Recordando nuestro viaje en tren por España e Inglaterra

What does “dándole la lengua” mean in Spanish?

On the train, the aunt says they spent the whole trip “dándole la lengua.” It sounds like “giving it the tongue,” but it just means they chatted non-stop the entire ride. She even adds “como se dice aquí en España” — this is how people say it here. So when you hear “dándole la lengua,” picture people who talk and talk and never run out of things to say.

Spoken line: “Estuvimos todo el tiempo dándole la lengua, como se dice aquí en España.” (We spent the whole time chatting non-stop, as we say here in Spain.) “Dar a la lengua” is a casual, friendly way to say someone is talking a lot, often with no pause. Examples: - Estuvimos toda la tarde dándole a la lengua. (We were chatting away all afternoon.) - Esos dos siempre están dándole a la lengua. (Those two are always gabbing.) - Para de darle a la lengua y ayúdame. (Stop yapping and help me.) It usually sounds warm or playful, not rude. In this clip the family is happy to be a “familia muy tertuliana” — people who love to sit and talk.