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/Sounds like "EHL" (as in "egg") + "KEH" (as in "kept") + "FWEH" + "AH" (as in "art") + "seh" (as in "set") + "BEE" (as in "bee") + "yah" (as in "yard") + "pehr" (as in "pet") + "DYOH" + "SOO" (as in "soup") + "SEE" (as in "see") + "yah" (as in "yard")/

Meaning

A Spanish proverb warning that if you leave your spot, someone else will take it and you lose the right to complain. Your absence is what opened the door. Used to remind people that showing up is half the battle.

Examples

He stepped away and someone took his seat: el que fue a Sevilla perdió su silla.

That's life, if you leave your place, you lose it.

Regional synonyms

In Spain, a nerd or geek who is deeply into niche interests like anime, video games, sci-fi, or comics. Adapted from the English "freak," friki in Spain has largely lost its negative weight and is now often worn as a badge of identity by people who are proudly obsessed with their hobby.