This week’s post presents the last set expressions in Spanish using hands. Today’s picture shows us the Cave of Hands in Santa Cruz, Argentina, a pre-historical painting of hands dating from 13,000 to 9,000 years ago. It’s a great precursor of stencil painting widely used nowadays!

Estar a mano (to be at hand): When something is close enough to be reached by stretching your arm or, more figuratively, when it’s the first available thing. Also, when I owe someone a favour and I finally return it, then Nosotros estamos a mano.

Example: En todos los casos han sido asistidos por quien estaba a mano: el padre, dos adolescentes que pasaban por allí o la hermana de la madre. (In all cases, they were assisted by whoever was at hand: the father, two teenagers walking by or the mother’s sister.)

Tener la mano muy larga (to have a long hand): When someone is always taking more than what is being offered, to the point of stealing and/or when someone can hit you with their hands very easily.

Example: La señora Guiomar tiene la mano muy larga y, a la mínima contrariedad, se pone a repartir bofetadas. (Mrs Guiomar has a long hand, and in the face of any setback she starts distributing slaps.)

Es mi mano derecha (They’re my right hand): As in English, it means your person of utmost trust, mostly at work.

Example: La UCO confirma que ‘Bartolo’, mano derecha de Aguirre, cobró una mordida de 60.000 euros de Púnica. (The UCO confirms that “Bartolo”, right had to Aguirre, received a brive of 60,000 euros from the Púnica network.)

Estar atado de pies y manos (to have feet and hands tied):  This is used to justify why you cannot help someone or why you cannot make a change somebody asks you to do. It moves responsibility up to whoever tied your hands and feet.

Example: El primer ministro ha lamentado públicamente estar atado de pies y manos a la hora de cambiar ciertas políticas. (The primer minister has publicly regretted to have his feet and hands tied in relation to changes to certain policies.)