What does no dar un palo al agua mean?

ExpressionColoquial

not to do a stroke of work

The image is of an oarsman who does not even put the oar — el palo — into the water. It is a serious accusation said seriously and a standard joke said between friends, and the difference is entirely in the tone.

Lleva dos meses sin dar un palo al agua.
Somebody is keeping count.

¡Vale! for iOS

Hear it the way Spain actually says it

In the app, expressions are taught inside real conversations from Spain: read cold, explained line by line, then read again. It’s the Spanish textbooks leave out.

06

Unit 06

Cotilleo

«tiene un morro que se lo pisa»

The ¡Vale! app: a conversation from Spain, read with its recording
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