Lista de expresiones - Letra A To W

List of idioms - Letter A

a babe in arms

un nene de pecho

a bare-faced lie

una mentira descarada

a basket case/goner

un caso perdido

a bed of roses

un lecho de rosas

a big shot/wheel/wig

un pez gordo

a bit at sea

un poco perdido

My grandmother was a babe in arms when she married. She was 14!
You told Joe we were married? How can you tell such a bare-faced lie?
My mom is crazy. She wants to go dancing with me! She's a real basket case!
My life's never been a bed of roses. I've always had lots of problems.
The police are about to get one of the maffia big shots.
I'm a bit at sea with Trigonometry so Kim is going to help me study.

a blank look

una mirada inexpresiva

a blessing in disguise

no hay mal que por bien no venga

a budding genius

un genio en ciernes

a chip off the old block

de tal palo, tal astilla

a close call

un escape por los pelos

a cog in the machine/wheel

una pieza ms de la organizacin

When I told my parents I was pregnant, they just gave me a blank look.
Since I was fired I started spending more time with my son. It was a blessing
in disguise.
At the age of 3, Mark showed he was a budding genius: he could read and
write!
He leaves all the lights on like his father when he leaves a room. A chip off
the old block!
I almost got run over by a car today, thank God it was just close call.
What makes you think you can't be fired? You're just a cog in the machine!

a crash course

un curso intensivo

a dead giveaway

una seal clara

a dime a dozen

del montn

a false move

un paso en falso

a far cry

Muy diferente

a fat cat

un pez gordo

I'm moving to Berlin in a month so I'm taking a crash course in German.

John said he was alone but the two extra plates on the table were a dead
give-away.
These reality TV shows are a dime a dozen nowadays.
I think telling our secret to Jack would be a false move. He'd tell everyone
about it.

Our holidays in Greece this Summer were a far cry from the ones we had in
Sweden.
The fat cats of the company are thinking about selling it to the Japanese.

a feather in one's cap

un triunfo

a fly in the ointment

el nico problema

a fly on the wall

Ser mosca para escuchar una conversacin

a fool's errand

algo completamente intil

a foregone conclusion

un resultado obvio

a glutton for punishment

masoquista

Winning an Olympic gold medal has been a feather in your cap.

My sister followed me everywhere I went when we were kids. She was a fly in
the ointment.
George's going to ask Sarah to marry him tonight! If only I were a fly on the
wall...
Many people think that demonstrating against the war is a fool's errand.
It's obvious that Manchester United will win the cup. It's a foregone
conclusion.
You take too many extra-curricular activities at school. You're a glutton for
punishment.

a go-getter

una persona emprendedora

a good Samaritan

un buen samaritano

a hard nut to crack

un hueso duro de roer

a head start

una ventaja

a je ne sais quoi

un no s qu

a lady-killer

un donjun

Ann's a real go-getter. She's got lots of projects and works hard to carry
them out.
Pam's a good Samaritan. She'll help you whenever you're in need.
When I married Paul, his son didn't like me. He was a hard nut to crack.
The Conservatives have a head start in the election thanks to their antiabortion campaign.
Owen isn't exactly handsome, but he has a je ne sais quoi that makes him
very attractive.
Adam's getting married! Will it be the end of his days as a lady-killer?
sorian.

a long shot

una posibilidad remota

a losing/lucky streak

una racha de mala/buena suerte

a matter of life and death

un asunto de vida o muerte

a pack of lies

una sarta de mentiras

a pain in the ass/neck

un plomazo

a pick-me-up

un estimulante

I know it's a long shot, but maybe if you talk to Josh he'll understand.
We've won six games in a row. We're on a lucky streak!
I must hand in the report by 4 o'clock! It's a matter of life and death!
Bob told you that? Don't believe him. It's nothing but a pack of lies!
I can't stand Louis. He's a real pain in the neck.
I always drink coffee as a pick-me-up during exam season.

a piece of cake

pan comido

a pig in a poke

gato por liebre

a play on words

un juego de palabras

a poker face

cara de pker

a red-letter day

un da memorable

a safe/sure bet

algo casi seguro

The exercise was a piece of cake. I finished it in two minutes.

I'm not keen on buying things on the web. They might sell you a pig in a
poke.

'Lolita', by Vladimir Nabokov, is full of plays on words. It's fantastic!

Dave always wears a poker face. You can never tell what he's thinking or
feeling.
Oh, my God! My son's tidied up his room! It's a red-letter day!
Ben won't remember to bring the cake. It's a safe bet.

a shot in the arm

un estmulo

a sight for sore eyes

dichosos los ojos que te ven

a sitting duck

un blanco fcil

a slice of the cake

una tajada

a slip of the tongue

un lapsus

a smart alec

un sabelotodo

These new computers were a shot in the arm for the students. Now they are
really learning.
Danny! You're a sight for sore eyes! I don't know anyone in here!
If we don't defend the goal, it'll be a sitting duck for the other team.
The thieves had stolen two million dollars and each of them wanted a slice of
the cake.
The candidate said that justice was not part of the agenda. Quite a slip of the
tongue...
Doug is such a smart-alec. He thinks he knows everything!

a snake in the grass

un traidor

a wet blanket

un aguafiestas

a wild-goose chase

un intento totalmente intil

a wolf in sheep's clothing

un lobo disfrazado de cordero

acid test

prueba de fuego

airy-fairy

fantasioso

alive and kicking

vivito y coleando

Eva told the teacher I cheated on the test. She's a snake in the grass!
My neighbour is such a wet blanket. They always call the police when we
have a party.
He didn't need a new brush. He sent me on a wild-goose chase so I would
leave him alone.
At first he was sweet and kind but in the end he turned out to be a wolf in
sheep's clothing.
John's new job as a manager will be a real acid test for him.
Ted wants to buy a castle and live there. I think it's quite airy-fairy.
Everyone thought Tiffany was dead, but she was alive and kicking!

all in all

en conjunto

all things being equal

si todo va de acuerdo a mis planes

all thumbs

torpe

an old flame

un viejo amor

an old wives' tale

un cuento de viejas

an ugly duckling

un patito feo

any Tom, Dick or Harry

cualquier hijo de vecino

I've had my problems this year, but all in all, it wasn't so bad.
Everything's ready for the trip. All things being equal, we'll be there by noon.
Pete is always dropping things. He's all thumbs.
Lucy is not just a friend to Jim. She's an old flame. They were together once.
Is it true that if you go swimming after eating you die or is it an old wives'
tale?

Sue was the ugly duckling of the class, but now she's one of the prettiest
girls in school.
Lisa's very picky when it comes to men. She won't date any Tom, Dick or
Harry.

Lista de expresiones - Letra B

List of idioms - Letter B

bad blood

resentimiento

bad taste in the mouth

mal sabor de boca

bag lady

vagabunda

bird of passage

ave de paso

bits and pieces

cosas

black and blue

amoratado

After they divorced, there's been a lot of bad blood between Ed and Liz.
Losing the final game of the championship left a bad taste in our mouths.
There's a bag lady begging for money at the town square.
Carl came over today but he stayed for only two minutes. He's a bird of
passage.

I'm having a garage sale tomorrow. The attic was crammed with bits and
pieces we don't use anymore.
Dan's face was black and blue after a fist-fight with a neighbour.

black and white

blanco y negro

black sheep

oveja negra

blind alley

callejn sin salida

blind date

cita a ciegas

blind spot

punto dbil

blue-collar worker

obrero

Peter is very narrow-minded, he thinks things in life are only black and white.
I've always been the black sheep of the family, always rebelling.
We've tried everything to solve this problem, but we always end up in a blind
alley.

I'm not going on another blind date! You always set me up with complete
lunatics!
The opposite team may have a great offensive, but their defence is theirblind
spot.
Blue-collar workers were demonstrating against the new laws.

bolt upright

rgido, derecho

bone of contention

manzana de la discordia

born and bred

nacido y criado

bosom buddy

amigo del alma

bottom line

punto fundamental

brain drain

fuga de cerebros

brain trust

grupo de expertos

At boarding school, the teachers always made us sit bolt upright on our
chairs.

When we got divorced, the bone of contention was who'd get the car and
who'd get the house.
He lives in New York now, but he was born and bred in Boston.
Jane and I have known each other forever; we're bosom buddies.
I know you're really angry at her, but the bottom line is that she's your
mother and she loves you.
Due to the economic crisis, the country's been suffering a massive brain
drain.
Mr. Jones turns to his brain trust when he has to make an important decision.

Lista de expresiones - Letra C

List of idioms - Letter C

Expresin en ingls

Expresin equivalente

camp follower

simpatizante

can of worms

problema peliagudo

carbon copy

calco

carrot-and-stick

poltica de incentivos y amenazas

cash on the barrelhead

dinero contante y sonante

cast in the same mould

cortados por la misma tijera

The new party has thousands of camp followers all over the country.
The new teacher soon found out that handling a fifth grade is a can of
worms.
Are you sure they're not twins? They're a carbon copy of each other!
The boss turned to a carrot-and-stick policy: we work extra hours, he pays us
double.
In order to buy the house we have to pay a $5,000 safety deposit, cash on
the barrelhead.
My mum used to say that men are cast in the same mould.

castles in the air

castillos en el aire

chain reaction

efecto domin

chain smoker

fumador empedernido

change of heart/life/pace

cambio de opinin/vida/ritmo

charmed life

vida afortunada

cheap at half the price!

una ganga!

Joe says he's going to be the CEO of the company but I think it's all castles in
the air.

It was like a huge chain reaction: the children got sick, then the mother, and
then the ret of the family.
My dad was a chain smoker; he used to smoke up to three packs of
cigarettes a day.
I know I said I didn't want to go, but I've had a change of heart and now I
want to come.
Tim daydreams of living the charmed life of the rich and famous.
Can you believe I bought this purse at $50? Cheap at half the price!

cheap shot

golpe bajo

checks and balances

control y equilibrio de poderes

cheek by jowl

uno junto al otro

chief cook and bottlewasher

mandadero

child's play

juego de nios

chilled to the bone

congelado

I know you don't like her, but telling Bob's girlfriend she had put on a ton of
weight was a cheap shot.
The school has a system of checks and balances to guarantee the authorities
do their work.
The bus was so crowded that the passengers were all cheek by jowl.
My mum is down with the flu so my dad is chief cook and bottlewasherthese
days.
Going hunting and handling a gun isn't child's play, you know?

I've been waiting for the bus for hours in the cold rain, I'm chilled to the
bone!

clean bill of health

visto bueno

close, but no cigar

casi

cock-and-bull story

cuento chino

cock of the walk

el dueo del mundo

cold shower

ducha fra

cold snap

ola de fro

I had to inspect lots of cars and give them a clean bill of health.
You said that Kate was in love with Ben? Close, but no cigar. She's in love
with his brother!
All right, I'll let you explain, but don't give me a cock-and-bull story!
Paul thinks he's the best. He's always acting as if he were the cock of the
walk.
Johnny Depp is so hot! Every time I see his movies I have to take a cold
shower!
We went camping last summer but there was a sudden cold snap, we were
freezing!

cold turkey

sndrome de abstinencia

comings and goings

idas y venidas

common ground

puntos en comn

common sense

sentido comn

conspicuous by its absence

brillar por su ausencia

conventional wisdom

opinin ortodoxa

When a drug addict stops taking drugs, he goes cold turkey.

The doorman has to watch all the comings and goings in the building.
I know we seldom see eye to eye but we need to find some common groundif
we're going to work together.
Some people get married too young and lack the common sense to realize
how serious marriage is.
The mother of the bride wasn't at the wedding; she was conspicuous by her
absence.
I don't believe in the conventional wisdom that men are better than women
at some activities.

conversation piece

tema de conversacin

corridors of power

altas esferas de poder

cream of the crop

la flor y nata

creature comforts

bienestar material

credibility gap

margen de credibilidad

crocodile tears

lgrimas de cocodrilo

Becky's trip to India was the conversation piece at last night's party.

When Charles was elected Senator, he got access to the corridors of power.
Lord and Lady Darcy belong to the English aristocracy, the cream of the crop.
Andy's living in the country, away from everything and without any creature
comforts.
I don't believe Sarah's story. There's a credibility gap between us.
Mary is such a liar. Surely, you didn't believe her crocodile tears.

culture shock

choque de culturas

culture vulture

devorador de cultura

cup of tea

santo de su devocin

There was a huge culture shock between the Spanish and the indians during
the Conquest.
Henry loves literature, music, the theater; he's a real culture vulture.
Hip-hop isn't exactly my cup of tea. I prefer rock 'n' roll.

Lista de expresiones - Letra D

List of idioms - Letter D

dark horse

ganador sorpresa, enigma

davy Jones's locker

el fondo del mar

day in, day out

todos los das

day to day

da a da

daylight robbery

robo a mano armada

dead and buried

lo pasado, pisado

Did you know that Eva speaks five languages and sings opera? She's quite
adark horse!
The Titanic sank in 1912 and it has been in Davy Jones's locker since then.
I'm quitting my job. I'm tired of putting up with rude customers day in day
out.
She was in a terrible car crash but her condition's improving day to day.
$400 for a sweater?! That's daylight robbery!
Mark and Dave had a huge argument some years ago, but that's all dead
and buried now.

dead from the neck up

no tener dos dedos de frente

dead on one's feet

muertos de cansancio

dead to the world

profundamente dormido

deep down

en el fondo

devil-may-care

irresponsable

devil's advocate

abogado del diablo

Bill must be dead from the neck up: I asked him how he was but he just
stared at me smiling.
I've been walking for three hours! I'm dead on my feet!

Al came home exhausted and went to sleep. He hasn't woken up yet. He's
dead to the world.
Earl might seem like a tough guy, but deep down he's really sweet.
Tom's devil-may-care attitude may cost him his job.
I'll just have to play devil's advocate: have you thought of the effect the
divorce will have on the kids?

diamond in the rough

diamante en bruto

dirt cheap

una ganga

dog days of summer

la cancula

dog's life

vida de perros

dollars to donuts

seguro

done deal

asunto cerrado

Luke seems a rough diamond when you first meet him, but as you get to
know him you find he's charming.
It's winter sales season, everything's dirt cheap.
I hate the dog days of summer! It's just too hot to do anything!
Many immigrants in this country have a dog's life.
I bet dollars to donuts the Bulls will win.
Don't worry about your promotion; it's a done deal.

done in

exhausto

double Dutch

chino bsico

doubting Thomas

escptico

duck soup

pan comido

I've been working for twelve hours, I'm absolutely done in!
I don't understand Physics. It's all double Dutch to me!
I've always been a bit of a doubting Thomas. I need to see in order to
believe.
The test was duck soup. I did it in les than half an hour.

Lista de expresiones - Letra E

List of idioms - Letter E

easier said than done

ms fcil decirlo que hacerlo

easy come, easy go

tan fcil como viene, se va

easy does it!

con cuidado!

easy money

dinero fcil

easy on the eye

atractivo

elbow grease

empeo

elbow room

espacio

I'm trying hard not to think about my ex but that's easier said than done.
You shouldn't rely on your fame, easy come, easy go.
Easy does it! Come slowly down the stairs with that sofa!

Everyone thinks what I do is easy money but it's quite a lot of work.
Ian is easy on the eye. All the girls in his class are in love with him.
This house is a mess! It'll take a lot of elbow grease to clean it!
The house is too small for the five of us, there's not enough elbow room.

en masse

en masa

en route

en camino

enough is enough

ya fue suficiente

every now and then

de vez en cuando

every time one turns around

a cada rato

every trick in the book

todos los trucos habidos y por haber

every which way

por todos lados

everything but the kitchen sink

(irse) con la casa a cuestas

The fans went en masse to the airport to welcome their idols.

We can buy batteries en route to the beach.
I'm sick of my sister's complaining all the time! Enough is enough!
Pam and Glenn take a trip to the countryside every now and then.
Rick is so annoying! He gives me orders every time I turn around...
The red team will use every trick in the book to win the match.
The dog made such a mess in the house, there were clothes and shoes every
which way.
My mum always takes everything but the kitchen sink when we go on
vacation.

Lista de expresiones - Letra F

List of idioms - Letter F

fair and square

con todas las de la ley

fair enough

est bien

fair game

presa fcil

fair play

juego limpio

fair to middling

regular

fair-weather friend

amigo slo en las buenas

Of course I didn't cheat to win the game! I won it fair and square!
So, you don't want to stay here. Fair enough, but where will you go?
Celebrities are often fair game for the press and the media.
Kicking a player from the opposite team in the leg isn't exactly fair play, you
know?

Mary can speak Spanish fluently, but her Portuguese is fair to middling.
Where is Joe now that I need him? He's just a fair-weather friend...

fairy godmother

hada madrina

false alarm

falsa alamra

false economy

falso ahorro

false start

intento fallido

famous last words!

s, claro!

far be it from me to...

no es que yo quiera...

I wish I had a fairy godmother to make all my problems go away...

The bomb threat at the shopping mall was nothing but a false alarm.
You'll only get a false economy if you buy that cheap washing machine.
After a few false starts, we could finally launch the new product.
He told me he was with his mother. Famous last words! He was at a bar with
his friends!
Far be it from me to tell you not to buy that house, but think of the price...

fast and furious

a un ritmo vertiginoso

fat chance!

ni soarlo!

fender bender

topetazo

few and far between

contados con los dedos de una mano

figment of one's imagination

producto de la imaginacin

filthy rich

forrado en dinero

Dave loves those fast and furious action films. His favourite movie is 'Die
Hard'.

Do you think my dad will ever lend me the car? Ha! Fat chance!
Mark got into a fender bender last Tuesday but no one got hurt.
My parents had their quarrels but they were few and far between.
I thought I'd heard some steps but it was just a figment of my imagination.
Patrick inherited a very large fortune from his grandfather and now he's filthy
rich.

finders, keepers

el que lo encuentra se lo queda

first and foremost

ante todo

first come, first served

por orden de llegada

first things first

primero lo ms importante

fit to be tied

fuera de s

flat broke

en la ruina

No way I'm giving you the scarf! I found it! Finders, keepers!
First and foremost, I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight.
They're giving away tickets on a first-come, first-served basis at the record
store.

First things first: how is your father? Is he getting better?

Amy was fit to be tied when Greg broke up with her.
Due to his constant betting, Josh is flat broke.

flesh and blood

de carne y hueso

flotsam and jetsam

los marginados

food for thought

dar que pensar

footloose and fancy-free

soltero y sin compromiso

forbidden fruit

el fruto prohibido

forewarned is forearmed

hombre prevenido vale por dos

full of beans

lleno de energa

I may seem insensitive, but what you said hurt me. I am flesh and blood.
The government still don't know how to help the flotsam and jetsam of
society.
That documentary on global warming really gives you food for thought.
When you're footloose and fancy-free you go out every night; try it, it's
wonderful!
My mom never let us eat chocolate when we were kids. It was our forbidden
fruit.
Children are full of beans nowadays. It must be all the sugar they eat.

full of piss and vinegar

lleno de energa

full steam ahead

a todo vapor

funny business

cosas raras

funny money

dinero sucio

James is full of piss and vinegar now. That nap he took was all he needed.
Once everything is ready to open our business, it'll be full steam ahead.
I know Tom, he's been acting very strange lately. He's into funny business.
Many officials from the previous administration were charged with
passingfunny money.

Lista de expresiones - Letra G

List of idioms - Letter G

golden boy/girl

nio/a mimado/a

good riddance!

adis y hasta nunca!

Ever since he got here, Paul has been the golden boy of the company.
Get out of here and don't come back! Good riddance!

Lista de expresiones - Letra H

List of idioms - Letter H

hale and hearty

fuerte como un roble

half-assed/hearted

poco entusiasta

half-baked

disparatado

hammer and tongs

a brazo partido

hand in glove

confabulado

hand over fist

a patadas

My grandmother is 83 but she's hale and hearty. She even rides her bike
every morning!
Kim must hate her job. She always comes and does everything half-assed.
Liz says she's moving to Moscow, another one of her half-baked ideas.

Ben and Grace had a terrible argument today. They were at it hammer and
tongs.

Jane and Ellen are working hand in glove to make me quit my job. I know it!
After a series of bad investments, the company started losing money hand
over fist.

hanky-panky

tejemanejes

happily ever after

felices para siempre

happy-go-lucky

despreocupado

hard to swallow

difcil de creer

high and mighty

altanero

high water mark

punto culminante

Fran's husband was up to some hanky-panky with the neighbour. She kicked
him out.
Not everyone lives happily ever after once they get married.
I wish I were as happy-go-lucky as you: no worries, no stress, just enjoying
life.
I don't know why, but I find the news a bit hard to swallow.
John acts all high and mighty just because the boss liked his report.
Playing at venues such as Madison Square Garden is a high water mark for
any band.

honest to God

lo juro por Dios

horse of another color

harina de otro costal

hot air

slo palabrera

hot and bothered

furioso

hot off the press

de ltima hora

hot under the collar

furioso

I didn't break that window, madam! I swear! Honest to God!

Well, he's enlisted in the army, but whether he'll resist or not, that's a horse
of another color.
Don't be fooled by Jack's ranting. It's just hot air.
Peter gets hot and bothered every time I tell him I'm going to throw all his
magazines away.
Journalists struggle to give all the latest news hot off the press.
Every time I try to talk to Ben about what happened with Joe, he gets all hot
under the collar.

Lista de expresiones - Letra I

List of idioms - Letter I

if looks could kill...

si las miradas mataran

ill at ease

molesto

ill be a monkey's uncle!

no lo puedo creer!

indian summer

veranillo de San Juan

it's all Greek to me!

es chino bsico!

it's as plain as the nose on your face

est ms claro que el agua

Kate didn't say anything when she saw Joe, but if looks could kill... She was
furious!
Harry was at the party but with his ex-girlfriend there he felt a bit ill at ease.
Dannny has a girlfriend!?!? I'll be a monkey's uncle!
The band thought their career was over but they're having an Indian
summer.
I don't understand this user's manual! It's all Greek to me!
The man has no idea what he's talking about! It's as plain as the nose on
your face!

Lista de expresiones - Letra J

List of idioms - Letter J

Jane/John Doe

persona no identificada, N.N.

Jekyll and Hyde

Jekyll y Hyde

Johnny-come-lately

advenedizo

Who is this John Doe that keeps sending me anonimous letters and flowers?
Bill is like Jekyll and Hyde: one minute he's fine, the next he's screaming and
shouting.
He's just a Johnny-come-lately: he's been here for two weeks and he's
already manager!

Lista de expresiones - Letra K

List of idioms - Letter K

kangaroo court

tribunal desautorizado

kettle of fish

berenjenal, lo

kindred spirits

almas gemelas

knight in shining armour

prncipe azul

We can't set up a kangaroo court to judge Jones and Phillips! It's unfair!
Jim got himself into a pretty kettle of fish when he refused to go to the
meeting.
Tony and Joe have known each other forever and are very good friends.
They're kindred spirits.
When Susan was a little girl, she dreamed of marrying a knight in shining
armour.

Lista de expresiones - Letra L

List of idioms - Letter L

last but not least

por ltimo, pero no por eso menos importante

left, right and center

a diestra y siniestra

life is too short

la vida es demasiado corta

like a bat out of hell

como alma que lleva el diablo

like a fish out of the water

como sapo de otro pozo

like a lamb to the slaughter

como borrego al matedero

I brought crackers, cheese, butter, and, last but not least, strawberry jam.
Lou went nuts and started insulting everybody, left, right and center.
Come on! Let's go out! Life's too short to always stay home watching T.V.!
What happened to Tom? I saw him run off like a bat out of hell a few minutes
ago.

I never fitted in at school. I used to feel like a fish out of the water.
It was clear that Ann didn't want to marry that man. She went into the
churchlike a lamb to the slaughter.

like greased lightning

como un relmpago

like robbing Peter to pay Paul

como desnudar un santo para vestir

otro

like looking for a needle in a

haystack

como buscar una aguja en un pajar

like ships that pass in the night

como extraos

like shooting fish in a barrel

pan comido

like water off a duck's back

como si oyera llover

Pete realized he had forgotten to fetch the kids from school and he went
outlike greased lightning.
Don't you think that asking for a loan to pay off your debts is a bit like
robbing Peter to pay Paul?
How are we going to find Jo in this crowd? It's like looking for a needle in a
haystack!
Luke saw Kim once but yesterday they were like ships that pass in the night.
The others look tired. Winning this race will be like shooting fish in a barrel.
I've learned to ignore her tantrums. Now it's like water off a duck's back.

little white lie

mentira piadosa

long time no see

tanto tiempo sin verte

loud and clear

perfectamente claro

I told my mom I was staying at Jen's tonight, just a little white lie...
Hey, Mark! How are you doing? Long time no see!
Yes, dad, I heard what you said. I heard you loud and clear.

Lista de expresiones - Letra M

List of idioms - Letter M
manna from heaven

regalo del cielo

mind your P's and Q's!

ten mucho cuidado!

much ado about nothing

mucho ruido y pocas nueces

Murphy's law

las leyes de Murphy

With the money we inherited from Liz's aunt we could pay off our debt. It
was manna from heaven.
We're going to a very formal dinner, so please, mind your P's and Q's, will
you?.
Everyone says DiCaprio's latest movie is great, but to me it's much ado
about nothing.
The teacher never calls the role but today I didn't go to class and he did.
It'sMurphy's law!

Lista de expresiones - Letra N

List of idioms - Letter N

neck and neck

cabeza a cabeza

needless to say

huelga decir

neither fish nor fowl

ni chicha ni limonada

neither here nor there

poco importante

nerves of steel

nervios de acero

never darken my door

again!

nunca vuelvas a poner un pie en esta

casa!

It's still uncertain who'll win the election, the two main candidates are neck
and neck.
Bob was fired last week! Needless to say, he's really depressed.
Some say the new tax policy will ruin the country, but I think it's neither fish
nor fowl.
Don't listen to the critics! Whatever they might say is neither here nor there!
I could never be a surgeon. One must have nerves of steel to be one!
Go on! Get out of here and never darken my door again!

never-never land

una utopa

new blood

sangre nueva

no rhyme or reason

sin ton ni son

nobody's fool

ningn tonto

none of your business!

qu te importa?

not right in the head

mal de la cabeza

A safe, peaceful place with no corruption? Sounds like a never-never land to

me!

The company will benefit if we start hiring new blood. We need new and
exciting ideas.
I've tried to figure out why he reacted like that but there was no rhyme or
reason.
Frank realized we were up to something. He's nobody's fool.
I'm not going to tell you where I'm going. It's none of your business!
Mick's not right in the head. He's got problems with everyone he knows.

nothing new under the sun

nada nuevo bajo el sol

nothing to write home about

nada del otro mundo

now you're talking!

ahora s me gusta!

Everything's quite the same around here, nothing new under the sun.
Our trip to the country was ok, but nothing to write home about.
We're going to Rio to see the carnival?! Now you're talking!

Lista de expresiones - Letra O

List of idioms - Letter O

odd one out

sapo de otro pozo

odds and ends

cosas

once and for all

de una vez por todas

once in a blue moon

cada muerte de obispo

once in a lifetime

una vez en la vida

once in a while

de vez en cuando

once upon a time

rase una vez

Jim was the only boy at the office, I guess he must have felt like the odd one
out.

My purse is full of odds and ends. There's no room for anything!

Let's talk about this problem and get it over with once and for all.
My mom's very old, she comes to see me once in a blue moon, that's why I
go to see her.

We were travelling around London and we met Mick Jagger! Those things
happen once in a lifetime.
I'm not very keen on horse races but I like going to the tracks once in a
while.
Once upon a time, I had a dog named Leo...

Lista de expresiones - Letra P

List of idioms - Letter P

packed like sardines

como sardinas en lata

partners in crime

cmplices

penny wise and pound

foolish/dollar dumb

gastar a manos llenas y hacer

economa en nimiedades

perish the thought

Dios no lo permita

picture-perfect

de ensueo

pie in the sky

pura fantasa

There were six people travelling in a tiny little car. They were packed like
sardines.
Jill and I grew up together, we've always been partners in crime.
Sam's penny-wise and dollar-dumb. He bought a cheap computer and it
crashed a day later.
If we ever broke up, perish the thought, I'd like us to remain friends, wouldn't
you?
Gary lives with his family in a picture-perfect neighborhood, with picket
fences and gardens.
He says he's going to move to France and start his own vineyard, but it's
justpie in the sky.

poetic justice

justicia divina

poetic license

licencia potica

poles apart

polos opuestos

politically correct

polticamente correcto

prima donna

diva

Prince Charming

Prncipe azul

Dan left his wife for a younger woman but she left him and took half of his
money. That's poetic justice!

A translator can use a little poetic license sometimes for the translated text
to make sense.
Will and Tim are identical twins but when it comes to personality,
they'repoles apart.
You can say 'postman' but nowadays the term 'mail carrier' is more politically
correct.
My sister has always been like a prima donna, moody and whimsical.
Many women spend their lives waiting for Prince Charming and end up old
maids.

Lista de expresiones - Letra Q

List of idioms - Letter Q

quick off the mark

rpido de reflejos

quicker than you can say Jack

Robinson

en un abrir y cerrar de ojos

quid pro quo

compensacin

Our neighbour saw a man enter our house and was quick off the mark calling
the police.
Sue got up and, quicker than you can say Jack Robinson, went out the door.
The school's re-accepting Jimmy is a quid pro quo for his parents' donation to
the library.

Lista de expresiones - Letra R

List of idioms - Letter R

ready, steady, go!

preparados, listos, fuera!

rise and shine!

a levantarse!

rock bottom

lo ms bajo

rotten to the core

podrido hasta la mdula

rough and ready

improvisado

run of the mill

comn y corriente

Are all the children here for the race? All right, ready, steady, go!
Rise and shine! Come on, get up, it's 9 o'clock. You'll be late for work!
Meg had a bad week: first she lost her job, then she broke up with her
boyfriend. She hit rock bottom.
The Joker, Batman's arch enemy, is rotten to the core.

Paul came and I gave him a rough and ready summary of the book we had to
read for the test.
I'm so tired of working at the office. It's just another 9 to 5 run-of the milljob.

Lista de expresiones - Letra S

List of idioms - Letter S
sabre-rattling

bravuconera

safe and sound

sano y salvo

same old story

lo mismo de siempre

second best

inferior

second to none

superior a todo

short and sweet

cortito y conciso

All this sabre-rattling between the two countries will only lead to a war.
It was late at night and pouring but we managed to get home safe and
sound.

Mark and Stacey broke up again. It's always the same old story: she's jealous
of his friends!
I won't settle for second best! I want the best house in the neighborhood!
That restaurant really is second to none: great service, great food, great
atmosphere...
All right, then, the meeting will be short and sweet, so let's start right away.

shoulder to shoulder

codo a codo

sick and tired

hasta la coronilla

signed, sealed and delivered

con todas las de la ley

six feet under

a tres metros bajo tierra

six of one and half a dozen of the

other

da lo mismo

sleight of hand

prestidigitacin

smack-dab in the middle

justo en el centro

We are all working shoulder to shoulder to find a solution to the problem.

I'm moving to the countryside, I'm so sick and tired of the city. Always
rushing!
We will have the contract signed, sealed and delivered tomorrow morning.

He's trying to kill me! I know it! He won't rest until I'm six feet under!
We can go tonight or we can go tomorrow. It's six of one and half a dozen of
the other.
The magician took a handkerchief and with a sleight of hand he turned it into
a bunch of flowers.
There was a deer smack-dab in the middle of the road and I hit the brakes.

small beer

cosas sin importancia

small fry

insignificante

sour grapes

por pura envidia

still wet behind the ears

demasiado joven e inexperto

straight from the horse's

mouth

de buena fuente

straight from the shoulder

de frente

sword of Damocles

espada de Damocles

Failing an exam is small beer compared to being expelled from school.

The grocery stores are small fry compared to the the big supermarkets.
Sally's cutting remarks are just sour grapes because she can't find a
boyfriend.
When I graduated from Law school I felt still wet behind the ears to start my
own business.
Jen's moving in with her boyfriend. I heard it straight from the horses mouth.
I couldn't believe it! He told me "I love you", straight from the shoulder!
Living illegally in a country is like having a sword of Damocles hanging over
your head.

Lista de expresiones - Letra T

List of idioms - Letter T
TGIF (Thank Goodness it's
Friday)

gracias a Dios es viernes

thank your lucky stars

dar gracias a Dios

that makes two of us

ya somos dos

the apple of your eye

la luz de sus ojos

the best of both worlds

lo mejor de ambos mundos

the blind leading the blind

la conduccin ciega del ciego

Oh my God! I'm so tired! TGIF!

You've got everything you want, you should thank your lucky stars for that!
You can't stand Kelly? Well, that makes two of us!
It's wonderful to have my niece here! She's the apple of my eye.
There are beaches and mountains here. We've got the best of both worlds.
A 20-year-old manager! It's the blind leading the blind!

the buck stops here

yo soy el responsable

the calm before the

storm

la calma que precede a la tormenta

the cat's got your tongue

te comieron la lengua los ratones

the end of the line

el final

the gift of the gab

mucha labia

the joke's on you

te sali el tiro por la culata

All right, people, the buck stops here. I broke the computer. It was my fault.
That long silence was just the calm before the storm. After that my mom
started screaming and shouting.
What's the matter? The cat's got your tongue? Gon on, speak!
Jones scored the fifth goal anda that was the end of the line for the other
team.
Lou sure has the gift of the gab. Two words with the receptionist and the
table is ours!
You told Mike Jo would leave him but he didn't believe you and now the joke's
on you.

the last straw

la gota que derram el vaso

the laughing stock

el hazmerrer

the life of the party

el alma de la fiesta

the long and the short of it

en resumidas cuentas

the moment of truth

la hora de la verdad

the more the merrier

cuantos ms sean, mejor

First they refused to give us a raise, then they fired some of us, that was the
last straw!
I can't go to tha party after what happened. I'd be the laughing stock of the
evening!

You should've seen Al last night! Dancing, telling jokes... He was the life of
the party.
Greg met another woman and he left me. That's the long and the short of it.
When we launch the product into the market we'll see if it succeeds. It'll
bethe moment of truth.
Sure, bring your friends to the party! The more, the merrier!

the one that got away

el que se escap

the real McCoy

lo realmente genuino

the salt of the earth

un pan de Dios

the whole caboodle

absolutamente todo

to all intents and purposes

a todos los efectos

to and fro

de un lado a otro

Sue loved Paul but he never liked her. He was the one that got away.
This is a real leather, look. It's genuine, the real McCoy.
Kim is such a great girl. She helps the aged, the poor. She's the salt of the
earth!

Tell me everything about your trip to Europe! Who you saw, where you'v
been, the whole caboodle!
The clubs in the city were, to all intents and purposes, closed until further
notice.
I've been running to and fro all morning. I went to the bank, then to the
supermarket...

Lista de expresiones - Letra U

List of idioms - Letter U

unheard of

inaudito

until you'r blue in the face

hasta que revientes

My aunt left home at 18 and moved in with her boyfriend. It was unheard
ofat the time.
You can scream and shout until you're blue in the face but that won't change
the situation.

Lista de expresiones - Letra V

List of idioms - Letter V
virgin territory

terreno virgen

virtual reality

realidad virtual

Some fields of medicine were virgin territory a few decades ago.

It is not a real tour, it's a virtual reality tour of Europe.

Lista de expresiones - Letra W

List of idioms - Letter W
wake up and smell the coffee!

date cuenta de una vez!

water under the bridge

historia antigua

wear and tear

desgaste

what's your poison?

qu vas a tomar?

wishful thinking

ilusin

word for word

textualmente

worlds apart

polos opuestos

Oh, come on, Fred! Wake up and smell the coffee! They won't give you the
job!

No, Liz and I are no longer together, it's all water under the bridge. We're
friends.
We bought a new set of chairs, the other was too damaged by wear and tear.
Hey, Jane! What can I get you to drink? What's your poison?
I can dream about going on a cruise with a handsome man, but it's
justwishful thingking.
Tell me everything Bill told you when you saw him, word for word.
My husband and I are worlds apart but we're crazy about each other.