A Widow's Game: Spanish study pack

Show 8 more expressions

tío / tíaguy / girl, mate, dude

colloquial

Literally 'uncle/aunt'; used between friends or acquaintances as a casual address. Equivalent to 'mate', 'dude', or 'man' in English informal speech.

Tía, no te lo vas a creer lo que me acaban de contar.Girl, you're not going to believe what they just told me.

fliparto be blown away, to be shocked, to freak out

colloquial

Expresses strong surprise or disbelief. Can also mean to be really into something. Very common in informal speech among younger and middle-aged speakers.

Flipé cuando vi lo que habían hecho con el piso: era irreconocible.I was blown away when I saw what they'd done with the flat, it was unrecognisable.

guarrofilthy, disgusting (person or thing)

colloquial

Can describe a dirty or slovenly person, or something done in a crude/gross way. Also used as a mild insult.

Deja de comer así, no seas guarro.Stop eating like that, don't be so disgusting.

hijoputason of a bitch, bastard

vulgar

Strong insult, often used in frustration rather than directly at a person. Frequently appears in venting or complaints about people in general.

Hay cada hijoputa suelto por el mundo que te deja sin palabras.There are such bastards out there in the world that it leaves you speechless.

ñapabotch job, shoddy work; dodgy tradesperson

colloquial

Refers to poorly done work, especially in construction or repairs, and by extension to the person who does it. Common when complaining about tradespeople.

Contrataron a un ñapa para arreglar la caldera y ahora tienen el suelo destrozado.They hired a cowboy to fix the boiler and now they've got the floor wrecked.

cachondoturned on, randy; also: funny, hilarious

colloquial

Has two distinct colloquial meanings: sexual arousal, or finding something very funny. Context makes the meaning clear. Both uses are common and neither is considered especially vulgar.

Me puso cachonda aquella canción que sonaba en la radio.That song playing on the radio turned me on.

vacilación / vacilarto tease, to mess with someone

colloquial

Used to mean winding someone up or taking the piss out of them. Not to be confused with 'to hesitate', which is the standard dictionary meaning.

Me estaba vacilando todo el rato y al final resultó que sí era verdad.He was messing with me the whole time and in the end it turned out to be true.

dar de síto go a long way, to yield a lot, to stretch far

colloquial

Idiomatic expression meaning something produces or yields more than expected, money, time, fabric, etc. Can be used ironically.

Con poco dinero puede dar mucho de sí si sabes administrarte bien.A small amount of money can go a long way if you know how to manage it well.

A Widow's Game

Expressions to listen for

Key vocabulary