From horses in English to automobiles in Argentina, this idiom is just what we need when the other person is too angry or overreacting. As an imperative, we often use it like this:

• -Eh, pará, tranquilo/a, bajá un cambio.

Another imperative variation of this one is “Pará la moto” [stop the motorbike]

• -Eh, amigo, pará la moto. ¿Qué te pasa?

If we sense we should calm down or another person should take things more slowly, we also use it in phrases like:

• Estoy laburando mucho. Tengo que bajar un cambio.
• Relajate. Me parece que tenés que bajar un cambio. Estás muy acelerado/a.

Hope you like this one. There are a few others HERE.

Happy Spanish learning,

You might also want to read these articles:

• Memory, Ear, Intuition
  This article breaks down how ear, memory and intuition make for a killer combo in language learning.
• Phrasal Verbs in RPS
  Have you been crafting your own list of phrasal verbs in Spanish? This is the ultimate resource to extend it and take your understanding even further.
• Ir a los bifes
  Hungry for some new RPS idiom? Here you are, my friend.
• My curated list of Argentinian authors
  Up for a reading challenge? Pick an author from this list and start exploring the best of Argentine literature.
• Baader-Meinhof
  You know that experience of learning a new word and finding it multiple times afterwards? That’s Baader-Meinhoff in action.
• Muy gasolero = Thrifty
  In this post you’ll learn why in Argentina we use gasolero to mean thrifty.