by Peter Weibel
peso (caerse de/por su propio ~)
el pesquis (fam.) common sense, horse sense (fam.), know-how, nous (fam.) Tiene mucho pesquis. He has a lot of nous. No tiene pesquis. He’s dumb. (fam., Am.E.) Si tuvieran un poco más pesquis … If they had a bit more common/horse sense …
la pestaña eyelash
quemarse las pestañas (fig., fam.) to study/work far into the night, to burn the midnight oil, to cram (fam.), to swot (fam., Br.E.), to bone up (fam.)
el pestazo (fam.) [horrible] stink/pong (fam., Br.E.)/stench
peste ( cebar: se ceba la ~)
la petaca (pop.) (a) hip flask (b) bed, sack (sl.), kip (sl.)
irse a la o echarse en la petaca to hit the sack, to hit the hay (sl., Am.E.)
hacerle la petaca a alg. to make s.o. an apple-pie bed (fam., Br.E.)
petar (fam.)
No me peta ir al cine. I don’t [really] feel like going to the cinema.
Si te peta. If you feel like it.
el petardo firecracker
el petardo (fig., argot, Esp.) joint (sl.), spliff (sl., Br.E.), marijuana cigarette
el petardo (fig., fam.) swindle, fraud
pegar un petardo a alg. (fig., fam.) to cheat s.o., to con s.o. (fam.), to pull a fast one on s.o. (sl.), to tap s.o. for money (with the intention of not paying it back)
el petate (fam.) baggage
liar el petate (fig., fam.) (a) to pack one’s bags/things [and go] (fam.), to pack up [and go] (fam.), to [pull] up sticks (Br.E.) or stakes (Am.E.) (fig., fam.) (b) to kick the bucket (fam.) cascar[la]
el pez fish
un pez gordo (fig., fam.) big fish (fig.), bigwig (fam.), big shot (fam.), big cheese (fam.), big noise (sl.), fat cat (fig., fam. Am.E.), top nob (sl., Br.E.), big wheel (fam.)
estar/sentirse como el pez en el agua (fig.) to be in one’s element, to feel completely at home (fam.), to feel really great, to feel on top of the world (fam.)
estar pez en algo (fam.) to know nothing at all about s.th., not to know the first thing about s.th., not to know beans about s.th. (sl., Am.E.), not to have a clue about s.th. (fam.) Está pez en matemáticas. He doesn’t have a clue when it comes to mathematics.
salga pez o salga rana (fig., fam.) as luck will have it, on the off-chance
pez (por la boca muere el ~)
pez (reírse de los peces de colores)
la pezuña hoof
la pezuña (fig., pop.) hand, paw (fam.)
meter la pezuña (fig., pop.) to put one’s foot in it meter la pata
la pica pike
poner una pica en Flandes (fig.) to bring off s.th. very difficult, to bring off a coup, to achieve a signal success
poder pasar por las picas de Flandes (fig.) to be [absolutely] perfect, to be beyond all criticism, to stand up to the severest criticism
el picadero riding-school
el picadero (fig., fam.) bachelor pad (fam.), trouble-free digs (fam., Br.E.), apartment used for sexual encounters, love nest
el picadillo minced meat
hacer picadillo a alg. (fig., fam.) (a) to make mincemeat of s.o. (fig.), to beat s.o. to a pulp (fig.) (b) to give s.o. a severe dressing-down (fam.)
el picador horse-breaker
tener la cabeza más dura que un picador (fig., fam.) to be pigheaded, to be stubborn
picar to prick, to sting
picar [más] alto (fig., fam.) to aim high[er] (fig.)
picar (quien se pica, ajos come)
picar que rabia ( rabiar)
la picha (vulg.) (penis) el calvo
pichi (adj., pop.) elegant, smart, posh (fam.)
el pichón young pigeon
el pichón (fig., fam.) darling, honey/hon (fam., Am.E.)
la pichona (fam.) darling, honey/hon (fam., Am.E.), sweetie (fam.) Sí, pichona. Yes, darling. Yes, sweetie.
Picio (ser más feo que ~)
el pico peak, beak, bill
costar un pico (fam.) to cost a tidy sum costar una burrada
irse de/a picos pardos (fam.) (a) to go out on the town (fam.), to spend a night on the tiles (fam., Br.E.), to go out for a good time (b) to be unfaithful (to one’s husband/wife/etc.), to two-time (one’s husband/wife) (fam.)
a las diez/etc. y pico (fam.) just after 10/etc.
el pico (fig., fam.) trap (sl.), mouth abrir el pico to talk, to open one’s mouth cerrar el pico to shut one’s mouth/trap, to pipe down (fam.), to belt up (fam., Br.E.) ¡Cierra el pico! Shut your trap! Pipe down! Belt up! darle al pico to talk a lot darse el pico to kiss, to have a good old snog (fam., Br.E.) tener buen pico to have the gift of [the] gab tener un pico de oro to be silver-tongued, to be very eloquent perderse por el pico to harm o.s. by saying too much, to talk too much
pico (hincar el ~)
pico (jarabe de ~)
la picota pillory
poner a alg. en la picota (fig.) to pillory s.o. (fig.)
la picotada peck
la picotada (fam.) (drug injection): shot (sl.), fix (sl.)
el picotazo peck
el picotazo (fam.) (drug injection): shot (sl.), fix (sl.)
el pie foot
levantarse con el pie izquierdo o salir con mal pie (fig., fam.) to get up on the wrong side of the bed (fam., Am.E.), to get out of bed on the wrong side (fam., Br.E.)
no estirar los pies más de lo que da la frazada (fam., Cono Sur) to cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth (Br.E.), to go easy on the sugar (fig.)
buscar cinco/tres pies al gato (fig., fam.) (a) to ask/look for trouble (b) to split hairs, to quibble
cojear del mismo pie (fig., fam.) to have the same faults, to be tarred with the same brush (fam., pej.), to be two of a kind
saber de qué pie cojea alg. (fig., fam.) to know s.o.’s faults or weakness[es], to know s.o.’s weak point[s] or spot[s]
tomar pie de algo (fig.) to use s.th. as an excuse or as a pretext
dar pie para/a (fig.) to give rise to, to give cause for
darle a alg. el pie y se toma la mano (fig.) give s.o. an inch and he’ll take a yard/mile (fig.) Le das el pie y se toma la mano. Give him an inch and he’ll take a yard. Dales el pie y se tomarán la mano. Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.
no dar pie con bola (fam.) to do everything wrong, s.o. can’t get a thing right, to be no good at anything
caer de pies (fig.) to fall/land on one’s feet (fig.), to get out or emerge unscathed
hacer algo con los pies (fig.) to bungle s.th., to botch s.th. [up] (fam.), to make a mess or a botch of s.th. (fig.) una carta escrita con los pies a very poorly written letter
sacar los pies del plato o de las alforjas (fig., fam.) (a) to go one’s own way (fig.), to go off on a different tack (fig.) (b) to abandon all restraint, to kick over the traces (fig.)
sacar a alg. con los pies adelante (fig., fam.) to bury s.o.
sacar el pie del lodo a alg. (fig., fam.) to get s.o. out of a jam/fix (fam.), to get s.o. off the hook (fam.)
estar al pie del cañón (fig., fam.) to be ready for battle (fig.), to be ready to act
morir al pie del cañón (fig., fam.) to die in harness (fig.), to die with one’s boots on (fig.) Dice que prefiere morir al pie del cañón a morir en la cama. He says he prefers dying with his boots on to dying in bed.
al pie de la letra (fig.) literally, word for word, to the letter, exactly Lo repitió todo al pie de la letra. He repeated it all word for word.
a pie juntillo (fig.) (believe/etc.): firmly, absolutely Lo cree a pie juntillo. He firmly believes it.
no tener pies ni cabeza (fig., fam.) to make no sense whatsoever, there’s no rhyme or reason [to s.th.], s.o. can’t make head[s] or tail[s] of s.th. (fam.), to be absurd, to be ridiculous Para mi/nosotros esto no tiene pies ni cabeza. I/we can’t make head or tail of it. Esta decisión no tiene pies ni cabeza. There’s no rhyme or reason to this decision. Este argumento no tiene pies ni cabeza. This argument is pointless/absurd.
tener los pies [bien puestos] en/sobre la tierra (fig.) to have both/one’s feet [firmly] on the ground
(fig.)
tener un pie en dos zapatos (fig.) to have two/several irons in the fire or strings to one’s bow (fig.)
ser pies y manos de alg. (fig.) to be s.o.’s right-hand man (fig.)
vestirse por los pies (fam., hum.) to be a man ¿Quién es? Se viste por los pies. Who is it? It’s a man.
andar con pies de plomo (fig.) to go about it very warily or carefully or cautiously, to tread (fig.) or proceed very warily or carefully or cautiously
arrastrar los pies (fig., fam.) to be old and frail
estar siempre con un pie en el aire (fam.) to be always on the go or on the jump (fam.)
poner pies en polvorosa (fig.) to take to one’s heels, to turn tail (fig.), to beat it (sl.), to do a bunk (fam., Br.E.), to skedaddle (fam.)
¿Pies, para qué os quiero? (fig., fam.) Let’s get out of here! (fam.)
pie ( nacer: nació alg. de ~[s])
pie (caérsele a alg. el alma a los ~s)
pie (estar con un ~ en el estribo/hoyo)
pie (herir el suelo con el ~)
pie (tener un ~ en la tumba)
la piedra stone
arrojar/tirar la primera piedra (fig.) to cast the first stone (fig.)
no dejar piedra para mover (fig.) to leave no stone unturned (fig.), to do everything in one’s power
cerrar algo a piedra y lodo (fig.) to firmly lock s.th., to shut s.th. all up
tirar piedras a su o sobre el propio tejado (fig.) to foul one’s own nest (fig.), to cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face
Eso sería tirar piedras a su o sobre el propio tejado. (fig.) People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. (fig.)
Piedra movediza, el moho no la cobija. (prov.) Piedra movediza no coge musgo. (prov.) A rolling stone gathers no moss. (prov.)
pasar a una mujer por la piedra (pop., vulg.) to screw a woman (vulg.) calzar[se] a alg.
sacar la piedra (pop., vulg.) (to have an orgasm): to come (fam.); (man): to shoot off (vulg., Br.E.)
piedra (callar[se] como una ~)
piedra (estar a [un] tiro de ~)
piedra (estar más muerto que una ~)
piedra (sacar agua de las ~s)
la piel skin
dar la piel (fig., fam.) to die
dejarse la piel (fig.) to give one’s all echar/sudar la hiel
ser de la piel del diablo (fig., fam.) (child): to be very unruly, to be difficult to keep under control, to be a little monster/devil (fam.), to be a holy terror (fam.)
vender la piel del oso antes de cazarlo (fig.) to count one’s chickens before they’re hatched (fig.) Aunque no está [absolutamente] seguro de que herede todo ese dinero, ya está haciendo grandes planes para el futuro. No vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo. Although he’s not [absolutely] sure whether he’ll inherit all that money, he’s already making big plans for the future. Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.
piel (a flor de ~)
piel (un lobo con ~ de cordero/oveja)
la pierna leg
estirar la pierna más larga que la sábana (fig.) not to cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth (Br.E.), not to go easy on the sugar (fig.)
dormir a pierna suelta (fam.) to sleep the sleep of the just/dead, to sleep soundly
salir por piernas (fam.) to take to one’s heels, to leg it (fam.)
ser un piernas (fam., pej.) to be a nobody (fig.), to be a dead loss (fig., fam.), to be a washout (fam.)
la pieza piece
una buena pieza (fig., fam., iron.) nasty customer (fig., fam.), troublemaker, villain, rogue
jugar una pieza a alg. (fig., fam.) to play a dirty/nasty trick on s.o. (fig., fam.)
quedarse de una pieza (fig., fam.) to be [left] speechless, to be struck dumb, to be struck all of a heap (fam.), to be knocked sideways or for a loop (Am.E.) or for six (Br.E.) (fam.), to be dumbfounded, to be flabbergasted (fam.), to be like a dying duck [in a thunderstorm] (fam.), to be completely taken aback (fig.) Al oírlo nos quedamos de una pieza. We were struck all of a heap or knocked sideways or completely taken aback when we heard it.
dejar a alg. de una pieza (fig., fam.) to strike s.o. dumb, to strike s.o. all of a heap (fam.), to knock s.o. sideways or for a loop (Am.E.) or for six (Br.E.) (fam.), to floor s.o. (fam.)
la pifia miscue
la pifia (fig., fam.) blunder, bloomer (fam., Br.E.), goof (fam., Am.E.), boob (fam.), boo-boo (fam.), clinker (sl., Am.E.)
dar una pifia to blunder, to goof, to make a bloomer/boob
pifiar (fig., fam.) to blunder, to goof, to make a bloomer/boob
la pija (pop.) (penis) el calvo
el pijo (pop.) (penis) el calvo
la pila drinking trough
ser más bruto que la pila de un pozo (fig., pop.) to be as thick as two short planks (fam.) ser más tonto que Carracuca
Pilatos (ir de Herodes a ~)
la píldora pill
píldoras (fam.) bullets Frieron al traidor a píldoras. They riddled the traitor with bullets.
tragar la píldora (fig., fam.) to fall for it (fam.), to be taken in (fam.)
dorar la píldora (fig.) to sweeten or sugar or sugar-coat the pill (fig.) No dores la píldora. Dímelo con toda franqueza. Don’t sweeten the pill. Give it to me straight or tell me straight out.
pillar a alg. en bolas/bragas
pillar una mona/zorra
pillarse los dedos
la piltra (pop.) bed, kip (sl.), sack (sl.)
irse a la o echarse en la piltra to hit the sack (fam.), to hit the hay (fam., Am.E.)
el pimiento pepper
[no] importar a alg. un pimiento (fig., fam.) not to give/care two hoots (fam.) no importar a alg. un ardite
el pimpampúm (fam.) shooting gallery
el pimpollo shoot, bud
el pimpollo [de oro] (fig., fam.) bonny child
pinchar to prick
ni pinchar ni cortar (fig.) (a) to be neither fish nor fowl (fig.), to be neither one thing nor the other (b) not to have any say, not to have any clout (fig.), to cut no ice (fam.) Ella aquí ni pincha ni corta. She doesn’t have any say [in what goes on] here. She cuts no ice here.
pincharse (fam.) (drug): to shoot up (sl.), to jack up (sl.), to give o.s. a fix/shot (sl.), to give o.s. a jab (sl., Br.E.)
la pinga (pop.) (penis): el calvo
el pingajo shred
estar hecho un pingajo (fig., fam.) to be completely shattered (fam., Br.E.) estar hecho cisco
pinganitos (fam.)
estar en pinganitos to be well up, to be well-placed socially
el pino pine [tree]
hacer el pino to do a handstand or head-stand, to stand on one’s head
plantar un pino (fig., pop.) (to relieve o.s.): to do one’s business (fig., fam.), to take a dump (vulg.)
vivir/estar en el quinto pino (fig.) to live/be at the back of beyond vivir/estar donde Cristo dio las tres voces
pintado painted, colorful
el más pintado (fig., fam.) cleverest, craftiest, best Eso podría pasarle al más pintado. That could happen to the cleverest [of us] or to anybody. Lo hizo como el más pintado. He did it with the or as well as the best.
no poder ver a alg. ni pintado (fig., fam.) s.o. can’t stand s.th. tener a alg. atravesado
venir/sentar [a alg.] que ni pintado o como pintado (fig., fam.) to come at just the right time, to fit/suit [s.o.] to a T venir/sentar [a alg.] como anillo al dedo (a), (b)
pintar to paint
no pintar nada (fig., fam.) to have no say, not to have any say, not to have any clout (fig.), not to count, to cut no ice (fam.) Ella aquí no pinta nada. She doesn’t have any say [in what goes on] here. She doesn’t count here.
pintarse uno solo o pintárselas solo para algo (fig., fam.) to be a dab hand at s.th. (fam., Br.E.), to be an expert at/in s.th., to be red hot on s.th. (fam.), to be an ace …, to be very well suited for s.th. Se pinta él solo para los deportes. He’s an ace athlete. Él se las pinta solo para las matemáticas. He’s an ace mathematicia
n. He’s an outstanding mathematician.
¿Qué diablo te pintas tú/etc. por aquí? (fam.) What the devil/hell are you/etc. up to here? (fam.) ¿Qué diablo se pinta él por aquí? What the devil is he up to here?
No es tan feo el diablo como le pintan. (prov.) It’s not as bad as all that. It’s nothing to get upset about.
pintiparado (fam.)
venir [que ni] pintiparado (fig.) to come just right, to be just what s.o. needs/needed, to be just what the doctor ordered (fig., fam.)
Pinto y Valdemoro (Esp.)
estar entre Pinto y Valdemoro (fam., Esp.) (a) s.o. can’t make up his mind, to be in two minds (b) to be tipsy, to be tiddly (fam., Br.E.), to be sozzled (sl., Br.E.)
la pintura painting
ser una pintura (fig.) to be lovely[-looking]
no poder ver algo o a alg. ni en pintura (fig., fam.) s.o. can’t stand the sight of s.o. (fam.), to hate s.o.’s guts (fam.) tener algo o a alg. atravesado No puedo ver el queso de cabra ni en pintura. I can’t stand goat cheese.
pinza (sacar algo a alg. con ~s)
el piñón pine seed, pine nut
una boquita de piñón (fig., fam.) pretty girl, sweet girl (fam.)
estar a partir un piñón [con alg.] (fig., fam.) to be very thick with s.o. (fam.), to be bosom pals or buddies [with s.o.] (fam.), to be as thick as thieves Ella está a partir un piñón con él. She’s very thick with him. She’s bosom pals with him. Juan y Pepe están a partir un piñón. Juan and Pepe are the best of buddies or are bosom buddies or are as thick as thieves.
el pío cheep, chirp
no decir ni pío (fig., fam.) not to hear a peep out of or from s.o. (fam.), not to say/breathe a word, not to open one’s mouth, to keep one’s mouth shut, to keep mum (fam.), to button [up] one’s lip/mouth (fig., fam.) ¡De eso no digas ni pío! You keep your mouth shut about that! Se fueron sin decir ni pío. They went off without a word. No dijeron ni pío en toda la tarde. I/we didn’t hear a peep from them all afternoon.
la pipa pipe
la pipa (pop.) pistol, rod (sl., Am.E.)
tener mala pipa (euph.) to have bad intentions tener mala leche
pasarlo pipa (fam.) to have a great/fantastic time (fam.), to have a whale of a time (fam.), to have high jinks (fam.)
pirarse, pirárselas (fam.) to beat it (sl.), to clear out/off (fam.), to make o.s. scarce (fam.), to cut class (fam.)
piripi (fam.)
estar piripi to be merry (fam.), to be tipsy (fam.)
