hacer la pelota a alguien
/aθeɾ la pelota a alɡjen/from spelling rules
To kiss up to someone in Spanish is hacer la pelota a alguien.
This phrase is used when someone is praising or flattering another person in an insincere way to gain an advantage or a favor. More formal ways to express this concept include Adular a alguien (to flatter someone) or Halagar en exceso a alguien (to excessively praise someone).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase hacer la pelota literally translates to to do the ball.
Which one should you use?
While hacer la pelota a alguien is a common way to describe this behavior, you can use lamerle las botas a alguien if you want to use a more aggressive or vulgar expression, which translates to to lick someone's boots.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The expression hacer la pelota is colloquial and should be used in informal settings. For more formal contexts, use Adular a alguien or Halagar en exceso a alguien.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The expression hacer la pelota is most commonly used in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you include a direct object pronoun for the person being flattered, the pronoun le is often inserted between hacer and la pelota, resulting in hacerle la pelota a alguien.
How do you pronounce it?
/aθeɾ la pelota a alɡjen/
Did you know?
- While hacer la pelota is common in Spain, speakers in other Spanish-speaking countries might use different imagery to describe kissing up, such as hacer la barba in some regions.
- When using the aggressive version lamerle las botas, the verb lamer (to lick) evokes a submissive gesture of feudal loyalty that has evolved into a modern insult.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the term 'pelota' can also refer to a person who is a 'teacher's pet' or a highly favored student in a classroom.
Examples in context
- María siempre le hace la pelota a su jefe para conseguir un ascenso.María always kisses up to her boss to get a promotion.
- David le echó piropos a Ana para pedirle un favor.David showered compliments on Ana to ask her for a favor.
- No deberías besarle el trasero a tu nuevo compañero solo para caerle bien.You shouldn't kiss up to your new colleague just to make a good impression.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
