«¡Eres la leche!» (You’re something else!)
This is a transcription of the video above. There are many colloquial Spanish expressions with the word «leche»— some of them quite vulgar, so be careful! You can find more detailed information in the blog below. If you'd just like to listen to the audio (while you're cooking, doing the laundry, or riding the bus) you can get it on Soundcloud. English transcription: Hi! I'm Miguel, a teacher on Real Spanish. I'm sure you have often heard the word «leche» in colloquial conversations. Well it has many meanings. Some of these expressions are quite vulgar, from "semen" to "to hit oneself" (darse una leche), depending on the context. But today I’m going to explain the meaning and origin of the phrase «ir (o salir) echando leches», which means “to rush” or “to be in a hurry". The expression comes from way back, when the milkman or milkmaid delivered milk to people’s homes. They were always in a hurry so that the milk was there for breakfast by the time people got up. The milk often spilled over if the pail was full to overflowing. I mean, the milkman or milkmaid rushed around spilling milk on the ground. Another expression with the same meaning is «cagando leches». It sounds vulgar, right? Well, when a horse carried the milk churn, the milk often spilled over, forming puddles on the ground, as if the horse were shitting. Milk is very important in Spanish culture. La lechera de Burdeos, a famous painting by Goya from 1827, was reproduced in this stamp in 1996. If you’re interested in learning more expressions with «leche», you’ll like our mini-lesson «¡Eres la leche!», where we explain half a dozen more expressions, all very colloquial. The mini-lesson comes with an annotated transcription, a set of grammar notes, and interactive exercises. You can buy the mini-lesson on its own, or you can save 20% if you buy a pack of 5 mini-lessons. Bye for now! In the blogpost below you'll learn a lot more expressions with «leche». Click here to learn more about the mini-lesson Blogpost: The word «leche» is used a lot in Spanish, not only to refer to the milk of animals such as cows, goats and sheep, or mother’s milk for babies. The dictionary of the Royal Academy of Spanish (Real Academia Española, RAE) gives nine different meanings for the word. Some of these are very colloquial; for example, «una leche» may be a slap to the face. There are also many colloquial expressions featuring the word «leche». You can see more examples below. Milk and milk products have been part of the gastronomy of Spain for more than 11,000 years. Milk is a component of the Mediterranean diet and is used in many traditional dishes and recipes such as leche merengada, (a dessert prepared with egg yolks, sugar and cinnamon), leche frita (“fried milk”, made with flour, milk and sugar) and arroz con leche (rice pudding). In some Latin American countries such as Argentina o Nicaragua,
