Spanish Phrases Referring to Parts of the Body

In Spanish, you can open your ears as well as your eyes, and something that fits perfectly is like a ring on a finger instead of a glove on a hand. The language has hundreds of phrases and colloquial expressions that include the names of body parts. Here are some of the most common or interesting; each phrase below is followed by a literal translation and then a common English translation followed by a sample sentence. Note that many of the sentence translations are not literal. Brazo (Arm) dar el brazo a torcer (to give ones arm to be turned) — to give up, to be persuaded — Era el equipo que no dio el brazo a torcer en busca del gol. (It was the team that never gave up in pursuit of the goal.)nacer con un pan bajo el brazo (to be born with a loaf of bread under the arm) — to be born with a silver spoon in ones mouth — La hija de los actores nacerà ¡ con un pan bajo el brazo. (The actors daughter will be born with a silver spoon in her mouth.) Cabeza (Head) andar de cabeza (to be heady) — to be busy, to have a full plate — Solo son las 11 de la maà ±ana y ya ando de cabeza. (Its only 11 a.m. and already Im swamped with plenty to do.)andar mal de la cabeza (to be bad in the head) — to be crazy, to not think straight — Creo que yo no soy el que anda mal de la cabeza. (I know Im not the one who needs my head examined.)cabeza frà ­a (cool head) — said of someone who remains calm or rational — La expulsià ³n del jugador es totalmente justificada. Nunca tiene la cabeza frà ­a. (The players expulsion is totally justified. Hes always a hot head.)cabeza hueca (hollow head) — said of someone stupid — La persona de madurez no tiene la cabeza hueca. (The mature person isnt an air head.) One common synonym is cabeza de chorlito, equivalent of the English bird brain. Other synonyms include cabeza de melà ³n (melon head) and cabeza de calabaza (pumpkin head). Cerebro (Brain) cerebro de mosquito (mosquito brain) — bird brain, stupid person — Parece que tu cerebro de mosquito no te deja comprender lo que yo escribà ­.  (It seems that your bird brain doesnt let you understand what I wrote you.)cerebro gris (gray brain) — someone who is in charge behind the scenes. — El profesor niega ser el cerebro gris del presidente. (The professor denies being the hidden brains behind the president.)lavar el cerebro (to wash the brain) — to brainwash, although the Spanish term doesnt always come across as pejorative as the English one — Me lavà ³ el cerebro y me convencià ³ de irnos a festejar Aà ±o Nuevo. (She brainwashed me and convinced me to go with her to celebrate New Years.) Codo (Elbow) codo con codo, codo a codo (elbow to elbow) — side by side; in cooperation with others — Estudiaron codo a codo por una hora. (They studied together for an hour.)empinar el codo, levantar de codo (to lift ones elbow) — to drink alcoholic beverages — Despuà ©s de la pesca, empinaron el codo y se durmieron. (After fishing, they drank a few and fell asleep.) Dedo (Finger) chuparse el dedo (to suck ones thumb) — to be naive, foolish or unknowledgeable; to see someone else as such — No me digas que tu perro comià ³ tus tareas.  ¡No me chupo el dedo! (Dont tell me the dog ate your homework. I wasnt born yesterday!)como anillo al dedo (like a ring on a finger) — perfectly timed or perfectly suitable for the situation — La oportunidad vino como anillo al dedo. (The opportunity came to me at the perfect time.)no tener dos dedos de frente (to not have two fingers of a forehead; the phrase comes from a time when it was believed that the size and shape of the forehead was an indicator of intelligence) — to be stupid, to be as smart as a fence post, to not be the sharpest tool in the shed, etc. — El que se crea eso no tiene dos dedos de frente. (Whoever believes that isnt very bright.)sin mover un dedo (without moving a finger) — without lifting a finger — Es posible tener à ©xito en los negocios sin m over un dedo. (It is possible to be successful in business without lifting a finger.)tapar el Sol con un dedo (to hide the sun with ones finger) — to ignore reality, to bury ones head in the sand — Tapa el sol con el dedo cuando trata de defender lo indefendible. (Hes ignoring reality when he tries to defend the indefensible.) Espalda (Back) cubrir las espaldas (to cover someones back) — to protect someone, to have someones back — Te cubro las espaldas. Todo està ¡ bajo control. (I have your back. Everything is under control.)volver la espalda (to turn ones back) — to turn ones back — No me respondià ³ antes me volvià ³ la espalda. (He did not answer me before turning his back on me.) Nariz (Nose or Nostril) darle en la nariz (to be given in the nose) — to be suspicious — Me da en la nariz que la respuesta de mi padre es no. (I have a suspicion that my fathers answer is no.)no ver mà ¡s allà ¡ de sus narices (to not see beyond ones nostrils) — to not see beyond the end of ones nose — Esta generacià ³n de polà ­ticos no ve mà ¡s allà ¡ de sus narices e intereses. (This generation of politicians cant see beyond their noses and own interests.) Oà ­do (Ear) abrir los oà ­dos (to open ones ears) — to pay attention — Los escolares abren los oà ­dos al cambio climà ¡tico. (Scholars are paying attention to climate change.)entrarle por un oà ­do y salirle por el otro (to go in one ear and out the other) — to go in one ear and out the other — Las palabras de su hermano le entraron por un oà ­do y le salieron por el otro, sin afectarla en absoluto (Her brothers words went in one ear and out the other without affecting her in the least.)prestar oà ­do (to lend an ear) — to pay attention — Elena no prestaba oà ­do a las disculpas. (Elena didnt pay attention to the excuses.) Ojo (Eye) costar un ojo de la cara (to cost an eye from ones face) — to cost an arm and a leg — Viajar al oriente del paà ­s te costarà ¡ un ojo de la cara. (Traveling to the eastern part of the country will cost you an arm and a leg.)echar un ojo (to throw a look) — to take a look — Vamos a echar un ojo a lo que dice. (Were going to take a look at what hes saying.)en el ojo del huracà ¡n (in the eye of the hurricane ) — in the center of a controversy, in the center of the storm — Le diseà ±adora està ¡ en el ojo del huracà ¡n por la extrema delgadez de sus modelos. (The designer is in the hot seat because of the extreme thinness of her models.)tener ojo de lince (to have a lynx eye) — to have good vision, literally or figuratively; to have eagle eyes — Nuestro contador tiene ojo de lince para detectar pequeà ±as  irregularidades. (Our accountant has eagle eyes for finding tiny irregularities.) Pecho (Chest, Breasts) dar pecho, dar el pecho (to give the breast) — to breastfeed —  ¿Necesitan proteccià ³n institucional las mujeres que dan el pecho en pà ºblico? (Do women who breastfeed in public need institutional protection?)tener un corazà ³n que no le cabe en el pecho (to have a heart too big to fit in his/her chest) — to be big-hearted or generous — En mà ¡s de una ocasià ³n ha demostrado que tiene un corazà ³n que no le cabe en el pecho. (More than once she has shown herself to be very generous.) Pie y Cabeza (Foot and Head) de pies a cabeza (from feet to head) — from head to toe — Mi hijo està ¡ tatuado de pies a cabeza con varios diseà ±os. (My son is tattooed from head to toe with various designs.)sin pies ni cabeza (without feet nor head) — making no sense; without rhyme or reason — El puente a ninguna parte es un proyecto sin pies ni cabeza. (The bridge to nowhere is a senseless project.) Pierna (Leg) dormir a pierna suelta (to sleep with a leg that is free to move; the phrase comes from the days when prisoners would sleep better if their legs werent chained to prevent escape) — to sleep like a log — Nuestro bebà © dormà ­a a pierna suelta y no se despertà ³ nunca por el ruido. (Our baby slept like a log and never woke up because of the noise.)hacer piernas (to do legs) — to get exercise — Hace 15 aà ±os, cuando empecà © a entrenar, me dije, No necesito hacer piernas porque ya tengo mà ºsculos muy grandes. (Fifteen years ago, when I began training, I told myself, I dont need to exercise because I already have big muscles.)