Ir a freír espárragos

/EER ah freh-EER es-PAH-rrah-gohs/

To tell someone to get lost, go away, or stop bothering you, usually out of annoyance.

Level:B2Register:InformalCommon:★★★☆☆

💡 Understanding the Idiom

Literal Translation:

"To go fry asparagus"

What It Really Means:

To tell someone to get lost, go away, or stop bothering you, usually out of annoyance.

English Equivalents:

Go fly a kiteGet lostTake a hikeGo jump in a lake

🎨 Literal vs. Figurative

💭 Literal

Literally, this means 'to go fry asparagus'.

✨ Figurative

In practice, it's a command telling someone to get lost.

Key Words in This Idiom:

to go

→

freírespárragos

📝 In Action

¡Estoy harto de tus excusas! ¡Vete a freír espárragos!

I'm sick of your excuses! Go fly a kite!

Le pedí dinero otra vez y me mandó a freír espárragos.

I asked him for money again and he told me to get lost.

📜 Origin Story

This colorful phrase dates back to the 19th century. Back then, wild asparagus was common, but it was almost always prepared by boiling. The idea of frying them was considered a pointless, time-consuming, and slightly ridiculous task that wouldn't even taste good. So, telling someone 'to go fry asparagus' was like sending them on a silly, useless errand just to get them out of your hair.

⭐ Usage Tips

How to Dismiss Someone

This is an informal and blunt way to tell someone to go away. It's most often used when you're annoyed and want to end a conversation. You'll usually hear it as a command ('¡Vete a...!') or when telling a story about dismissing someone ('Lo mandé a...').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Not for Polite Company

Mistake: "Using this phrase in a formal setting, like at work or with a teacher."

Correction: This is strictly informal and can be quite rude. Using it with a boss or someone you've just met would be shocking. In formal situations, you'd use much more polite phrases to ask for space or end a conversation.

🌎 Where It's Used

🇪🇸

Spain

Extremely common and widely understood. It's a classic Spanish expression of annoyance.

🌎

Latin America

Much less common. While some might understand it from Spanish movies or TV shows, most countries have their own preferred ways to tell someone to get lost, such as 'vete al diablo' (go to the devil).

🔗 Related Idioms

↔️Similar Meanings

mandar a paseo

To send someone for a walk (i.e., tell them to get lost)

mandar a la porra

To send someone to the club/bat (a slightly stronger way to say get lost)

⇆Opposite Meanings

dar la bienvenida

To welcome someone

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: Ir a freír espárragos

Question 1 of 1

If your Spanish friend tells you '¡Vete a freír espárragos!', what are they trying to say?

🏷️ Tags

Food & DrinkInsultsCommonly UsedSpain

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'mandar a freír espárragos' the same as 'ir a freír espárragos'?

Yes, they mean the same thing but are used slightly differently. 'Ir a freír espárragos' is the general phrase, often used as a direct command: '¡Vete a freír espárragos!' (Go fry asparagus!). 'Mandar a freír espárragos' means 'to send someone to fry asparagus,' and is used to describe the action: 'Mi jefe me mandó a freír espárragos' (My boss told me to get lost).