Thinking about the immortality of the crab

"Thinking about the immortality of the crab" (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?)

In literature
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. The novel was critically acclaimed in Hispanic circles. It was officially released in January 2015 in the Dominican Republic, then it was presented at the Hamilton Grange Library in the United States in June.

In film

 * Sena/Quina, la inmortalidad del cangrejo – 2005 film by Paolo Agazzi

Variants
The idiom is about daydreaming. Similar phrases are used in various languages and it may vary depending on the country.
 * přemýšlet o nesmrtelnosti chrousta – thinking about the immortality of the maybug.
 * rozmýšľať nad nesmrteľnosťou chrústa – thinking about the immortality of the maybug (chrúst).
 * istun ja mietin syntyjä syviä – sitting and wondering about the world's early origins.
 * myśleć o niebieskich migdałach – literally, "thinking about blue almonds"; sometimes myśleć is replaced with śnić or marzyć, changing the meaning to "dreaming about blue almonds".
 * pensando na morte da bezerra – thinking about the death of the calf.
 * a se gândi la nemurirea sufletului – thinking about the immortality of the soul.
 * Colombian Spanish: echando globos – literally, "throwing balloons", but it refers to the act of blowing balloons.
 * Venezuelan Spanish: pensando en pajaritos preñados – thinking about pregnant birds.