IdiomDaily Life
Spanish
SpanishNo dar pie con bola
Meaning: To get everything wrong; to do nothing right.
Literally: To not give foot to ball
Example: “Hoy no doy pie con bola: he quemado hasta el agua.” — Today I'm completely off my game; I even burned the water.
English equivalent: To be off one's game
Origin: Literally "not to hit ball with foot": failing every time, getting everything wrong in a row. It is usually explained from ball games, where a clumsy player keeps missing the ball, but no source documents a particular game. The RAE dictionary lists no dar alguien pie con bola.
Equivalents in other languages
Greek: Τα έκανε θάλασσα Literally: He turned it all into a sea
Portuguese: Pisar na bola Literally: To step on the ball
Romanian: A o da în bară Literally: To hit it into the post
English: drop the ball- English: make a hash of something
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