walk (walking) Spanish
idiom

- to be forced to leave

- to be compelled to walk on tiptoe through being lifted up by the collar and the seat of the trousers

- to proceed or act under compulsion

Wiktionary / Oxford Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The song "Walking Spanish" talks about a prisoner being led to his execution. The phrase "walking Spanish" implies that the person is being forced to walk, not doing it willingly. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as walking under compulsion, usually with someone gripping your collar and trousers.

The term "walking Spanish" has been around since the early 1800s. It can mean both a literal forced walk, like in the song, or being forced to leave a situation, such as a job or a country.

So, why is it called a "Spanish walk"? One theory suggests that the term is just another example of using "Spanish" in a negative way in English phrases—dating back to when Spain and England were rivals in the 16th and 17th centuries. Other examples include "Spanish castle" for an unrealizable daydream or "Spanish padlock" for a chastity belt.

However, there is also a less negative possibility for the origin. In dressage, the horse-training art, "Spanish walking" refers to a specific way a horse walks, swinging its legs forward forcefully. A person being forced to walk in a "Spanish walk" manner might well have a similar, stiff-legged walk.

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NATIONAL STEREOTYPES

Spain is not the only country to boast its name as part of a common idiom or phrase — how many of these do you know?

- Mexican standoff = a stalemate or impasse, a confrontation that neither side can win.

- Dutch treat = to pay one’s own way, typically when one or more people go to dinner together (also referred to as "going Dutch”).

- Chinese whispers = a game similar to "Telephone”, where a message is whispered from person to person and often becomes distorted.

- French leave = to leave a party or function without bidding farewell, or to leave job or duty without permission.

- British bulldog = a game, but also used to describe someone who is stubborn or determined, reflective of a stereotypical British trait.

- Russian Roulette = a dangerous game involving a loaded gun, used metaphorically to describe taking extreme risks.

- Greek to me = signifies that something is incomprehensible or difficult to understand, as if it were in a foreign language.

- Italian style = to talk with one's hands, playing on the stereotype that Italians are particularly expressive and often use hand gestures as a vital part of their communication.

- American dream = the belief that anyone can achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination.

- German efficiency = used to describe a system or method that is well-organized and effective, playing on the stereotype of German precision and organization.

- Swiss Army knife = a multi-tool pocket knife known for its versatility, also used to describe someone or something that has multiple useful skills or functions.

While cultural stereotypes are historically, socially, and linguistically interesting — I challenge you to find a finely-dressed, tea-sipping, cricket-watching English gentleman :-)

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SYNONYMS

axe, bounce, boot/bounce (out), break it off, brush off, can, cashier, cast aside (off, out), chase off, cut (loose), decommission, discard, discharge, disemploy, dismiss, dispense with, dispose of, ditch, drum out, dump, eighty-six, eject, end things, eradicate, escort out, evict, expel, fire, give notice (the axe, the boot, the chop, the heave-ho, walking papers), get rid of, hand a pink slip to, heave, jettison, junk, kick out, lay off, let go, make redundant, oust, out the door, outplace, outsource, part ways, pension off, phase out, pink-slip, purge, push out, put out (to pasture), remove, release, retire, sack, send away (off, packing), separate, sever, shed, show the door (out), suspend, terminate, throw/turf out, unassign, wash/weed out, wipe/write off, WALK SPANISH, zap, zero out

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:

“Some senior managers really believe that the threat of WALKING SPANISH is the best way to keep staff on their toes."

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THANKS to Ulrich for suggesting today’s word.

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