tomar el rábano por las hojas

USAGE NOTE

This idiom may be literally translated as "to hold the radish by its leaves" and may also be written "agarrar el rábano por las hojas."

tomar el rábano por las hojas(

toh

)

An intransitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and does not require a direct object (e.g., Everybody please stand up.).

intransitive verb phrase

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

An idiom is a phrase with a meaning different from the literal meaning of the separate words that make it up (e.g., break a leg).

(idiom)

(to completely misunderstand something)

a. to get the wrong end of the stick

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

An idiom is a phrase with a meaning different from the literal meaning of the separate words that make it up (e.g., break a leg).

(idiom)

Estás tomando el rábano por las hojas. Cuando dije "una pelea", no quise decir una pelea a puñetazos, sino una discusión.You're getting the wrong end of the stick. When I said "a fight", I didn't mean a fistfight, but an argument.

b. to get hold of the wrong end of the stick

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

An idiom is a phrase with a meaning different from the literal meaning of the separate words that make it up (e.g., break a leg).

(idiom)

Lucas me miró con lascivia y entonces supe que había tomado el rábano por las hojas.Lucas looked at me lasciviously, and then I knew he'd gotten hold of the wrong end of the stick.

c. to get the wrong idea

Tomaste el rábano por las hojas. Su comentario era irónico, mi mamá es una persona muy liberal.You got the wrong idea. Her comment was ironic, my mom is a very liberal person.

Examples