Matar el gusanillo

to have a quick bite; **to have a quick bite**; **to grab a snack**; **to stave off hunger**; **to satisfy a craving**; **to tide oneself over until the next meal**

Matar el gusanillo means to have a quick bite, to stave off hunger, to satisfy a small craving, or to eat something before a proper meal.

It usually refers to eating a small amount rather than having a full meal.

• eats a snack between meals
• has a small bite before lunch or dinner
• satisfies a minor craving
• drinks or eats something to stop feeling hungry

The expression comes from an old popular belief that a small worm lived inside the stomach and caused hunger.

Eating something was thought to "kill" or quieten this imaginary worm.

Although nobody believes this today, the metaphor has survived and remains one of the most common Spanish expressions for having a snack.

The expression is especially common in Spain because of the tradition of eating tapas, pinchos or small snacks between meals.

It often suggests eating just enough to relieve hunger without replacing the main meal.

Spanish has several expressions related to eating:

• Matar el gusanillo → to grab a snack.
• Picar algo → to nibble something.
• Tomar un tentempié → to have a snack.
• Abrir el apetito → to whet one's appetite.

Among them, matar el gusanillo is the most picturesque because it preserves a centuries-old popular belief about the origin of hunger, even though that belief has long disappeared.

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

I'm going to kill the little worm.

Instead, use expressions such as:

• I'm going to grab a snack.
• I'll have a quick bite.
• I'll eat something to tide me over.
• I'll stave off my hunger with a snack.

Choose the translation according to the context.