Hincar los codos

to hit the books; **to hit the books**; **to study hard**; **to swot up** (British English); **to cram** (when studying intensively before an exam)

Hincar los codos means to study intensively, usually for many hours and with considerable effort.

The expression emphasises dedication and perseverance rather than intelligence.

It often refers to preparing for exams, competitive entrance tests or demanding academic work.

• prepares for an important exam
• studies for long periods
• works hard academically
• needs to make a serious effort
• spends many hours at a desk

The verb hincar means to press, drive or stick something firmly into a surface.

The expression evokes the image of students leaning over a desk with their elbows firmly planted while studying for hours.

Over time, the physical posture came to represent the intellectual effort itself.

Today, speakers use the idiom without consciously thinking about the original image.

Spain has a long tradition of highly competitive public examinations known as oposiciones.

During exam season, it is common to hear expressions such as:

Hay que hincar los codos.

The phrase has therefore become closely associated with discipline, perseverance and academic commitment.

Long before laptops and tablets existed, students across Spain spent hours bent over heavy books with their elbows resting on wooden desks.

That familiar posture became so strongly associated with studying that it eventually gave birth to one of the language's best-known academic idioms.

Even today, when many students study on digital devices, Spaniards still say:

Hay que hincar los codos.

The books may have changed, but the expression has not.

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

I'm digging my elbows into the table.

Instead, use expressions such as:

• I'm hitting the books.
• I'm studying hard.
• I've got to revise. (British English)

The focus is on sustained academic effort rather than the physical posture.