IdiomDaily Life
Spanish
Spanisha todo mecate
Meaning: (Mexican Spanish) At full speed; with maximum effort; going all out.
Literally: At full rope
Example: “Los jinetes salieron a todo mecate por el llano.” — The riders set off across the plain at full tilt.
English equivalent: At full tilt
Other ways to say this
- Spanish: a uña de caballo Literally: At horse's hoof
Italian: a gambe levate Literally: At raised legs
French: En quatrième vitesse Literally: In fourth gear
English: at full tilt
Origin: Mecate is a rope or cord, a word from Nahuatl mecatl, and it is used mainly in Mexico and Central America. A todo mecate is going full tilt, as if pulling on the whole rope; Wiktionary records it in Mexico and Honduras.
More Spanish idioms
- viva estampa An exact likeness; someone or something that looks exactly like another.
- éramos pocos y parió la abuela as if that wasn't enough, things went from bad to worse.
- mal trago a difficult or unpleasant experience; a bitter pill to swallow.
- en dos patadas very easily or effortlessly.
- con pies de plomo To proceed with extreme caution or wariness; to tread carefully in a delicate situation.
- tomar el toro por los cuernos To face a difficult problem directly and courageously rather than avoiding it.
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