Poner tierra de por medio
To put earth between oneself and someone or something.
to put some distance between oneself and someone/something; **to put some distance between oneself and someone/something**; **to get away**; **to make oneself scarce**; **to get out of there**; **to put some distance between oneself and the problem**; **to leave town**
Poner tierra de por medio means to get away, to put some distance between oneself and someone or something, or to leave a difficult situation behind.
Después de la discusión decidió poner tierra de por medio.
After the argument, he decided to put some distance between them.
Lo mejor es poner tierra de por medio y olvidarse del asunto.
The best thing is to get away and forget about the whole thing.
Cuando vio que la policía estaba cerca, puso tierra de por medio.
When he saw that the police were nearby, he got out of there.
Se fue a vivir a otra ciudad para poner tierra de por medio.
She moved to another city to put some distance between herself and the situation.
It can refer to physical distance, but it is very often used figuratively.
The expression frequently implies that someone leaves in order to avoid a conflict, problem or unpleasant situation.
- leaves a place to escape a problem
- distances themselves from another person
- decides to leave after an argument
- moves away to make a fresh start
- wants to avoid further trouble
- puts physical distance between themselves and an unpleasant situation
The expression is based on the simple idea that physical distance separates people.
If two people are separated by a stretch of land, it becomes more difficult for one to reach or confront the other.
The phrase therefore developed as a metaphor for creating distance in order to escape a conflict, danger or uncomfortable situation.
There is no need for the "earth" to be literal: the distance can be geographical, emotional or metaphorical.
The expression often carries the idea of deliberately leaving.
It is not simply:
Alejarse.
→ To move away.
It often suggests:
Me voy para evitar problemas.
→ I'm leaving to avoid further trouble.
For example:
Después de aquel escándalo, puso tierra de por medio.
suggests that the person left the situation behind and created enough distance for the matter to die down.
Spanish has several colourful expressions for leaving quickly or putting distance between oneself and a problem:
- Poner tierra de por medio → to put some distance between oneself and something.
- Tomar las de Villadiego → to make a quick escape.
- Poner pies en polvorosa → to run away.
- Salir por patas → to make a quick getaway.
- Hacer mutis por el foro → to slip away quietly.
Poner tierra de por medio is distinctive because the emphasis is not necessarily on speed, but on creating distance: the farther away the problem is, the better.
Do not normally translate:
Puso tierra de por medio.
as:
He put earth in between.
Instead use:
He put some distance between himself and the situation.
He got away.
He left town.
He got out of there.
The most appropriate translation depends on whether the emphasis is on distance, escape or leaving.
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