SpanishCostar un ojo de la cara
Meaning: To be outrageously expensive.
Literally: To cost an eye from the face
Example: “Arreglar el tejado nos costó un ojo de la cara.” — Fixing the roof cost us an arm and a leg.
English equivalent: To cost an arm and a leg
Origin: Costing an eye from one's face is costing something precious and irreplaceable. The popular story credits the conquistador Diego de Almagro, who lost an eye fighting in present-day Colombia around 1524–25 and is said to have told the Crown that serving it had cost him an eye from his face. The tale is widely repeated but no primary source for the remark has been cited. Spanish also says costar los ojos de la cara, or un ojo de la cara y parte del otro.
Equivalents in other languages
Finnish: Maksaa maltaita Literally: To cost malts
English: To cost an arm and a leg
French: Ça pique Literally: It stings- French: Coûter un bras Literally: To cost an arm
- French: Coûter la peau des fesses Literally: To cost the skin off one's backside / the eyes out of one's head
More Spanish idioms
- No hay tu tía There's no way around it; nothing can be done.
- Estar de Rodríguez To be a husband left working in town while the family is on holiday.
- Ser uña y carne To be inseparable; the closest of friends.
- Dar gato por liebre To swindle by passing off something inferior as the real thing.
- Importar un pepino To not care in the slightest.
- Ponerse las pilas To get your act together and start working hard.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- 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'.
- Como poco coco como, poco coco compro. A bouncy 'co' drill — the word order and meaning flip with each repetition.
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