Hands down, the best way to fit in, is to speak the local language. And we are not just talking words, but common phrases and sayings, the ones where you really get to express what you mean as well as perhaps displaying some personality and humour. This time we are taking common sayings in English and translating them into Spanish. Here are a few tongue twisters for you to learn and try out at your next locals night… even if it’s only you and your spouse (or your furry friend!).
| Barking up the wrong tree | Ladrandole al árbol equivocado |
| To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in the wrong place | Buscar soluciones en el lugar equivocado |
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush | Más vale pájaro en mano que dos volando |
| What you have is worth more than what you might have later | Lo que tienes vale más de lo que podrías tener más tarde |
| He has bigger fish to fry | Tiene peces más grandes para freír |
| He has bigger things to take care of than what we are talking about now | Tiene cosas más importantes que cuidar de lo que estamos hablando ahora. |
| Let the cat out of the bag | Sace el gato de la bolsa |
| Give away a secret | Regalar un secreto (Huele Gato encerrado – guardar un secreto) |
| The early bird gets the worm | El qui madura come lechuga (He who sleeps in eats lettuce) |
| The first people who arrive will get the best stuff | Camarón qui se duerme se lo lleva la corriente (Shrimp that sleep get taken away by the current) |
| There are other fish in the sea | Las primeras personas que lleguen obtendrán las mejores cosas |
| It’s ok to miss this opportunity. | Hay muchas peces en el mar |
| Others will arise | Está bien perder esta oportunidad. Otros surgirán. |
| It’s raining cats and dogs | Lueve sapos y culebras |
| It’s raining hard | Está lloviendo mucho (In spanish they use frogs and snakes) |
| Go on a wild goose chase | No sigue une mosque cuando no puede verla |
| To do something pointless | Hacer algo sin sentido (Don’t follow a fly if you can’t see it) |
| Don’t count your chickens before they hatch | No cuentes tus pollos antes que nazcan |
| Don’t count on something good happening until it’s happened. | No cuente con que algo bueno suceda hasta que haya sucedido. |
See you next time! Nos vemos la próxima!
