Cats are cute and mysterious, loyal and traitorous, independent and loving. If you are a cat lover, here are six Spanish slang expressions or modismos that use cats as their central figure.
Idiomatic expressions are an important part of the Spanish learning process and perhaps one of the most difficult. In many cases, popular sayings cannot just be translated literally. These sayings and illustrations are featured on the books Speaking Boricua , Speaking Phrases Boricua and Speaking Argento.
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6 Spanish Slang Expressions With The Word CAT
1. Aquí hay gato encerrado
Here is a cat closed up
Something fishy is going on, something’s not right.
Example: Me huele a que hay gato encerrado. No hay nadie en la calle.
2. Buscar las cinco patas al gato
Look for the five paws of the cat
Means to attempt to solve an unsolvable situation or waste time looking for something that does not exist. In other countries you may hear the variation Buscar la quinta pata al gato.
Example: María siempre le busca las cinco patas al gato.
3. Defenderse más que gato boca arriba
Defend oneself more than a cat mouth upward
To viciously defend oneself. Apparently cats, really come out fighting when they are on their backs.
Example: Chacha, si la hubieses visto como se defendía más que gato boca arriba.
4. Haber gato en saco
There is a cat in a bag
Means that there’s a hidden or secret reason in what is being discussed.
Example: Jum, aquí como que hay gato en saco, no me gusta.
5. Se cree que tiene el gato por el rabo
He/She thinks that he/she has the cat taken by the tail
To believe one has everything under control, to have the horse by the reigns.
Example: La verdad es que ella es la que tiene el gato por el rabo, así que ni para allá voy a mirar.
6. Estar meado por los gatos
Being pissed by cats
To be cursed, covered in bad luck.
Example:
Los porteños poniendo; Rosario está meado por los gatos, destino final rosario.. che BOLUDOS, se olvidaron de la AMIA?
— Carla Duarte (@khharr_belifan) August 11, 2013
Check out these other Spanish Slang Expressions articles.
