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 talking.
-
lit. ‘go off along the branches’
To avoid saying the important thing directly.
Elsewhere
- EN Beat around the bush
- FR Tourner autour du pot
- DE Um den heißen Brei herumreden
- IT Menare il can per l’aia
- JA お茶を濁す
-
lit. ‘take someone’s hair’
To tease someone by telling them something untrue as a joke.
Elsewhere
-
lit. ‘uncover the pie’
To reveal a secret, often by accident.
Elsewhere
-
lit. ‘lie more than you talk’
To lie shamelessly while knowing full well it isn't true.
Elsewhere
- EN Lie through your teeth
- FR Mentir comme un arracheur de dents
- DE Lügen wie gedruckt
- IT Mentire per la gola
- JA 真っ赤な嘘
-
lit. ‘put your paw in it’
To say or do something tactless that embarrasses you or upsets someone.
Elsewhere
-
lit. ‘to go out by way of peteneras (a flamenco song)’
To jump suddenly from one topic to a completely unrelated one.
Elsewhere
-
Hacer una montaña de un grano de arena
lit. ‘make a mountain out of a grain of sand’
To treat a small problem as if it were a big one.
Elsewhere
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.