Dar el brazo a torcer

to give in; **to give in**; **to back down**; **to yield**; **to cave in**; **to relent**

Dar el brazo a torcer means to give in, to yield or to change one's position after resisting pressure, persuasion or negotiation.

The expression usually implies that the person did not want to change their mind at first.

After discussion, evidence or persistence, however, they finally accept another solution.

The idiom is frequently used in family life, politics, business negotiations and everyday disagreements.

It does not necessarily suggest weakness.

Often, it simply reflects the willingness to compromise when circumstances make resistance no longer reasonable.

• changes their mind after resisting
• finally accepts a proposal
• gives in during an argument
• reaches a compromise
• abandons an initially firm position

The expression is generally associated with contests of physical strength, especially those involving the arms.

When one participant finally allows the arm to be bent, resistance ends and the contest is over.

Spanish extended this physical image to any situation in which a person eventually abandons their initial opposition.

Whether or not this was the precise historical origin, the metaphor has become firmly established in modern Spanish.

Spanish speakers often admire determination, but they also recognise the importance of flexibility.

For that reason, dar el brazo a torcer is not always negative.

Sometimes it describes the wisdom of accepting convincing arguments or adapting to changing circumstances.

This balanced interpretation explains why the idiom appears so frequently in politics, business and everyday life.

Although the expression probably originated in physical contests, modern speakers almost never associate it with strength.

Today, it is heard far more often in conversations about negotiations, relationships and politics than in any sporting context.

Its ability to describe the psychology of compromise has made it one of the most enduring idioms in contemporary Spanish.

Avoid translating the expression literally.

English speakers would not normally say:

He gave his arm to be twisted.

Instead, use expressions such as to give in, to back down, to cave in or to relent, depending on the context.

Notice that the Spanish idiom often implies a period of previous resistance before the final decision.

That nuance is an important part of its meaning.