Tener algo entre ceja y ceja
To have something between one's eyebrow and eyebrow.
to have one's sights set on something; **to have one's sights set on something**; **to be determined to...**; **to have it in for someone**; **to be obsessed with something**; **to be fixated on...**
Tener algo o a alguien entre ceja y ceja means to become obsessed with an idea, goal or person.
Tiene entre ceja y ceja comprarse una casa.
He's determined to buy a house.
Desde aquel día me tiene entre ceja y ceja.
Ever since that day, he's had it in for me.
Cuando se le mete algo entre ceja y ceja, no para hasta conseguirlo.
Once she gets an idea into her head, she won't stop until she achieves it.
El jefe le tiene entre ceja y ceja.
The boss has it in for him.
Very often, it describes someone who has decided to achieve something at all costs.
It can also mean that someone has taken a dislike to another person and keeps looking for opportunities to criticise or harm them.
The context determines which meaning is intended.
- is determined to achieve a goal
- cannot stop thinking about something
- has become fixated on an idea
- has developed a personal grudge
- seems determined to target someone
Behind it lies a straightforward physical image that speakers recognise at once.
The most accepted explanation links the image to the area between the eyebrows, directly above the eyes.
Something placed there is symbolically impossible to ignore because it always remains within one's field of attention.
Over time, the expression came to represent a persistent obsession or fixation.
Spanish speakers use the expression in two clearly different ways:
Positive determination
Tiene entre ceja y ceja aprender japonés.
Negative obsession
El profesor me tiene entre ceja y ceja.
Native speakers immediately distinguish the intended meaning from the context.
Spanish has another expression built around the same idea of persistent thought:
Metérsele algo en la cabeza.
Both describe an idea that refuses to disappear.
However:
- Metérsele algo en la cabeza emphasises stubborn determination.
- Tener entre ceja y ceja often suggests a stronger fixation, especially when another person is involved.
Do not translate the expression literally.
English speakers would never say:
He has me between eyebrow and eyebrow.
Instead, translate the underlying idea:
If it refers to a goal:
- He's determined to...
- He's got his sights set on...
If it refers to a person:
- He's got it in for me.
- She has it in for him.
The English translation changes completely depending on the object.
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