Show 5 more expressions

ni ideano idea / not a clue

colloquial

Shortened from 'no tengo ni idea'. The 'ni' here intensifies the total absence of knowledge, but the full meaning only becomes clear once you know the expression as a fixed unit.

— ¿Sabes a qué hora llega el tren? — Ni idea, no he mirado el horario.— Do you know what time the train arrives? — No idea, I haven't checked the timetable.

dar la latato pester / to nag / to be a nuisance

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colloquial

Literally 'to give the tin/can', with no logical connection to the figurative meaning. Implies repetitive, annoying insistence.

El niño estuvo dándole la lata a su madre toda la tarde para que le comprara un helado.The boy pestered his mother all afternoon to buy him an ice cream.

dar yuyuto give the creeps / to unsettle / to spook

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colloquial

'Yuyu' is an informal noun for an unnerving or eerie feeling. Completely opaque to anyone who doesn't know it. Typically used for people, places, or situations that feel unsettling rather than straightforwardly frightening.

Ese pasillo oscuro siempre me ha dado yuyu cuando vuelvo tarde a casa.That dark corridor has always given me the creeps when I come home late.

enfilarto have it in for someone / to hold a grudge against

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colloquial

In this usage (tener enfilado a alguien) it means to be persistently hostile or prejudiced against a specific person. Derived from military 'to take aim', but this figurative sense is fixed and not derivable from the literal meaning alone.

La profesora tiene enfilado a mi hermano desde que llegó tarde el primer día.The teacher has had it in for my brother since he arrived late on the first day.

cerrar filasto close ranks / to unite as a group against outsiders

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A fixed expression borrowed from military formation. Used when a group, family, or team suddenly becomes united and closed off to outside interference or criticism.

Cuando la empresa los criticó públicamente, los trabajadores cerraron filas y respondieron juntos.When the company publicly criticised them, the workers closed ranks and responded together.

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