a palo seco

Spanish

Etymology

Literally, “on (a) dry stick”. The phrase dates back to the 18th century sailors who would eat the bare minimum during violent storms, when the mast (the "stick") would be bare of sails ("dry").

Adverb

a palo seco

1. (idiomatic) on its own (without any other type of food)

Related terms

• palo seco

 

Further reading

• “a palo seco”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014