Example: No me gusta que me den gato por liebre en el mercado.
Definition
"Dar gato por liebre" is a Spanish expression meaning to deceive someone by giving them something of lesser value than promised, similar to being tricked or cheated. For example, it implies receiving a cat instead of a hare, symbolizing a dishonest substitution.
Translations
to deceive someone
iemand iets aansmeren
donar gat per llebre
vendre un chat pour un lièvre
jemanden übers Ohr hauen
Etymology
The phrase "dar gato por liebre" literally means 'to give a cat instead of a hare.' Historically, hares were considered more valuable food than cats. This expression originated from markets where dishonest sellers would cheat buyers by substituting a cat for a hare. Did you know? This phrase is still widely used in Spanish to indicate fraud or trickery.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Dar gato por liebre" appears in the Vocaplus list "Spanish - General - Modismos y refranes - (C2) - parte 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to deceive someone