dar calabazas

Spanish

Etymology

Literally, “to give pumpkins”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌdaɾ kalaˈbaθas/ [ˌd̪aɾ ka.laˈβ̞a.θas] (Spain)
• IPA^(key): /ˌdaɾ kalaˈbasas/ [ˌd̪aɾ ka.laˈβ̞a.sas] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Syllabification: dar ca‧la‧ba‧zas

Verb

dar calabazas (first-person singular present doy calabazas, first-person singular preterite di calabazas, past participle dado calabazas)

1. (idiomatic, transitive) to jilt, to snub
2. (transitive, idiomatic) to fail (a student)

   Synonyms: reprobar, desaprobar, jalar (Peru, colloquial)

Further reading

• “calabaza”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10