Improve Your Spanish With These 32 Fun Animal Idioms

From cats and dogs to bugs and birds, discover the fascinating world of Spanish animal expressions. 

Are you a lion in bed? Have you become a seal and could stand to lose a few pounds? Maybe you’re a dead mosquito who keeps everyone guessing. The age of the turkey is always an awkward time. Just remember, no one likes a toad!

Here are some wild Spanish expressions involving animals. And if you shit the fly, don’t worry! –Wally

Buggin’ Out

Cagar la mosca

What it translates to: To shit the fly

What it means: To make a small mistake

Ser un bicho

What it translates to: To be a bug

What it means: To be a strange or eccentric person

Ser una mosquita muerta

What it translates to: To be a dead mosquito

What it means: To be a person who seems innocent or harmless but is actually cunning or deceitful

Tener malas pulgas

What it translates to: To have bad fleas

What it means: To be irritable or have a bad temper

Pet Sounds

Dar gato por liebre

What it translates to: To give a cat instead of a hare

What it means: To deceive someone by substituting one thing for another

Dormir como un lirón

What it translates to: To sleep like a dormouse

What it means: To sleep deeply

Estar como el perro y el gato

What it translates to: To be like the dog and the cat

What it means: To be in a constant state of conflict

Llevarse como el perro y el gato

What it translates to: To get along like the dog and the cat

What it means: To have a hostile relationship

Ser un perro viejo

What it translates to: To be an old dog

What it means: To be an experienced or wise person

Ser un ratón de biblioteca

What it translates to: To be a library mouse

What it means: To be a person who spends a lot of time studying or reading

Tener un humor de perros

What it translates to: To have a dog’s humor

What it means: To be in a bad mood

All Wet

Estar como una foca

What it translates to: To be like a seal

What it means: To be overweight or to have gained a lot of weight

Ser un pez gordo

What it translates to: To be a fat fish

What it means: To be an important or influential person

Ser un sapo

What it translates to: To be a toad

What it means: To be a snitch or a tattletale

Bird-Brained

Estar en la edad del pavo

What it translates to: To be in the age of the turkey

What it means: To be a teenager and going through a difficult or awkward phase

Ser un búho

What it translates to: To be an owl

What it means: To be a night owl, someone who stays up late

Ser un loro

What it translates to: To be a parrot

What it means: To be someone who talks a lot or repeats what others say

Ser un pavo real

What it translates to: To be a peacock

What it means: To be arrogant or to show off

Tener ojos de águila

What it translates to: To have eagle eyes

What it means: To have great vision or to be very observant

Tener pájaros en la cabeza

What it translates to: To have birds in your head

What it means: To be absent-minded (bird-brained) or to have unrealistic ideas

Animal Farm

Estar como una cabra

What it translates to: To be like a goat

What it means: To act crazy

Ponerse como un burro

What it translates to: To become like a donkey

What it means: To become very angry

Ser un burro

What it translates to: To be a donkey

What it means: To be stubborn or slow-witted

Ser un cabrón

What it translates to: To be a big goat

What it means: Depending on the context, it can be used to describe a jerk or a dumbass

Ser un gallina

What it translates to:  To be a chicken

What it means: To be a chicken, a coward

In the Wild

Ser un león en la cama

What it translates to: To be a lion in bed

What it means: To be good in bed

Ser un lince

What it translates to: To be a lynx

What it means: To be very perceptive or to have a sharp mind

Ser un ratón de campo

What it translates to: To be a field mouse

What it means: To be shy or introverted

Ser un tigre

What it translates to: To be a tiger

What it means: To be very strong, brave or skillful

Ser una víbora

What it translates to: To be a viper

What it means: To be a malicious or treacherous person

Ser un zorro

What it translates to: To be a fox

What it means: To be sly or cunning

Tener memoria de elefante

What it translates to: To have an elephant’s memory

What it means: To have a great memory

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Me cago en la leche!

Learn some essential Spanish swear words and vulgar expressions!

French Phrases About Food That Are Simply Scrumptious

There’s nothing sadder than a meal without cheese. Learn this and other sweet French food expressions and idioms. Just please don’t spit in the soup. 

I’ve always loved expressions. They make language so much more colorful — and they can be cleverly tweaked into the most delightful, groan-inducing puns. 

Plus it’s fun to think about where the strange expressions came from. How did some of these phrases originate? In English, we say something that’s easy is a piece of cake — though you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Maybe we should stick to taking candy from a baby. Why do we go bananas when we’re in a pickle? 

There are just as many crazy idioms across the pond. Here are some French expressions that have to do with types of food: Eat your heart out — just don’t bite off more than you can chew!

“In Britain, someone who’s quiche is a hottie.

But in France, for some reason, this delicious meal is an insult.”

Oh purée! You don’t know these expressions? Don’t worry. The carrots aren’t cooked — there’s still time to learn them.

Vegetables

C’est la fin des haricots.

What it translates to: It’s the end of the beans.

What it means: There’s nothing left; that’s the end.

avoir un coeur d’artichaut

What it translates to: to have the heart of an artichoke

What it means: to be unfaithful; to be sensitive

C’est pas tes oignons.

What it translates to: It’s not your onions.

What it means: none of your beeswax; none of your business

raconter des salades

What it translates to: to tell salads

What it means: to tell lies

Oh purée !

What it translates to: Oh, mashed potatoes!

What it means: Darn it!

faire une frite

What it translates to: to make a french fry

What it means: to slap someone on the butt

Les carottes sont cuites.

What it translates to: The carrots are cooked

What it means: What’s done is done; it’s too late.

mettre du beurre dans les épinards

What it translates to: to put butter in the spinach

What it means: to improve your finances; to earn a bit more

être dans les choux

What it translates to: to be in the cabbage

What it means: to be in a bad situation; to fail

poireauter

What it translates to: to “leek”

What it means: to wait a long time

C’est un navet !

What it translates to: It’s a turnip!

What it means: It’s a terrible movie.

I’m gonna bring my strawberry and tell you what I think: These French food expressions are just peachy!

Fruit

avoir la pêche 

What it translates to: to have the peach

What it means: to be full of energy, enthusiastic

ramener sa fraise

What it translates to: to bring one’s strawberry

What it means: to give your opinion

haut comme trois pommes

What it translates to: as high as three apples

What it means: to be short, small

tomber dans les pommes

What it translates to: to fall into the apples

What it means: to faint

rouge comme une tomate

What it translates to: to be as red as a tomato

What it means: to be embarrassed

couper la poire en deux

What it translates to: to cut the pear in half

What it means: to split the bill; to reach a compromise

avoir le melon; prendre le melon

What it translates to: to have the melon; to take the melon

What it means: to be sure of oneself, to be cocky

If you’re going to make a whole cheese about it and be milk soup, well, you can go cook an egg!

Dairy

avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre 

What it translates to: to have the butter and the money to buy butter

What it means: to have your cake and eat it too

beurré 

What it translates to: buttered

What it means: wasted, drunk

ne pas avoir inventé le fil à couper le beurre

What it translates to: to not have invented the thread that cuts the butter

What it means: to be dumb, not the brightest

en faire tout un fromage

What it translates to: to make a whole cheese about it

What it means: to make a mountain out of a molehill, to unnecessarily make a big deal out of something

triste comme un repas sans fromage

What it translates to: sad like a meal without cheese

What it means: very sad

être soupe au lait

What it translates to: to be milk soup

What it means: to be quick-tempered

Va te faire cuire un œuf !

What it translates to: Go cook yourself an egg!

What it means: Get lost; leave me alone!

changer de crémerie

What it translates to: to change creameries

What it means: to take your business elsewhere

The French love their baguettes, so it’s not surprising there are a few expressions having to do with bread.

Bread

avoir du pain sur la planche

What it translates to: to have bread on the board

What it means: to have a lot to do

pour une bouchée de pain

What it translates to: for a mouthful of bread

What it means: for a small amount, cheaply

Ça ne mange pas de pain. 

What it translates to: This doesn’t eat bread. 

What it means: It couldn’t hurt. 

rouler dans la farine

What it translates to: to roll in the flour

What it means: to swindle

In Britain, someone who’s quiche is a hottie. But in France, for some reason, this delicious meal is an insult.

Meals

cracher dans la soupe

What it translates to: to spit in the soup

What it means: to be ungrateful, to bite the hand that feeds you

une quiche

What it translates to: a quiche 

What it means: someone who is bad at something

avoir le cul bordé de nouilles

What it translates to: to have an ass surrounded by noodles

What it means: to be lucky

Personally, I think these expressions really cut the mustard.

Toppings and Condiments

à quelle sauce on va être mangé

What it translates to: in what sauce we’re going to be eaten

What it means: I don’t know how this’ll pan out; things don’t look good.

La moutarde me monte au nez.

What it translates to: I have mustard coming up my nose.

What it means: I’m annoyed; I’m angry.

tourner au vinaigre

What it translates to: to turn to vinegar

What it means: to go bad

Watering down wine is never a good thing.

Drinks

mettre de l’eau dans son vin

What it translates to: to put water in their wine

What it means: to tone it down

Here are a couple of dessert-themed expressions that really aren’t too sweet.

Sweets

casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu’un

What it translates to: to break sugar on someone’s back

What it means: to badmouth someone; to talk about someone behind their back

Ce n’est pas de la tarte.

What it translates to: It’s not tarte.

What it means: It’s not going to be easy. 

Hope you find these expressions delectable! Go ahead — talk with your mouth full. –Wally

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MORE FRENCH LESSONS!

French Phrases About Animals

Why is having the cockroach being depressed? What does it mean when you say a drink is cat pee? Learn these and more beastly fun French expressions!

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French Phrases About Animals

Why is having the cockroach being depressed? What does it mean when you say a drink is cat pee? Learn these and more beastly fun French expressions!

Just as in English, the French have their own set of colorful phrases that draw upon the animal world for inspiration — I won’t even mention frogs here. Here’s a sampling of phrases and expressions translated to English, inspired by our furry and feathered friends. It should give you an insight into the cultural nuances of French life and will helpfully prevent you from speaking like a Spanish cow! –Wally

“The expression “La nuit, tous les chats sont gris” translates to “At night, all cats are gray.”

It’s attributed to Benjamin Franklin as a reason to take an older woman to bed!”

Don’t waste that good jam on these pigs

Pigs

C’est donner de la confiture aux cochons.

What it translates to: It’s like giving jam to pigs.

What it means: That’s like casting pearls before swine, or that’s giving something valuable to people who won’t appreciate them.
 

Manger comme un cochon

What it translates to: To eat like a pig

What it means: To pig out

Un cochon n'y retrouverait pas ses petits.

What it translates to: A pig couldn’t find its babies here.

What it means: This place is a pig sty, a complete mess.

Would you dare wake up this lil guy if he was sleeping?

Cats

Ne réveillez pas le chat qui dort.

What it translates to: Don’t wake the sleeping cat.

What it means: Let sleeping dogs lie, or don’t interfere in a situation that’s going well.

Un chat dans la gorge

What it translates to: A cat in your throat

What it means: A frog in your throat

Appelez un chat un chat

What it translates to: To call a cat a cat

What it means: To call a spade a spade, to speak plainly even if it’ll hurt someone

Quand le chat est parti, les souris dansent.

What it translates to: When the cat’s away, the mice start to play dance.

What it means: When the cat’s away, the mice will play.

Donner sa langue au chat

What it translates to: To give his or her tongue to the cat

What it means: You might think this means “cat got your tongue,” but it actually means to give up.

À bon chat, bon rat

What it translates to: To the good cat, a good rat

What it means: To meet one’s match (some translate this to “tit for tat”)

Avoir d’autres chats à fouetter

What it translates to: To have other cats to whip (they better mean cat o’ nine tails and not actual kitties!)

What it means: To have bigger fish to fry

Les chiens ne font pas des chats.

What it translates to: Dogs don’t have cats.

What it means: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, like father like son (the kids are like their parents).

C’est du pipi de chat.

What it translates to: It’s cat pee.

What it means: This drink is weak or has no flavor.

Il n’y a pas un chat.

What it translates to: There’s no cat.

What it means: Nobody’s here.

La nuit, tous les chats sont gris.

What it translates to: At night, all cats are gray.

What it means: In the dark, physical appearance isn’t important. (This is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin as a reason to take an older woman to bed!)

Un chat échaudé craint l’eau froide.

What it translates to: A scalded cat fears cold water.

What it means: Once bitten, twice shy, or to have been burned before (to have had a bad experience and be overly cautious in a similar situation).

Would you ever need a drink so badly that you’d harm this adorable Frenchie?

Dogs

À boire, ou j’tue le chien!

What it translates to: A drink — or kill the dog!

What it means: I need a drink!

Un temps de chien

What it translates to: Dog’s weather

What it means: Bad weather

Les chiens aboient, la caravane passe.

What it translates to: Dogs howl, the caravan passes.

What it means: Let them say what they want; I know what I’m doing.

Le chien qui aboie ne mord pas.

What it translates to: The dog that barks doesn’t bite.

What it means: His bark is worse than his bite (he’s all talk and no action).

You can’t drown a fish, sillies!

Fish

Noyer le poisson

What it translates to: To drown the fish

What it means: To bamboozle somebody

Le petit poisson deviendra grand.

What it translates to: The little fish will get bigger.

What it means: The child will grow up one day, or a little bit can go a long way.

Avoir des yeux de merlan frit

What it translates to: To have a fried merlan’s eyes (a merlan is a type of fish — a whiting or merling)

What it means: Bloodshot, runny eyes

Comme un poisson dans l’eau

What it translates to: Like a fish in water

What it means: To be comfortable in a particular situation (funny that we have “like a fish out of water.”)

This gals will grow teeth when Hell freezes over

Birds

Quand les poules auront des dents

What it translates to: When hens have teeth

What it means: When Hell freezes over (or when pigs fly) — that is to say, never

T’es comme une poule qui a trouvé un couteau.

What it translates to: You’re like a chicken that’s found a knife.

What it means: You’re very confused.

Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps.

What it translates to: One swallow doesn’t mean it’s spring.

What it means: Don’t jump to conclusions.

Faire un froid de canard

What it translates to: To be duck cold

What it means: To be really cold

Avoir la chair de poule

What it translates to: To have hen’s flesh

What it means: To have goosebumps

Une poule mouillée

What it translates to: A wet hen

What it means: Someone who’s easily scared (we say chicken or scaredy cat as well)

Petit à petit l'oiseau fait son nid.

What it translates to: Little by little, the bird makes its nest.

What it means: A little bit goes a long way.

La bave du crapaud n’atteint pas la blanche colombe.

What it translates to: The toad’s spit doesn’t reach the white dove.

What it means: It’s water off a duck’s back, to not let an insult or criticism affect you.

If you don’t know what “la vache” means, you speak French like a Spanish cow

Livestock (Cows, Horses, Donkeys, Sheep)

Être franc comme un âne qui recule

What it translates to: To be as frank as a backtracking donkey

What it means: To lie
 

Parler français comme une vache espagnole

What it translates to: To speak French like a Spanish cow

What it means: To speak French poorly

La vache!

What it translates to: The cow!

What it means: My god!

Passer du coq à l’âne

What it translates to: To go from the rooster to the donkey

What it means: To jump from one topic to another

Brider l’âne par la queue

What it translates to: To bridle a donkey by the tail

What it means: To do something lacking common sense

Avoir une force de cheval

What it translates to: To have the strength of a horse

What it means: To be strong as an ox

Une queue de cheval

What it translates to: A horse’s tail

What it means: A ponytail

Ce n’est pas la vache qui crie le plus fort qui donne le plus de lait.

What it translates to: The cow that cries the loudest isn’t the one that gives the most milk.

What it means: The ones that protest the most do the least amount of work.

Qui vole un œuf, vole un bœuf.

What it translates to: He who steals an egg steals an ox.

What it means: Stealing is stealing, or a small crime leads to a bigger one.

Revenons à nos moutons.

What it translates to: Let’s get back to our sheep.

What it means: Let’s get back to what we were doing.

Mettre la charrue avant les bœufs

What it translates to: To put the cart before the oxen.

What it means: To put the cart before the horse, do something in the wrong order, or expect too much

On ne fait pas boire un âne qui n’a pas soif.

What it translates to: You can’t make a donkey drink if it’s not thirsty.

What it means: You can’t force a stubborn person to do something they don’t want to do.

Laisser pisser le mérinos

What it translates to: To let the merinos piss (merinos are a type of sheep)

What it means: To not react to a provocation (we might say, “It’s like water off a duck’s back.”)

Are you as depressed as this cockroach?

Bugs

Tirer les vers du nez

What it translates to: To pull worms out of the nose

What it means: To try to get someone to talk, reveal information

Avoir le cafard

What it translates to: To have the cockroach

What it means: To be down in the dumps

Avoir une araignée au plafond

What it translates to: To have a spider on the ceiling

What it means: To have bats in the belfry, to be a little crazy

On n’attrape pas les mouches avec du vinaigre.

What it translates to: You don’t catch flies with vinegar.

What it means: You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar (if you want something from someone, be nice and flattering).

Avoir des fourmis

What it translates to: To have ants

What it means: To feel pins and needles

Une écriture en pattes de mouche

What it translates to: Fly’s leg writing

What it means: Writing that’s too small to read, chicken scratch

Gross! Nobody likes a badly licked bear!

Bears

Vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué

What it translates to: To sell the bear’s skin before you’ve killed it

What it means: To count your chickens before they’re hatched

Un ours mal léché

What it translates to: A badly licked bear

What it means: An unsociable or uncouth person

Speak of the wolf and the Devil appears (or something like that)

Wolves

Quand on parle du loup (on en voit la queue).

What it translates to: When you speak of the wolf (you see its tail).

What it means: Speak of the Devil (and he appears).

J’ai une faim de loup.

What it translates to: I have a wolf’s hunger.

What it means: I’m starving (hungry like the wolf, à la Duran Duran?)

Marmots, like this fellow, really know how to get a good night’s sleep

Miscellaneous Animals

Dormir comme une marmotte

What it translates to: To sleep like a marmot (a giant, chubby squirrel, apparently)

What it means: To sleep like a log

Se faire poser un lapin

What it translates to: To be given a rabbit

What it means: To be stood up

S’ennuyer comme un rat mort

What it translates to: To be as bored as a dead rat

What it means: To be bored to death

Mémoire d’éléphant

What it translates to: An elephant’s memory

What it means: Similar to our expression, “An elephant never forgets.”

C’est la montagne qui accouche d’une souris.

What it translates to: The mountain gave birth to a mouse.

What it means: The big event turned out to be a major disappointment.

Ce n’est pas aux vieux singes qu’on apprend à faire des grimaces.

What it translates to: It’s not with old monkeys that you learn to make faces.

What it means: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Apparently the French and English agree that foxes are sly

Same as in English

Rusé comme un renard

What it translates to and what it means: Sly as a fox

Prendre le taureau par les cornes

What it translates to and what it means: To take the bull by the horns

Têtu comme une mule

What it translates to and what it means: Stubborn as a mule

Sources: Babbel, elearningfrench.com, Immersion Place, Voulez Vouloz

Learn These Spanish Curse Words to Make Your Conversations More Colorful

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Turns out we know the graffiti artist responsible for this social commentary on how shitty it is to leave your dog poop on the sidewalk

Las palabrotas aren’t for everyone. But Spanish bad words can be so good.

“How do you say ‘swear words’ in Spanish?” I asked my friend José as we sat in his and Jo's living room during a recent visit to Málaga, Spain.

“Las palabrotas,” he said. “That means ‘broken words.’”

“Me cago en la leche: literally, “I shit in the milk.”
It means, “No way!””

I gleefully handed him a notebook and had him write down all the swear words and naughty expressions he could think of in Spanish.

I feel it’s best to try to speak like locals — and that means learning the bad words as well. Heck, they’re usually the most fun anyway.

My love of swear words goes way back. In fact, in college, when I took a linguistics class, I titled one of my big reports for the semester, Fuck! The History of the Ultimate Four-Letter Word (and Other “Bad” Words).

My teacher, most likely bored with the usual goody-goody subjects, practically squealed in delight when I pitched my idea.

MORE CRASS: Michael and Kent on Living in Paris

Here’s the list that José wrote down for me:

• joder: to fuck
• la polla: dick (strangely, this word is feminine)
• el coño: pussy, though it also works as an expression like, "Dammit!"
• gilipolla: asshole, wanker (keep in mind some of these were shared by my British friend Jo)
• chupapollas: cocksucker
• Me cago en la leche: literally, "I shit in the milk." It means, “No way!”
• Tengo una cita con Roca: literally, "I have a date with Roca" (the most common brand of toilet in Spain). It means, “I need the loo.”
• mamón: from the verb meaning to breastfeed, this can mean sucker, loser or asshole
• cara culo: butthead
• Vete a tomar por culo: Get the fuck out of here
• hijoputa: son of a whore
• Me cago en tu padre/madre: I shit on your dad/mom (charming, eh?)
• Salut y forza al canut: A Catalán toast meaning, "To health and a hard cock!"
• marquita: literally, "ladybug." It means “gayboy”
• una chupada/mamada: blowjob
• correrse: to cum (notice it’s reflexive). Correr means “to run” — “Be very careful with these verbs,” Jo wisely warns. Let’s use them in a sentence: Correrme/Me corro: I’m cumming!
• tener un pedo/estar pedo: to be wasted, drunk. Interesting, as pedo means “fart.”

Enjoy, hijoputas! –Wally

What are your favorite naughty expressions in Spanish?