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/Sounds like "teh" (as in "ten") + "NEHR" (as in "net") + "EHL" (as in "egg") + "ehs" (as in "egg") + "TOH" (as in "toll") + "mah" (as in "mark") + "goh" (as in "go") + "EHN" (as in "egg") + "LAH" (as in "lava") + "gahr" (as in "garden") + "GAHN" (as in "garden") + "tah" (as in "tar")/

Meaning

That knot in your stomach when nerves kick in hard before something big. More intense than butterflies, it's the full-body physical reaction when your body starts panicking before your brain has a chance to calm things down.

Examples

Tenía el estómago en la garganta antes de la presentación.

My stomach was in my throat the whole time before the presentation.

Me entró el estómago en la garganta cuando vi que me llamaban del trabajo.

My stomach dropped the moment I saw work was calling.

Regional synonyms

To catch someone in the act of doing something they should not be doing. Used in Mexico. The person who catches you has undeniable proof and there is no escape: you were seen, you were caught, and no version of events saves you. Works for anything from small mischief to serious betrayals.