perder los estribos
Meaning: To lose one's temper or composure; to become angry or agitated.
Language: Spanish
Literally: to lose the stirrups
Category: Animals
Origin: The image is of a horseman losing his stirrups and thus his stability and control, metaphorically representing loss of emotional equilibrium.
More idioms — Animals
- cazar al vuelo — To seize or take something quickly before someone else can.
- tomar el toro por los cuernos — To face a difficult problem directly and courageously rather than avoiding it.
- lobo con piel de cordero — A person who appears harmless or trustworthy but is actually dangerous or deceitful.
- dar coces contra el aguijón — To resist or rebel futilely against something stronger or inevitable.
- sich die Hörner abstoßen — To shed youthful recklessness and settle into maturity.
- ein Esel schimpft den andern Langohr — A person criticizes another for the same fault they themselves possess.
More Spanish idioms
- caérsele el alma a los pies — to be deeply disappointed or dismayed.
- dorar la píldora — to make something unpleasant more palatable by presenting it attractively.
- oler a chamusquina — a situation is becoming tense or dangerous; trouble is brewing.
- vender la moto — To trick or deceive someone, often by persuading them to believe a false story.
- a vida o muerte — In a desperate, all-or-nothing struggle where the stakes are the highest possible.
- codo con codo — Standing shoulder to shoulder, side by side in close proximity.
From our proverbs
- He that hath many irons in the fire, some of them will cool. — Pursuing too many simultaneous projects reduces focus and causes some efforts to lose mom…
- Itch and ease can no man please. — Constant comfort breeds dissatisfaction; humans inherently seek challenges to feel engage…
- Who in Janiveer sows oats, gets gold and groats. — Sowing oats in January's harsh cold yields abundant harvests through bold, timely action…