The Idioms from Around the Globe series continues its journey in May to the Spanish-speaking world. The Spanish conference interpreter Maria Cecilia Lipovsek introduces this month’s tasty-sounding idiom.
Andá a freir churros
Language: Spanish
In English please! Go fry churros
Why go fry stuff? Andá a freir churros is a Spanish expression from the 19th century. It was used to tell someone in a very informal, yet unequivocal way, to get lost and leave you in peace. It is also a face-saving way to put an end to an argument, as the funny undertone helps to diffuse tension. Other variants of the same expression include sending the culprit to pick or fry asparagus, peel or fry monkeys, go around the corner to check if it is raining or just go for a walk.
Bio: Maria Cecilia Lipovsek (www.mclinterpreting.com) is a Spanish (A), English (B), and Portuguese (C) London-based diplomatic and conference interpreter specialised in Latin America with more than fifteen years of experience in interpreting on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Her client base includes the presidential offices and Ministries of Foreign Affairs of several Latin American countries and the UK, Nobel Prize winners, multinational companies, think tanks, and European Union agencies, as well as top London interpreting agencies.
Do you find idioms fascinating? This article offers some useful background information on what they are and how to use them.
