dársela con queso

Spanish

Etymology

Literally, to give it to them with cheese. Etymologically, the origin of this expression lies in a deceptive practice used in the past by bulk wine sellers. According to this tradition, they would offer potential buyers cheese before they tasted the wine, so the intense flavor of the cheese would mask the wine's poor quality, preventing them from noticing.

However, it has also been suggested that the origin could be related to the fact that cheese has traditionally been used to trap rodents that roamed inside homes. Attracted by its smell, they would fall into the traps. According to this version, the idiom is related to the idea of ​​using cheese as a trick to deceive.

Verb

dársela con queso (first-person singular present me la doy con queso, first-person singular preterite me la di con queso, past participle la dado con queso)

  1. (idiomatic) to hoodwink

Further reading