camello

What it means

1. 1.

   A job, or work generally. 'Conseguir camello' is to find work; 'estoy sin camello' is to be unemployed.

2. 2.

   A hard slog — any task that costs more effort than it should. 'Ese trámite es un camello.'

3. 3.

   As a verb, camellar: to graft, to put in long hours.

Literally: Camel.

Examples with translations

• Por fin conseguí camello en una agencia.

  I finally landed a job at an agency.

• Llevo camellando desde las seis.

  I've been grafting since six.

• Mudarse es un camello tenaz.

  Moving house is an absolute slog.

Where it comes from

From the pack animal — the beast that carries loads across distance without complaint. Shared with Ecuador and Peru. It carries no disdain for the work itself; a lawyer and a bricklayer both say camello.

Other forms

Spellings and variants:

camellar, camellador

Similar terms:

chamba, trabajo