tarde piaches

Galician

Alternative forms

• tarde piache

Etymology

Literally, “you tweeted late”. Attested since the 15th century in an, otherwise, Spanish text. Explained as a tale in which a Galician soldier, after eating an egg, heard a chick tweeting.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtaɾðe piˈat͡ʃes]

Idiom

tarde piaches (tarde piaches)

1. you spoke too late, it's too late (for a proposed action)
   • 1983, Manuel Casado Nieto, Refendas de vida e morte:

     –Como llo pagóu en talón, haberá que dar orde urxente ao Banco de que o anulen. –Tarde piaches, Canelas. O portugués cobróu o talón

     “Since he paid it in a check, we should order urgently the bank to cancel it.” “Too late, Canelas: the Portuguese guy already cashed it.”

References

• “tarde” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “tarde piaches” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “tarde piaches” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.