Context
A project that was going well suddenly implodes.
Se fue todo al traste.
'It all went to the draining board' — a mess, completely ruined. Very common.
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sayingsSaying 17 of 25
it's gone pear-shaped
Something has gone wrong — plans have collapsed, things have deteriorated, it's all off the rails.
Literal translation trap
'Se ha vuelto con forma de pera' is absurd. Spanish uses entirely different images for things falling apart.
Say it like this
Context
Holiday plans that collapse at the last minute.
Todo se torció.
Everything twisted/went wrong — torcerse is the verb for plans going sideways.
Context
A relationship that started well and ended badly.
La cosa se complicó bastante.
Things got complicated — the understated Spanish version of a deteriorating situation.
Context
The event that was supposed to be perfect descends into chaos.
Se montó un lío de mucho cuidado.
A right mess kicked off — lío is the Spanish word for chaos, tangle, trouble.
Context
A business deal that fell through spectacularly.
Se fue a pique.
It went down (like a sinking ship) — pique = to sink. Perfect for total collapse.