The World, Near and Long (opens in new tab)

The world is a wonderful place, as we are told. As we are told, as we hear, as they say—these are ways in English to refer to commonly accepted opinions. In Spanish, the way is to refer to “the other.” As the other says, como dice el otro. Also the reflexive, se dice, “it is said,” and sometimes you hear the more elevated version, como dice el poeta, which means “as the poet says.”