Let’s Talk Like Colombianos: El vivo vive del bobo y el bobo de su bobada

Expression: El vivo vive del bobo y el bobo de su bobada

Sounds like: Ell bee-boh bee-beh del boh-boh ee ell boh-boh deh soo boh-bah-dah

Means “The swindler lives off the dummy, and the dummy off his stupidity”

This popular expression has many variations including:

  • El vivo vive del bobo y el bobo vive de su madre: The swindler lives off the dummy, and the dummy off of his mother.
  • El vivo vive del bobo y el bobo de su trabajo: The swindler lives off the dummy, and the dummy off of his work.

The expression is often used in the context of corruption, especially by government officials or their cronies, a chronic problem in Colombia.