a buenas horas mangas verdes

Spanish

Etymology

From the phrase "a buenas horas" (it's high time/it's about time) + "mangas verdes" (meaning green sleeves). The term "mangas verdes" goes back to the Santa Hermandad, a peacekeeping force in Spain, who wore short sleeveless jackets, under which they wore green shirts. This law-enforcement agency had a reputation for always arriving too late to solve a crime or catch a criminal, hence the phrase.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a ˌbwenas ˌoɾas ˌmanɡas ˈbeɾdes/ [a ˌβ̞we.nas ˌo.ɾaz ˌmãŋ.ɡaz ˈβ̞eɾ.ð̞es]

• Audio (Peru):

  (file)

• Syllabification: a bue‧nas ho‧ras man‧gas ver‧des

Phrase

a buenas horas mangas verdes

1. (idiomatic) about time, better late than never

Further reading

• “a buena hora, o a buenas horas, mangas verdes”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10