Spanishde aquellos polvos, estos lodos
Meaning: Consequences or problems arise later from careless or harmful actions taken earlier; misdeeds eventually catch up with you.
Literally: From those dusts, these muds
Example: “Nadie revisó las cuentas en años: de aquellos polvos, estos lodos.” — Nobody checked the accounts for years, and now it has all come home to roost.
English equivalent: To come home to roost
Equivalents in other languages
Swedish: få betalt för gammal ost Literally: To be paid for old cheese
English: come home to roost
Origin: A rhyming refrán (traditional saying): the dust (polvos) of a dry road turns into the mud (lodos) of a wet one, so today's mess was laid down by yesterday's neglect. Both the Spanish and English Wiktionaries classify it as a proverb, and it has several variants, such as de aquellos barros, estos lodos and de aquellos polvos vienen estos lodos. English says "the chickens have come home to roost."
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