Definitions tagged dicho in the street dictionary.
A way to tell someone they lack the talent for a task and will never improve, no matter how hard they try. It suggests that a person has a fixed limit or destiny they cannot exceed. (The phrase compares a person to a flowerpot, which is meant to stay in a hallway or porch and never move or grow beyond its container.)
Even if you are really excited about it, el que nace para maceta del corredor no pasa.
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It is better to settle for what you already have than to take a risk on something new you do not know. It is a motto for bitter, pessimistic, and conservative people that has unfortunately become common among the lazy, much to the annoyance of driven and energetic individuals.
I would tell him no, más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer.
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A proverb stating that one must take care of their own needs before helping others. While it is sound advice for survival, it is frequently used by people to justify greed or lack of generosity even after their own bellies and pockets are full. (The English equivalent is: charity begins at home).
Don't feel bad about not being able to help him: you barely have enough to eat yourself. Remember that la caridad bien entendida empieza por uno mismo.
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Be careful when working with irresponsible or inexperienced people, as you will end up facing the consequences of their mistakes. (In Spain, the proverb is also used as a specific warning regarding sexual abuse within the Catholic Church).
It is up to you if you want to get into that business, but I am warning you, quien con niños duerme, mojado amanece.
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Events can always take you by surprise. It is used as an excuse for being caught off guard, supposedly originating from clumsy sport hunters who were surprised by prey appearing when they least expected it.
I did not expect it either, but donde menos se piensa, salta la liebre
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Good opportunities should be seized as soon as they arise, as the offer will not be repeated. (This saying historically refers to how priests warned of the dire consequences of ignoring religious calls, a threat that carried significant weight during the Spanish Inquisition).
A comer y a misa, una vez se avisa: take advantage of it while they are offering it to you.
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An old, harsh proverb suggesting that physical punishment is the only way to ensure proper learning. It was a common motto for strict religious teachers in Spain, though it is often cited today by those criticizing the historical cruelty of the clergy which fueled resentment against the church.
We need more discipline around here: la letra con sangre entra.
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This proverb claims that if you try to grab too much, you will end up losing everything. However, it is often used to point out the cynical reality that greed usually ruins other people's lives rather than the greedy person's own, something people often say about bankers.
Don't ask for so much, la avaricia rompe el saco!
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A saying used to explain that children of close relatives deserve as much love as one's own because they share the same blood. It is a sarcastic way to suggest that if you do not have children, you will still end up caring for your siblings' kids, jokingly crediting the Devil for this favor.
The boy is not mine, he is my sister's; but a quien Dios no le dio hijos, el Diablo le dio sobrinos.
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A fatalistic expression used to tell someone they must accept whatever hand life deals them, whether good or bad, without complaining. It suggests that if destiny gives you something, you just have to suck it up and live with it.
Stop complaining about your life, a quien Dios se la dé, San Pedro que la bendiga
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Cunning and malicious people often manage to escape the consequences of their misdeeds. It is frequently used to describe politicians who survive scandals, such as those associated with the former dictator Francisco Franco (In Spain, caudillo refers to Franco, and ciudadanos de bien is a loaded term for upright citizens used by the political right).
Of course he got away with it; bicho malo nunca muere.
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Used to describe a man who brags about his sexual prowess but fails to deliver in bed. The gunpowder represents his boasting, while the short wick is a metaphor for a lack of stamina or size.
You are a total show-off, but I bet it is all a lie; mucha pólvora y poca mecha
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A proverb used to argue that masculinity and ruggedness are more important for a man than physical beauty. It is a common excuse for the macho ibérico (a stereotype of a traditional, hairy, and unrefined Spanish alpha male) to justify being unkempt, suggesting that the rougher a man looks, the more masculine he is.
I have no intention of waxing: el hombre y el oso, a más feo más hermoso!
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Describes someone who makes a lot of noise, acts tough, or threatens others but usually lacks the courage or intention to actually do anything. It is the Spanish equivalent of all bark and no bite. The phrase also carries a secondary warning not to take the proverb too literally: just because someone is loud doesn't mean they won't eventually lash out if they are provoked enough.
Don't even listen to him, perro ladrador, poco mordedor.
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This proverb means that if you try to take on too many things at once, you will not succeed at any of them. Just as you cannot wrap your arms around a tree and expect to fell it by squeezing (unless you have the legendary strength of someone from Bilbao), you cannot expect multiple simultaneous projects to end well (unless you have the efficiency of someone from Japan). (Note: In Spain, people from Bilbao are jokingly stereotyped as having superhuman strength).
I know you have been pushing yourself, but quien mucho abarca poco aprieta.
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Even when circumstances are against us, we must stay optimistic and positive to overcome difficulties. It is said that the person who coined this saying died one morning after being struck by lightning in the middle of a fierce storm.
It has been a bad quarter, but al mal tiempo, buena cara
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You can judge someone's character by the company they keep. Of course, there is absolutely no classism or prejudice in the origin of this totally fair and accurate proverb (often used ironically to justify judging people by their social circles).
He didn't seem like a bad kid, but dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.
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It is usually not a good idea to give up something certain and beneficial to blindly chase something that has no guarantee, no matter how pretty it looks. Do not be an idiot: birds fly higher than you. If they are chickens, go for them, champ (in this specific metaphor, birds represent fantasies and deceptions, while chickens are reachable dreams).
I know they told you that other job pays very well, but you should not quit the one you have now. Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando.
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A proverb meaning it is better to do something late than not at all, even if the opportunity seems to have passed. (The Spanish source adds a dark joke that the person who invented the phrase was never forgiven by his family for bringing heart pills to his grandfather's funeral.)
You still have time to tell him: Mas vale tarde que nunca
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Used when people in a group each focus on their own interests or fixations as if they aren't listening to anyone else. (It is also a common way to describe the lack of cooperation and dialogue in current Spanish politics.)
Why should I even bother saying anything if you are all cada loco con su tema?
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No matter how smart or prepared you think you are, it never hurts to listen to someone who cares about you. This phrase is often used by older people to feign humility when they want to give orders to the youth without being too obvious about it.
Don't be stubborn and listen to him; jóvenes y viejos, todos necesitamos consejos
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Everything in moderation: too much of a good thing ruins the pleasure. It is a common saying used to justify why one shouldn't overindulge (in Spain, it is sometimes associated with a tactic of playing hard to get in romantic contexts).
Don't eat it all at once; lo poco gusta, lo mucho cansa.
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If you let someone else organize something you are involved in, they will always benefit more than you. It suggests that whoever creates the rules also builds in a loophole, which is the fundamental flaw of representative democracy.
I already told you not to trust what they were saying, because el que hizo la ley, hizo la trampa.
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A proverb suggesting that one mistake or bad action leads to another, even worse one. It describes a downward spiral where a single fault, if not corrected, triggers a chain reaction of increasingly serious problems.
I never trusted him, un abismo llama a otro.
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A proverb stating that work must come before play. It is often used as a passive-aggressive nudge for employees to get back to work, sarcastically hinting at potential consequences depending on whether the current labor culture leans toward fair employment or modern slavery.
Don't try to get out of your tasks; después de cumplido el deber, el descanso es un placer.
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This expression suggests that a bad person will never change their ways or that annoying people are difficult to get rid of. Literally, it is a common joke used by people who want to avoid mowing the lawn or doing yard work.
He said he had changed his ways, but mala hierba nunca muere.
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You should put effort and interest into learning something new, because if you do, you can use that knowledge for the rest of your life. Fortunately, elderly people with Alzheimer's usually do not have the strength to get up, chase, and hit the jokesters who mock them with this proverb.
"Even if you don't like it, you need to work hard in school: lo bien aprendido, para siempre es sabido."
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A common saying used to encourage someone to take a chance or try something new when there is no risk of being harmed, essentially meaning there is nothing to lose by giving it a shot.
Give it a shot; por probar, nada se pierde.
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Rather than taking unnecessary risks chasing prizes you likely won't win, be prudent with your money and decisions. It is a cynical observation that the best way to secure your future is through sound management rather than luck, especially in an economic system that can feel like a rigged game run by the powerful.
Don't get involved in those schemes; la mejor lotería es una buena economía.
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Teamwork and collaboration are often the keys to successfully completing any project. However, it is advised to ensure everyone involved is actually competent, since two half-wits might think better than one but still not add up to a single whole brain even when combined.
Let me help you, dos cabezas piensan mejor que una.
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A classic literal excuse used by closet drunks that happens to be true. While a glass of red wine with meals is healthy, the common habit of eight beers a night, popular among men of all ages, probably is not, no matter how much they repeat the proverb.
Stop nagging me, beber con medida alarga la vida
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A sarcastic way to point out the shocking and unexpected fact that it rains during the month of April. Seriously, that is all it means. It is an extremely common proverb, used because, obviously, its existence is absolutely vital.
Grab an umbrella even if the sky is clear. En Abril, aguas mil.
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Life is a constant learning process where mistakes should not be feared, but fixed and learned from. It is a blunt way to tell young people they will spend their lives stumbling blindly until a stumble is finally hard enough to land them in a coffin.
Haciendo y deshaciendo, se va aprendiendo; do not get discouraged.
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A warning or lament about being betrayed by someone you have nurtured, protected, or mentored. It suggests that if you help an ungrateful person, they will eventually hurt you. (This refers to the folk belief that crows are attracted to the reflection in human eyes and will peck them out even if you feed them).
After all I have done for you... cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojos.
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Everyone has their own opinions and preferences that do not have to match anyone else's. In practice, it is what you say when it is socially unacceptable to voice thoughts like, How can you be with that fat girl?, Do you really enjoy sticking things up your ass, you freak?, or If you like that color, it must be because someone shoved red-hot irons into your eyes until you went blind and crazy.
I do not like it, but sobre gustos no hay nada escrito.
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No matter how hard life gets, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, though sometimes that light appears because God messed up measuring how hard he is squeezing your neck. This is a cynical take on a traditional religious proverb used to tell whiners and non-believers that God ensures they are miserable but does not kill them. Except when he does, at which point it is their own fault or the work of the devil (this phrase is a very common proverb in Spain, usually intended to mean that God gives us the strength to endure trials).
Cheer up, Dios aprieta pero no ahoga
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Used for a fickle person prone to envy who wants everything they see. The phrase plays on the word culo (ass) to jokingly describe the way men impulsively chase after every attractive woman they spot.
She has plenty of dresses, but you know how she is, culo veo, culo quiero.
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A traditional, sexist proverb used to claim that a woman who has many sexual partners loses her charm or value, comparing her to a flower that loses its scent if too many people smell it. In a street context, it also carries a warning for men to use protection (a mask) to avoid contracting STIs (traditionally referred to as losing one's nose) when being with a promiscuous woman.
Girl, when you have a boyfriend you can do what you want, but remember that rosa que muchos huelen, su fragancia pierde.
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This cynical expression claims that a single man hides his pig-like and dog-like habits to find a woman who will provide sex, food, and domestic chores like mending socks. Once he finds her, he stops pretending and relaxes into his naturally beastly state as a true descendant of Adam.
Girl, I don't know why you're surprised he changed, el hombre soltero es un animal incompleto y el hombre casado es un completo animal
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A proverb used when someone only shows up because they want a favor or have an ulterior motive. It acts as a way to call out their opportunism and implies they are not welcome to stay. It is a common sentiment regarding stereotypical family pests like brothers-in-law or mothers-in-law (who are frequent targets of social friction and humor in Spain).
He never comes to visit unless he wants to ask for money. Cuando alguien visita es porque algo necesita.
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A defiant refusal to accept unfair or uncomfortable conditions, especially when they are presented as a good deal or an unavoidable necessity. It implies that if a situation is too restrictive or painful, someone else can deal with it, often with the vulgar suggestion that they should shove it up their backside.
It is true that you do not have many options right now, but zapato que aprieta, otro se lo meta
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Someone who acts with confidence and lacks inhibition has a better chance of succeeding. Being bold or even shameless gives you an edge. In Spain's past, particularly during the Inquisition or the Franco dictatorship, this was used ironically to describe those who ignored strict moral laws to save their own asses.
Just relax and go to that interview without any fear, because quien no tiene vergüenza ventaja lleva.
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This proverb suggests that people are most honest when they lack a social filter, just like children who do not know better or drunks who are too wasted to maintain a lie. It is used to imply that someone's blunt or accidental comment actually revealed their true feelings, regardless of how much they try to deny it later.
You can make excuses now, but los borrachos y los niños siempre dicen la verdad.
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The irrational pleasure of putting effort into projects that are clearly doomed to fail, motivated by the weird and misunderstood satisfaction of seeing your own work turn out to be worth less than shit.
There is nothing that can be done, but you know how he is, he loves to ser abogado de las causas perdidas.
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An expression used to emphasize that one should never look back or dwell on the past. You must always keep moving forward, without even retreating to get a running start.
'Look, pa tras ni pa tomar impulso' and 'That is already over, and pa tras ni pa tomar impulso.'
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A warning that once you have made a decision or moved on, trying to turn back or second-guess yourself will lead to disaster (it alludes to goats on narrow trails that fall and break their necks if they try to turn around).
You better not think about that because chivo que se devuelve se esnuca. Grandmothers always say that chivo que se devuelve se esnuca.
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Used to say that everyone eventually gets what is coming to them or faces their day of reckoning. (In many traditional communities, Saturday was the day reserved for slaughtering pigs for food).
Don't despair, a cada cochino le llega su sabado. Have patience because a cada cochino le llega su sabado.
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To do something by eye or based on visual estimation alone, without the use of measuring tools or instruments.
Look, that is a pepa de ojo. Look closely, son, because that was done a pepa de ojo.
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