Cortar el bacalao

/koɾ·ˈtaɾ el βa·ka·ˈla·o/

To cut the cod.

Frequency

ConversationVery common

JournalismOccasional

LiteraryRare

AcademicVery rare

In English

to call the shots; **to call the shots**; **to run the show**; **to be in charge**; **to hold the reins**; **to be the one calling the tune**

Meaning

Cortar el bacalao means to call the shots, to run the show, to be in charge, to hold the power, or to make the decisions.

Examples

Aquí quien corta el bacalao es Marta.

Marta is the one calling the shots here.

Aunque parezca lo contrario, él no corta el bacalao.

Despite appearances, he's not the one in charge.

Todos saben quién corta el bacalao en la empresa.

Everyone knows who really runs the company.

Desde hace años corta el bacalao en el partido.

He's been calling the shots in the party for years.

It refers to someone who has real authority or influence within a group or organisation.

Used when

the boss in a company
the person with real influence
the leader of a group
someone who makes the important decisions
a person who controls a situation

Origin

The most widely accepted explanation dates back to the nineteenth century.

Salted cod was stored in large pieces and had to be cut before distribution.

The person responsible for cutting it determined how much each worker or customer received, making this role one of authority and control.

From this practical responsibility, cortar el bacalao gradually became a metaphor for exercising power and making decisions.

Cultural note

The expression usually refers to real authority rather than official titles.

Someone may have an important position but not cortar el bacalao if another person actually makes the decisions.

For this reason, the idiom often appears in discussions of politics, business and family dynamics.

Did you know?

Spanish has several idioms describing leadership or authority:

Cortar el bacalao → to call the shots.
Llevar la voz cantante → to take the lead.
Tomar las riendas → to take control.
Mover los hilos → to pull the strings.

Among them, cortar el bacalao is one of the most characteristically Spanish, preserving the memory of a time when controlling the distribution of an essential food meant exercising real power.

For English speakers

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

He cuts the cod.

Instead, use expressions such as:

He calls the shots.
She's in charge.
He runs the show.
She's the one making the decisions.
He holds the reins.

Choose the translation according to the context.