Barrer para casa
backTo sweep towards home.
to look after one's own interests; **to look after one's own interests**; **to act in one's own interest**; **to favour one's own side**; **to feather one's own nest**; **to look after number one**; **to be self-serving**
Barrer para casa means to favour oneself or one's own interests, to act in one's own interest, or to interpret or arrange something to one's own advantage.
Cada uno barre para casa cuando habla de su equipo.
Everyone looks after their own interests when talking about their team.
El jefe siempre barre para casa a la hora de repartir los horarios.
The boss always favours himself when assigning the schedules.
No seas tan parcial; estás barriendo para casa.
Don't be so biased; you're only looking after your own side.
El informe parece bastante objetivo, aunque el autor barre un poco para casa.
The report seems fairly objective, although the author is a little self-serving.
En las negociaciones, todos barren para casa.
In negotiations, everyone looks after their own interests.
It can also mean to favour one's own group, team, family, organisation or side.
The expression often carries a mildly critical or ironic tone.
- gives an opinion that benefits themselves
- allocates something in their own favour
- supports their own group or team
- interprets facts selectively
- chooses the option that benefits them personally
- uses their position to favour their own interests
The expression comes from the literal household task of sweeping.
When someone sweeps, they naturally move dirt and rubbish towards their own side or their own house.
This simple image became a metaphor for someone who arranges things so that the result ends up benefiting themselves or their own side.
The metaphor is therefore based on the idea of bringing everything towards one's own house.
Barrer para casa does not necessarily imply dishonesty.
It can describe perfectly understandable self-interest:
En una discusión sobre fútbol, cada aficionado barre para casa.
→ Every fan is naturally biased towards their own team.
But it can also be critical:
El responsable barrió para casa al repartir el presupuesto.
→ The person in charge allocated the budget in a self-serving way.
The context determines how negative the expression sounds.
Spanish has several expressions built around the idea of bringing something towards one's own side:
- Barrer para casa → to favour one's own interests.
- Arrimar el ascua a su sardina → to turn circumstances to one's own advantage.
- Llevar el agua a su molino → to make something serve one's own interests.
- Tirar para casa → to favour one's own side.
They all share essentially the same metaphor: instead of leaving things where they naturally are, you try to move them towards your own "territory".
Do not translate:
Está barriendo para casa.
as:
He's sweeping towards home.
In its figurative sense, natural translations include:
He's looking after his own interests.
He's favouring his own side.
He's being self-serving.
He's looking after number one.
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