viejo verde
/bjexo beɾde/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'dirty old man' can be translated into Spanish as viejo verde.
The term is used to describe an older man who displays inappropriate sexual interest in younger people.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, viejo verde translates to 'green old man'. In this context, the word verde is used idiomatically to imply lecherousness or sexual impropriety.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase in the plural, both the noun and the adjective must agree in gender and number, resulting in viejos verdes.
Did you know?
- The word verde is used in Spanish to describe anything related to sexual innuendo or 'lewd' jokes, not just older men. A joke with a sexual double meaning is often called a broma verde.
- The word viejo shares a common ancestor with the Latin vetus, which is the root of the English word 'veteran'.
- In some Spanish-speaking contexts, the color 'green' is metaphorically linked to being 'unripe' or 'immature', but in this specific phrase, it flips to describe the predatory nature of an older man.
Examples in context
- En la reunión de la semana pasada, había un hombre mayor lascivo que no dejaba de hacer comentarios inapropiados.During last week's gathering, there was a lascivious older man who kept making inappropriate comments.
- ¡Evita al viejo verde que siempre está mirando a las chicas de la playa con malas intenciones!Avoid the dirty old man who's always leering at the girls on the beach with bad intentions!
- No dejes que tu sobrina hable con ese viejito pervertido de la calle, es mejor evitarlo.Don't let your niece talk to that perverted little old man from the street, it's better to avoid him.
- Ese hombre es un viejo verde.That man is a dirty old man.
- No me gusta ese viejo verde del bar.I don't like that dirty old man from the bar.
- Ten cuidado con ese viejo verde.Be careful with that dirty old man.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are walking past a suspicious man in the park.
- Elena¿Viste cómo nos miraba ese viejo verde?Did you see how that dirty old man was looking at us?
- DanielSí, es un tipo muy desagradable.Yes, he is a very unpleasant guy.
- ElenaNo quiero que se nos acerque.I don't want him to come near us.
- DanielNo te preocupes, caminemos más rápido.Don't worry, let's walk faster.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries verde, viejo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
