the wall To be caught between a rock and a hard place rock and a hard place
Un viento de mil demonios A wind of a thousand demons A howling gale viento de mil demonios
Estar de veinticinco alfileres To be of twenty-five pins To be dressed to kill dressed to kill
Tener angel To have an angel to have charm, to be charming rafael's angels
Darle perro a uno To give someone a dog To stand someone up, to break a date give someone a dog
Largar a otro el mochuelo To pass the owl on to someone else To pass the buck pass the buck
Dar en un hueso To hit a bone To hit a snag to hit a snag
Flipar en colores To flip colours To be totally amazed flipar en colores
Parecerse como dos gotas de agua To look like two drops of water To look like two peas in a pod two peas in a pod
Tener un tornillo flojo To have a loose screw To be crazy to be crazy
El mundo es un pañuelo The world is a handkerchief It`s a small world it`s a small world
Toda va viento en popa Everything goes wind at the stern All is going well all is going well
Dejar a uno en la estacada To leave someone in the stockade To leave someone in the lurch leave you in the lurch
No es cosa del otro mundo It`s not anything from another world It`s nothing to write home about nothing to write home about
Decirle a alguien cuatro verdades To tell someone four truths To give someone a piece of one`s mind to give someone a piece of your mind
Coger a alguien con las manos en la masa To catch someone with his or her hands in the dough To catch someone red-handed to catch someone red-handed
Costar un ojo de la cara To cost an eye of the face To cost an arm and a leg to cost an arm and a leg
Aquello fue llegar y besar el santo That was arriving and kissing the saint It was like taking candy from a baby taking candy from a baby
Andar pisando huevos To walk stepping on eggs To tread on thin ice to tread on thin ice
Venir con músicas To come with music To tell tall tales tall things
Reír con risa de conejo To laugh with the laughter of a rabbit To force a laugh to force a laugh
Empezar la casa por el tejado To start building the house at the roof To put the cart before the horse to put the cart before the horse
Ir al grano To go to the seed Get to the point to get to the point
Faltarle a uno un tornillo to have a screw missing To be nuts to be nuts
Cortar el bacalao To cut the codfish To rule the roost rule the roost
No hay mal que por bien no venga There is not badly that by well come not Every cloud has a silver lining every cloud has a silver lining
Tirar las frutas frescas con las pochas Throwing the fresh fruits with the green beans To throw the baby out with the bathwater don`t throw baby out with bathwater
Nadie está contento con su suerte Nobody is content with his luck the grass is always greener on the other side the grass is always greener on the other side
A lo hecho pecho To it fact chest It`s no use crying over spilt milk no use crying over spilt milk
Más vale prevenir que curar More valuable to prevent than cure Better safe than sorry better safe than sorry
No hay que vender la piel del oso (antes de cazarlo) Don't sell the the bear skin before hunting it Don`t count your chickens (before they are hatched) don't count your chickens
Una puntada a tiempo ahorra ciento A stitch in times saves hundred A stitch in time saves nine a stitch in time saves nine
Estar hasta en la sopa To be even in the soup There's no getting away from him
Estar hasta en la sopa
No hay tiempo como el presente   There's no time like the present there's no time like the present
Caerse de su burro To fall from your donkey To admit your mistake
Caerse de su burro
Hay cuatro gatos There are four cats There's hardly anyone
Hay cuatro gatos
Estar como boca de lobo To be like a wolf's mouth To be pitch dark
Estar como boca de lobo
Darle perro a alguien To give someone a dog To stand someone up (on a date)
Darle perro a alguien
Cuando las ranas críen pelo When frogs grow hair When pigs might fly
Cuando las ranas críen pelo
No oír ni el vuelo de una mosca To not even hear a fly flying You could hear a pin drop No oír ni el vuelo de una mosca

Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando

A bird in the hand is more valuable than a hundred flying A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush a bird in the hand
A quien madruga Dios lo ayuda To whom rises early God helps him

It`s the early bird that catches the worm.

Early bed early to rise (makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise)

early bird catches worm
Más vale mana que fuerza More value brain than strength Brain is better than brawn brain better than brawn
No se ganó Zamora en una hora

You don`t win Zamora in an hour

(Zamora is a Spanish town where there was a battle)

Rome wasn`t built in a day Rome not built in a day
Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente Eyes that don`t see, heart that doesn`t feel Out of sight, out of mind out of sight out of mind

Nunca llueve a gusto de todos

or

Lo que a uno cura a otro mata

It never rains to the liking of all

or

what to one priest another kills

One man`s meat is another man`s poison ones man meat is another mans poison
Antes de hablar pensar Before speaking think Think before you speak think before you speak
Lo que no cuesta dinero,siempre es bueno That which costs nothing, always is good The best things in life are free best things in life are free
El que tiene boca se equivoca The one that has mouth is mistaken We all make mistakes we all make mistakes
Lo que siembres cosecharas quien siembra vientos recoge tempestades What sowings harvested who sows winds collects storms As you sow, so shall you reap as you sow so shall you reap
Quien a hierro mata, a hierro muere Who to iron kills, to iron dies They that live by the sword die by the sword live by sword die by sword
Aunque la mona se vista de seda mona se queda Although the monkey itself monkey silk view remains You can`t make a silk purse out of a sow`s ear silk purse out of sows ear
Nadie sabe lo que vale el agua hasta que falta Nobody knows what is worth the water until he lacks You never know what you`ve got till it`s gone never know what you had
En el peligro se conoce el amigo In the danger the friend is known A friend in need is a friend indeed friend in need is a friend indeed
En boca cerrada no entran moscas Flies don`t enter a closed mouth If you keep your mouth shut, you won`t put your foot in it keep your mouth shut
Lo barato sale caro That which is cheap ends up being expensive If you buy cheaply, you pay dearly lo barato sale caro
Al perro que duerme, no lo despiertes

To the dog that sleeps it do not awake

 

Let sleeping dogs lie let sleeping dogs lie
La necesidad hace maestros the necessity makes teachers necessity is the mother of invention 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 you can`t teach an old dog new tricks
El que ríe último, ríe mejor He who laughs last, laughs best He who laughs last laughs longest he who laughs last laughs longest
El sapo a la sapa tiénela por guapa The male toad to the female toad is considered good-looking Beauty is in the eye of the beholder beauty in eye of beholder
Hablando del rey de Roma - (él que asoma) Talking of the king of Rome - (and he appears) Talk of the devil - (and the devil appears) talk of the devil
Más vale tarde que nunca More value late than never Better late than never better late than never
Si quieres ser bien servido, sírvete a ti mismo If you want to be well served, serve yourself If you want something done well, do it yourself if you want a thing done well, do it yourself
El tiempo es oro Time is gold Time is money time is money
Reír con risa de conejo To laugh like a rabbit To force a laugh
Reír con risa de conejo

 


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