La brea
Definition
The Spanish phrase 'la brea' literally means 'the tar' or 'the pitch', referring to a thick, black, viscous substance derived from petroleum, often used in road paving or roofing.
Famously associated with the 'La Brea Tar Pits' in Los Angeles, California, a major paleontological site where prehistoric animals became trapped in natural tar seeps, preserving thousands of fossils.
Examples
La brea es tan pegajosa que hasta los mamuts de La Brea se arrepintieron de su paseo matutino.
Tar is so sticky that even the mammoths at La Brea regretted their morning stroll.
Pinté la cerca con brea para ahorrar plata, ahora mi jardín parece un estacionamiento postapocalíptico.
I painted the fence with tar to save money; now my yard looks like a post-apocalyptic parking lot.
Mi jefe es como la brea: negro, pegajoso y siempre cubriéndome de problemas.
My boss is like tar: black, sticky, and always covering me in problems.
En vez de espuma de baño, probé la brea; spoiler: no repetiré el experimento.
Instead of bubble bath, I tried tar; spoiler: won't repeat the experiment.