Tener malas pulgas

to be short-tempered; **to be short-tempered**; **to have a bad temper**; **to be irritable**; **to have a quick temper**; **to be easily annoyed**

Tener malas pulgas means to be bad-tempered, to be short-tempered, to be irritable, to have a quick temper, or to be easily angered.

It describes someone who becomes annoyed or angry very easily.

• gets angry over small things
• reacts aggressively
• loses patience quickly
• is often in a bad mood
• is difficult to deal with because of their temperament

The expression probably comes from the irritating effect of flea bites.

Animals infested with fleas become restless, nervous and prone to sudden reactions.

This behaviour was transferred metaphorically to people who are habitually irritable or quick to anger.

Although the original image is centuries old, the expression remains one of the most common ways of describing a bad-tempered person.

The expression usually refers to someone's character, not simply to a temporary bad mood.

However, Spaniards also use it for someone who is unusually irritable on a particular day.

The exact meaning depends on the context.

Spanish has many expressions describing people's temper:

• Tener malas pulgas → to be short-tempered.
• Tener mal genio → to have a bad temper.
• Saltar a la mínima → to lose one's temper at the slightest thing.
• Perder los papeles → to lose one's composure.

Among them, tener malas pulgas is one of the most colourful because it attributes a person's irritable character to the constant discomfort caused by imaginary flea bites.

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

He has bad fleas.

Instead, use expressions such as:

• He's short-tempered.
• She has a bad temper.
• He's easily annoyed.
• She's in a bad mood. (when referring to a temporary situation)

Choose the translation according to whether the temperament is permanent or temporary.