Aquí hay gato encerrado

Question

Polenta stumped a lot of you with her "Santa María qué pinta tiene esa niña."

I have something similar but a little easier. What do hispanohablantes mean when they say "Aquí hay gato encerrado."

How are you, Dani? Haven't seen you 'round here in a bit. xxx - Winkfish, Jun 19, 2017

I've been here, doing a lot of commenting, but not too much to answer. Others are beating me to the questions. - Daniela2041, Jun 19, 2017

You should still answer Dani. We love your input. :) - rac1, Jun 19, 2017

:) - ian-hill, Jun 19, 2017

yes you write well Dani - goospanish, Jun 19, 2017

¿No habrá gato encerrado en esta pregunta? jaja - polenta1, Jun 19, 2017

There are times I like to answer all the questions, but I can't. You have the gift of explanation that I'm unable to demonstrate. - NKM1974, Jun 19, 2017

Answer 1

There is something fishy going on.

Hay algo sospechoso pasando.

Yes bonita. xx - ian-hill, Jun 19, 2017

Something "fishy" going on.---I smell a rat. --and one I thought was funny, "There's something rotten in Denmark." - Daniela2041, Jun 19, 2017

I like that one too. There's something rotten in Denmark. We say that a lot. :) - rac1, Jun 19, 2017

Gracias guapo. xo - rac1, Jun 19, 2017

Answer 2

¿Quién tiene gato? ¿Sabe alguien encerrarlo?

De vez en cuando el mío… se llama Changó… se escapa de la casa y suele esconderse bajo mi coche en la calle. Siempre es el mío… nunca escoge otro. Antes yo solía huirlo con una escoba y me costaba mucho tiempo y frustración. Luego el señor Vang, vecino mío, sugirió otro táctico: una bolsa de papel y paciencia. “Sencillo,” me dice. “Abre la bolsa con estrépito, ponla cerca del coche y espera.” Apenas pasan 30 segundos y el gato se precipita desde su escondite para meterse en la bolsa. ¡Buen consejo, señor Vang!

Who has a cat? Do you know how to capture him?

From time to time mine, he's called Changó, gets out of the house and customarily hides under my car in the street. It's always my car, nobody else's. Before I used to use a broom to shoo him, and it cost a lot of time and frustration. Then my neighbor, Mr. Vang, suggested another tactic: a paper bag and patience. "Simple", he says to me. "Open the bag making lots of noise, put it near the car, and wait." Barely 30 seconds go by and the cat scurries out from his hiding place right into the bag. Good advice, Mr. Vang!

Answer 3

Aquí hay gato encerrado. = There’s something fishy going on here.

or

“I smell a rat” (‘huelo una rata’),

I didn't see this in your first post, guapo, or I would not have responded. I read something else you had written. - rac1, Jun 20, 2017

Answer 4

Alguien que está diciendo lo obvio.

Someone who is stating the obvious.

Answer 5

Hello!

This link from 2013 might be the answer to your question. "Hay gato encerrado"

Hope this helps.

Regards!

UPDATE: After more than 24 hours of this posting, fishy in Spanish is sospechoso. Here are the English/Spanish translations.

• there's something fishy about him - hay algo en él que resulta sospechoso
• it sounds fishy to me - me huele a chamusquina (informal); (Spain)
• there's something fishy going on here - aquí hay gato encerrado; me huele a chamusquina (informal); (Spain)

I already know the answer. This is something for the beginners to work on and figure out. - Daniela2041, Jun 19, 2017

There is another meaning beside the "fishy" one. Let's see if someone can find it. - Daniela2041, Jun 19, 2017

Answer 6

Before I look at the link, I'll guess something like "You have a tiger by the tail" meaning you've got a tricky or dangerous situation that could go very wrong if you make a wrong move.