A woman in Vancouver, Washington, wants to know the origin of the phrase the coast is clear, meaning “it’s safe to proceed.” It most likely has to do with a literal coast, whether from the perspective of a ship at sea or guards patrolling the shoreline. The Spanish equivalent, no hay moros en la costa, translates literally as,”There are no Moors on the coast.” This is part of a complete episode.
The colorful Spanish idiom planchar la oreja means “to sleep,” but translated literally, it means “to iron the...
The Spanish word for “sunroof,” that opening in the top of a car, is quemacocos, which has a picturesque origin. Coco is a...
In Spanish, you can have a siesta, or mid-day nap, but it’s also possible to take un coyotito, literally, “a little...
Quincy from Bozeman, Montana, wonders how burritos came to be named with a Spanish word that means “little donkey.” In Spanish...
The Spanish word candado, or “padlock,” comes from Latin catenatus, meaning “chained,” also the source of the...
Richard emails from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to share some favorite phrases from his beloved grandmother. We waited for you like one pig...
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