I disagree with these interpretations. A working stiff doesn't mean that the person is a workaholic. It just means he puts in long, tedious hours or does physical manual labor so that he is physically exhausted.

A working stiff usually refers to Joe Lunchbox, blue collar worker or a low level white collar worker that tirelessly plods along at his job for long hours, but not as a executive who works long hours (but not at physical labor) which is normally seen as a workaholic.

The earning little money goes along with this context of manual laborer or lower level white collar worker, rather than with workaholics that trade their lives for the fortunes that they garner.

Hmmm,

Está enganchado al trabajo /es un adicto al trabajo

working stiff = someone with a hard, low-paying job.

Ese tipo es duro trabajo, ganado dinero solamente suficiente para sobrevivir.

Hi RAchel, nice expression I am not familiar with. Is that a person who does not like working?

Si mi tierra, esa misma. El es bien engancha'o a su trabajo.

I would translate the sentence like this: "Era un obseso del trabajo, haciendo dinero sólo para sobrevivir"

JohnJuan said:

Ese tipo es duro trabajo, ganado dinero solamente suficiente para sobrevivir.

But, I think RaquelS is looking for a Spanish Idiom that means “working stiff” and I don’t see it in this reply.

JohnJuan also said:

It's an American slang thing...he's a working stiff...he works so much he's stiff.

Yes it is North American slang. However, it is not that the worker is physically stiff. That’s an incorrect interpretation.

Heidita said:

Está enganchado al trabajo /es un adicto al trabajo

A working stiff is not thought to be a workaholic. The concept of working stiff does not embrace workaholism.

JohnJuan said:

Si mi tierra, esa misma. El es bien engancha'o a su trabajo.

Reject this idea as it only endorses Heidita’s mistake.

Dunia said:

I would translate the sentence like this: "Era un obseso del trabajo, haciendo dinero sólo para sobrevivir"

Reject this as it endorse the concept of being a workaholic which I have already cast out.

Webdunce said:

Working stiff = someone with a hard, low paying job

I do not agree. The working stiff’s job does not need to be either hard or low paying.

..........Now here is a real rarity. I also do not agree with Qfreed, my exemplar in most things. The ideas of long hours, tedious hours and physical exhaustion are not necessary indicators of a working stiff.

........."Working stiff” is really undefined. It’s an idiom that is not explained by simply defining its two component words. It tends to imply an ordinary person who works in a non-management position in order to earn enough money to live, usually at a very boring or menial or mundane or common garden variety job. Also, there is not usually anything derogatory or derisive about the term "working stiff". As with anything spoken or written, it is possible to give it a negative meaning if it is expressed sneeringly or contemptuously.

..........Then, wonder of wonders, as a comment to Qfreed’s reply, Webdunce gets us back to the original question posed by RaquelS. Does the Spanish language have a word, a phrase or an idiom that is the equal of the English idiom “Working stiff”.

...........And now we are back were we began, how, if at all, could you say “working stiff” in Spanish.

Here's an attempt...

Era un obrero común que ganó dinero solamente suficiente para sobrevivir.

En inglés: He was a common laborer who made only enough money to survive.

(got that last part from JohnJuan)

es trabajador!

I love this!!! I love the process of interpretation. A college professor once told me that you could ask one question to two people and you'd get three answers!

That's a really good one. You know such good words! You should share them with us more often...and you know me...I like the ones un pocito mas sabroso!

Heidita...you should just make a thing called "Hiedita's Ismos" in which you share with us the sayings que son las mas usadas de tu lado del mundo. I don't know if others would like that, but I would.

Great discussion everyone! I wish I had been around to check my e-mail, I could've gotten involved. The way I define "working stiff" is what everyone eventually agreed upon. Someone with a menial, unfulfilling job who makes just enough money to get by.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I can define myself that way! Yikes.

Thanks to everyone for the input. I pick Heidita's answer as the winner: "currante/currito." Unfortunately currito seems to be a colloquialism native to Spain, so I doubt that anyone I talk to would recognize the word, since I live in N. America. But, I still love it!