bombo y platillo

Spanish

Etymology

Literally, “[with] drum and cymbal”.

Noun

bombo y platillo m (uncountable)

1. (colloquial) fanfare (show of ceremony or celebration)

   Synonym: bombos y platillos

   annunciar a bombo y platillo

   to make a song and dance about, to announce with great fanfare

   (literally, “to announce to [the beat of] drum and cymbal”)

   • 2020 May 16, Rafa de Miguel, “Johnson confunde al Reino Unido con su estrategia contra el virus”, in El País‎^[1]:

     Se publicita a bombo y platillo el ensayo de una aplicación de rastreo en los móviles en la Isla de Wight, y se deja de hablar del asunto a medida que se desinfla.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• Often preceded by anunciar a or a similar construction.

See also

• a los cuatro vientos

Further reading

• “bombo y platillo, o bombo y platillos”, 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