Example: No debes tirar por la borda todo tu esfuerzo así.
Definition
"Tirar por la borda" means to discard or abandon something valuable or important, often effort or resources, as if throwing it overboard from a ship. It implies wasting or giving up on something that should be preserved or utilized.
The phrase "tirar por la borda" comes from maritime language, where 'tirar' means 'to throw' and 'borda' refers to the side or edge of a ship. Originally, it described throwing items over the ship's edge into the sea, symbolizing waste or loss. Did you know? This vivid imagery helped the phrase evolve into a metaphor for wasting valuable efforts or resources.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Tirar por la borda" appears in the Vocaplus list "Spanish - General - Modismos y refranes - (C2) - parte 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to throw away