echar la araña

A rare colloquial idiom that is missing from most standard dictionaries; its meaning and region are not well documented, so treat it with caution. Only echar is conjugated. For learners, the safe move is to recognize echar as the verb and use a standard alternative.

• Echó la red al mar. — He cast the net into the sea.
• Echaron el ancla en la bahía. — They dropped anchor in the bay.
• Echa la carta al buzón. — Drop the letter in the mailbox.

Using the phrase in conversation without checking that your listeners know it. The examples here show ordinary echar uses, not the idiom itself.