botar a lingua a pastar

Galician

Alternative forms

• botar a lingua a pacer

Etymology

Literally, “to let the tongue go grazing”, or more loosely translated as “to let the tongue free-range”.

Verb

botar a lingua a pastar (first-person singular present boto a lingua a pastar, first-person singular preterite botei a lingua a pastar, past participle botado a lingua a pastar)

1. (idiomatic, sarcastic) to ramble; to rant; to talk nonsense; to talk too much

   Synonym: esbardallar

   • 1775, María Francisca Isla y Losada, Romance:

     Ôu mèu Crego? Seica qués,
     que eu vote a lengoa â pastàr?
     Catao ben, e despois non
     che pese, ò que ágora fás.

     Oh, my clergyman? Perchance you want
     that I let my tongue free range [rant]?
     Watch it carefully, or either don't you later
     regret what you do now

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “botar a lingua a pastar”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega