Hacerse el longuis
To pretend to be "the longuis."
to play dumb; **to play dumb**; **to pretend not to know**; **to feign ignorance**; **to act innocent**; **to look the other way**
Hacerse el longuis means to play dumb, to pretend not to notice, to feign ignorance, to act as if one knows nothing, or to look the other way deliberately.
No te hagas el longuis.
Don't play dumb.
Se hizo el longuis para no ayudar.
He pretended not to notice so he wouldn't have to help.
Cuando le preguntaron, se hizo el longuis.
When they questioned him, he acted as if he knew nothing.
Siempre se hace el longuis cuando hay que trabajar.
He always plays dumb when there's work to do.
It usually implies that the person actually knows what is happening but chooses to ignore it.
- pretends not to hear
- ignores a request on purpose
- avoids responsibility by acting ignorant
- deliberately overlooks something
- acts as though they know nothing
The comparison it rests on is intuitive, and that intuitiveness is precisely its strength.
The most widely accepted theory links longuis to the Latin expression longis, meaning "from a distance."
Someone who stayed at a distance from a problem metaphorically avoided becoming involved.
Over time, the expression evolved into hacerse el longuis, meaning to pretend not to notice or to avoid involvement by feigning ignorance.
The expression almost always implies intentional behaviour.
Someone who se hace el longuis is not genuinely confused; they are deliberately acting as though they do not know what is happening.
For this reason, the idiom often carries a mildly critical tone.
Spanish has several expressions describing deliberate avoidance:
- Hacerse el longuis → to play dumb.
- Escurrir el bulto → to dodge responsibility.
- Hacer oídos sordos → to turn a deaf ear.
- Mirar para otro lado → to look the other way.
Among them, hacerse el longuis is especially common because it focuses on pretending not to know, making it a favourite expression when someone conveniently ignores a problem or request.
Do not translate the expression literally.
English speakers would never say:
He made himself the longuis.
Instead, use expressions such as:
- He's playing dumb.
- She's pretending not to know.
- He feigned ignorance.
- She's acting innocent.
Choose the translation according to whether the emphasis is on pretending not to hear, not to know or not to notice.
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