oler a chamusquina: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  SpainLatin Americaneutral
  • To emit or be characterized by the smell of something scorched or slightly burned.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Al abrir la tostadora, me di cuenta de que el pan olía a chamusquina porque se había quemado un poco.

    When opening the toaster, I realized the bread smelled scorched because it had burned a bit.

  • La cocina olía a chamusquina después de que se quemara la salsa en el fuego.

    The kitchen smelled of something scorched after the sauce burned on the stove.

  • No puedo entrar en esa habitación porque huele a chamusquina, parece que algo se quemó allí.

    I can't enter that room because it smells scorched; it seems something burned there.

  • Cuando encendimos la chimenea, el humo hizo que oliera a chamusquina toda la casa.

    When we lit the fireplace, the smoke made the whole house smell scorched.

• 2.

  SpainLatin Americainformal
  • To arouse suspicion; to appear dubious or indicate that something is wrong or dishonest.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Este negocio me huele a chamusquina; hay algo raro en esas cuentas que no me cuadra.

    This business smells fishy to me; there's something odd about those accounts that doesn't add up.

  • Cuando escuché su explicación, me olió a chamusquina y decidí investigar más a fondo.

    When I heard his explanation, it smelled suspicious to me, so I decided to investigate further.

  • No me fío de esa oferta, me huele a chamusquina y creo que quieren estafarnos.

    I don't trust that offer; it smells fishy and I think they want to scam us.

• 3.

  • Equivalent of the English idiom "Smell Fishy": To seem suspicious