Poner verde
To make someone green.
to bad-mouth someone; **to bad-mouth someone**; **to slag someone off** (British English); **to trash someone**; **to tear someone to pieces**; **to speak ill of someone**
Poner verde (a alguien) means to bad-mouth someone, to slag someone off, to trash someone, to speak very badly about someone, or to tear someone to pieces verbally.
Se pasó toda la tarde poniendo verde a su jefe.
She spent the whole afternoon bad-mouthing her boss.
Me puso verde delante de todo el mundo.
He tore me to pieces in front of everyone.
Siempre pone verde a los vecinos.
He's always speaking badly about the neighbours.
En cuanto se fue, empezaron a ponerlo verde.
As soon as he left, they started slagging him off.
It refers to harsh criticism, gossip or insults directed at another person.
- criticises another person behind their back
- speaks very negatively about someone
- complains aggressively about another person
- insults someone in conversation
- gossips in a particularly hostile way
It grew naturally out of everyday colloquial speech.
Several theories connect the colour green with an unhealthy or unpleasant appearance.
Over time, poner verde came to mean attacking someone's reputation through harsh criticism.
Modern speakers no longer associate the expression with colour itself; they simply understand it as an idiom meaning to criticise someone severely.
The expression often implies that the criticism is excessive or unfair.
Although it can describe criticism made directly to someone's face, it is especially common when referring to people who criticise others behind their backs.
For this reason, it frequently appears in conversations about gossip.
Spanish has many expressions describing criticism:
- Poner verde → to bad-mouth someone.
- Echar pestes de alguien → to speak very badly about someone.
- Poner a caer de un burro → to criticise someone mercilessly.
- Despotricar contra alguien → to rant against someone.
Among them, poner verde is the most common in everyday conversation and is used throughout the Spanish-speaking world with only minor regional differences.
Do not translate the expression literally.
English speakers would never say:
She made him green.
Instead, use expressions such as:
- She bad-mouthed him.
- They slagged her off.
- He spoke very badly about her.
- They tore him to pieces.
Choose the translation according to the degree of criticism.
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