HASTA EL GORRO: SPANISH WAYS OF BEING FED UP
Spanish has a genius for expressing exasperation. When someone has had enough, they don’t just say it, they say it with hats, noses, hair, underwear, and just about any body part you can imagine. The standard form is: “Estar hasta el gorro” — literally, “to be up to the hat.” In English, that’s “to be fed up” or “sick and tired.” But Spanish, being Spanish, offers a carnival of variations: hasta la coronilla (up to the crown of the head) hasta los cojones / huevos (up to the testicles — not polite, but very common) hasta el moño (up to the hair bun — often used by women) hasta las tetas / bragas (up to the breasts/panties — vulgar, but heard) In English, we have our own arsenal: I’ve had enough I can’t take it anymore I’m sick to the back teeth I’ve had my fill I’m up to here (often said with a hand slicing the air across the neck). Examples from Spanish media: “Estoy hasta el gorro de pagar impuestos.” — I’m sick and tired of paying taxes. “Estoy del tema político hasta la ...