Me Cayó el 20. 10 expressions that are not so easy to figure out (8)

Vintage Mexican 20 cent coin.
Vintage Mexican 20 cent coin.

Here are 10 common random idioms you may have trouble with if you hear them for the first time:

Expression Approximate literal translation (what you might think you actually heard) Explanation
ni loco, ni loca neither crazy no way. (Not even if I were crazy)
¿no que no?

no that not?, not that not? not not?

Did you change your mind?, I thought you said no. Didn’t you say no? (this expression could be a little sarcastic). It’s the perfect combination for ¿No que no?, sí se puede.

dichosos los ojos (probably MX only, they use it in very old Mexican movies) happy the eyes it’s nice seeing you, the full expression is dichosos los ojos que te ven. Happy the eyes that are seeing you. Dicha is happiness, but I think it’s a more permanent condition than just being feliz about something.

de día, de noche

of day, of night

daytime, nighttime

marcar el número to mark the number to dial the phone number
agua con gas, gaseosa water with gas carbonated water, soda, pop
día de fiesta party day holiday (I thought this one was obvious, until I noticed that when I say día de fiesta, my students ask me where is the party!!!).

traerse algo entre manos

to bring something between your hands

to be up to something, to be plotting something

no me trago ese cuento

I don’t swallow that story

I don’t buy that story, I don’t believe that story

ya me cayó el veinte (MX) the twenty fell on me now. I just realized it, I just got it, I just understood something. (it comes from old payphones. In Mexico, they used 20 cent coins, when the call was established, the coin came down making a noise.  It’s like the quarter dropped in me, the quarter fell on me. My student from Israel tells me this expression is used in that country, he thinks that it might have arrived in Israel via Telenovelas.

 

This is La Casera gaseosa. Homemade seltzer water. Gaseosa La Gaseosa

 

Originally posted on 20100816. Latest update 20210504  (spanishNY.com) top

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Rudo y Cursi movie poster.

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