Longer than a day without bread

Bread, in all its varieties, is a basic food and a very important component of human diets.

It runs through our lives so much that, sometimes, it leaves the kitchen to enter the universe of language. For this reason, there are many expressions that contain references to bread.  

In our previous posts, we learned the meaning behind some of these expressions, such as ser más bueno que el pan (being a very good person) or estar de toma pan y moja (being very attractive).

Today, we would like to explain what is behind the expression más largo que un día sin pan (longer than a day without bread). If you prefer to read this article in Spanish, please click here.

In Spanish, being longer than a day without bread may stand for two different things. The first one is the most commonly used one. It is employed to describe something that becomes tough due to its long duration.

For example, a bad day at work can last longer than a day without bread.

The second meaning of this expression is applied to people. If someone is longer than a day without bread, then it means he or she is very tall. For example:

Mi amigo Juan es más largo que un día sin pan. Mide casi dos metros.

If you want to learn more about the close relationship between Spaniards and bread, we invite you to discover our learning programs in Spain.