IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER IN SPANISH

 

In compiling my Phraseological Bilingual Dictionary, I’ve encountered many hard-to-crack idiomatic nuts. One such case is the truism “it’s not (ain’t) over till it’s over,” which stopped me in my tracks. I take Yogi Berra’s dictum to mean that a situation can’t be considered finished until all elements are weighed and the outcome is truly settled.

AI Overview proposes “no se acaba hasta que se acaba” as the most “common and accurate translation.” I beg to differ: it’s neither idiomatic nor culturally grounded. I argue that the true Spanish equivalent is: hasta el rabo, todo es toro: a bullfighting saying that reminds us the outcome remains uncertain until the very end.

Hasta el rabo, todo es toro It ain't over till (until) it's over

— “… hasta el rabo, todo es toro.” Álex Grijelmo, La seducción de las palabras, 2000. Esp. || “Pero decía un refrán español, hasta el rabo todo es toro.” A. Pérez-Reverte, La Reina del Sur, 2002. Esp. || “Pero, en fin, si hasta el rabo todo es toro, hasta el lunes habrá que esperar.” El Mundo 15/12/1995. Esp.

It ain’t over till (until) it’s over Hasta el rabo, todo es toro

Don’t you worry, it ain’t over till it’s over No te preocupes que hasta el rabo, todo es toro

— “Well, we’ve got ten hours, so it’s not over till it’s over.” TV Salvation, 2017-18. US. || “It’s not over till it’s over.” Washington Post, 08/15/2022. US. || “It’s not over till it’s over.” The Spectator, 11/06/2020. UK.