Splitting hairs

Fernando came up against this one when speaking Spanish but felt the need to add “splitting hairs” in English at the end of a sentence. We have quibblers in both English and Spanish, of course, who pedantically insist on finding the fifth leg on a cat (buscarle la quinta pata al gato) or the hair on an egg (buscarle el pelo al huevo). All of these idioms are about making a fuss out of inconsequential details but we couldn’t help feeling cheated that dividiendo pelos wasn’t a thing. In either language, maybe invest your energy elsewhere.

Tener la lapicera

As the PRO party seemed to dissolve in front of our eyes in a voting assembly this week, one interviewee told us that it was an embarrassing fight to establish who “holds the pen.” We translated it as “wields the power” but tener la lapicera is a more fun way to describe having the final word, by ultimately signing them off in ink.

As an aside, also got me thinking that lapicera is a regional term for pen, whereas many probably learned the word bolígrafo or boli. Somehow tener el bolígrafo to my ears just doesn’t have the same gravitas — but neither does tener la birome.

Papelón

The PRO piece was just one long translation trouble for Facundo and me: that same source said the entire affair was a papelón. 

Suffix time! Like our best friend –azo, -ón/ona/one is used for emphasis (and varies according to the subject). So your favorite song isn’t a tema, it’s a temón. If someone wanted to call me a crybaby, they’d say I was a llorone. It’s incredibly versatile and makes things more intense: in this case, papelón would literally be a big paper. I’m being facetious here, since in Spanish a papel can also refer to a stage role: papelón meaning, of course, someone’s behavior being a total embarrassment. 

As versatile as the suffix, what you consider a papelón varies according to your level of cringe: the dumpster fire of politics, the ever-giving well of the family, and our social anxieties are bountiful inspirations. Next time you witness embarrassing behavior you can shake your head and say: Qué papelón.

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