An idiom is a phrase or an expression that has a figurative meaning that is different than its literal meaning. Every language has them.
We were in a shop a few days ago when I started coughing. The woman behind the counter, who didn’t realize that we spoke no Spanish, said, “Tengo un pollo en la garganta.”
“English,” we asked in confusion.
“Pollo,” she said. And then in English, “Chicken” while pointing to her throat.
We laughed. So did she.
I looked it up. Here’s what k-international.com said:
“Tengo un pollo en la garganta” means “I have a chicken in my throat.” It’s a fitting description for that feeling when you need to cough up a lot of phlegm.
The literal translation “You have a chicken in your throat” may not make any sense, but it certainly made sense in context.
Leave a Reply