Spanish idioms and expressions

a destiempo - untimely, ill-timed, inopportune 

a dos pasos - very close, within an ace of
a duras penas - scarcely, with great difficulty 

a fin de cuentas - at the end of the day, when all is said and done
a gatas - on all fours
a la carrera - an unthorough, hurried way of doing something. 

a la larga - in the long run 

a la vez - at the same time, simultaneously 

a las espaldas de alguien - behind somebody's back 

a lo mejor - maybe, possibly 

a mano - by hand
a más tardar - at the latest 

a menudo - often, many a time 

a palo seco - without anything to go with it.  

a pesar de - in spite of 

a propósito - by the way 

a punto de - at the brink of 

a rajatabla - inflexibly, rigorously, strictly
a regañadientes - unwillingly, complainingly
a rienda suelta - without any constraint or control, freely
a solas - alone, by one's self 

a toda costa - at all costs
a todas luces - clearly, evidently
a todo trapo - in grand style
a tutiplén - profusely, copiously
a última hora - at the last moment 

ahuecar el ala - to clear off, to hit the road
al aire libre - outdoors 

al fin y al cabo - finally, at the end of the day, when all is said and done 

al menos - at least 

al pie de la letra - to the letter, to a T
al revés - upside down, topsy turvy 

andar de capa caída - to be in low spirits, depressed 

andarse por las ramas - to beat around the bush
apretarse el cinturón - to cut expenses, to live on a shoestring 

aquí hay gato encerrado - there's something fishy going on here, I smell a rat
armar un jaleo - to make a fuss 

ave nocturna - night person, night owl 

bailar al son que tocan - to dance to whatever music happens to be playing, to follow the current, to agree with anything
bajársele los humos a alguien - to be taken down a peg  

barrer para casa - to act advantageously, to promote one's interests without consideration of others 

bicho raro - an odd (human) one
borracho como una cuba - drunk as a skunk
borrón y cuenta nueva - to forget the past and start anew 

brillar por su ausencia - to be conspicuous by one's absence
buscar una aguja en un pajar - to look for a needle in a haystack
buscarle a alguien las cosquillas - to provoke somebody
buscarle tres pies al gato - to look for trouble, to complicate things unnecessarily

cabeza de chorlito - scatterbrain
cada hijo de vecino - all and sundry, everyone
caer bien/ mal - to be likeable/ not to be likeable
caer como moscas - to die/ drop like flies
calado hasta los huesos - soaked through
cerrar algo a cal y canto - to seal shut 

cerrar el pico - to shut one´s trap 

chapado a la antigua - old-fashioned   

como pez en el agua - to be in one's element, at home

como quien oye llover - it’s like water off a duck’s back
como si fuera poco - as if it that weren't enough
con el sudor de su frente - by the sweat of his brow (hard earned)
con pelos y señales - in all detail
consultar algo con la almohada - to sleep on something
contra viento y marea - come wind or high water 

costar un ojo de la cara - to cost an arm and a leg
cuando las ranas críen pelos - when pigs learn to fly 

cuatro gatos - hardly anybody   

dar a luz - to give birth 

dar algo por bueno - to approve of something, to accept 

dar de sí - said of clothes and shoes, to give; said of people, to give of oneself, to be accommodating 

dar en el clavo - to hit the nail on the head, to get something right
dar gato por liebre - to cheat, to deceive by giving something of similar appearance but inferior quality
dar la lata - to bother, to be a pain in the neck
dar la tabarra - to pester, to bug 

dar luz verde - to give the go ahead 

dar por sentado - to take something for granted 

dar una de cal y una de arena - to apply a policy of carrot and stick   

dar a algo el visto bueno - to give one's approval 

darle a alguien mala espina algo - to have one´s suspicions aroused by something
darse por vencido - to give up 

darse prisa - to hurry 

de buenas a primeras - unexpectedly, suddenly, without notice
de golpe - all at once, suddenly 

de higos a brevas - very rarely, once in a blue moon
de nuevo - again 

de par en par - wide open
de perlas - marvelously, excellently
de pronto - suddenly 

de una vez por todas - once and for all 

dejar en paz a alguien - to leave somebody alone 

dejar plantado a alguien - to stand somebody up 

descubrir la pólvora - to realize something evident, to proclaim as news something which is already common knowledge 

desde luego - of course 

deshacerse en atenciones - to bend over backward for somebody
devanarse los sesos - to rack one's brains
dormir a pierna suelta, dormir como un lirón - to sleep like a log

echar leña al fuego - to add fuel to the fire, to aggravate an already difficult situation
empezar la casa por el tejado - to do things in the wrong order, to put the cart before the horse
empinar el codo - to drink too alcohol (too much)
en cueros - naked, in the buff
en el séptimo cielo - exultant, in seventh heaven, on cloud nine
en fila india - in single file, in Indian file
en menos que canta un gallo - in an instant
en un abrir y cerrar de ojos - in a flash
endeudado hasta los ojos - up to one's ears in debt 

entre la espada y la pared - trapped in a delicate situation, between the Devil and the deep blue sea
estar (loco) como una cabra - to be as mad as a hatter, to be as nutty   as a fruit-cake 

estar de buenas - to be in a good mood 

estar de malas o de mala leche - to be in very bad humor
estar en ascuas - to be on tenterhooks
estar en boca de todos - to be on everyone's lips, to be the talk of the town
estar en la flor de la edad - to be in the prime of life
estar en la luna, estar en las nubes - to have one's head in the clouds 

estar frito - to be in dire straits, to be toast 

estar hasta la coronilla - to be fed up ...or... to be up to one's neck in something
estirar la pata - to die, to kick the bucket
exhalar el último suspiro - to die, to give up the ghost 

faltarle un tornillo a alguien - to have a screw loose  

fresco como una lechuga - fresh as a daisy  

fulano de tal - a certain person  

gajes del oficio - occupational hazards, the risks and inconveniences inherent to a trade or profession ganarse el pan - to earn one's bread and butter  

gastar saliva - to speak uselessly, to waste one’s breath  

importarle a alguien un bledo algo - to care not a wit for something or somebody, “I couldn’t care less”  

ir de la ceca a la meca - to run about all over the place  

ir de mal en peor - to go from bad to worse  

ir por lana y salir trasquilado - this is said when we expect to obtain a benefit and instead suffer a loss  

irse al garete - to spoil, to go down the drain 

irse con la música a otra parte - to take one's song and dance elsewhere, to take one´s act elsewhere 

irse o despedirse a la francesa - to leave without saying good-bye  

irse por los cerros de Úbeda - to ramble, to digress  

írsele a uno el santo al cielo - this is used when one forgets what one was just about to say or do  

jugarse el pellejo – to risk one’s skin or life  

la prudencia es la madre de la ciencia – discretion is the better part of valor  

las palabras se las lleva el viento – actions speak louder than words  

llegar como agua en mayo – to be just what is needed  

llegar y besar el santo – to attain swiftly and luckily a goal which is usually demanding in terms of time and effort  

llevar la procesión por dentro – to suffer greatly without showing it, to hide one´s feelings  

llevarse como el perro y el gato – to fight like cats and dogs  

llevarse el secreto a la tumba – to take a secret to one's deathbed  

llevarse un chasco – to suffer a sudden, surprising, unexpected or unforeseen reverse or disappointment  llorar a lágrima viva– to cry very intensely, to cry one´s eyes out  

mandar a freír espárragos, mandar a la porra – to send somebody packing, to tell somebody to get lost mantener a raya – to keep or hold something or somebody at bay, to keep someone at arm’s length mantener un tira y afloja – to bargain alternating severity and flexibility, to alternate truculent and soothing attitudes  

mantenerse en sus trece – to stick to one’s guns  

más terco que una mula – as stubborn as a mule  

más vale estar sólo que mal acompañado – solitude is better than bad company  

más vale maña que fuerza – brain is better than brawn  

más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando – abird in the hand is worth two in the bush  

más vale tarde que nunca – better late than never  

matar dos pájaros de un tiro – to kill two birds with one stone  

matar la gallina de los huevos de oro – to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs  

media naranja – better half, soulmate  

meter la pata – to put one’s foot in it  

meterse en camisas de once varas – to bite off more than one can chew, that is, to get entangled in a situation one cannot resolve  

meterse en el sobre – to hit the hay/go bed  

meterse en la boca del lobo – to enter into a dangerous situation, to enter the lion’s den  

meterse en un berenjenal – to get oneself into trouble, to get oneself into a real jam  

morderse la lengua – to bite one´s tongue – to keep oneself from saying something indiscreet or compromising   

morir con las botas puestas – to pass away when still active and at work, to die with one’s boots on  

mosquita muerta – a persons who appears to be of placid temperament but, in the face of opportunity, acts in ways we wouldn´t have expected of them  

mover cielo y tierra – to move heaven and earth, to go to great lengths in pursuit of a goal  

mucho ruido y pocas nueces – all mouth and no trousers

nacer de pie - to be born lucky

nadar contra la corriente - to go against the grain

ni carne ni pescado - neither one thing, nor the other, neither fish nor fowl