idiom.
a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.
Misunderstandings can be common when traveling abroad, and my recent trip to Mexico was no exception.
I had timed the trip around a swell, and for the past three days, my buddy and I had surfed until our arms failed us and our backs were the color of lobsters. By 9 p.m. we would faceplant into our pillows then do it all over the next day.
Life was good.
On day four, we peeled ourselves out of bed an hour before sunrise, just as we had in the days prior, loaded the car with surf gear, and drove the dirt road down to the beach. In the distance, we saw a shadowy figure walking on the side of the road, a surfboard under their arm. It was a Tahitian woman who we had met the day prior. She spoke four languages, including English which is damn difficult, what with our complex vocabulary, idioms, and analogies.
“Want a ride?” We asked.
She jumped in the car and we continued on toward the beach.
“How was surfing yesterday?” She asked.
“Whew, I hit a wall,” I said.
“Ouch,” she said worriedly.
You hit the nail on the head with this one, Kyle. But it was a piece of cake. Easy peasy. I was glad you didn't charge the Tahitian gal an arm and a leg for the ride. Helping someone out is a good way to break the ice. But without beating around the bush about it, it's tough for some folks to wrap their head around why surfers hit the wall. I'm guessing the writing's on that very wall.
Idioms yes but even more common, relatively simple, very localized meanings to common word usage and phrases can make communication in Spanish challenging.