Spanish idioms about money and luck

Each Spanish idiom below comes with what its words literally say, what it means and how other languages put the same idea. To see every language at once, open the side-by-side page for money and luck.

  1. Por cuatro perras

    lit. ‘for four coins’

    For a very small amount of money.

  2. Costar un ojo de la cara

    lit. ‘to cost an eye from your face’

    To cost a huge amount of money.

  3. Dar gato por liebre

    lit. ‘pass off a cat as a hare’

    To buy or agree to something without checking it first.

  4. Tener potra

    lit. ‘to have a hernia’

    To be lucky, often by pure chance.

    Elsewhere

  5. Cruzar los dedos

    lit. ‘cross the fingers’

    To hope that things turn out well.

  6. No vender la piel del oso antes de cazarlo

    lit. ‘don’t sell the bear’s skin before hunting it’

    Don't count on a good result before it has actually happened.

  7. Cuando las ranas críen pelo

    lit. ‘when frogs grow hair’

    It will never happen.

Phrases in bold with a red marker are written up. The rest are waiting for their own page and a check by a native speaker.