cortar el bacalao

== Spanish == === Etymology === Literally, “to cut the cod(fish)”. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /koɾˌtaɾ el bakaˈlao/ [koɾˌt̪aɾ el β̞a.kaˈla.o] Syllabification: cor‧tar el ba‧ca‧la‧o === Verb === cortar el bacalao (first-person singular present corto el bacalao, first-person singular preterite corté el bacalao, past participle cortado el bacalao) (idiomatic) to run the show; call the shots === Further reading === “cortar el bacalao”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025