Spanishdar coces contra el aguijón
Meaning: To resist or rebel futilely against something stronger or inevitable.
Literally: To give kicks against the goad
Example: “Discutir con el reglamento es dar coces contra el aguijón.” — Arguing with the regulations is kicking against the pricks.
English equivalent: To kick against the pricks
Equivalents in other languages
French: Ruer dans les brancards Literally: To kick in the shafts
English: kick against the pricks
Origin: The aguijón is the goad, the pointed stick used to drive oxen, and an animal that kicks against it only hurts itself. The image was a Greek proverb, used by Aeschylus and Pindar, and reached Spanish through the Acts of the Apostles (26:14), where the voice on the road to Damascus tells Saul it is hard for him to kick against the goads. English has "kick against the pricks."
More Spanish idioms
- 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.
- de Pascuas a Ramos Once in a blue moon; extremely rarely or at great intervals.
- 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…
- Matar dos pájaros de un tiro To get two things done with a single action.
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- Eres un crack You're brilliant — a total star at what you do.
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