As I was trying to come up with Peruvian proverbs to share here, I ran into the problem that most of the proverbs I know and use don't really have clear origins (at least I couldn’t find any), so they might as well come from any Spanish-speaking country. Therefore, I decided to choose only those popular expressions that contain Peruvian elements in them (like the name of a city), although some of them are just variations of more popular proverbs and sayings.
El que se fue a Barranco, perdió su banco
The translation would be "He who went to Barranco, lost this seat". Barranco is a famous district in Lima, and it is used here because the name rhymes with the word “banco” (translated as "seat"). This expression is typically used by children when they steal someone else’s seat as soon as they leave it unoccupied. In different contexts, it can also have the figurative meaning of missing an opportunity for not being present.
This saying is a variation of the popular Spanish proverb "El que se fue a Sevilla, perdió su silla". It also has a popular comeback, “el que viene de Lima, se sienta encima”, which can be translated as “he who comes from Lima, sits on top” (again, Lima is used here because it rhymes with the word “encima”), and it is used when the person returns to their lost seat and claims it back.
Estar entre Pisco y Nazca
The translation would be “to be between Pisco and Nazca”. Pisco and Nazca are both names of cities in Peru, but in this saying, they refer to two kinds of alcoholic drinks with the same names. It’s normally used as a nicer way to indicate that someone has had too much to drink.
Estar en la luna de Paita
The translation is “to be on the moon of Paita”. This saying is used to describe someone who appears to be completely distracted and self-absorbed. It’s not clear how this expression came into being, but a possible explanation is that the moon in Paita, a port town in the north of Peru, appears larger and brighter than usual, causing people to become absorbed in it when staring for too long. There’s also a Spanish equivalent for this saying, which is “to be on the moon of Valencia”, meaning exactly the same.
Nice Article. I'm learning Spanish so it's great having to learn new expressions like these.
Your English is definitely advanced. I think it's a matter of more practice, my recommendation would be to read and write even more. Perhaps consider purchasing a book or a novel to really assess yourself. Regards.
Thank you @DerFotograf for your feedback and recommendation! I certainly will be trying to write and post more. Best of luck in your Spanish journey!