a buenas horas mangas verdes
Spanish
Etymology
From the phrase "a buenas horas" (it's high time/it's about time) + "mangas verdes" (meaning green sleeves). The term "mangas verdes" goes back to the Santa Hermandad, a peacekeeping force in Spain, who wore short sleeveless jackets, under which they wore green shirts. This law-enforcement agency had a reputation for always arriving too late to solve a crime or catch a criminal, hence the phrase.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a ˌbwenas ˌoɾas ˌmanɡas ˈbeɾdes/ [a ˌβ̞we.nas ˌo.ɾaz ˌmãŋ.ɡaz ˈβ̞eɾ.ð̞es]
Audio (Peru) (file) - Syllabification: a bue‧nas ho‧ras man‧gas ver‧des
Phrase
a buenas horas mangas verdes
- (idiomatic) about time, better late than never
Further reading
- “a buena hora, o a buenas horas, mangas verdes”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014