Used to describe someone who seems to be in deep reflection but is actually just daydreaming or spacing out about something completely trivial. (The phrase uses the absurdity of a crab's immortality to highlight the pointlessness of the person's thoughts).
I don't know what to do with that boy, Alfonsa. He sits in that chair and instead of starting his homework, he just stares at the wall, pensando en la inmortalidad del cangrejo.
A phrase used when someone is spaced out, daydreaming, or wasting time instead of paying attention. It implies the person is lost in thought about something nonsensical or impossible (since birds lay eggs and cannot be pregnant).
Hey, Jaimito, stop Pensando en pajaritos preñados and sweep the whole living room for me, you have it looking like a pigsty.
To be lounging or lying around doing absolutely nothing. It describes the act of being lazy and idling just for the sake of it, even when you are not tired.
A: "And what are you going to do on your vacation?" B: "Nothing, just stay echado watching TV."
Laziness, a lack of motivation, or a general state of listlessness. It describes a feeling of being too idle to do something, sometimes jokingly attributed to having a lack of energy or being anemic.
A: Pepito, did you do the homework? B: No, teacher. I got flojera.
Used to describe a place or situation that is extremely boring or lacks any activity, movement, or people. It implies a total lack of life or excitement.
That bar is always muerto. One of these days they are going to close it or The office is muerto when Julio does not go.
This expression is used when you are doing absolutely nothing. It also applies when you have a pending task or commitment but decide to skip it to stay idle or lounge around. (In Mexico, hueva is a slang term for laziness or boredom).
I am echando la hueva, I do not want to study. That dude just echa la hueva, he does not want to help.
To slack off or stop working out of pure laziness. It refers to someone being totally unproductive and ignoring their duties. (The vulgar imagery implies a person is so idle that their testicles have grown heavy enough to be slung over their shoulder).
You just decided to echarse las bolas al hombro and didn't even finish the work for tomorrow!
To take the path of least resistance or choose the easiest way out with minimal effort. (Mango trees are common in Panama, and the fruit on the lower branches is the easiest to pick without any climbing or struggle).
That Juanito copied my homework, he is always agarrando los mangos bajitos. : Get to work, do not look for the mangos bajitos, because that does not work.
Panamá
Venezuela
México
República Dominicana