The word calle (street) is used in a variety of useful Spanish expressions.
alborotar la calle – to disturb the neighborhood
calle arriba – up the street
calle abajo – down the street
calle de la amargura – a difficult situation (figurative)
calle de un sentido or calle de dirección única or una vía – one-way street
Al no haber pan, bastan las tortillas – When you are hungry anything is good
Amor con hambre no dura – Love with hunger doesn’t last
Comer como lima nueva – To eat a lot. Lima is a file (tool).
Comer como huérfano – To eat like an orphan or be very hungry.
Comer y tragar porque el mundo se va acabar – Enjoy food
The verb torcer means to twist similar to our English word torsion which is the act of twisting or turning. Like many Spanish words torcer and its derivations are used in a variety of expressions.
Dar un giro – to take turn figuratively. Mi vida ha dado un giro de 360 grados. My life has turned around or changed completely.
Día de la Madre – Mother’s Day
Futura madre – an expectant mother
Lengua madre – mother tongue or first language
¡Madre de Dios¡ – Good heavens!
Madre patria – mother country
Madre política – mother-in-law. Suegra is more common.
Madre primeriza – first time mother
Madrear – to insult
According to Hamel’s Bilingual Dictionary of Mexicanismos (Mexican Spanish) the word chingadera means trash or nonsense. During my youth when I was living and studying in México in the 1960s I became familiar with this term and most of its uses.
(1) Chingadera
Esta tienda vende puras chingaderas. This shop sells nothing but crap or trash.
Quita
