Wednesday 25 January 2012

Cuello


Today's WOTD is: 'cuello' = neck*

In Spanish, the noun 'cuello' is a masculine noun of Latin origin, the main meaning of which is the neck. The noun 'cuello' is also used in Spanish to refer to the shape/ neckline of the collar of garments/ items of clothing.

*NB Please note that the Spanish word 'cuello' may not be used to translate literally the English expression "to have a hard neck" into Spanish.

Some commonly used expressions containing the word 'cuello' are:
  • Alargar el cuello (to crane one's neck).
  • Apostarse el cuello (to bet anything).
  • Cortar el cuello (to cut/ slit the throat).
  • Cuello a la caja (square neckline).
  • Cuello alto (polo neck).
  • Cuello blando (soft collar-shirt).
  • Cuello chino (mandarin collar).
  • Cuello de cisne (polo neck).
  • Cuello de pico (V neck).
  • Cuello de útero (neck of the womb)
  • Cuello duro (stiff collar-shirt).
  • Cuello ortopédico (surgical/ cervical collar).
  • Cuello redondo (round collar).
  • Cuello uterino (neck of the womb).
  • Cuello vuelto (polo neck).
  • Estar metido hasta el cuello en algo (to be right up to the neck in something).
  • Jugarse el cuello (to put one's neck on the line/ to bet anything/ risk everything).
  • Levantar el cuello (to come out of a difficult situation/ to recover from illness).
  • Salirse por el cuello de la camisa (to be very thin).
  • Sin cuello (collarless).
  • Tener a alguien cogido por el cuello (to have someone under the thumb).

Examples of the use of the word 'cuello' are:
  • Tuve que alargar el cuello para poder ver que ocurría (I had to crane my neck to see what was happening).
  • Me apuesto el cuello a que no comes eso (I bet you anything that you won't eat that).
  • Me juego el cuello a que no comes eso (I bet you anything that you won't eat that)
  • Le amenazaron con cortarle el cuello (they threatened to slit his throat).
  • El cuello de caja no me gusta (I don't like a square neckline).
  • Me gusta esa sudadera de cuello alto (I like that polo neck sweatshirt).
  • Me gusta esa sudadera de cuello de cisne (I like that polo neck sweatshirt).
  • Me gusta esa sudadera de cuello vuelto (I like that polo neck sweatshirt).
  • Me gusta esa sudadera de cuello de pico (I like that V neck sweatshirt).
  • Me gusta esa sudadera de cuello redondo (I like that round neck sweatshirt) .
  • Me gustan las camisas de cuello blando (I like soft collar shirts).
  • Me gustan las camisas de cuello duro (I like stiff collar shirts).
  • Me gustan las camisas de cuello chino (I like mandarin collar shirts).
  • Me gustan las camisetas sin cuello (I like collarless T-shirts)
  • El estrecho de Ormuz es un cuello de botella del crudo mundial ( the straights of Hormuz are a world crude oil bottleneck).
  • Enfermedades de cuello de útero (neck of the womb conditions).
  • El cuello úterino forma parte del útero (neck of the womb is a part of the womb).
  • Estamos metidos hasta el cuello en eso (we are right up to our necks in that).
  • No parece que seamos capaces de levantar el cuello (we don't seem to be able to recover).
  • Pedro tiene a Paco cogido por el cuello (Pedro has Paco under his thumb)

Love-Spanish.com loves the word 'cuello' in the YouTube clip: Ejercicios Básicos: Como fortalecer el cuello

For more on the word 'cuello', visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Cuello

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “cuello” in the link to hear the word pronounced.


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