IdiomThe Absurd
Spanish
Spanishperder la chaveta
Meaning: To go crazy; to lose one's grip on sanity or self-control.
Literally: To lose the pin
Example: “Perdió la chaveta cuando le robaron la bicicleta.” — He lost his marbles when his bike was stolen.
English equivalent: To lose one's marbles
Equivalents in other languages
English: lose one's marbles
Origin: A chaveta is a cotter pin, the small peg that holds a mechanism together, such as the screw of a wine press. When it is lost the parts come loose, and the phrase applies that to the mind: going crazy or losing one's head. Several Latin American countries also use deschavetarse, to come unpinned.
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