IdiomDaily Life
Spanish
Spanishcontante y sonante
Meaning: Money in ready cash; actual payment rather than promises or credit.
Literally: Ready and ringing
Example: “Pagó el coche contante y sonante.” — He paid for the car in cold hard cash.
English equivalent: Cold hard cash
Equivalents in other languages
French: Des espèces sonnantes et trébuchantes Literally: Ringing and tipping coin
English: cold hard cash
Origin: Money that is contante can be counted on the spot, and sonante rings when the coins are dropped on the table. The RAE dictionary lists dinero contante, or contante y sonante, for ready cash, as against promises, credit or paper. Strictly, banknotes count but do not ring.
More Spanish idioms
- lobo con piel de cordero A person who appears harmless or trustworthy but is actually dangerous or deceitful.
- dar coces contra el aguijón To resist or rebel futilely against something stronger or inevitable.
- no ganar para sustos To be plagued by constant troubles and misfortunes; to suffer setback after setback.
- perder la chaveta To go crazy; to lose one's grip on sanity or self-control.
- con lo puesto With nothing but the clothes on one's back; in a state of complete destitution.
- Buscar una aguja en un pajar To search for something you have almost no chance of finding, because the thing is tiny a…
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Pablito clavó un clavito, ¿qué clavito clavó Pablito? A bouncy drill on the 'cl' cluster.
- Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal. A relentless run on the 'tr' sound.
- El cielo está enladrillado, ¿quién lo desenladrillará? A brutal test of the rolled 'r' and 'l'.
Keep exploring