Una de cal y otra de arena
One of lime and one of sand.
a mixed bag; **a mixed bag**; **a bit of both**; **you win some, you lose some**; **one step forward, one step back** (in some contexts); **ups and downs**
Una de cal y otra de arena means a mixture of good and bad, one good thing followed by one bad thing, or alternating between positive and negative actions or outcomes.
Este año ha sido una de cal y otra de arena.
This year has been a mixture of good and bad.
El entrenador nos dio una de cal y otra de arena.
The coach gave us both praise and criticism.
La película tiene una de cal y otra de arena.
The film has its highs and lows.
Su gestión ha sido una de cal y otra de arena.
His management has had both successes and failures.
The expression emphasises balance or alternation rather than consistency.
- someone alternates praise and criticism
- life brings both good and bad news
- a person behaves inconsistently
- a project has both successes and failures
- a relationship has ups and downs
The expression comes from traditional building techniques, where lime and sand were combined to produce mortar.
Although many people believe that lime originally represented something positive and sand something negative (or vice versa), historical evidence is inconclusive.
What has survived is the idea of combining or alternating two contrasting elements.
Today, the idiom simply refers to the coexistence of positive and negative aspects.
Modern speakers rarely associate the expression with construction.
Instead, they immediately understand it as referring to mixed results or alternating treatment.
It is frequently used in reviews, political commentary and conversations about everyday life.
Spanish has many idioms that describe life's changing fortunes:
- Una de cal y otra de arena → a mixture of good and bad.
- No todo es blanco o negro → not everything is black and white.
- Unas veces se gana y otras se pierde → sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
- Tener sus más y sus menos → to have one's ups and downs.
Among them, una de cal y otra de arena is probably the most common way to describe a situation in which positive and negative experiences alternate naturally.
Do not translate the expression literally.
English speakers would never say:
One of lime and one of sand.
Instead, use expressions such as:
- a mixed bag
- it's been a bit of both
- ups and downs
- you win some, you lose some
Choose the translation according to the context.
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