buscarle la quinta pata al gato (2025)

How do I say "buscarle la quinta pata al gato" in English? Meaning "to find the fifth leg of the cat". This is a very common expression that criticizes someone who claim or try to find non-existent alleged wicked, hidden or deep motivations behind someone else comments or actions.

For example:

Tom - Honey, are you going to go out tonight?
Anne - No, why are you asking me? Do you want me to leave so you can meet someone else? Perhaps another girl?
Tom - Sorry, I didn't mean that. I saw you took your jacket and...
Anne - Yes, your are always watching everything I do. I think you afraid I could accidentally brake something.
Tom - No, I just think you are cute.
Anne -

flattering on me now? Are you going to ask for a favor?

And it goes on, and on. She's always looking for an alleged secret motivating on everything he does or say. Looking for something that is not there. Trying "to find the fifth leg of the cat", "buscarle la quinta pata al gato" !

I haven't heard this phrase, but we have a couple of previous conversations in the forum about related phrases:

buscar seis pies al gato
Buscar tres pies al gato

Maybe you can find some answers there.

There may be an expression in English. 'You're always trying to find fault with something.' 'You're always looking for trouble'.

Let's see what other come up with.

fenixpollo said:

I haven't heard this phrase, but we have a couple of previous conversations in the forum about related phrases:

buscar seis pies al gato
Buscar tres pies al gato

Maybe you can find some answers there.

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In Spain I've heard "buscarle tres pies al gato" but I'm from South America. Anyway, it's the same meaning, so thanks for the links.

Yo diría que la persona "is a fault finder", o que siempre "find fault".

"Splitting hairs" .... creo que es diferente.

Wandering JJ said:

There may be an expression in English. 'You're always trying to find fault with something.' 'You're always looking for trouble'.

Let's see what other come up with.

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No Wandering JJ, no significa eso; buscarle las 5 patas al gato significa buscar argumentos donde no los hay. Se usa cuando alguien se está complicando demasiado sobre algo que es relativamente simple. No le busques la 5 patas al gato en inglés es algo así: don't make it harder than it is.

I would say "to look for a hidden agenda."

HIDDEN AGENDA | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

To me, the original post doesn't translate to splitting hairs. The only way I've ever heard "splitting hairs" aligns with the Collin's online dictionary definition:

If you say that someone is splitting hairs, you mean that they are making unnecessary distinctions between things when the differences between them are so small they are not important.

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An example form freedictionary.com split hairs
"I'm sorry to split hairs, but your portion of the bill is $25.97, not $25.79."

Maybe there are other circumstances where "buscarle la quinta pata al gato" can mean the same thing as splitting hairs? But to my way of thinking, the example from xmanta's post doesn't translate to splitting hairs.

How about saying that the girl is "jumping to conclusions"? I'm sure I've read some snarky jokes online about that, kind of like...

"Here's a trampoline, since you love jumping to conclusions so much."

I think "mental gymnastics" may also be a good way to explain the convoluted thought process that leads someone to buscarle la quinta pata al gato.

A friend from Columbia just used le está buscando la quinta pata al gato in conversation after I told him I was ignoring the orthopaedist's orders not to ride my bike. Hey, gotta [got to] live.

He explained it as per Cerros de Úbeda above as making things worse for oneself. He also said buscando lo que no se le ha perdido is similarly used.

As an additional factoid he told me he recently traveled by flotaba between Bogatá and Ráquira. Boat? I said, surprised. No, he said, flotaba means the same as bus.

Senordineroman said:

@sheri_f , is that a possible meaning for "buscarle la quinta pata al gato"?

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There are a few different ideas on the thread. The original poster and a few others started that it's to look for intentions that aren't there. My contribution coincided with that.

Other ideas are that it means to needlessly complicate things, split hairs and that it is used to search for arguments that aren't there.

I've found sources that support all if the above. This source says dictionaries don't agree and that the definition is "buscarle complicaciones a un asunto que de por sí no las tiene."

Rodal said:

No Wandering JJ, no significa eso; buscarle las 5 patas al gato significa buscar argumentos donde no los hay. Se usa cuando alguien se está complicando demasiado sobre algo que es relativamente simple. No le busques la 5 patas al gato en inglés es algo así: don't make it harder than it is.

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Concuerdo con Rodal "buscar la quinta pata al gato" es una expresión muy común que significa dificultar algo, poner obstáculos, objeciones, como el hecho de nombrar cosas que no existen, como una 5ta pata a un gato, o bien tomar como verdadera algo falso, como pretender que la 5ta pata del gato es la cola, o rabo.

“¡Están buscándole la quinta pata al gato para no firmar el contrato!” aquí se quiere dar a entender que están poniendo excusas, muchas veces ridículas, como buscar algo que no existe, ni tiene sentido lógico que existan.