Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Spanish > sp idioms R to Z > Flashcards

sp idioms R to Z Flashcards

1
Q

regalarse

A

give; let me have (lit.: to give oneself; n.b.: used in Costa Rica; e.g.: ‘regalame’ to mean ‘give me’ something in a store)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

reirse la gracia a algien

A

humor someone (lit.: to laugh with someone)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

repartirse el pastel

A

divide up the pie

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

rodar por algn

A

be at someone’s beck and call

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

rumbo a

A

in the direction of; toward

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

sabelotodo

A

know it all

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

saber dónde aprieta el zapato

A

know the score; know the situation (lit.: know where the show pinches)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

sabi(h)onda mandona

A

little miss know-it-all

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

sabi(h)ondo/a

A

know it all

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

sacar a algn de quicio

A

drive someone crazy; drive someone up a wall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

sacar de un apuro

A

get somebody out of a tight spot

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

sacar los colores a alguien

A

make someone blush (lit.: to take out the colors from someone)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

sacar pecho

A

brag; show off (lit.: to stick out chest)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

sacarse de encima

A

come out on top (lit.: to take oneself out at top)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

sacarse la mugre

A

have a nasty accident

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

sacarse la mugre

A

work like a dog (n.b.: used in Cono del Sur)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

salir adelante

A

get ahead

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

salir de las llamas y caer en las brasas

A

jump out of the frying pan and into the fire

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

salir de marcha

A

go out partying

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

salir de un apuro

A

get out of a tight spot (lit.: leave a predicament)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

salir juntos

A

date; go out; be seeing (used to describe a couple in a relationship)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Santa Bárbara

A

Heaven help us (n.b.: Saint Barbara’s help is invoked to protect one from danger esp. in some traditions from fire and storms)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

santo cielo

A

heavens; good heavens (n.b.: popularly used as an expression of suprise often as a euphemism for something stronger)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

santo Dios

A

good God; great God (n.b.: popularly used as an expression of suprise often as a euphemism for something stronger)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

se trata de

A

it’s about; it has to do with; you’re supposed to…

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

seguido

A

often (n.b.: Mexican used more often than ‘frequentemente’)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

según dice

A

according to (lit.: following (it) says)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

ser agua pasada

A

be water under the bridge; be done; be over with (lit.: to be water passed by)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

ser al mando

A

be at someone’s command

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

ser de bronce

A

be rigid; be inflexible (lit.: be of bronze)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

ser de carne y hueso

A

be only human. 1. Como todo el mundo soy de carne y hueso.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

ser de corta edad

A

be young

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

ser de dos pelos

A

be two-faced (used in Cono del Sur)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

ser de edad avanzada

A

be old; be elderly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

ser el colmo de los colmos

A

be the limit; be the worst

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

ser la monda

A

be a blast; be really funny

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

ser más listo que el hambre

A

be sharp as a tack; be very quick (lit.: be more clever than hunger)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

ser otro asunto

A

be different; be something else

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

ser pan comido

A

be a piece of cake (lit.: to take out the colors from someone)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

ser toro corrido

A

be an old hand at (lit.: be a bull [that has] run)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

ser un muermo

A

be a drag; be a bore (used in Spain)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

ser un pelo

A

be very skinny; be very thin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

servir lo mismo para un barrido que para un fregado

A

be a jack of all trades; be handy (lit.: to serve equally as for sweeping or for scrubbing)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

sin apuros

A

without pressure; without embarassment. 1. Quiero vivir sin apuros.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

sin duda

A

without doubt; doubtlessly. 1. No demasiado sin duda.

46
Q

sin embargo

A

nevertheless nonetheless (lit.: to have sense)

47
Q

sito de ligar

A

singles’ bar; pickup joint (used in Spain)

48
Q

sobrio como una cuba

A

drunk (lit.: sober like a wine cask)

49
Q

soltar el toro a algn

A

scold somebody severely (lit.: jump the bull to someone)

50
Q

soltar la risa

A

burst out laughing

51
Q

soltarse el pelo

A

let one’s hair down

52
Q

subirse a las barbas de alg.

A

be fresh with someone; be too familiar or friendly with someone (lit.: to go up the beard of someone)

53
Q

sueño de oro

A

one’s heart’s desire; one’s dream (lit: dream of gold; A sueño de oro is one’s innermost deepest desire)

54
Q

tal vez

A

probably maybe perhaps

55
Q

tarde o temprano

A

sooner or later (lit.: late or early)

56
Q

tele

A

tv; telly; television

57
Q

tener a alg. en ascuas

A

keep someone in suspense; keep someone on tenderhooks (lit.: to have someone on coals)

58
Q

tener animo

A

be enthusiastic; be in the mood for

59
Q

tener buen tipo

A

have a good figure; have a good body (used in Spain)

60
Q

tener buen vino

A

be able to handle one’s alcohol

61
Q

tener ciudado

A

be careful (lit.: to have care)

62
Q

tener el alma en un hilo

A

be on pins and needles; have one’s heart in one’s mouth; be on tenderhooks (lit.: to have the soul in/by a string)

63
Q

tener en cuenta

A

bear in mind; keep in mind (lit.: to have in account)

64
Q

tener en mente

A

keep in mind; have in mind

65
Q

tener ganas (de)

A

feel like (lit.: to have urges/desires)

66
Q

tener gracia

A

be funny; be amusing (lit.: to have grace)

67
Q

tener harto

A

be fed up (lit.: to have exhausted)

68
Q

tener hasta acá

A

have had enough (lit.: to have up to here)

69
Q

tener la culpa

A

be to blame; be one’s fault (lit.: have the blame)

70
Q

tener las manos largas

A

be light-fingered (lit.: have large hands)

71
Q

tener lugar

A

take place (lit.: to have place)

72
Q

tener mal vino

A

be unable to handle one’s alcohol (lit.: to have bad wine)

73
Q

tener mala leche

A

have a mean streak (lit.: to have bad milk)

74
Q

tener miedo (de)

A

be afraid; be fearful; be scared (lit.: to have fear)

75
Q

tener paciencia

A

be patient

76
Q

tener prisa

A

be in a hurry; be in a rush (lit.: to have hurry/haste/rush). 1. Ahora tenemos un poco de prisa.

77
Q

tener que

A

have to; must

78
Q

tener razón

A

be right (lit.: to have reason)

79
Q

tener sed

A

be thirsty

80
Q

tener sentido

A

make sense (lit.: to have sense)

81
Q

tener suerte

A

be lucky; be fortunate (lit.: to have luck)

82
Q

tiempo de perros

A

foul weather; horrible weather (lit.: weather for dogs)

83
Q

tirar el dinero

A

throw money out the window

84
Q

tirar por el atajo

A

take the easy way out (lit.: throw for the shortcut)

85
Q

tirarse un pedo

A

fart (n.b.: colloquial)

86
Q

tocar diana

A

sound reveille (n.b.: diana means bull’s-eye)

87
Q

todo el mundo

A

everyone; everybody (lit.: all the world). 1. Todo el mundo quiere estar sano.

88
Q

todo hijo de vecino

A

every Tom Dick and Harry; everyone (lit.: every neighbor’s child)

89
Q

todo un poco

A

a little of each; a little of everything

90
Q

tomar el pelo a alguien

A

be kidding; pull someone’s leg (lit.: to pull the hair of someone)

91
Q

tomar el sol

A

sunbathe; soak up rays; catch some rays

92
Q

tomar en cuenta

A

bear in mind; keep in mind

93
Q

tomar nota(s)

A

take notes; make a note of

94
Q

trabajar el doble

A

work overtime; work extra

95
Q

traje de Adán

A

in one’s birthday suit; naked (lit.: in Adam’s clothes)

96
Q

tratarse

A

have to do with; be (lit.: to treat. Used with the preposition “de”)

97
Q

un ojo de la cara

A

a fortune; an arm and a leg

98
Q

un pelo

A

a little bit; a small amount

99
Q

una y otra vez

A

again and again (lit.: one and another time)

100
Q

valer la pena

A

be worth; be worthwhile (lit.: to be worth the pain). 1. No vale la pena de ir.

101
Q

venir a golpe de alpargata

A

walk; hoof it; go on foot (lit.: go by slapping sandals)

102
Q

venir como agua de mayo

A

come at just the right time; be just what you need (lit.: come like water in May)

103
Q

venir como anillo al dedo

A

be a godsend; come at just the right time (lit.: come like a ring to the finger)

104
Q

vivir del paro

A

live off of unemployment (used in Spain)

105
Q

vivir en la luna

A

be on cloud nine; be out to lunch (lit.: to be on the moon)

106
Q

volverse loco

A

go insane; go mad

107
Q

ya es hora

A

it’s about time

108
Q

ya que

A

since; because

109
Q

yo que se

A

how would I know? (lit.: I know what?)

110
Q

zurrar la badana a alg.

A

beat someone up; give someone a good tanning; tan someone’s hide (lit.: thrash the tanned sheepskin of someone)

Spanish (15 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions