tonto del haba

Spanish

Etymology

From tonto (“fool”) +‎ del (“of”) +‎ haba (“bean”). According to Spanish tradition, the person who finds the bean encased in the king cake eaten on January 6 to celebrate the Three Kings Day has to pay for the cake the following year. Those who find the hidden fève, on the contrary, are proclaimed King or Queen for the rest of the evening.

Noun

tonto del haba m (plural tontos del haba, feminine tonta del haba, feminine plural tontas del haba)

(colloquial) idiot; fool; butt of a joke