The Spanish Obsessive · Updated 1 October 2026
We are proud to present the Spanish Obsessed collection of humorous Spanish phrases. These are phrases you can use just to get a quick laugh during your Spanish conversation, or whenever you feel like lightening the mood. They’re also quite good to use with English people when you want to say something but don’t want to get in trouble – just try one of these phrases instead!
The Spanish are good with their insults. In fact, in many regions they take pride in the inventiveness and originality of their insults – especially in Southern Spain. In Andalucía, they take insults to an art form almost akin to poetry! Of course, as with any slang, these can be very regional. Don’t be surprised, therefore, if you hear something completely new wherever you are, or if people look at you like you’re mad when you try some of the below. We’ve tried to use insults which are common to all of the Spanish speaking world, but there’s always the chance that the object of your insult might not understand you!
Donkeys know more than you
You’re so pathetic, you’re actually endearing
You have a face like the back of a fridge
You’re so ugly you made an onion cry
There are stupid days, and people who are stupid every day
Even if a monkey dresses in silk, it’s still a monkey (similar to English “you can’t put lipstick on a pig”)
95 essential phrases for beginners, designed to guide you towards fluency. Fluent speakers don’t build sentences word by word: they reach for ready-made phrases. Learn these and you’ll be speaking from day one, picking up the big grammar patterns along the way.
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Insults are something of a local sport in Spanish. What counts as a gentle tease in Bogotá might earn you a funny look in Madrid (or a much worse one in Buenos Aires!). Below are some of our favourites from four corners of the Spanish-speaking world. Most of them are playful between friends, but tone is everything here – so road-test them on people who already like you!
Mexican Spanish has a put-down for every occasion. For lots more, listen to our episode Hablar mexicano.
You’re a dummy
About as gentle as Mexican insults get. You’ll hear it between friends, brothers and sisters, and couples – usually with a smile.
¡No seas menso!
Don’t be daft!
What a pain!
For the person nobody wants to sit next to: smug, rude or just plain unpleasant. It comes from sangre (“blood”) – someone unbearable is said to have sangre pesada, or “heavy blood”.
I can’t stand him / her (lit. “he / she falls fat on me”)
Don’t worry, this has nothing to do with anyone’s weight! In Spanish, people “fall” well or badly on you (caer bien / caer mal), and caer gordo is what you say when someone really gets on your nerves.
Tu primo me cae gordo.
Your cousin really gets on my nerves.
You’re such a snob (lit. “you’re very strawberry”)
A fresa is the posh, spoilt kid who’s never had to lift a finger. One of our readers warns in the comments that it can be properly offensive – so maybe keep this one to yourself!
You’re dumber than Abundio
Nobody’s quite sure who Abundio was, but he’s gone down in history as Spain’s biggest fool. In the best-known version of the story, he sold his car to pay for the petrol.
He’s all talk
We all know one: the friend who’s always about to start a business, write a novel or call you back – and never quite does.
You’re such a mug
The person who always gets lumbered with the worst jobs, or who believes everything they’re told. It comes from pringar, “to get covered in grease” – the pringado is the one left with dirty hands.
You’re uglier than hitting your own dad
The logic is hard to argue with: there’s nothing uglier than hitting your father, so this is about as ugly as it gets!
What a suck-up!
Every office has one. Lambón comes from lamber, a colloquial way of saying lamer (“to lick”) – so you can probably picture the rest.
Don’t be a snitch (lit. “don’t be a toad”)
In Colombia, the sapo is the one who tells the teacher, or who can’t help sticking their nose into everyone else’s business.
How embarrassing! / So tacky!
Perfect for anything over the top or cringe-worthy – from your uncle’s dance moves to a gold-plated car.
Ese carro dorado es muy boleta.
That gold car is so tacky.
Argentinians use vos instead of tú – which is why you’ll see sos rather than eres below.
You’re an idiot
Probably the most Argentinian word there is. Among friends it simply means “mate”, and you’ll hear it every few seconds – but said in anger, it’s a genuine insult. Context is everything!
Che, boludo, ¿venís esta noche?
Hey mate, are you coming tonight?
You’re a fraud / a bluffer
A chanta is all bluster: big promises, dodgy deals and very little to show for it.
He’s / she’s full of themselves (lit. “enlarged”)
Someone whose head has grown a few sizes too big – the Argentinian cousin of creerse la última coca-cola del desierto (see below).
Why not go a little deeper? As you’ve seen, Spanish is a beautiful and fun language. Why not check out our range of Spanish podcasts?
These are complete phrases, where you can impart your wisdom:
He who laughs last laughs longest
He that knows nothing, doubts nothing
Much ado about nothing (lit. “lots of noise and few walnuts”)
Used for something that makes a big fuss but delivers very little. It’s also the Spanish title of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
There’s a way out of everything except death (lit. “everything has a solution except for death”)
A way of saying “it’s not the end of the world”.
Money talks (lit. “for money, the dog dances”)
In Latin America you’ll also hear por la plata baila el mono (“for money, the monkey dances”).
Below is a collection of slang phrases which you can use in all sorts of situations:
To screw up/put one’s foot (lit. “paw”) in it.
For example, Metí la pata cuando le dije a mi jefe que ayer no estaba enfermo, “I put my foot in it when I told my boss I wasn’t ill yesterday”.
To have a guilty conscience, lit. “to have a tail made of straw”.
A straw tail could catch fire at any moment, so whoever has one keeps away from the flames – and gets defensive at the slightest hint. You’ll hear it in much of Latin America.
For example, ¡Sabe que tiene cola de paja!, “he knows he did something wrong!”.
As happy as a clam (lit. “as happy as a worm”)
Day-dreaming (lit. “catching flies”).
For example, ¡Despiértate! ¡Siempre estás papando moscas!: “Wake up! You’re always day-dreaming!”
To think you’re the business (lit. “to think of oneself as the last coca-cola in the desert”)
Spanish idioms are at their funniest when you translate them word for word. Here are some more of our favourites – including a few suggested by readers in the comments (thank you!).
I couldn’t care less (lit. “it matters a cucumber to me”)
Spain & Latin America
It seems any small, cheap thing will do: you’ll also hear me importa un rábano (“a radish”) and me importa un comino (“a cumin seed”).
To be completely bonkers (lit. “to be like a goat”)
Spain
Anyone who’s watched goats leaping around a mountainside will understand this one.
Tu hermano está como una cabra.
Your brother is completely bonkers.
To not mince your words (lit. “to have no hairs on your tongue”)
Spain & Latin America
A compliment or a warning, depending on who you ask – someone with no hairs on their tongue says exactly what they think.
To talk the hind legs off a donkey (lit. “to talk through your elbows”)
Spain & Latin America
English blames the donkey, Spanish blames the elbows.
To sleep it off (lit. “to sleep the monkey”)
Spain & Latin America
Here, mona means being drunk. Thanks to Nuria in the comments for the perfect example – this is how you say “go home, you’re drunk”:
Vete a casa a dormir la mona.
Go home and sleep it off.
To kick up a fuss (lit. “to set up a chicken”)
Spain
When someone causes a scene in a shop or a restaurant, they’ve “set up a chicken”. Don’t ask us why!
To stuff your face (lit. “to put your boots on”)
Spain
En la boda nos pusimos las botas.
We stuffed our faces at the wedding.
To push the boat out (lit. “to throw the house out of the window”)
Spain & Latin America
For weddings, big birthdays and any other time when money is no object.
To make a mountain out of a molehill (lit. “to drown in a glass of water”)
Spain & Latin America
To hit on someone (lit. “to throw the dogs at someone”)
Colombia & Venezuela
Not as aggressive as it sounds – it just means flirting with someone, usually not very subtly.
Creo que Andrés te está echando los perros.
I think Andrés is hitting on you.
To sit around doing nothing (lit. “to scratch your belly”)
Spain
Our readers suggested some much ruder body parts in the comments – we’ll leave those to you!
Quiz
Think you’ve got them? Nine quick questions on the phrases in this guide – pick an answer and the explanation opens underneath.
A friend says “Me importa un pepino”. What does she mean?
Answer: She couldn’t care less
Me importa un pepino – literally “it matters a cucumber to me” – means “I couldn’t care less”. A radish (rábano) or a cumin seed (comino) work too.
Your Spanish friend says that your brother está como una cabra. What does she mean?
Answer: He’s completely crazy
Estar como una cabra (“to be like a goat”) means to be nuts. Stubborn would be cabezota.
You tell your boss you weren’t ill yesterday. Which phrase sums up what you just did?
Answer: Meter la pata
Meter la pata – “to put your paw in it” – is the Spanish for putting your foot in it.
Someone is papando moscas. What are they doing?
Answer: Daydreaming
“Catching flies” – standing there with your mouth open, miles away.
In Buenos Aires, a friend says “Che, boludo, ¿venís?”. Is he insulting you?
Answer: Probably not – between friends it means “mate”
Between friends boludo is just “mate” or “dude”. Said angrily, though, it means “idiot”.
Someone who se cree la última coca-cola del desierto…
Answer: thinks they’re the best thing ever
They think they’re as precious as the last Coke in the desert – in other words, they think they’re the business.
In Mexico, “Tu primo me cae gordo” means…
Answer: I can’t stand your cousin
Caer bien / mal is how you say you like or dislike someone. Caer gordo is the stronger version.
Mucho ruido y pocas nueces describes…
Answer: a big fuss over very little
“Lots of noise and few walnuts” – much ado about nothing. It’s also the Spanish title of Shakespeare’s play.
Which English saying is closest to aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda?
Answer: You can’t put lipstick on a pig
However you dress it up, it’s still a monkey – or a pig in lipstick.
Do you have any funny Spanish phrases you would add? Let us know in the comments below!
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14 responses
“Tienes la cara como una nevera por detrás” sounds cruel and funny at the same time. In Puerto Rico we use this funny one: “estar como sapo de letrina” to say that you are stuffed or full of food.
Is there any way to say something like “Go home, you’re drunk”?
We say “vete a casa a dormir la mona”(go home to sleep the drunkenness)
Mona in this case means intoxication or drunkenness
Vete pa la casa, estas borracha
To call someone a ‘fresa’ (strawberry) is actually quite offensive. Its like calling someone a snobby, uppity major drama queen to their face. HIGHLY offensive
What about “Que se te quite El gordo!”
Get that fat off your self. Its funnier in Spanish
Catching flies is a good one. In Georgia (country) we say ´counting flies´ and there is also a more vulgar one: ‘piercing his balls with a big needle’ (He’s sitting there, piercing his balls with a big needle). This means doing nothing or doing something that has no useful outcome.
In Spain, we would say: ‘está todo el día rascándose los huevos’ (all day long scratching his balls, that’s all he does) or ‘se rasca las pelotas a dos manos’ (scratches his balls with both hands)
:))
“Me importa un rábano.”
“I couldn’t care less”, or phrases like that. (lit. “I care about a radish.”)
Various vegetables/fruits may be used in Spanish, such as cucumbers. (“Me importa un pepino.”)
creerse la ultima coca- cola del desierto, reminds me of the English phrase ” all that in a bag of chips”
Another good one for your list would be: ´Que cada perrito se lama su cipotito´ = each to sort out their own problems (lit. each dog must lick his own dickie´)
Me caes gordo/ gorda…. You make me sick, I’m tired of you
Más tonto que una piedra
¿Sabías que llamar a alguien estúpido en español es un insulto sorprendentemente más ofensivo que decirle eso a alguien en un área de inglés? ¡Asegúrese de vigilar su boca en estas áreas!