Since we are in holy week or Semana Santa the follow is appropriate.
Here are some of the definitions of the word santo: Perfect and free of sin. A person declared as such by the Church. A virtuous person. Said of a something that is dedicated to God or a holy service. Said of something that is venerated. Describing a religious festival. Sacred. Holy. Said of something that brings good luck. Characteristic of the Catholic church. A person’s saint’s day or name day. A picture of a saint. A type of portrait in a book.
Santo also is used in a variety of idioms and phrases. Here are some of them:
Alzar con el santo y la limosna: to rob everything
Campo santo: cemetery.
Dar con el santo en tierra: to let something fall
Desnudar un santo par vestir otro: to rob Peter to pay Paul
Espíritu Santo: Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost.
Guerra santa: holy war.
Hierba santa: mint (herb).
Hora santa: prayer given before the Eucharist, or in commemoration of the suffering of Jesus.
Lengua santa: the Hebrew language.
Llegar y besar el santo: to succeed at something immediately or on the first try.
Mano de santo: fast and complete cure for an ailment or problem.
No es el santo de mi devoción: not my cup of tea. José no es el santo de mi devoción. I am not keen on José.
Perder el santo y la imosna : to lose everything
Quedarse para vestir santos: to remain unmarried (said of a woman).
Santa Faz: an image of the face of Jesus.
Santa Sede: Holy See.
Santo con cachos: a devilish person
Santo de cara: good luck. (Cierto es que no todo el mundo tiene el santo de cara. It’s certain that not everyone has good luck.)
Santo de espaldas: bad luck.
Santo de pajares: person whose sainthood can’t be trusted.
Santo y seña: military password
Santo patrón: patron saint
Santurrón: a hypocrite
Se le fue el santo al cielo: someone forgot what he or she was saying
Semana Santa: Holy Week (the week preceding Easter, including Good Friday).
Ser un santo: to be a saint (figurative)…good person
Tierra Santa: Holy Land.
Todo el santo día: the whole day long
Tiquismos :
Se descuidó San Pedro que se salieron los ángeles: a piropo or compliment said to a woman. San Pedro let the angels (woman) out of heaven.
