dar la vara: meaning & examples

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Language: Spanish

Meanings:

  • 1.

    Spain (chiefly)Latin America (less common)colloquialinformalMachine
    • To pester, nag, or bother someone persistently by repeatedly bringing up a subject or making demands.

    Examples

    Beta

    • Mi jefe me dio la vara todo el día para que terminara el informe antes del lunes.

      My boss nagged me all day to finish the report before Monday.

    • No me des la vara con tus quejas, mejor busca una solución al problema.

      Don't bother me with your complaints; better find a solution to the problem.

    • Los estudiantes dieron la vara al profesor hasta que les aclaró la duda.

      The students kept pestering the teacher until he clarified their doubt.

  • 2.

    Spain (chiefly)Latin America (less common)colloquialinformalMachine
    • To bore others with long, repetitive moralizing, lecturing, or proselytizing about a particular topic.

    Examples

    Beta

    • Pedro siempre da la vara hablando de política, y la gente termina aburrida.

      Pedro always bores others by lecturing about politics, and people end up bored.

    • No quiero que me des la vara con sermones sobre hábitos saludables, gracias.

      I don't want you to bore me with lectures about healthy habits, thanks.

    • Cuando das la vara con tus discursos moralizadores, muchos prefieren cambiar de tema.

      When you bore others with your moralizing speeches, many prefer to change the subject.

  • 3.

    SpainLatin AmericacolloquialinformalthreateningMachine
    • To threaten or give someone a hard time; in some contexts used as a mild threat of physical punishment or confrontation (context-dependent).

    Examples

    Beta

    • Si me das la vara otra vez, te juro que no voy a soportarlo más.

      If you threaten me again, I swear I won't put up with it anymore.

    • Los matones del barrio solían dar la vara a los más débiles para intimidarlos.

      The neighborhood bullies used to give a hard time to the weaker ones to intimidate them.

    • No es necesario que me des la vara; podemos resolver esto hablando con calma.

      It's not necessary to threaten me; we can solve this by talking calmly.

Examples:

  • ES: ¡No dejas de dar la vara con lo de tus padres!
    EN: You've pissed us off about your parents forever!
  • ES: - Deja de dar la vara.
    EN: - Don't be disgusting.
  • ES: Que no sabe si es que está loco, o si es un tío aburrido que nos viene a dar la vara.
    EN: He just can't figure out whether you're crazy, or if you're just a dull bore trying to give us a hard time.
  • ES: Estos fulanos siempre tienen que dar la vara.
    EN: Man, them dudes always tryin' to get into somethin' up here.
  • ES: Es hora de dar la vara de mi vejez un poco de diversión.
    EN: Time to give the rod of my old age some fun.
  • ES: Una de las últimas veces que salí contigo, paseábamos por ahí... y fuiste a por una anciana en la calle... y empezaste a dar la vara con su vida espiritual... ella se asustó y amenazó con llamar a la policía.
    EN: One of the last times I went out with you, we were walking around... and you just went up to some old lady on the street... and started, like, drilling her about her spiritual life. And she just got really frightened and threatened to call the police.
  • ES: Deja de dar la vara con los blancos.
    EN: Ease off with that "white people" stuff. You got me looking at 'em funny.
  • ES: - Te voy a dar la vara.
    EN: I'm gonna give you the stick.
  • ES: No es por dar la vara con el Titanic, pero hay unas buenas lecciones que recopilar.
    EN: Not to harp on the titanic, But there are solid lessons to be gleaned there.
  • ES: Dime qué quieres que haga y te dejo de dar la vara.
    EN: Tell me what you want, and I'll do that.
  • ES: ¡Dejar de dar la vara!
    EN: If only you were a bit smarter, you'd... Will you shut it!
  • ES: No te quiero dar la vara con lo de ser jueza.
    EN: I'm not gonna hassle you about being a judge for the new TV show.
  • ES: Deja de dar la vara.
    EN: See, you keep harping on the wrong thing here.

Related Idioms

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Source: Wiktionary