C2 · Vocabulary
Idioms and set phrases
Idioms and set phrases: 15 Spanish words with translations and examples. Level C2.
- tomar el pelo
- to pull someone's leg
¿Me estás tomando el pelo?
Are you pulling my leg?
- estar en las nubes
- to have one's head in the clouds
Perdona, estaba en las nubes.
Sorry, I was miles away.
- meter la pata
- to put one's foot in it
Metí la pata al preguntarle por su ex.
I put my foot in it by asking about his ex.
- no tener pelos en la lengua
- not to mince one's words
Mi abuela no tiene pelos en la lengua.
My grandmother doesn't mince her words.
- costar un ojo de la cara
- to cost an arm and a leg
El piso nos costó un ojo de la cara.
The flat cost us an arm and a leg.
- ser pan comido
- to be a piece of cake
El examen fue pan comido.
The exam was a piece of cake.
- dar gato por liebre
- to rip someone off, to palm something off on someone
En esa tienda te dan gato por liebre.
That shop will rip you off.
- estar entre la espada y la pared
- to be between a rock and a hard place
Estoy entre la espada y la pared: si acepto, pierdo a mis clientes.
I'm between a rock and a hard place: if I accept, I lose my clients.
- tirar la toalla
- to throw in the towel
No tires la toalla ahora que falta tan poco.
Don't throw in the towel now that you're so close.
- ponerse las pilas
- to get one's act together
Si quieres aprobar, ponte las pilas.
If you want to pass, get your act together.
- hablar por los codos
- to talk someone's ear off
Mi vecina habla por los codos.
My neighbour never stops talking.
- hacer la vista gorda
- to turn a blind eye
El jefe hace la vista gorda con los retrasos.
The boss turns a blind eye to people arriving late.
- a buenas horas, mangas verdes
- too little, too late
¿Ahora me pides perdón? A buenas horas, mangas verdes.
You're apologising now? Too little, too late.
- ser uña y carne
- to be joined at the hip, to be as thick as thieves
Esas dos son uña y carne.
Those two are joined at the hip.
- buscarle tres pies al gato
- to overcomplicate things, to split hairs