Poner de patitas en la calle

to kick someone out; **to kick someone out**; **to throw someone out**; **to show someone the door**; **to give someone the boot**; **to fire someone** (when referring to employment)

Poner de patitas en la calle means to throw someone out, to kick someone out, to show someone the door, or to fire someone (depending on the context).

The expression always implies that the person is forced to leave.

• is fired from a job
• is expelled from a place
• is thrown out of a house, bar or restaurant
• is removed from an organisation
• is forced to leave because of bad behaviour

The expression is based on the humorous diminutive patitas.

Instead of saying simply pies ("feet"), Spanish uses patitas, making the image more vivid and colloquial.

The emphasis is on sending someone straight out into the street without delay.

Over time, the phrase became a fixed idiom for expelling or dismissing someone.

Although humorous in form, the expression often describes serious situations such as:

• losing a job,
• being evicted,
• or being expelled from a public place.

The informal wording softens the tone without reducing the seriousness of the action.

Spanish has several expressions for forcing someone to leave:

• Poner de patitas en la calle → to kick someone out.
• Echar a alguien → to throw someone out.
• Dar la patada → to sack or dump someone (depending on the context).
• Mostrar la puerta → to show someone the door.

Among them, poner de patitas en la calle is the most colourful and colloquial, combining a humorous image with the idea of an immediate and involuntary departure.

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

They put him into the street on his little legs.

Instead, use expressions such as:

• They kicked him out.
• They threw him out.
• They showed him the door.
• They fired him. (employment)
• They gave him the boot. (informal)

Choose the translation according to the context.