De Sangre Azul

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• Meaning

Someone who is an aristocrat, who has a nobility title, who is a royal, has an upper crust or is from the high upper class.

 

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• Origin

This expression has a Spanish origin. Spain was ruled by the Moors for almost 800 years. It is a fact that many Spaniards hated the Moors who had a darker skin and consequently their veins were not visible from under their skin. Since Spaniards had a lighter skin and you could see their veins under their skin, they appeared to be blue and not red. That is why people started saying that Spaniards were “de sangre azul“.

This expression took up all over Europe when aristocrats, who did not spend much of their time under the sun, had a lighter skin tan farmers whose skin was dark and like the Moors, their veins were not visible from under their skin.

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• Example

– Mom, I love Tim so much. We are actually planning our wedding next year. Isn´t it a dream come true?

-What????? Are you crazy? He is penniless. He is a slacker. He is a loser. I don´t want someone like him in my family. I have told you millions of times that if you want to do something in your life, you have to look for a blue blood to marry!

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