Weird idioms/sayings

[Trellum]

There are some strange spanish idioms and sayings that really puzzle me, specially in my country. We have some of the most weird idioms/sayings over here, some of them are really ''colorful'' and don't make too much sense to me.  Here are some popular sayings:

A palabras de borracho, oídos de jicarero - This saying advices us to play deaf when we hear senseless blabbering.

No hay que buscarle mangas al chaleco - This saying basically advices us not to look for trouble in an odd way.

No hay que buscarle tres pies al gato - Basically the same as the saying above.

Del plato a la boca se cae la sopa - There´s many a slip between the cup and the lip

Do you know more?

[MyDigitalpoint]

These aren't certainly "weird idoms" but sayings and proverbs that make sense in Spanish, might not in other though.

However for many of the Spanish proverbs, there is a matching English one, but said with other words, as there must be a matching pair in other languages.

More examples of these you refer are:

Cada cabeza es un mundo

each mind is a world unto itself. (lit.: each head is a world; i.e.: everyone thinks differently, despite the uniformity and conformity that seem to exist)

Cada día que amanece, la suma de tontos crece

each day brings more fools. (lit.: each day that dans, the number of fools grows)

Cada oveja con su pareja

birds of a feather flock together. (lit.: each sheep with its mate)

More of these sayings and proverbs can be found here, http://www.languagerealm.com/spanish/spanishproverbs_c.php

[pxyc]

Wow, I've never heard some of these. Interesting! Thanks for sharing them

[jodiann12]

Some weird Spanish sayings that I have found are:

• "Con el dinero baila el perro." This literally means with money the dog will dance. It's more profound meaning is "With money, anything is possible."
  
• "Dando y dando, pajarito volando." This literally means: "Giving and giving, the bird is flying." This proverb is similar to the English proverb which says: "Scratch my back, I will scratch yours."
  
• (This one really makes no sense to me) "A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va acabar" This one means: "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow the world will end."
  

[SpringBreeze]

Yah, I've heard a few weird ones over the years. Although I have to say I've heard less weird ones in Spanish than in French. Anyway, here's one: "Te metiste en camisa de once baras." It basically means you've taken on too many things and bitten off more than you can chew.

[Trellum]

These aren't certainly "weird idoms" but sayings and proverbs that make sense in Spanish, might not in other though.

However for many of the Spanish proverbs, there is a matching English one, but said with other words, as there must be a matching pair in other languages.

More examples of these you refer are:

More of these sayings and proverbs can be found here, http://www.languagerealm.com/spanish/spanishproverbs_c.php

I believe some of those ''sayings'' can be considered idioms: a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.  You might not have read, but I referred to those phrases as SAYINGS and IDIOMS.  Because some of them are INDEED considered IDIOMS.

[Trellum]

Some weird Spanish sayings that I have found are:

• "Con el dinero baila el perro." This literally means with money the dog will dance. It's more profound meaning is "With money, anything is possible."
  
• "Dando y dando, pajarito volando." This literally means: "Giving and giving, the bird is flying." This proverb is similar to the English proverb which says: "Scratch my back, I will scratch yours."
  
• (This one really makes no sense to me) "A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va acabar" This one means: "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow the world will end."
  

Hehehe, the last one basically means that you should do everything you want, because you really don't know when your last day will be.  That's why you should live each day as the last one   i take that saying with a lot, err, reservations.  I really try not to worry and live stress free, because I know that the present is a gift, but the tomorrow is still iffy   I learnt this the hard way, some years ago I got a really bad diagnosis that changed my life, ever since that I see life differently.

[TimT90]

So if I were to use some of these saying would I be understood, or are they region specific? Like I'd be understood in Mexico but not in Spain?

[Nbidioma87]

What I am interested in knowing is how country specific each idiom is. It seems that many things said in Spain are not neccessarily used in Latin America. What are some more country-specific ones? Are there idioms just used in say Chile or just used in Honduras?

I'm also interested in the origins of the idioms. Is there a place where I could find that information?

[essennella]

An idiomatic expression I know is "Está lloviendo a cántaros", which is the Spanish equivalent of "It's raining cats and dogs". I've never actually known what the "a cántaros" part meant literally, so if anyone could tell me, that would be great.

I also learned "Estoy atrapado entre la espada y la pared", which literally means "I'm trapped between the sword and the wall", which you may recognize as being the equivalent of "I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place." I think that a sword and wall sound a lot more eloquent than a rock and a hard place, though I think that a rock and hard place are a much better comparison.

[Dannylearns]

haha these are great. sorry for replying so late.. maybe the topic isnt active anymore  but they are muy divertido

[Serrrgio]

I'm not sure that proverbs are idioms, as somebody said above... Anyway, they are interesting too. Il

"Meterse en camisas de once varas": Vara is an ancient Spanish measure, something like 1.2 m I think, so "put yourself in a eleven varas shirt" is to put yourself in a situation too big for you, that you can't handle.

"Llover a cántros". A cántaro is a big jug. So it seems that someone is pouring (like in the English proverb)  a jug from above...
 

Quote

 

(This one really makes no sense to me) "A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va acabar" This one means: "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow the world will end."

 

Well, it couldn't be clearer!

 

I leave another for you, simple but difficult for foreigners: "Ande yo caliente, ríase la gente".