Sitting there in the suspicious-smelling language classrooms of Boulder High, thinking about the hot person sitting across from you, paralyzed by the fear of the next test, the distractions are infinite. You might learn enough to survive in a foreign country, but this environment is not the most conducive to appreciating the complete beauty of language. Spanish classes at Boulder High simply don’t have the bandwidth to expose students to the more colorful aspects and intricacies of language. This is frankly a shame. Spanish is home to the best idioms known to man. The following chart contains my personal favorites:
| Idiom (modismo) | Translation(traduccion) | Meaning (significado) |
| Tener el nopal en la frente | Having the cactus on your forehead | Being very Mexican |
| Sana Sana Colita de Rana | “Heal, heal, frog tail” | A powerful spell to make pain go away; 10x more effective than Advil, capable of healing broken bones. Use wisely. |
| Ya te cargó el payaso | “The clown has carried you” | You are screwed, beware, you’re about to die. |
| Chupar faro | “Sucking the lamp” | Dying |
| Al chile | “To the chili/pepper” | Using an example:
“Al chile no puedo más con mi clase de mate.” “Honestly, I can’t anymore with my math class.” |
| Producto de Gallina | “Hen product” | Better understood with an example; “lava los platos con producto de gallina”
“Wash the dishes with greater conviction” |
| Estas pulgas no brincan en tu petate | “These fleas don’t jump on your fur” | You’re not romantically interested in someone. |
I hope I have opened your eyes to a fascinating part of the Spanish lexicon. Go and slay your language classes, y’all.
