Al sol que más calienta
To the sun that shines the hottest.
to side with whoever is in power; **to side with whoever is in power**; **to go with the winning side**; **to attach oneself to the powerful**; **to curry favour with those in power**; **to jump on the bandwagon**; **to back the winning horse**
Al sol que más calienta describes someone who moves towards whoever is currently most powerful, influential or successful, especially in order to benefit from that person's position.
Siempre se arrima al sol que más calienta.
He always sides with whoever is in power.
Cuando cambió el Gobierno, se arrimó al sol que más calentaba.
When the government changed, he switched sides and backed the new people in power.
No tiene principios; se arrima al sol que más calienta.
He has no principles; he always attaches himself to whoever is most powerful.
Muchos políticos se arriman al sol que más calienta.
A lot of politicians side with whoever is in power.
Ayer apoyaba a uno y hoy al otro: siempre se arrima al sol que más calienta.
Yesterday he supported one side and today the other; he always goes with the winning side.
It is used particularly to criticise someone who changes their loyalties according to who has the most power or influence.
A common construction is:
Arrimarse al sol que más calienta.
→ To side with whoever is most powerful / to attach oneself to the winning side.
- changes political loyalties according to who is in power
- seeks the favour of influential people
- associates with whoever is currently successful
- abandons one side when it begins to lose
- tries to benefit from whoever has the most power
The expression is based on a simple observation: people naturally seek the warmest and most comfortable place in the sun.
The metaphor transfers this behaviour to human relationships. Just as someone moves towards the sun that provides the most warmth, an opportunistic person moves towards the person or group that currently offers the greatest power, influence or advantage.
The full traditional expression is:
Arrimarse al sol que más calienta.
Here arrimarse means to move close to or attach oneself to something or someone.
The expression is especially common in political contexts, where it can describe people who change their allegiance according to the party in power.
For example:
Antes criticaba al Gobierno y ahora lo defiende. Se ha arrimado al sol que más calienta.
The accusation is that the person is not acting from conviction but from self-interest.
It can, however, be used in any situation involving power or influence:
En esa empresa todos quieren arrimarse al sol que más calienta.
→ Everyone in that company wants to attach themselves to whoever has the most influence.
There is a close relationship between:
Arrimarse al sol que más calienta
and:
Subirse al carro ganador.
Both describe opportunistic behaviour, but their metaphors are different.
Arrimarse al sol que más calienta emphasises seeking proximity to power or influence.
Subirse al carro ganador emphasises joining a successful movement or winning side once its success is apparent.
In English, both can sometimes be translated as:
to jump on the bandwagon.
The most common form is not simply:
al sol que más calienta
but:
arrimarse al sol que más calienta.
Arrimarse is important because it provides the metaphor of moving closer to the source of warmth.
A natural English translation therefore focuses on the figurative meaning:
to side with whoever is in power
or:
to back the winning side.
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