sp idioms H to Q Flashcards
1
Q
haberse de sentar
A
hit the spot; agree with (someone)
2
Q
hablar de
A
talk about
3
Q
hablar de bueyes perdidos
A
waste one’s breath; chat about little things (n.b.: used in Cono del Sur)
4
Q
hacer alharacas
A
make a fuss; make a big deal about (lit.: to make a fuss)
5
Q
hacer caso
A
pay attention to (lit.: to make a case)
6
Q
hacer chapuzas
A
do odd jobs; do occasional work
7
Q
hacer compras
A
shop; do (the) shopping (lit.: to make/do purchases)
8
Q
hacer coro a algn
A
back someone up
9
Q
hacer del cuerpo
A
defecate; move one’s bowels (n.b.: euphemism)
10
Q
hacer el amor con
A
make love with someone
11
Q
hacer el favor
A
do a favor (lit.: to do the favor. Note that this can as in English be used to give someone a command or order)
12
Q
hacer el sol
A
the sun rises (lit.: to make the sun)
13
Q
hacer falta
A
be necessary; must (lit.: to do the lack)
14
Q
hacer fiaca
A
sleep in; stay home for the peace and quiet (used in Argentina)
15
Q
hacer frente
A
confront (lit.: to do the front)
16
Q
hacer la barba a alg
A
suck up to someone; butter someone up (lit.: to do the beard to someone)
17
Q
hacer la compra
A
do the shopping; buy groceries
18
Q
hacer la cusqui
A
bug; annoy; irritate
19
Q
hacer la vista gorda
A
ignore; overlook (lit.: to do the fat look. The idea here being of indulgence the way a parent or grandparent might look at a misbehaving child)
20
Q
hacer las compras
A
do the shopping
21
Q
hacer las maletas
A
pack; pack a suitcase (lit.: to do the suitcases)
22
Q
hacer las paces
A
make up; make peace (lit.: to make the peace(s))
23
Q
hacer pucheros
A
pout; screw up one’s face
24
Q
hacer su agosto
A
make a killing; make serious coin; hit the jackpot (lit.: to make/do one’s August)
25
hacer toros
cut class; skip class (lit.: to the bulls)
26
hacer trampa(s)
cheat (lit.: to do traps)
27
hacer un papel
play a role; play a part
28
hacer un papelón
make a fool of oneself; embarras oneself (lit.: to make a large role)
29
hacer un simpa
leave a restaurant without paying
30
hacer un toro
stand in for somebody (in a theatrical production) (lit.: to do the bull)
31
hacerle frente a alguien
face someone (lit.: to make facing to someone)
32
hacer a pelo y pluma
be AC/DC
33
hacerse cargo de
take charge of; pay for; realize
34
hacerse ilusiones
get one's hopes up
35
hasta donde
as far as (lit.: up to when)
36
hecho una hiena
furious; enraged
37
hija de papá
rich kid; rich girl
38
hijo de papá
rich kid; rich boy
39
hoy mismo
today. 1. Hazlo hoy mismo.
40
ir a golpe de alpargata
walk; hoof it; go on foot (lit.: go by slapping sandals)
41
ir a medias
go Dutch; go fifty-fifty (used in Spain)
42
ir a pelo
be naked
43
ir de compras
go shopping
44
ir de juerga
go out on the town; party; go clubbing
45
ir de marcha
go out partying
46
ir de tiendas
go shopping (used in Spain)
47
irse a la cabeza del toro
grab the bull by the horns
48
irse al otro barrio
kick the bucket (lit.: to go to another neighborhood)
49
justo a tiempo
just in time
50
la gran flauta
my God! (used to express surprise or disbelief)
51
ladrar a la luna
waste one’s breath; talk to a brick wall (lit.: to bark at the moon)
52
llegar a deshora
show up unexpectedly
53
llegar a tiempo
arrive on time; be on time
54
llegar a un acuerdo
come to an agreement; reach an agreement
55
llegar tarde
arrive late; be late
56
llevar a alguien en andas
carry someone on one’s shoulders (lit.: to carry someone on a portable platform. An “andas” literally refers to a portable platform)
57
llevar a cabo
carry out; pull off; make happen (lit.: to carry to end). 1. Tendremos una reuníon esta tarde para discutir el tipo de sociedad que formaríamos en el caso de que
58
llevar juntos
be together; be involved; be a couple
59
llevarse bien
get along well
60
llevarse de miedo
get along famously; get along really well
61
lo antes possible
as soon as possible
62
los de arriba
the people on top; the upper crust (lit.: those above)
63
los pros y las contras
the pros and the cons
64
lotería
bingo; got it (n.b.: said when finding something or experiencing a stroke of good luck)
65
maldita sea
damn it; darn it (lit.: may it be damned)
66
mandar a paseo
tell someone to take a hike
67
mande
what; please; how's that (used in Mexico as we in English say "what" when we want someone to repeat or clarify something)
68
mantener a raya
keep someone at bay; keep someone away
69
mantenerse en su sitio
stick to one's guns; stand one's ground (lit.: maintain oneself in one's position)
70
mantenerse en sus trece
stick to one's guns; stand one's ground (lit.: maintain oneself in one's thirteen)
71
mas o menos
more or less; roughly; approximately (lit.: more or less)
72
más tieso que un palo
straight; upright; bolt upright
73
mayor de edad
of age
74
media naranja
better half; spouse wife partner (lit.: half of an orange)
75
media pila
minimal effort; some effort; enough effort to accomplish something but no more (lit.: half a battery)
76
menor de edad
underage
77
menos mal
just as well good thing thank goodness (lit.: less bad)
78
meter en líos
get into trouble (lit.: to put into trouble)
79
meter palos en las ruedas
throw a (monkey) wrench in the works; throw a spanner in the works
80
meter(se) la pata
get involved; become a part of (lit.: to put in the leg (animal’s paw))
81
metete un pelo en el culo
stick it up your ass
82
mi/tu abuela
my foot (lit.: grandmother)
83
mientras tanto
meanwhile in the meantime (lit.: to the monkfish)
84
mirar de reojo
look at out of the corner of the eye
85
mirar por encima
glance at; look quickly through
86
momento
wait; wait a second; wait a moment (used when asking someone to wait briefly)
87
montar a pelo
ride bareback
88
montar un negocio
set up a business; start a business (used in Spain)
89
morirse de risa
die laughing
90
mostrar tino
show good sense; be right (lit.: to show sound judgment good sense)
91
nada del otro mundo
nothing special
92
nadar en la abundancia
be rolling in dough; be made of money (lit.: to swim in abundance)
93
necesitar como agua de mayo
absolutely need something; really need something; must have something
94
ni a palos
no way; not on your life
95
ni en broma
no way; not on your life (lit.: not even as a joke)
96
ni pizca de
not even a shred of (lit.: not even a pinch of)
97
ni rastro
no sign; no hint (of something)
98
no abrir la bolsa
be tight with money;
99
no caber ni un alfiler
be completely packed; be jammed; be stuffed (lit.: no even fit in a pin)
100
no caérsele los anillos a algn
not to be beneath one; not be beneath one’s dignity (lit.: to not have one’s rings fall off)
101
no dar ni golpe
do nothing; not do anything; be idle
102
no es cosa mía
it’s not my business; it’s not my affair
103
no estar para bromas
be in no mood for jokes (lit.: not to be for jokes)
104
no importar un ardite
could not care less; not give a hoot/damn (lit.: not be worth an “ardite ” an old coin of little value)
105
no llevar nada encima
not have any money with
106
no necesitar abuela
be full of oneself; blow one’s own horn (lit.: not to have a grandmother)
107
no pararse en barras
stop at nothing (lit.: not to stop at the bars [laws])
108
no pasa nada
no problem; not big deal
109
no poder con su alma
be exhausted; be fed up; be unable to take it anymore (lit.: not to be able with one’s soul)
110
no se oía ni una mosca
you could have heard a pin drop (lit.: no even a fly could be heard)
111
no ser ni carne ni pescado
be neither one thing nor the other (lit.: not be fish or fowl)
112
no tener abuela
be full of oneself; blow one’s own horn (lit.: not to have a grandmother)
113
no tener arte ni parte
have nothing to do with something at all (lit.: not to have art or part)
114
no tener pelos en la lengua
not mince words; be a straight shooter
115
no tiene caso
it is completely pointless; it is a waste of time
116
no ver el pelo a algn
not see hide or hair of someone
117
nunca se sabe
you never know; you never can tell
118
otra vez
again; once more
119
pagar a plazos
pay for something in installments
120
para colmo de desgracias
to top it all; to top it off (lit.: for the height of disgrace)
121
para colmo de males
to make matters worse
122
para diario
everyday
123
parecer otro/-a
look great; look fantastic
124
partirse el alma
make someone’s heart bleed (lit.: my soul is separated from me)
125
pasar a buscar
pick up; collect; get
126
pasar de la raya
cross the line (lit.: to pass over the line)
127
pasar el mono a pelo
go cold turky
128
pasar por alto
pass over; overlook; ignore (lit.: to pass by high)
129
pasarlo bomba
have a great time (lit.: to pass the bomb)
130
pedir la luna
ask the impossible (lit.: to ask for the moon)
131
pegar el ojo
fall asleep; sleep (lit.: to stick the eye)
132
perder la cabeza
fall madly in love with someone
133
pez gordo
fat cat; big cheese; big cheese (lit.: fat fish)
134
poner a salvo
save; rescue (lit.: to put to saving)
135
poner el dedo en la llaga
hit a raw nerve (lit.: to put the finger in the ulcer)
136
poner en camino
get underway; be underway (lit.: to put onself on road on route)
137
poner en cintura
reign in (lit.: to put a belt on)
138
poner en marcha
start; begin; put into action
139
poner en su sitio a alguien
put someone in his/her place (lit.: to place someone in her/his site)
140
poner la mesa
set the table
141
poner mala cara
pout; grimace; give a dirty luck
142
poner toda la carne en el asador
pull out all the stops
143
ponerse a dieta
go on a diet
144
ponerse como una hiena
get pissed; be furious; hit the roof
145
ponerse de acuerdo
agree; come to an agreement
146
ponerse de novio
have a relationship; be serious with somebody
147
ponerse de pie
stand up (lit.: to put oneself on foot)
148
ponerse en contra
be against; protest; stand against
149
ponerse las pilas
force oneself; push oneself (lit.: put batteries in oneself)
150
ponerse pedo
get drunk; get sloshed; get pissed; get high
151
por (el) amor de Dios
for the love of God (n.b.: exclamation similar to the one in English in usage)
152
por adelantado
early beforehand (lit.: by earliness)
153
por casualidad
by coincidence by any chance (lit.: by coincidence)
154
por cierto
by the way; incidentally
155
por debajo de agua
under the table
156
por el contrario
on the contrary (lit.: by its sight)
157
por el momento
for now (lit.: by the moment)
158
por el otro lado
on the other hand
159
por eso
so; thus; then; next
160
por estos rumbos
in this neck of the woods; around here
161
por fin
finally
162
por fortuna
fortunately
163
por la buena
nicely; without being forced
164
por la flauta
oh dear! (used to express surprise or frustration)
165
por la mala
only when pushed; only when forced
166
por la verga grande
in the back of beyond; in the sticks; in the boonies (coarse vulgar expression)
167
por lo general
generally; in general
168
por lo menos
at least; at a minimum (lit.: at/by the least)
169
por lo pronto
in the meantime; meanwhile. 1. Vea por lo pronto existe una tercera opcíon.
170
por lo regular
normally
171
por lo tanto
thus; therefore (lit.: by its sight)
172
por lo visto
apparently; it seems (lit.: by its sight)
173
por los pelos
by the skin of one's teeth
174
por menos de nada
for nothing; for less than nothing
175
por otra parte
on the other hand
176
por pedido de
at the request of
177
por si acaso
just in case
178
por si fuera poco
to add insult to injury
179
por si las moscas
just in case
180
por siempre
forever (lit.: for always)
181
por suerte
luckily fortunately (lit.: by luck)
182
por supuesto
of course (lit.: by supposed)
183
por todos los rincones
in every nook and cranny
184
por un lado
on the one hand
185
por un pelito
by very little; by a second
186
por un pelo
by a hair; just. 1. Me escapo por un pelo.
187
por un pelo de rana
by very little; by a second; by the skin of one's teeth
188
por una parte
on the one hand (lit.: for one side)
189
primero que nada
most of all; first and foremost
190
proquería
junk trash; junk food
191
qué cosa
what a situation; what a mess
192
qué lástima
what a shame; what a pity
193
que onda
what's up; what's going on (lit.: what wave and used as a question; n.b.: most common in Mexico)
194
qué sé yo
whatever and so on (lit.: what I know as if I know)
195
que te mueres
fantastic; great; to die for
196
quedarse bien
look good on; fit well; suit
197
querer decir
mean; want to say
198
quitar el sombrero hasta alg.
doff one’s hat to; take one’s hat of (in recognition of admiration)
