A troche y moche
/ah TROH-cheh ee MOH-cheh/
To do something indiscriminately, without order, care, or measure; haphazardly or in great abundance.
💡 Understanding the Idiom
🎨 Literal vs. Figurative
Literally, this comes from old forestry terms for 'chopping' (trocear) and 'lopping' (mochar).
In practice, it means doing something haphazardly or in huge amounts, like spending money 'willy-nilly'.
📝 In Action
Empezó a gastar dinero a troche y moche y se quedó sin ahorros en un mes.
B2He started spending money left and right and ran out of savings in a month.
No puedes escribir la tesis a troche y moche; necesitas un plan y una estructura.
B2You can't write your thesis haphazardly; you need a plan and a structure.
En la fiesta sirvieron comida y bebida a troche y moche, había para todos.
C1At the party they served food and drinks in abundance, there was plenty for everyone.
📜 Origin Story
Picture an old-time lumberjack! This phrase comes from the world of forestry. 'Trocear' means to chop a log into pieces, and 'mochar' means to lop off the branches or the top of a tree. 'A troche y moche' described the chaotic, all-out method of clearing a forest—cutting everything down without any order, selection, or care. This powerful image of chaotic action was so memorable that it started being used for any activity done in a similarly wild and unplanned way.
⭐ Usage Tips
Describe Chaos and Excess
Use 'a troche y moche' to describe an action done without care, order, or limits. It often has a slightly critical tone, suggesting recklessness (like making decisions or spending money). It can also simply mean 'in great abundance' in a more neutral way, especially with food or drink.
❌ Common Pitfalls
It's a Fixed Phrase
Mistake: "Trying to change the words, for example, by saying 'a troche o moche' (using 'or' instead of 'and')."
Correction: This expression is a set phrase. It's always 'a troche y moche'. Think of it as a single unit that works like an adverb, telling you *how* something is done.
🌎 Where It's Used
Spain
Very common and widely understood across the country.
Latin America
Generally understood, especially in writing, but can sound a bit old-fashioned or literary in some countries. Other phrases like 'a diestra y siniestra' are often more common in everyday speech.
🔗 Related Idioms
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: A troche y moche
Question 1 of 1
If your friend tells you he's planning his trip 'a troche y moche', what does that mean?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'a troche y moche' always a negative expression?
Mostly, yes. It usually implies a lack of care or thought, which is negative. However, it can sometimes be used neutrally to simply mean 'in huge quantities' or 'in abundance'. For example, 'Había pasteles a troche y moche' ('There were cakes galore') is not necessarily a bad thing!