Estar en la edad del pavo
Meaning: To be at an awkward teenage phase.
Language: Spanish
Literally: To be in the age of the turkey
Category: Animals
Origin: No single theory is confirmed, and the phrase itself is surprisingly recent in print: despite circulating in speech since at least the late 1800s, it wasn't entered into the Real Academia Española's dictionary until 1970. Four rival explanations compete. One traces it to a medieval comparison between adolescents and young turkeys. A second points to the turkey's genuinely erratic behavior — the bird reacts to light, noise, and weather with sudden, uncontrolled squawking, not unlike a moody teenager. A third links it to facial flushing, comparing an adolescent's blush to the turkey's red wattle. A fourth ties it to a cracking adolescent voice, compared to the bird's own unpredictable calls. All four share the same underlying joke: an awkward, unstable, in-between stage best captured by an animal known for exactly that kind of unpredictability.
More idioms — Animals
- Estar como una cabra — To be completely crazy.
- Meter la pata — To make a blunder or put your foot in it.
- In bocca al lupo — Good luck! (replied with 'Crepi!' — may it die).
- Chi dorme non piglia pesci — You snooze, you lose.
- 우물 안 개구리 (Umul an gaeguri) — Someone with a narrow, limited worldview.
- 꿩 먹고 알 먹고 (Kkwong meokgo al meokgo) — Getting two benefits from one action.
More Spanish idioms
- Tener mala leche — To be in a foul mood or have bad intentions.
- No tener pelos en la lengua — To speak very bluntly and honestly.
- Ser pan comido — To be extremely easy.
- Dar calabazas — To reject someone romantically.
- Tirar la casa por la ventana — To spare no expense; to go all out.
- Tomar el pelo — To pull someone's leg; to tease.
From our compliments & insults
- Eres un crack — You're brilliant — a total star at what you do.
- Eres muy majo/a — You're a lovely, kind, and genuine person — the nicest way to compliment someone's charac…
- Tienes mucho corazón — You're extraordinarily generous and warm — you give more than you need to.