Spanish expression "de mala muerte" does NOT mean "of bad death"
This Spanish idiom is interesting since it's meaning is many degrees less than its literal translation (shown above in the title). The real translation into English can vary - some possibilities are: "third-rate" or "grotty" (talking about hotels or other temporary residences) or "insignificant" / "lousy" / "awful" (when talking about a business or a job). Some examples:
Spanish
1. Nos quedamos en un hotel de mala muerte porque no había otro sitio.
2. Tengo un puesto de mala muerte en una empresa inestable.
3. Mi cuñado tiene un trabajo pero le pagan un sueldo de mala muerte.
English
1. We stayed in a third-rate hotel because there wasn't anywhere else.
2. I've got a lousy position in an unstable company.
3. My brother-in-law has a job but they pay him an awful salary.
So you don't need to wonder how the person survived when they tell you that they stayed in a hotel "de mala muerte".
Brad
