Spanishsacar las castañas del fuego
Meaning: to rescue someone from a difficult situation or to solve a problem at one's own risk or expense.
Literally: To pull the chestnuts out of the fire
Example: “Siempre soy yo quien le saca las castañas del fuego.” — I'm always the one who bails him out.
English equivalent: To bail someone out
Equivalents in other languages
Italian: cavare le castagne dal fuoco Literally: To pull the chestnuts from the fire
English: bail someone out
Origin: From La Fontaine's fable Le Singe et le Chat (1679), not Aesop: the monkey Bertrand persuades the cat Raton to pull roasting chestnuts out of the fire, and the cat burns his paws while the monkey eats them. In Spanish, sacarle a alguien las castañas del fuego is doing someone's risky dirty work, or getting them out of trouble at one's own cost. English has the related "cat's paw" for the person used this way.
More Spanish idioms
- arma de doble filo something that has both positive and negative consequences, or can harm the user as easil…
- tirar de la manta to reveal a secret or expose something hidden; to blow the lid off a situation.
- poner el broche de oro To add a final, perfect touch that completes or perfects something.
- llevar la delantera To be ahead of others; to hold a lead or advantage.
- irse de las manos To spiral beyond control; to become unmanageable or chaotic.
- no tener vuelta de hoja To be conclusive and beyond dispute; to admit no alternative interpretation.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Más terco/a que una mula Hopelessly obstinate — no argument, fact, or force of nature will shift their position.
- Pareces un pulpo en un garaje You're completely out of place — flailing around uselessly in an environment that makes n…
- Eres la leche You're the best — absolutely fantastic.
Keep exploring