Flor

Today's WOTD is: "flor" = flower

In Spanish, the noun "flor" is a feminine noun of Latin origin which means flower. A diminutive form of the noun “flor” is “florecilla” or little flower.

A Spanish describing word/ adjective related to “flor” is “florido”/ “florida” and is used to mean colourful/ flowery/ full of flowers.

Some commonly used expressions containing the word "flor" or related words are:

• A flor de agua (at water level or just below the surface of the water);
• A flor de piel (sensitive);
• A flor de tierra (at ground level or just below the ground);
• De flor en flor (colloquially, from one man/ woman to another);
• Echarle flores a alguien* (colloquially, to flatter/ to pay compliments to someone);
• En flor (in bloom);
• Flor de azahar (orange blossom);
• Flor de lis (fleur-de-lis/ fleur-de-lys);
• Flores de mayo (flowers of May – a month long festival in honour of the Virgin Mary);
• Florecillas silvestres (little wild flowers);
• La flor de la canela (something/ someone wonderful);
• La flor de la vida (the prime of life);
• La flor y nata (the cream/ la crème de la crème);
• Ni flores (nothing at all);
• Pascua de Flores (Easter Sunday);
• Pascua Florida** (Easter Sunday);
• Ser flor de un día (to be short-lived);
• Un vestido*** de flores (a flowery dress)

*NB In Cuba it may be used to refer to cursing/ swearing/ using obscene language.

**NB The US state of Florida was named as such by the Spaniard Juan Ponce de León, who first sighted that land on Easter Sunday the 27th of March 1513.

***NB The expression is also valid for other garments, e.g.: “camisa”/ shirt.

Some examples of the use of the word "flor" are:

• Las rocas se encuentran a flor de agua (rocks can be found just below the water surface);
• Muchas raíces se encuentran a flor de tierra (many roots can be found at ground level/ barely buried);
• Tengo los nervios a flor de piel (I am nervously sensitive/ my nerves are on edge);
• Pedro continúa yendo de flor en flor (Pedro continues moving from one woman to the next);
• Échales flores que a lo mejor te escuchan (flatter them, perhaps they will listen to you);
• Los árboles están en flor, ha llegado la primavera (trees are blooming, spring is here);
• La flor de azahar es muy apreciada por su aroma (the smell of orange blossom is much appreciated);
• La flor de lis es símbolo de la Casa de Borbón (the fleur-de-lis is a symbol of the House Bourbon);
• Flores de mayo es algo que se celebra de forma especial en Filipinas (Flores de Mayo/ May flowers are very famous in the Philippines);
• En el bosque crecen florecillas silvestres (little wild flowers grow in the woods);
• Eso es la flor de la canela (that is wonderful);
• Estás en la flor de la vida (you are in the prime of your life);
• Al estreno asisitió la flor y nata de los londinenses (the premier was attended by the crème de la crème of Londoners);
• Yo, de eso, no sé ni flores (I know nothing about that);
• Por Pascua de Flores vamos a Madrid (we go to Madrid at Easter);
• Por Pascua Florida vamos a Madrid (we go to Madrid at Easter);
• Eso es flor de un día (that will not last);
• Esa blusa de flores es muy bonita (that flowery blouse is very nice);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "flor" in the YouTube clip: Selena—Como la flor 

For more on the word "flor", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Flor

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “flor” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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