Body Idioms and Proverbs

Body Idioms and Proverbs

Hi folks!

In this post I am going to show you some body idioms and proverbs you can use on a daily basis. I am going to give you the equivalent in Spanish and when there is none, I will explain what they mean and when you should use them as well as giving you an example. 

1. Off the top of my head 
We use this idiom when someone asks us something and at that moment without thinking about it too much, without preparation or investigation, we cannot remember or we do not know. For instance, you friend asks you: "What is the longest river in Spain?" and you answer: "I do not know off the top of my head, but I will look it up." In Spanish we say "a bote pronto, sin pararse mucho a pensar."


"My head met my Gillet Sensor..." by Todd Hiestand CC BY-NC 2.0

2. Have a sweet tooth
You have a sweet tooth if you love eating sweets and chocolate. In Spanish we say "ser goloso/a." For example, your colleague asks you: "Would you like some chocolate?" and you answer: "Oh my God! Yes, please! I have a sweet tooth, I can never say no to chocolate!"


Tooth Cartoon Illustration Cute by Karen Arnold CC0 1.0 Public Domain

3. Wash one's hands of something
Have you ever thought you did not want to be involved with a difficult situation anymore? Have you ever said I did everything I could, I am sorry, but I no longer want to hear about it? This is what this idiom means, you refuse to accept responsibility for something. There is an equivalent in Spanish, which is "lavarse las manos" and does not mean to open the tap and wash your hands, but to stop your involvement with something.  An example of this is "the Prime Minister washed his hands of the corruption scandal."


Wash Your Hands by George Hodan CC0 1.0 Public Domain

4. By the skin of one's teeth
If you do something by the skin of your teeth, you nearly fail to do it. In Spanish we would say "por los pelos." For instance, you arrive at the airport late, you almost miss your flight and tell your mum: "Oh Gosh, mum, I caught the plane by the skin of my teeth!"


Alpaca Chewing by Lilla Frerichs CC0 1.0 Public Domain

5. Out of sight, out of mind
This proverb means that you will soon forget what you cannot see, e.g. "we know there are millions of children starving to death in Africa, but out of sight, out of mind." In Spanish we say "ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente."


Decision Making by Mohamed Hassan CC0 1.0 Public Domain

6. Absence makes the heart grow fonder
"La ausencia es al amor lo que al fuego el aire: que apaga el pequeño y aviva el grande." With this poetic proverb I am going to finish my post. This saying is normally used when couples are apart from each other, perhaps in a long distance relationship. It is a litmus test, that is, if their feelings are strong, they are going to grow stronger when they are not together, but if they are not, their love will die. 


Love of Nature by LJW Devon CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

I hope you have enjoyed learning new body idioms and proverbs! If you know more, please feel free to leave a comment and add more to the list! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write a comment too.

Have a lovely week and see you soon!