Sunday 1 January 2012

Oreja

Today's WOTD is: 'oreja' = ear

In Spanish, the noun 'oreja' is a feminine noun of Latin origin, the main meaning of which is ear. The noun is often used in its plural form, 'orejas'.

 The Spanish word 'oreja' may also be used as a masculine noun to refer to someone as a stool pigeon, an eavesdropper or a  grass.

 Some commonly used expressions containing the word 'oreja' in them are:
  • Aguzar las orejas (to prick the ears).
  • Aplastar la oreja (to sleep).
  • Asomar la oreja ( to make one's real intentions visible).
  • Bajar las orejas (submit/ yield in a dispute).
  • Con la orejas caídas (with the tail between the legs)
  • Con la orejas gachas (with the tail between the legs).
  • Enseñar la oreja (to show one's real intentions).
  • Jalarle las orejas a alguien (to tell somebody off-some parts of Latin America).
  • La guerra de la oreja de Jenkins (the War of Jenkins' Ear).
  • La pulga detrás de la oreja (something which makes you restless).
  • Mojar la oreja (to become aggressive/ to look for a fight).
  • No hay orejas para cada martes(*) (it is not easy to avoid coming a cropper when you frequently take risks).
  • Planchar la oreja (to sleep).
  • Parar la oreja (to prick up the ears/ to pay attention to listen).
  • Tirarle de las orejas a alguien (to pull somebody's ears/ to tell someone off).
  • Taparse las orejas (to cover one's ears to avoid hearing something).
  • Vérsele a alguien la oreja (to make one's real intentions visible).
  • Verle las orejas al lobo (to realise something is wrong/ to get a fright).
  • Vino de dos orejas (fortified good wine).
  • Vino de una oreja (delicate fortified wine).
(*)NB Set phrase/ idiom

Examples of the use of the word 'oreja' are:
  • Agucé las orejas para oír lo que decíais (I pricked up my ears to hear what you were saying).
  • Me voy a aplastar la oreja (I am going to sleep).
  • De repente, Pedro asomó la oreja (suddenly, Pedro showed his real intentions).
  • No me quedó más remedio que bajar las orejas y asentir (I had no option but to yield and agree).
  • Antonio volvió con las orejas gachas (Antonio returned with the tail between his legs).
  • Estoy con la pulga detrás de la oreja (something is bothering me).
  • Ese tipo no para de mojar la oreja (that guy can't stop looking for a fight).
  • ¡Ten cuidado! no olvides que no hay orejas para cada martes (be careful! don't forget that if you make a habit of taking risks, sooner or later yo will come a cropper).
  • Paré la oreja para ver de que hablaban (I pricked up my ears to see what they were talking about).
  • A Pedro le tiraron de las orejas (Pedro had his ears pulled).
  • ¿No quieres oirme?, tápate las orejas (you don't want to hear me? cover your ears).
  • Hoy a Pedro se le vió la oreja (today Pedro showed his real intentions).
  • Esta vez le he visto las orejas al lobo (this time, I got a real fright).

Love-Spanish.com loves the word 'oreja' in the YouTube clip: Fito---Rojitas las orejas
 
For more on the word 'oreja', visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Oreja
 
*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “oreja” in the link to hear the word pronounced.


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1 comment:

Julio said...

La oreja de van Gogh