Sudar como un pollo

Question

I have been catching up on episodes of I know who you are/Sé quién eres. It is a thriller set in Barcelona.

One of the actors talked about sweating like a pig but in Spanish used the expression - sudar como un pollo. I have heard como un cerdo and sudar tinta. Is it common? Is it regional?

We have sweat blood for working hard or sweat buckets and we also have sweat like a pig.

What expressions do you use?

Answer 1

I am familiar with all the expressions offered so far.

We certainly use "sudar como un pollo" when it's very hot.

"Pollo sudado" or "sudado de pollo" is a widely used recipe for chicken stew, therefore when it's very hot, muggy, swealtering-I-swear-i'm-turning-into-stew, you sweat like a chicken (in stew).

"Sudar como un cerdo" is usually also used when it's very hot and/or you just sweated a lot, literally.

As Heidita pointed out, "sudar tinta" is almost exclusively linked to great intelectual effort or stress, and as Polenta indicated, "sudar la gota gorda" works for any kind of sweating.

Thanks - it's clearly not just used in Catalonia. - Mardle, Aug 28, 2017

Answer 2

That would be

sudar como un pollo

This is used when it is very hot.

However, when you are , say, having a job interview, right before an exam....you would use:

sudar tinta

Sudor is the noun.

Does this mean it is common throughout Spain? Although the series isn't in Catalan iris will based in Barcelona and many have Catalan names - Mardle, Aug 28, 2017

Answer 3

We use the fixed expression "sudar la gota gorda".

This could be used because you are sweating or because you are making a great effort.

Does this mean you do not use tinta/cerdo ni pollo? - Mardle, Aug 28, 2017

We don't. - polenta1, Aug 28, 2017

Gracias - Mardle, Aug 28, 2017