"Thinking about the immortality of the crab" (Spanish : Pensando en la inmortalidad del cangrejo) is a Spanish idiom about daydreaming. It is a humorous way to say that one was not sitting idly but engaged constructively in contemplation or letting one's mind wander.
The phrase is usually used to express that an individual was daydreaming, "When I have nothing to do I think about the immortality of the crab" (Cuando no tengo nada que hacer, pienso en la inmortalidad del cangrejo). It is also used to wake someone from a daydream; "are you thinking about the immortality of the crab?" (¿Estás pensando en la inmortalidad del cangrejo?)
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—Anonimo, Los mexicanos pintados por sí mismos | —Anonymous, Mexican Self-portraits (1855) [1] |
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—José Emilio Pacheco [1] |
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—Miguel de Unamuno [2] |
Dominican poet and writer Edgar Smith wrote a novel in Spanish called La inmortalidad del cangrejo, about a man who, tired of suffering in life, decides to kill himself, but, after three failed attempts, starts to wonder if he can die at all. [3] The novel was critically acclaimed in Hispanic circles. [4] It was officially released in January 2015 in the Dominican Republic, [5] then it was presented at the Hamilton Grange Library in the United States in June. [6]
The idiom is about daydreaming. [8] Similar phrases are used in various languages and it may vary depending on the country.