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/Sounds like "pah" (as in "park") + "SAHR" (as in "salsa") + "seh" (as in "set") + "DEH" (as in "debt") + "LEES" (as in "lead") + "toh" (as in "toll")/

Meaning

To try to be too clever or sneaky and have it backfire. The person who pasarse de listo overestimates their own cunning, tries to pull a fast one, and ends up worse off than if they had just been straight from the start. Classic case of outsmarting yourself.

Examples

Se pasó de listo queriendo engañar al jefe y lo terminaron despidiendo.

He tried to be too clever by tricking the boss and ended up getting fired.

No te pases de listo, a mí no me vas a engañar.

Don't try to be cute with me, you're not fooling anyone here.

Regional synonyms

In Spain, to go for a short aimless stroll around the neighborhood or city with no fixed destination and no real plan. People take a voltio to clear their heads, kill some time, or just get some air. A casual loop through familiar streets.