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What's the meaning of "Y yo voy y me lo creo"? I encountered it in a Spanish novel. With 146,000 Google.es hits, it seems to be a set expression. Context helps, but doesn't remove all doubts.

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3 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

I agree it is a sarcasm, something people say when they are told something unbelieveable, stating they are believing it although they actually don't.

It is of very common use here in Spain, mostly from people belonging to a low social/economic condition.

As a nuance, it has to do with self consideration. Saying that you are stating I am not that silly to believe it.

Regards.

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Without disregarding the other two answers thus far, I'm going to promote this one, just because it best fits the particular text where I encountered it. – Garrigus Carraig Jan 16 '12 at 16:06
@GarrigusCarraig: To be used in that meaning (as sarcasm), the phrase should be "Y yo voy y me lo creo, ¿no?". If you use just "Y yo voy y me lo creo" I think the meaning is the one in the other answers. What did you read exactly? Of course, the meaning could be diferent in Spain, despite the phrase is used everywhere. – Ricardo Jan 16 '12 at 17:59
I agree this is the way it's used in Spain. In fact I'll tell you a reference: In the film Shrek, in the beginning, when he rips the page, he says "Y voy yo, y me lo trago" ("tragar" means "creer"). – MikMik Jan 17 '12 at 7:48
@Ricardo: The context is as follows: A, with two friends, approaches Y and accuses him of damaging B's car. A and friends start to beat B up. B protests, "Yo no he sido, cabrones." A replies, "Y yo voy y me lo creo." -- So A, who does not believe that B is innocent and never did, is being sarcastic here. – Garrigus Carraig Jan 18 '12 at 1:27
up vote 5 down vote

It literally means "And I go and believe that."

It's a sarcasm, as insulting oneself for being too credulous.

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+1 Rather Spain-specific. Little or no use here (Argentina). – leonbloy Jan 16 '12 at 0:42
Not really... it is widely used in Colombia and Ecuador as well. :) – Joze♦ Jan 16 '12 at 7:22
We use it in Perú. – Ricardo Jan 16 '12 at 8:38
I actually heard it a lot too in Argentina. I guess it depends on the region, maybe? – Alpha Jan 16 '12 at 16:18
up vote 2 down vote

I think is an idiom, a good translation could be: "I can't believe I was silly enough to believe that" or "I'm such an idiot to believe in that". You use it when you discover you were fooled and you're offended by that, mostly with the people who fooled you and with you for being so credulous.

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