Help in times of need

Expand Your Spanish

A DOMESTIC disaster can strike in the best­run and happiest of households, and at this point you are going to need practical help.

That will be a workman, a tricky word from the equality and inclusivity point of view although it must be admitted that when the person who turns up to sort out your wiring or plumbing, 99.9 per cent of the time will be a male. You can expect the same odds when looking for a mechanic for your car.

So the first thing you’ll say will be:

I’m looking for a plumber/ electrician/mechanic/carpenter/builder/ locksmith….busco un fontanero/electricista/mecánico/carpintero/albañil/ cerrajero

So far, so good but although handymen abound here, pinning one down with a specific name is less easy, so if you want someone to do a job that you don’t fancy doing yourself, you’ll need to say, as a Spanish person would:

I’m looking for someone to fix a blind/doorknob/canalón…..busco a alguién para arreglar una persiana/un pomo/un canalón

This kind of small job, once carried out,