el libro recibió un buen palo de la crítica

• política de palo y zanahoria — carrot and stick policy

palo de amasar — Arg, Uru rolling pin

• dar o pegar un palo a algn — (=golpear) to hit sb with a stick; * (=timar) to rip sb off *

los críticos le dieron un palo a la obra — the critics slated the play *

vaya palo me pegaron en ese restaurante — they really ripped me off in that restaurant *

ni a palos * —

ni a palos va a aprender la lección — there's no way he's going to learn the lesson *

ni a palos me voy yo de aquí dejándote sola — wild horses wouldn't make me go off and leave you on your own, there's no way I would go off and leave you on your own *

es un palo que te bajen el sueldo — it's a real bummer ** o nightmare * that they're cutting your salary

¡qué palo si suspendo! — it'll be a real bummer ** o nightmare * if I fail!

• dar palo, me daría palo que se enterase — I would hate it if he found out

• llevarse un palo, nos llevamos un palo muy gordo cuando descubrimos la verdad — it was a real blow when we found out the truth

no pasa un día a palo seco — Ven he never goes a single day without a drink

palo del triunfo — trump suit, trumps pl

palo de hule — CAm rubber tree

palo grueso — big shot *

echar un palo — to have a screw ***

cayó un palo de agua — the rain came pouring down, there was a huge downpour *

(flaco) como un palo — (fam) as thin as a rake o rail

más tieso que un palo — as stiff as a board

de tal palo, tal astilla — a chip off the old block, like father like son (o like mother like daughter etc)

a palo seco — (fam)

no está el palo para cucharas — (Col fam) the time isn't right

lo molieron a palos — they beat him till he was black and blue

dar palos de ciego — ( al pelear) to lash o strike out blindly; ( al resolver un problema) to grope in the dark

ni a palo(s) — (AmS) no way

palos porque bogas, palos porque no bogas — you can't win

darle or pegarle un palo a alguien — to rip somebody off (colloq)

(flaco) como un palo — (fam) as thin as a rake o rail

más tieso que un palo — as stiff as a board

de tal palo, tal astilla — a chip off the old block, like father like son (o like mother like daughter etc)

a palo seco — (fam)

no está el palo para cucharas — (Col fam) the time isn't right

lo molieron a palos — they beat him till he was black and blue

dar palos de ciego — ( al pelear) to lash o strike out blindly; ( al resolver un problema) to grope in the dark

ni a palo(s) — (AmS) no way

palos porque bogas, palos porque no bogas — you can't win

darle or pegarle un palo a alguien — to rip somebody off (colloq)

Ex: The ball pelts, which were usually sheepskin, were fixed to the handles with nails which were only lightly knocked in, and were removed after the day's work (and often during the midday break as well).