Example: Ella siempre se queda para vestir santos en las fiestas familiares.
Definition
"Quedarse para vestir santos" is a Spanish expression meaning to remain unmarried, especially a woman who has not married by the usual age, often implying a social expectation or pressure around marriage and spinsterhood.
Translations
to remain single
vrijgezel blijven
quedar-se per vestir sants
rester célibataire
ledig bleiben
Etymology
The phrase "quedarse para vestir santos" literally translates to 'stay to dress saints,' referring to the old custom of unmarried women dedicating themselves to religious activities such as dressing statues of saints. Over time, it came to metaphorically describe women who remain single and do not marry.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Quedarse para vestir santos" appears in the Vocaplus list "Spanish - General - Modismos y refranes - (C2) - parte 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to remain single