Ir a los bifes

One of my favorite phrases in RPS is ir a los bifes (literally, go to the steaks).

It’s used whenever there’s not much preamble to things. If someone cuts to the chase, skipping unnecessary introductions, then you’d say, that person “va a los bifes”.

The phrase is also commonly used when referring to getting down to work, especially when it’s mentally or physically demanding.

Also, it’s an euphemism for having sex with someone you’re getting to know. Someone might say:

“Bueno, llegamos a su casa y enseguida fuimos a los bifes.”

The origin of the phrase is debated, but there are two main theories. One suggests it comes from Argentine food culture, where bife (steak) represents the main course—so ‘going to the steak’ would mean getting straight to what’s important. Another theory ties it to boxing slang, where bifes was used to refer to punches, meaning to get straight into the fight without hesitation.

Hope you like the phrase, and that it gives you food for thought.

You might also want to read these articles:

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• Cognates and False Friends
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• Cancherear
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• Hacer una vaquita
  I’m not going to argue how ridiculous this phrase may sound at first. Let me just tell you what it means in Argentina.