No dar pie con bola

Greek: Τα έκανε θάλασσα — literally: He turned it all into a sea
Portuguese: Pisar na bola — literally: To step on the ball

Meaning: To get everything wrong; to do nothing right.

Language: Spanish

Literally: To not give foot to ball

Category: Daily Life

Origin: From ball games, missing the ball with every kick pictures a spell of total ineptitude.

Equivalents in other languages

Capire fischi per fiaschi — To misunderstand completely.
Avere un chiodo fisso — To be obsessed with one idea.
Tirar o pai da forca — Said of something done in frantic urgency.
Гол как сокол (Gol kak sokol) — Dirt poor; without a thing to your name.
石橋を叩いて渡る (Ishibashi o tataite wataru) — To be extremely, even excessively, cautious.
釘を刺す (kugi o sasu) — To remind someone firmly so they can't back out.

Estar en Babia — To be daydreaming and miles away.
Tener la sartén por el mango — To be the one in control.
ojito derecho — A person's favorite or most beloved person, especially a child.
tener más conchas que un galápago — To be extremely cunning or crafty; to have many tricks up one's sleeve.
en la cuerda floja — To be in a precarious or dangerous position; to be walking a fine line between safety and…
de aquellos polvos, estos lodos — Consequences or problems arise later from careless or harmful actions taken earlier; misd…

In the deepest water is the best fishing. — Seeking worthwhile rewards requires venturing into difficult, risky, or challenging circu…
Deeds are fruits, words are but leaves. — Actions produce tangible results while mere promises and talk leave nothing of substance…
A life spent worthily should be measured by deeds--not years. — Meaningful living accrues through consequential actions, rendering chronological age irre…