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Collins
HarperColiins Publishers
Westerhill Road
Bishopbriggs
Glasgow
G642QT
HarperColiins Publishers 2012
Collins is a registered trademark of
HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Random House Mondadori. S.A.
Travessera de Gracia, 47-49
08021 Barcelona
www.diccionarioscollins.com
Primera edicion, septiembre de 2012
ISBN 978-84-253-4914-0
Quedan prohibidos, dentro de los
Ifmites establecidos en la levy baja
los apercibimientos legalmente
previstos, la reproduccion total a
parcial de esta obra porcualquier
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autorizacion previa V porescrito de
os titulares del copyright. Dirijase a
tEDRO (Centro Espanol de Derechas
Reprog rMicas, http://www.cedro.org)
si necesita fotocopiaro escanear algun
fragmento de esta obra.
compuesto par Davidson Publishing
Solutions, Glasgow
Impreso en Espana por
Limpergraf
Deposito legal: 8.20.791-2012
Edici6n ytraducci6n:
TonvGalvez
Cordelia Lilly
y i ~ t o r i a Ordonez Divf
l
torrecd6n de pruebas:
Sinda Lopez
Coordinaci6n editorial:
TeresaAlvarez
Colaboradores de la edici6n original
en ingles:
Penny Hands
Kate Woodford
SandraAndersan
Katharine Coates
Kate Mohideen
Direcci6n editorial:
LucVCaoper
Elaine Higgleton
Susanne Reichert
Lisa Sutherland
Introducci6n
Le presentamos el Collins Easy Learning English Idioms, pensado para todo aquel
que desee ampliarsus conocimientos de las expresiones inglesas, tanto para
quien este preparando un examen de ingles como para quien necesite una gUla
rapida sobre las expresiones inglesas 0 simplemente quiera encontrar
expresiones divertidas que Ie den mas autenticidad a su ingles. En todos los
casos, esta obra ofrece la informaci6n necesaria en un formato claro yaccesible.
(Que es un idiom?
Un idiom 0 modismo es una expresi6n idiomatica que puede serdiffcil de
entender incluso si se conocen todas las palabras que la forman. En algunos
casos, no cuesta adivinar su significado, porque dicha expresi6n crea una
imagen que representa una idea en nuestro cerebro, especial mente si es una
imagen que tiene un equivalente en espanol, como porejemplo play with fire
Uugar con fuego) 0 in cold blood (a sangre frfa). En muchas ocasiones esto se debe
a Que compartimos una vasta tradici6n cultural, que incluye, porejemplo,
muchas de las referencias bfblicas, tales como an eye for an eye (ojo por ojo). En
otras puede ser que en algun momento del pasado la expresi6n se tradujera
literalmenteyde ahf pas6 a nuestro acervo cultural. Pero en otras muchas,
esto no ha side as!, por 10 que puede resultar imposible entender el significado
de send someone to Coventry (hacer el vado a alguien) 0 not beat about the bush
(no andarse con rodeos).
Como encontrar la expresion buscada
Cada modismo se encuentra bajo una palabra determinada, que es ellema de la
entrada. Las entradas van por orden alfabetico. Para encontrar un modismo hay
quever primero si la frase contiene un sustantivo. Si es as!, la expresi6n ira
normalmente en la entrada correspondiente a! primer sustantivo de la misma,
a no serque este admita una variante. As!, porejemplo, bring someone to book
aparece bajo la entrada book. Si el modismo carece de sustantivo, la expresi6n ira
bajo el primer adjetivo 0 adverbio. Este es el caso, porejemplo, de drop dead, que
aparece bajo dead, 0 leave someone cold, que puede encontrarse bajo cold. Por
ultimo, si no contiene un sustantivo, adjetivo 0 adverbio, la expresion aparecera
bajo el primerverbo, como en come out fighting, que esta incluida bajo come.
Una excepci6n a esta regia son modismos como hard as nails 0 fresh as a daisy
(liamados "similes''), que normal mente aparecen bajo el primer adjetivo en lugar
Introduccion
del sustantivo. Esto es debido a que a menudo pueden combinarse varios
sustantivos con el mismo adjetivQ, par 10 que resulta de mas utilidad vedas todos
juntos en una misma entrada.
Por ultimo, tengase en (uenta que si el sustantivo aparece en plural en un
modismo determinado, conviene buscarlo bajo el plural de un lema. As!, par
ejemplo, pick holes in something se encont'rara bajo holes, no bajo hole.
Todos los modismos van seguidos de ejemplos ilustrativos autenticos; extrafdos
del corpus de Collins, que muestran las expresiones tal ycomo 50n usadas par los
hablantes. Ademas de esto, se ha anadido en ocasiones la traducci6n literal que'
podrfa darse a un modismo cuanda dicha traducci6n da lugar a una imagen que
facilitarfa la comprension del mismo.
Confiamos en que este libro Ie ayudara a aumentarsus conocimientos sobre este
aspectotan fascinante de la lengua inglesa. Para mayor informaci6n sobre los
diccionarios Collins, visite nuestra web www.diccionarioscollins.com.
Como son las entradas
Elorden ... . I-+ante
alfabetico de las
En algunosjuegos de naipes,
..'
entrada,S se rig,e
pore! le':la bajo:
,el
los,modismos.
Los'ejiimplds
del corpus
mUestrall
como'seusael
inadismo en,'
'

una. estr,ella',
identifica'a'ios
niodislTlosmas'
ffecue'n:tes:
Estas,notas:
expUC:a)1 e,'
drigendel'
modlsmo,
'q'lJe'ap'arec.:e
lmodJsnii.> :

como el poquer, theante("la
apuesta") es la cantidad de dinero
que cadajugador debe depositar
sobre la mesa antes de que
empiece eljuego.
* up the ante 0
raise the ante subir la apuesta
o Whenever they reached their goal,
they upped the ante, setting
increasingly diFficult chal/enges (or
themselves. 0 Its network television
division upped the ante by paying an
estimated $2 million a year for a deal.
chop
1-
* chop and change (Brit) cambiar
constantemente de opini6n oAfter
chopping and changing forthe ffrst year,
Paul and Jamie have settled down to a
stable system of management.
Esta expresi6n se empleaba
originalmente en referencia a
aquellas personas que compraban
y vendfan mercancfas. Chop
ayudana
expllcar el ,
significado del,' ,
lema: ' '
significaba "comerciar" 0 "hacer
trueques", mientrasquechangeera l:.as:m'arcas :" :,'
una version abreviada de exchange, ,geografic'asy"',: :
g "cambiar". -------1 deregistr.o:qan '
inforli1ac,i6?
* for the chop (Brit, familiar) :"
1 a punto de ser despedido 0 There
are rumours that he is for the chop
2 a punto de desaparecer 0 He won't
say which programmes are for the chop.
laundry
* a laundry list (sobretodo EE UU) una
lista interminable (literal: una lista-oOl(----
de ropa para lavar) 0 This document
is expected to set out a laundry list of
reasons why shareholders should reject
the bid.
airyour dirty laundry in public
-+ verdirty

IIteral.entre
':

facillt;o(Ip: ,
,
;cjellj1odis,l:l'1o; ,:'
accounting
there's no accounting for taste
sabre gustos no hay nada escrito
o Daisy ordered her favourite pepperoni
and pineapple pizza - there's no
accounting (or taste.
a c ~ e ________________ ~
En muchosjuegos de naipes,
el as es la carta que puntua mas
alto.
the ace in your hand (Brit) e[ as en
!a mana 0 You have to convince your
opponent that you have the ace in your
hand. Especially in politics.
come within an ace of something a
be within an ace of something
(Brit) estar a punta de hacer argo
o The defendant was intent on murder
and he came within an ace of
succeeding.
2 En esta expresi6n, ace no se refiere
~ a[ as de una baraja, sino a sacar
~ un uno a[ lanzar un dado.
have an ace in the hole guardarse
un as en la manga 0 He doesn't
usually ris/{ that much unless he thinks
he has an ace in the hole.
~ En el tipo de poquer denominado
~ stud, tener un ace in the hole
~ significa tener un as como hole
g card; ver hole card en hole.
play your ace jugarel triunfo o)ust
as the race was nearly over, Hackett
played his ace and pulled ahead.
aces
hold all the aces tener la sarten par
el mango (literal: tenertodos los
ases) 0 When I was an adolescent,
I thaught girls held all the aces.
~ En muchos juegos de naipes,
~ el as es la carta que puntua mas
~ alto.
acid
* the acid test la prueba de fuego
(literal: la prueba del acida) oMy
nrst really stressful day when things ga
wrong: that will be the real acid test.
~ EI acido nftrico puede usarse
~ paracomprobarsi un metal es oro
pura, porque corroe la mayorfa de
metales pero no afecta al oro.
acquaintance
a passing acquaintance 0
a nodding acquaintance
1 un conocido oAftera while a man
came in who was evidently a passing
acquaintance of the family and stopped
at their table to chat.
z un conocimiento superficial 0 We
chatted fora little about poetry, with
which he showed considerably more
than a nodding acquaintance.
act
r ' - - c c - - - - - ~
Las metaforas en estas
expresiones estan relacionadas
con interpretes (musicos, actores,
etc.) que actuan ante un publico.
2 action
"* a balancing act equiHbrismos
aMrA/ia is performing a delicate
balancing act. He talks ofre(orm,
but clings to old certainties.
* be caught in the act sorprender a
alguien en flagrante 0 The men were
caught in the act of digging up buried
explosives.
En esta expresi6n, act se refiere al
acto de hacer alga.
* a class act un as 0 /(oeman is a
class act. He's got great control and
can hit passes from one side of the
pitch to the other with amazing
accuracy.
"* clean up your act enmendarse
(literal: limpiarsu acto) 0 The
Ministerwarned the press that privacy
laws would be implemented if
newspapers didn't clean up their act.
* get in on the act 0
be in on the act subirse al carro
(litera': meterse en el acto)
o The company's reputation has
reached the United States, and
American investors have been trying
to get in on the act.
* get your act together organizarse
o We're going to be 22 points down by
Monday, and we've got to get our act
together.
* a hard act to follow diffcil de igualar
(litera': un acto diffcil de seguir)
o He was a hard actto Follow- a
brilliant intellectual with long
experience as an observer of the
economic scene.
action
* fight a rearguard action resistir en
10 posible (literal: luchar para cubrir
la retirada) a National telephone
companies are nghting a rearguard
action against competition From beyond
their Frontiers.
Rearguard significa "retaguardia".
* a slice of the action (sobretodoBrit)o
ajpiece of the action una parte del
I paste! oAs the British rap scene grows
t;in strength, the Americans are
tbecoming keener to grab a slice of the
action.
actions
actions speak louder words
un hecho vale mas que mil palabras
(literal: las acciones hablan mas alto
que las palabras) a The government
needs to understand that actions speak
louder than words.
Adam
Segun la Biblia,Adan (Adam) fue el
primer ser humano.
not know someone from Adam
no conocer a alguien para nada
a The man greeted me like an old friend,
but I didn't Imow him from Adam.
ado
much ado about nothing
(Periodismo) mucho ruido V pocas
nueces 0 French newspapers described
the international row as much ado
about nothing.
Much Ado About Nothing (Mucho
ruido y pocas nueces) es el titulo de
una obra teatral de Shakespeare. \
agenda
La palabra agenda significa "orden
del dia".
* a hidden agenda intenciones
ocultas a The unions Fear these tactics
are part of a hidden agenda to reduce
pay and conditions throughout the
company.
air
* be left hanging in the air quedaren
el aire 0 The presenter made intelligent
points but never challenged anybody, so
we were left with a lot of questions
hanging in the air.
be walking on air 0
be floating on air estar flotando de
alegrfa (litera': estar andando 0
flotando en el aire) 0 I can't believe
that I've won. I'm noating on airl
"* clear the air aclarar las casas
(litera': aclarar e! aire) 0 I get angry
and frustrated with Hannah's temper,
but I'm a great believer in expressing my
feelings to clear the air.
* disappear into thin air 0
vanish into thin air desaparecer
como por arte de magia 0 Her
husband disappeared into thin airfor
years.
"* hot air palabras vanas (literal: aire
caliente) 0 In a sense, all the rhetoric
about heightened can be
seen as just so much hot air. There are
still endless disputes.
* in the air en el aire 0 Spring is in
the air. Va se siente la primavera.
a Great excitement was in the air that
week in London.
* out of thin air 0
from thin air de la nada oA crisis
had materialized out oFthin air.
pull something out of the air a
pluck something from the air decir
algo al azar (literal: sacar alga del
aire) aShe pulled a figure out of the air,
an amount she thought would cover
several months' rent on an Office.
* up in the air en el aire oAt the
moment, the fate of the Hungarian
people is still up in the air.
airs
airs and graces (Brit) aires a Ian is
such a nice bloke. He has no airs and
graces.
put on airs and graces (Brit) 0
put on airs darseaires a We're poor,
honest Folk, and we never put on airs.
all
3
aisles
roll in the aisles partirse de risa
(literal: radar por los pasillos) 0 It's
all good Imoc/wbout stuFFthat has them
rolling in the aisles.
La palabra aisle significa "pasillo"
(de un tearro 0 de un cine).
alec
a smart alec (Brit) 0
a smart aleck (EE UU) un
sabelotodo a They've got a smart alec
lawyer From London to oppose bail.
Hay quienes escriben alecy aleck
con la primera letra en
mayOscula, como si fueran
nombres prapios. Alecy Aleck son
abreviaturas de Alexander.
alive
* alive and kicking vivito y coleando
o Romance is still alive and kicking For a
couple who will be celebrating their
50th wedding anniversary this week.
eat someone alive comer vivo a
alguien a The pain ate him alive; the
world was nothing but nre and pain.
o 'Can we go out?' 'Outside?The
mosquitoes will eat us alive!'
skin someone alive despellejarvivo
a alguien a They are fiercely
competitive. If they can skin us alive in
business, they will. a Who let the cat
out?You catch that animal, Ernie, or"11
skin you alive!
someone will eat someone alive
alguien se va a comer vivo a alguien
oSid will be eaten alive by the hardened
criminals at thejaiJ.
all
that's all she wrote (EE UU) seacab6
10 que se daba (litera': eso fue todD
10 que escribi6) a He got hurt, and he
didn't play much anymore. That's all she
wrote.
4
alley
alley
* a blind alley un caliejon sin salida
o Sooner or later they will have to
realize that this is a blind alley and that
they need to rethink their own
strategies.
~ Blind alley significa "callejon sin
~ salida".
be right up someone's alley ser 10
mfo/tuyo/suyo etc 0 I thought this
little problem would be right up your
alley.
all-singing
all-singing. all-dancing (sabre todo
Brit) super moderno oAs long as you
don't expect the latest aJ/-singing, 01/-
dancing)apanese marvel, this camera is
an excellent buy.
Esta Frase aparecio par primera
~ vez en el cartel donde se
~ anunciaba el primer musical de
~ Hollywood, "La melodfa de
g Broadway" (1929), descrito como
~ all talking, all singing, all dancing
~ (fntegramente hablado, cantado
y bailado).
altar
be sacrificed on the altar of
something ser sacrificado en aras
de algo (litera': ser sacrificado en el
altar de alga) 0 They agreed that the
interests of twelve million farmers could
not be sacrificed on the altar offreetrade.
~ Los alta res eran grandes piedras
~ sobre las que se sacrificaban
~ ani males para ofrecerlos a los
~ dioses.
angel
a fallen angel un angel cardo
o Without an away League win all
season, Leeds United quickly became
the fallen angels of the Premier League.
angels
be, on the side of the angels estar
ddparte de 105 angeles 0 The
president is on the side of the angels
when-it comes to racial tolerance, the
environment and Indian rights.
answer
* not take no for an answer no
aceptar un no por respuesta 0 Gerry,
whose persistence has been known to
wear down the resistance of many
executives, refused to take no Foran
answer.
ante
En algunos juegos de naipes,
como el p6quer, the ante ("Ia
apuesta") es la cantidad de dinero
que cadajugador debe depositar
sobre la mesa antes de que
empiece eljuego.
* up the ante 0
raise the ante subir la apuesta
o Whenever they reached their goal,
they upped the ante, setting
increasingly dimwit challenges for
themselves. 0 Its network television
division upped the ante by paying
an estimated $2 million a year for
a deal.
ants
have ants in your pants tener
avispas en el culo (literal: tener
hormigas en los pantalones)
o Before, there would be no way-' would
sit down and take it easy. It was like I
had ants in my pants.
ape
go ape (familiar) ponerse como un
energumeno (literal: volverse simio)
o I was in the kitchen preparing the
evening meal when Rex ran down the
stairs and went ape.
Las personas que se comportan
de forma violenta 0 incontrolada
suelen compararse a los simios.
appetite
* whet someone's appetite abrirle el
apetito a alguien 0 Winning the
World Championship whetted his
appetite for more success.
Whet a knife significa "afilar un
~ cuchillo".
apple
the apple of your eye laninadetus
ojos 0 I was the apple afmyfather's eye.
S Antiguamente, la pupila del ojo,
~ 0 nina, se denominaba a veces
the apple Cia manzana").
* a bad apple 0
a rotten apple una manzana
podrida 0 They made it clear that they
were not going to tolerate a bad apple in
the United States Senate.
@. 5i una manzana podrida se
guardajunto a otras que esten en
~ buen estado, estas se pudriran
g tam bien.
applecart
upset the applecart echarlo todo a
perder (literal: volcar el carro) 0 His
departure at this critical stage could
upset the whole applecart.
apple pie
American as apple pie tfpicamente
americana 0 Jeans are as American as
apple pie and old jeans show a touch of
class.
~ E! pastel de manzana es un postre
g tradicional considerado
~ tfpicamente estadounidense.
in apple-pie order (anticuado) en
perfecto orden oApart from the
plastiC sheeting that still remained,
arm
they found everything in apple-pie
order.
apples
apples and oranges (sobretodo
5
EE UU) peras can manzanas (literal:
manzanas V naranjas) 0 To compare
one with the other is to compare apples
and oranges.
apron
aprol1 strings las faldas de la madre
oAt 21, Ijust had to get away, to cut
those apron strings. 0 The Prime
Minister has the rough outline of a
blueprint for Australia as an
independent nation, free of British
apron strings.
g En un principio, esta expresi6n se
~ referfa aquellos ninos,
~ especial mente de sexo masculino,
~ demasiado influenciados porsus
~ mad res a una edad en la que
~ deberran mostrarse mas
independientes.
area
*: a grey area areagris o The court
action has highlighted the many grey
areas in the law affecting stolen
animals.
ark
be out of the ark (Brit) ser del ana
de la nana (literal: haber salido del
arca de Noe) 0 The car's steering was
simply dreadful, and the driving
position was straight out of the ark.
something went out with the ark
(Brit) algo es del ano de la nana
(Ijteral: alga viaj6 con el area)
o Tyres are not made from rubber any
more; that went out with the ark.
arm
* at arm's length a una distancia
prudencial (literal: a un braze de
G arms
distancia) 0 Relations between the
bank and the committee will be at arm's
length until the report is delivered in
July.
chance your arm (Brit) probar
suerte 0 Instead of going on the dole I
chanced my arm on a business.
cost an arm and a leg costarun
rinon (literal: costar un brazo y
una pierna) 0 It cost us an arm and
a leg to get here. But it has been
worth it.
keep someone at arm's length
mantener las distancias can
alguien 0 Brian had tried to get close,
but his father had kept him at arm's
length.
put the arm on someone (EE UU)
presionar a alguien 0 Women like you
are not only writing checks, but you're
putting the arm on other people to give
to charity as well.
someone would give their right
arm to do something 0
someone would give their right
arm for something alguien darfa
su brazo derecho por hacer alga
o I would give my right arm to be able
to start again.
~ La mayorfa de las personas son
~ diestras, y porello consideran el
~ brazo derecho mas importante
~ que el izquierdo.
twist someone's arm apretarle las
tuercas a alguien (literal: retorcerle
el brazo a alguien) 0 I didn't twist
your arm to make you come. You wanted
to because you sensed a story.
arms
* be up in arms oponerse
enfurecidamente (literal: levantarse
en armas) oMorethan one million
shopkeepers are up in arms against the
new minimum tax. They are threatening
a day's closure in protest.
* with open arms con los brazos
abiertos 0 We got out of the trucks to
~ g r e e t them with open arms. We had
lJIitts ready, we were high on the ideo a(
~ t h e meeting. 0 Watchdog organizations
welcomed today's guidelines with open
arms.
arrow
a straight arrow (EE UUJ un
estrecho de miras (literal: una flecha
estrecha) 0 I was very much a product
of my environment. I was very
traditional, a real straight arrow in lots
a(ways.
art
have something down to a fine art
hacer algo a la perfecci6n 0 They've
got fruit selling down to a fine art: You
can be sure that your pears will ripen in
aday.
ask
a big ask mucho pedir 0 It's a pretty
big ask to run faster in the second half
of the race.
atmosphere
you could cut the atmosphere with
a knife se respiraba la tension en el
ambiente (literal: se podia cortar el
ambiente con un cuchillo) oAssoon
as we entered the house, you could cut
the atmosphere with a knife.
awakening
* a rude awakening una
desagradable sorpresa (literal: un
despertar brutal) 0 Instead Of quick
profits, Johnson got a rude awakening.
axe
,.------::----:----,------,
Axeseescribeaxen ingles
americano.
an axe is hanging over someone
una espada pende sobre la cabeza
de alguien 0 I wouldn't say there's an
Qxe hanging over him but he's only got
another season to put everything right.
an axe is hanging over something
una espada pende sabre algo 0 The
axe was hanging over 600 jobs at oil
giant BP last night.
get the axe 0
be given the axe
1 ser despedido (literal: recibir e!
hacha) 0 This time, it's the business
managers, executives and technical
staff who are getting the axe.
2 ser cancelado 0 There will be cuts of
$770 billion in defense, and almost $120
billion in domestic spending. Do you
axe
have any idea what specifiC programs
will get the ax?
* have an axe to grind tenerun
interes creado (literal: tener un
hacha que afilar) 0 Lord Gi((ard
believed cases should be referred by an
independent agency which does not
have an axe to grind.
7
Existen diversas explicaciones
sobre el origen de esta expresion.
Segun relata Benjamin Franklin,
un hombre consiguio que Ie
"afilaran el hacha tras pedirle a
un nino que Ie mostrara como
funcionaba la muela de su padre.
babe
Babe es una palabra anticuada
para referirse a un be be 0 a un
nino pequeno.
a babe in arms (sobretodo Brit) un
nino de pecho (literal: un bebe en
brazos) 0 The Family have always
cycled, and 'chris has been going to
races since he was a babe in arms.
a babe in the woods un santo
inocente (literal: un be be en el
bosque) 0 By this time I wasn't such a
babe in the woods, and one thing I
insisted on was that they sign a
contract.
2 5egun un antiguo relata, dos
~ huerfanos fueron dejados al
~ cuidado de su tiO. 5i los ninos
g morlan, el tlO heredarfa la fortuna
~ familiar. EI tlO orden6 a un crlado
~ que los lIevara a un bosque,
~ donde los ninos murieron y los
~ pajaros cubrieron sus cuerpos can
hojas. Existe una obra musical
g basada en esta historia.
baby
leave someone holding the baby
(Brit) dejar que alguien cargue can
el muerto 0 I( anything goes wrong on
this, Agnes, it's you and I who'll be left
holding the baby.
throw the baby out with the bath
water tirar la fruta sana con la
podrida (literal: tirar al bebejunto
con el agua del bane) 0 Even {(we
don't necessarily like that, we're not
going to throw the baby out with the
bath water.
back
* the back of beyond el quinto pino
(literal: el fonda del mas alia)
o He was born in a little village in the
back of beyond.
be glad to see the back of someone
(sabre todo Brit) alegrarse de perder
de vista a alguien 0 Nick said last
night that Court was a 'vile man'. He
added: We are glad to see the back of
him.'
be on someone's back estar encima
de alguien 0 The crowd aren't
(orgiving, and as soon as you ma/(e a
mistake they are on your bacle
break the back of something
1 hacer la pear parte de algo 0 The
new government hopes to have broken
the back o(the economic crisis by the
middle oFthis year.
2 romper la columna vertebral de
algo 0 The government made a big
effort late last yearto breakthe back of
the black market.
break your back matarse a
trabajar 0 When you're breaking
your back to make an enterprise work,
it's going to cut into your time with
Family.
do something behind someone's
back hacer alga a espaldas de
alguien 0 He had discovered that it
was safer to have the Press on his side
than to have correspondents sneaking
around behind his back.
go behind someone's back actuar a
espaldas de alguien 0 Leonard, you
haven't been completely open with me.
You think I wouldn't know when you go
behind my bacia
get off someone's back ((amiliar)
dejar a alguien en paz (literal:
bajarse de la espalda de alguien)
o He kept on at me to such an extent
that occasionally I wished he would get
offmyback.
get your own back ... ver own
* have your back to the wall
estar entre la Espada y la pared
o The European Union has its back
to thewall: it must choose between
a reform o(its worldng methods or
its dilution into a large (ree trade
area.
off the back of a lorry (Brit) de
trap/cheo (literal: de la parte de
atras de un cami6n) a The only
evidenceo( any criminal tendencies
is that Pete once bought the boys a
bicycle cheap off the bac/< of a lorry.
on the back of an envelope de
forma improvisada (literal: en la
parte de atras de un sabre) 0 But
the screenplay sounds as i(it has been
written on the bacl< o( an envelope and
the whole thing has an improvised air
about it.
on the back of a postage stamp
en poquisimo espacio (litera': en la
parte de atras de un sella de
correos) a What she knew about
children would have fitted on the back
o( a postage stamp.
put someone's back up (Brit) a
get someone's back up poner negro
a alguien 0 I thought before I spoke
again. The wrong question was going to
get her back up.
back 9
Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a la forma en que los gatos
arquean ellolno cuando se
enfadan.
put your back into something
poner Inucho esfuerzo en alga
o Eighty miles across the mountains
could be done in six days walking, i(she
put her back into it.
* say something behind someone's
back decir algo a espaldas de
alguien 0 Ilmew behind his back his
( r i ~ n d s were saying, 'How can he
possibly put up with that awFul
woman?'
* stab someone in the back dar una
jJ'unalada trapera a alguien aShe
seemed to be incredibly disloyal. She
would be your(riend to your face, and
then stab you in the back. 0 People
begin to avoid one another, ta/<e sides,
be drawn into gossip and back-
stabbing.
* turn your back on someone or
something dar la espalda a alguien
o algo a We appeal to this conference
- do not turn your back on the poor. Do
not turn your bacl( on the unemployed.
a He intends to turn his back on his
Communist past and (arm a completely
new party with which to challenge for
power.
when your back is turned en
cuanto te descuidas 0 They are quite
happy to question you, though, and are
not averse to having a look through your
personal items when your bacl< is
turned.
you scratch my back and I'll scratch
yours hoy per ti y manana par m!
(literal: tu me rascas la espalda y yo
te rasco la tuya) 0 The chemist knew
his business and, willing to play the
game of'you scratch my bacl< and I'll
scratch yours', charged Eve (or only the
ingredients he used.
10 backs
backs
live off the backs of someone vivir
acostadealguien o For too long the
fat and decadent rich have lived off the
backs o(the working-class.
backwards
* bend over backwards hacertodo 10
posible (litera': doblarse hacia atras)
o We are bending over backwards to
ensure that the sa(eguards are kept in
place.
know something backwards (sabre
tada Brit) a
know something backwards and
forwards (EE UU) saberse alga al
dedilla ('itera': saber alga al reves)
o I thoroughly enjoy lecturing and I
know my subject backwards.
bacon
save someone's bacon (sabre toda
Brit) salvar eJ pellejo de alguien
o Your mother once saved my bacon,
did you know that? She lent me money
when I needed it.
bag
a bag of nerves ... ver nerves
a bag ofworms-.verworms
* in the bag cosa segura (literal: en el
balsa) DAfter being 23-16 up at the
break, it seemed victory was in the bag
for Panty.
Aqufla palabra bag hace
referenda at morral en el que los
cazadores lievan a casa las piezas
que han cazado.
leave someone holding the bag
(sabretada EE UU) dejar que alguien
cargue con el muerto 0 If a project
goes bust, investors are left holding the
bag.
* a mixed bag un poco de todo 0 The
papers carry a mixed bag of stories on
their front pages.
Aquf la palabra bag hace
referenda al morral
del cazador.
someone's bag of tricks el
repertorio de alguien (literal:
la bolsa de trucos de alguien)
D The album is a delightful offering
with Griffin going through his bog of
tricks to great effect.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a
@ la bolsa en la que los
prestidigitadores lIevan los
artfculos que precisan para
sus actuaciones.
something is not someone's bag
(familiar) algo no es 10 de alguien
o 'Being an umpire is not my bag,'
Mr. Anders says. 'I'd rather be a player.'
Puede que esta expresion
provenga de lajerga empleada
porlos musicos de jazz
estadounidenses.Avecesse
referfan al tipo de jazz que
toea ban, 0 su estilo caracterfstico
al tocar, como a su bag.
bags
* pack your bags hacer las maletas
o If things go wrong and our conditions
are not met, we will simply pack our
bags and leave.
bait
fish or cut bait (EE UU) dejar de
divagarv actuar(literal: pescar 0
preparar anzuelos) oMorale and
stamina were said to be low after seven
weeks of stalemate- the time had come
to rsh or cut bait.
EI sentido literal de esta expresion
podrfa serque va ha Ilegado la
hora de tomar la decision 0 bien
de empezara pescaro de preparar
el cebo para que otras puedan
pescar.
take the bait 0
rise to the bait morder el anzuelo
o It's important not to rise to the bait
and get cross.
g En la pesca con mosca, los peces
suben hasta la superficie del agua
para picar en el anzuelo.
baker
a baker's dozen (anticuado) docena
de fraile (literal: una docena de
panadero) oAlan Else, series co-
ordinator, has picl<ed out a baker's
dozen of top events between April and
September.
Se deda que los panaderos de la
Inglaterra medieval enganaban a
sus clientes vendiendoles hogazas
que pesaban menos de 10 debido.
Despues de que se introdujeran
normas para fijar el peso estandar
de las hogazas, los panaderos
empezaron a anadir una
decimotercera hogaza a cada
docena para asegurarse de no
infringir la lev.
balance
* in the balance pendiente de un
hila DOne afthejudges had died
unexpectedly and the choice o(his
successor was in the balance.
=: Balance significa "balanza".
* throw someone off balance hacer
que alguien pierda e! equilibrio
o She was trying to behave as i(his visit
hadn't thrown her off balance.
ball
a ball and chain una atadura 0 Our
national debt is an economic ball and
chain dragging us down, keeping longer
term interest rates high.
Antiguamente, a veces se
g encadenaba a los presos a una
ball
pesada bola de metal para
impedirsu huida.
11
* the ball is in someone's court Ie
toea a alguien darel siguiente paso
o The ball is now in his court. I, and
indeed others, have told him quite
clearly what we think. He has to decide.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a un
partido de tenis.
behind the eight ball (sobre todo
EE UU) en apuros D If a child doesn't
get the basics in primary school they are
way behind the eight boll.
En el billaramericano, the eight
ball es la bola con el numero 8 que
jugadores tienen que meter al
final. Si la bola con el8 esta entre
la bola blanca V la bola que el
jugador intenta golpear, es
probable que dicha jugadar Ie de
primero a la bola con e18, 10 que
supone una tirada nula.
be on the ball estar al tanto
o You can't bumble along in this
business. You have to be on the bal,.
En el futbol, se dice que e! jugador
quetiene la pelota a sus pies V la
puede controlar is on the ball.
* a crystal ball una bola de cristal
o What you need to help you select your
new car is a crystal ball to tell you how
much it will be worth a few years down
the road.
drop the ball (sabre toda EE UU)
cometer un error 0 There are people
who'd like to see me fail, I know that.
But I'm not afraid. I won't drop the ball.
* have a ball pasarselobomba o Why
not go out and see i(there's some place
we can dance? Let's go and have a ball.
En esta expresi6n, la palabra ball
significa "baile de etiqueta".
a new ball game 0
a different ball game otro cantar
12 ballistic
o Ifmilitary force were to be used, then
that cauld be a campletely different ball
game.
, La frase ball game ("juego de
~ pelota") se usa a menudo en
~ ingles americana para referirse a
~ un partido de beisbol.
* play ball cooperar 0 The Association
of British Insurers has threatened to
withdraw its support i(the banks and
building societies refuse to play ball.
* set the ball rolling 0
start the ball rolling poner la (osa
en marcha (literal: echar la bola a
radar) 0 The big supermarket rivals are
all cutting prices. Sainsbury set the ball
rolling last week with 30 per cent
discounts on a wide range of brands.
take the ball and run with it tamar
el testigo e intentarlo 0 It's up to
him./Fhestudies, (ine.lrnat, there's
nothing we can do. He's the one who
has to ta/<e the ball and run with it.
~ EI deporte al que se hace
~ referenda aquf es el futbol
~ america no.
the whole ball of wax (sabre todo
EE UU) toda la historia (literal: toda
la bola de cera) 0 Perry wanted it a/I,
the whole ball Of wax. He wanted the
Saciety For himself
ballistic
go ballistic subirse por las paredes
o The singer went ballistic after one
member of his band failed to show for
a sound check on the recent American
tour.
~ Esta expresion hace referenda
~ a los misiles balfsticos y a la
~ poderosa explosion que provocan.
balloon
the balloon went up (sabre todo Brit)
se armola gorda (literal: subia el
globo) 0 On the Saturday the balloan
went up. Sara told him to take his
things and not to come bacf<.
~ En la Primera Guerra Mundial
~ se usa ban globos tanto para
~ proteger a los objetivos de los
~ ataques aereos como para
observar al enemigo. Portanto,
~ el hecho de que un glObo
~ ascendiera indicaba que se
~ avednaban problemas.
ballpark
Ballparl< significa "estadio de
beisbol".
a ballpark figure 0
a ballpark estimate cifra
aproximada 0 But what are we
talldng about here- a few thousand,
millions, two bucks? GiVe me a ballpark
figure.
be in the same ballpark as someone
or something estar en la misma
categorfa que alguien 0 algo oAs a
general investigative agency, they're not
in the same bal/park as the FBI.
in the ballpark 0
in the right ballpark no muy
desencaminado oA piece of subtle
surgical equipment cost about 5 - an
underestimate, maybe, but in the right
bollparl<.
balls
keep balls in the air hacer
varias cosas al mismo tiempo
o They had trouble keeping all their
balls in the air. They were trying to do
too much and things were starting to
breakdown.
Esta expresion hace referenda a
losjuegos malabares, en los que
alguien tiene que lanzary recoger
determinado numero de pelotas
al mismotiempo.
banana
* slip on a banana skin 0
slip on a banana peel (Brit) dar un
patinazo 0 Most of the nation would
enjoy seeing mighty liverpool slip on a
banana skin in front of millions.
En las co medias y en las
g historietas suele aparecer un
~ personaje que hace el ridfculo al
. resbalarcon una piel de platano.
band
* a one-man band un hombre
orquesta 0 Thechefwasa one-man
band, taking orders, and cooking and
serving at table.
bandwagon
* jump on the bandwagon subirse al
carro 0 There will always be
inexperienced people ready to jump on
the bandwagon and start teaching
classes in whatever is fashionable.
Antiguamente, en Estados
~ Unidos los mftines electorales se
~ anunciaban can una banda que
~ recorrfa las calles tocando sobre
~ un carrotirado por caballos. Los
~ pOliticos iban sentadosjunto a los
~ musicos, y aquellos que querfan
~ mostrarles su apoyo se subfan al
carro.
bang
bang goes something (sabre todo
Brit) a paseo alga (litera': iPuml
hace alga) 0 Bang goes his influence,
maybe his job, if the two countries reach
a real understanding.
more.bang for your buck (sabre todo
EE UU) mas por el mismo precio
o With this program you get more bang
for your bucl<.
not with a bang but a whimper no
con un estaHido sino con un sollozo
o The festival pnished yesterday not
bark 13
with a bang but a whimper, as
thousands of disappointed festiva/-
goers left ear/y.
~ Este es el ultimo verso del poema
" de T. 5. Eliot The Hal/ow Men (Los
~ hombres huecos).
bank
* break the bank hacer sa!tar la
banca 0 Porto Cervo is expensive,
but there are restaurants and bars
that won't break the banI<.
laugh all the way to the bank
forrarse (litera': irse riendo todo el
camino hasta el banco) 0 Investors
who followed our New Year share tips
ate laughing all the way to the bank.
@ EI pianista estadounidense
~ Liberace usaba esta expresion
~ para describir como se sentfa al
leer malas criticas de sus
~ espectaculos.
baptism
* a baptism offire un bautismo de
fuego 0 They have given themselves a
baptism oFfire by playing what many
would consider the four best teams in
the world.
Esta expresion se referfa
originalmente a las muertes de
~ los martires en la hoguera.
~ Despues la emplearon los
~ emperadores franceses Napoleon
~ Bonaparte y Napoleon 111 para
~ referirse a la primera experiencia
bajo fuego enemigo de un
~ soldado.
bark
someone's bark is worse than
their bite perro ladrador, poco
mordedor 0 My bark is depnitely
worse than my bite. When people get to
know me, they'll tel/ you I'm just a big
softy really.
14 barn
barn
close the barn door after the
horse has gone ... ver door
barrel
have someone over a barrel
tener a alguien en un puno (literal:
tener a alguien sabre un barril)
o The unions wish they had more
options. Jobs are tight, they know that,
and they feel management has them
over a barrel.
Puede que esta expresi6n se
~ refiera a un metoda utilizado
antiguamente para salvar a
~ alguien que hubiera estadoa
~ punto de ahogarse. Colocaban a
~ dicha persona boca abajo sabre un
~ barril y la empujaban suavemente
~ hacia adelante V hacia atras hasta
~ quese Ie hubieran vaciado los
pulmanes de agua.
scrape the bottom of the barrel 0
scrape the barrel rebanar las
dltimas migas 0 The game designers
were scraping the bottom of the barrel
for ideas when they came up with this
one.
barrelhead
on the barrelhead 0
on the barrel (EE UU) a tocateja
o Customers usually pay cash on the
barrel head, so bad debts aren't much Of
a problem.
La explicaci6n mas probable de
esta expresi6n se remonta a la
epoca en que los colonos se
instalaron en el Oeste americano.
A menudo las tabernas no eran
mas que una sala con un barril de
bebida, V 105 clientes que querian
bebertenfan que poner el dinero
encima del barril antes de que les
sirvieran, va que los taberneros
nofiaban.
barrels
give someone both barrels 0
let someone have it with both
\, barrels dar un repaso demoledora
\ alguien 0 let him have it with both
barrels and then get out of the situation
while you can.
2 Esta expresi6n se refiere al hecho
de dispararun arma de dos
canones.
base
En el beisbol, losjugadores tienen
que golpear la pelota para despues
recorrer las cuatro esquinas 0
bases a fin de anotarse una carrera.
get to first base alcanzar la primera
meta 0 We couldn't getto first base
with any u.s. banks. They didn't want
to take the risk.
* off base (sabre tada EE UU)
totalmente equivocado 0 I don't
thinl<the church is a((base at all in
taking a moral stand on this.
g En el beisbol, si unjugadores
~ sorprendido fuera de base un
miembro del equipo contrario
. ~ puede eliminarlo mientras el
~ primer jugador carre entre las
2 bases.
touch base ponerse en contacto
o Being there gave me a chanceto touch'
base with and make plans to see three
friends whom I had not seen for a year.
2 En el beisbol, los bateadores
~ tienen que alcanzar la primera,
~ segunda vtercera base para
~ anotarse una carrera.
bases
touch all the bases 0
cover all the bases abarcarlo todo
o He has managed to touch all the
bases necessary, and trade goes on.
En el beisbol, los bateadores
tienen que alcanzar la primera,
segunda V tercera bases para
anotarse una carrera.
basl<et
"* a basket case
1 un caso perdido 0 The popular
image about latin America a few years
ago was that it was a basket case.
2 (familiar) un chalado 0 You're going
to think I'm a basket case when I tell you
this, but we used to play with toys when
we were about twenty.
~ Originalmente, esta expresi6n se
~ empleaba para describir a
~ alguien, especialmente un
soldado, que hubiera perdido los
~ cuatro miembros. Puede que la
~ frase surgiera porque dichos
~ mutHados eran transportados en
cestos (baskets).
bat
do something off your own bat
(Brit) hacer alga por cuenta propia
o I'm certain whatever she did, she did
off her own bat; it was nothing to do
with me .
~ En el criquet, losjugadores
~ pueden anotarse carreras 0 bien
~ bateando la pelota ellos mismos
0 cuando su pareja la batea, 0
~ cuando nadie golpea la pelota
~ pero esta va mas alia de los palos
~ (wicket).
go to bat for someone 0
go in to bat for someone dar la cara
por alguien 0 She wasjust fabulous in
going to bat for me, in not being
judgmental and helping me work it out.
Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
unjugadorde beisbol que se
incorpora al partido para sustituir
a otro bateador.
bath 15
like a bat out of hell como alma
que lIeva el diablo (litera': como un
murcielago saliendo del infierno)
o He said 'Thank you, sir,' and departed
like a bat aut a(hell.
2 A menudo se asocia a los
murcielagos al demonio,
~ probablemente porque suelen
g volar de noche.
playa straight bat (Brit)
1 evitar las preguntas diffciles
o But last Saturday her interviewee
played a straight bat, referring all
inquiries to his solicitors before
driving off
2, (anticuado) ser honrado oAmit,
then 14, was very surprised to find that
playing a straight bat was not considered
all that important in his new school.
~ En e! crique!, playa straight bat
~ significajugardeforma muy
~ correcta y cauta para no correr el
g riesgo de ser eliminado,
right off the bat (sabre todD EE UU)
de repente 0 He learned right a((the
bat that you can't count on anything in
this business.
~ Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
~ de una pelota que rebota
~ rapidamente contra un bate de
~ beisbol.
bath
take a bath (Periodismo) sufrir
grandes perdidas (literal: darse un
bano) 0 Investors in the company tool<
a 35 million dollar bath on the company,
which entered bankruptcy proceedings
18 months ago.
take an early bath (Brit) retirarse
antes de tiempo (litera': darse un
bano temprano) 0 Nineteen of the
country's most experienced referees
have been invited to take an early
bath.
16 baton
baton
pass the baton entregar el testigo
o Does this mean that the baton of
leadership is going to be passed to other
nations?
pick up the baton recoger el testigo
o In the 19805, councils really picked up
the baton o(public concern and became
the standard bearers in the quality Of
life versus nature debate.
En una carrera de relevos, cad a
corredor pasa el testigo a atro
miembro de su equipo tras
g recorrer una distancia
determinada.
bats
have bats in the belfry ((amiliar)
estar mal de la azatea (litera': tener
murcielagos en el campanario)
o What maudlin nonsensel Don't say
that to anyone else orthey'l/ think
you've got bots in the belfry.
Los murcielagos que descansan
en un campanario revolotearian
de un !ado a otro si alguien tocara
las campanas. En esta expresi6n,
el campanario representa la
cabeza de una persona.
batteries
* recharge your batteries recargar
las pilas oAfter playing in the Divisional
Championship, I tool< a long breal< from
the game to recharge my batteries.
battle
* the battle lines are drawn todo
esta listo para la batalla 0 The battle
lines were drawn yesterday forthe
fiercest contest in the history of local
radio.
a battle of nerves ... ver nerves
a battle of wills unduelode
voluntades 0 It was a battle of wi /Is,
and Grace's was the stronger.
a battle of wits un duelo de ingenio
o With chess you're involved in a battle
of wits from start to finish.
fight a losing battle lucharpor una
{causa perdida oMiss Bennett fought
a losing battle against her depression.
join battle trabar batalla 0 This new
company intends to join battle with
Cellnet andVodafone in the mobile
telecoms marl<et.
* a running battle una pro!ongada
batalla 0 For the past year, customers
have inspired a running battle between
the two mobile phone providers.
someone has won the battle, but
lost the war a!guien ha ganado la
batalla pero ha perdido la guerra
o The stril<ers may have won the battle,
butthey lost the war.
bay
* keep something at bay 0
hold something at bay mantener
algo a raya 0 By salting the meat,
bacteria were kept at bay, preserving
the meat for future use.
La frase at bay significa
"acorralado". Cuando unajaurfa
acorrala a un animal, este seve
obligado a volverse hacia los
perros para defenderse. Sin
embargo, si el animal consigue
defenderse cuando se encuentra ' ,
en esta posicion, podemos decir
que "contiene a lajaurfa" (it is
holding the hounds ot bay). Este
segundo uso parece ser el origen
2. mas probable de la expresion.
bead
draw a bead on something
(sobretodo EE UU) apuntar a algo
o There was only one spot where the
light through the trees would have
enabled him to draw a bead on his
target.
:s La palabra bead significa" punto
de mira" (de un arma).
be-all
* not the be-all and end-all no ser 10
unico que importa 0 Results are not
the be-all and end-all of education.
beam
be way off beam (Brit) andar
total mente desencaminado 0 The
writer was hilariously way offbeam in
his criticism of soccer.
Esta expresion se refiere al uso de
una seflal de radio (beam) para
: dirigir a los aviones que estaban a
punto de aterrizar. Un transmisor
de radio situado en un lado de la
pista de aterrizaje transmitia
puntos, 0 tonos cortos, mientras
que un segundo transmisor,
situado al otro lado, transmitia
rayas, 0 tonos largos. Si los pilotos
seguran el rumbo correcto, los
puntos y las rayas se unian y los
pHotos oran un tono continuo.
bean
Bean tiene varios significados
argoticos. En las expresiones
siguientes significa dinero.
a bean counter un obsesionado
con los numeros 0 The reason for
America's failure is that we have bean
counters running our companies.
not have a bean (Brit, anticuado) no
tenerun duro (litera': no tener una
alubia) 0 When we married we didn't
have a bean so we bought all our
furniture second-hand.
beans
full of beans lIeno de vida 0 jem was
among them, pink-cheeked and full Of
beans after a far longer sleep than
onybody else had got.
beat 17
Original mente, esta expresion
se referfa a un caballo bien
alimentadoy, portanto, lIeno
de energra.
* spill the beans descubrirel pastel
(literal: verter las alubias) 0 He
always seemed scared to death I was
going to spill the beans to the cops.
Esta expresion tiene diversas
: explicaciones posibles. Una
proviene de la antigua costumbre
de votar introduciendo alubias
en un tarro para luego
g verterlas y contarlas. Tambien
podrfa ser una descripci6n
coloquial de la acci6n devomitar.
bear
be like a bear with a sore head
(sobre todo Brit) estar de un humor
de perros (literal: estar como un 050
con dolor de cabeza) 0 Ever since we
arrived here, you've been like a bear with
a sore head.
loaded for bear (EE UU) dispuesto
para el ataque 0 We could notify the
mainland police, and they could go
charging in there with guns and
bullhorns, loaded for bear
Se dice que alguien is loaded for
bearcuando tiene municion 10
suficientemente potente como
para matar a un 050 aunque cace
animales mas pequefios.
beat
* beat your breast 0
beat your chest darse golpes de
pecho 0 He is very thoughtful with the
players. He doesn't go around beating
his chest all the time. He knows when a
quiet chat is What's needed. 0 His pious
breast-beating on behalf of the working
classes was transparently bogus, but it
was a clever public relationsjob.
not miss a beat estar muy atento
18 beaver
o This time we played like machines.
The longer the game went the stronger
we got, and we never missed a beat.
En esta expresi6n beat significa
probablemente "Iatido", pero
tam bien podrfa referirse a un
compas musical.
without missing a beat sin
alterarse 0 She was asked point-blank
whether she should bow out. But,
without missing Q beat, she replied:
'/ do not believe it is appropriate for me
to withdraw my nomination.'
beaver
an eager beaver un entusiasta
o George was like Q sneaky kid. He lied,
boasted, was an eager beaver without
the ability to live up to his promises.
Se suele asociar a los casto res
(beavers) al trabajo duro, dado
que dedican muchotiempo a
construir refugios y diques con
barro y madera.
beck
at someone's beck and call a
disposici6n de alguien 0 Your child
must understand that you can't a/ways be
at his beck and call for every littlething.
Beckes una palabra antigua que
significa "gesto", por ejemplo un
movimiento de!a mana 0 de!
dedo fndice que representa una
orden como "Ven aquf".
bed
get into bed with someone
aliarse can alguien (literal: meterse
en la cama con alguien) 0 The BBC
might have been criticized for getting
into bed with Sl<yTV last summer, but
it's easy to see now why did.
not a bed of roses no un lecho de
rosas 0 Life as a graduate is not a bed
of roses.
Aquf la paJabra bed significa
"parterre".
put something to bed terminar
algo 0 Before putting the agreement to
bed, we still had to satisfy Fran Murray.
2 En una prensa antigua, la platina
(bed) es la superficie plana sabre la
que se colocan los tipos. Si los
periodistas hablan de putting a
newspaper or magazine to bed, se
refieren a haeer los Liltimos
cambios antes de la impresion.
someone got out of bed the wrong
side 0
someone got out of bed on the
wrong side alguien se levant6 ton
el pie Izquierdo (literal: alguien se
levant6 de la cama por ellado
equivocado) o50rry I was so unpleasant
when / arrived this morning. I must have
got out of bed the wrong side.
Esta expresi6n esta asociada a !a
antigua superstici6n de que
poner primero el pie Izquierdo en
el suelo al salir de la cama trafa
mala suerte. La expresi6n get off
on the wrong foot esta basada en
2 una creencia similar.
someone has made their bed and
will have to lie on it el que siembra
vientos recoge tempestades (literal:
alguien.ha hecho su cama ytendra,
quetumbarse en ella) 0 For5ara,
marriage was for life - in her eyes she
had made her bed and would have to lie
in it.
bee
the bee's knees (Brit) la repera
(literal: las rodillas de la abeja)
o Bacl< in the '80S it was the bee's knees
but now it loo/(s horribly out of date.
Hay quien cree que esta expresi6n
se refiere a la forma en que las
abejas transfieren el polen desde
su cuerpo a los sacos de polen de
sus patas traseras. Sin embargo,
parece mas probable que se
remonte a la decada del92D,
cuando se empezaron a emplear
otras expresiones similares como
the cat's pyjamas.
have a bee in your bonnet tener
algo metido entre ceja y ceja (literal:
tener una abeja en el sombrero)
o I've got a bee in my bonnet about the
confusion between education and
training.
Esta expresi6n sugiere dos
imagenes. La primera es de
pensamientos que revolotean en
el interiorde la cabeza de alguien
como 51 fueran abejas. La segunda
es de alguien quetiene una abeja
atrapada en el sombrero yquiere
sacarla cuanto antes para evitar
que Ie pique.
beeline
make a beeline for something i r
derecho a alga 0 The boys headed far
computer games while the girls made a
beeline for the dolls.
2 Antes se crera que las abejas, tras
recoger e! polen, volvfan volando
ala colmena en Ifnea recta, pero
se ha demostrado que dicha
creencia era incorrecta. La
expresi6n as the crowries esta
! basad a en una idea similar.
beer
not all beer and skittles (Brit) no un
lecho de rosas 0 It's not all beer and
skittles when you get to be famous.
Eljuegodebolosseasociaala
cerveza porque sejuega
tradicionalmente en los bares.
* small beer (Brit) una trivialidad
o The present series of royal scandals
bells 19
makes the1936 abdication look liI(e
pretty small beer.
Small beersignificaba en un
principio "cerveza floja".
beggars
beggars can't be choosers a falta
de pan, buenas son tortas (literal:
los mendigos no pueden escoger)
0'50 would you be happy to work
wherever you got ajob?''Yes. You've got
to take anything that comes around
beggars can't be choosers.'
begging
be going begging sobrar (litera':
irse a mendigar) 0 Nearly haifa
million holidays forthe busiest sixweei<s
afthe year are still gaing begging.
bell
ring someone's bell (sobre todo
EE UU, familiar) entusiasmar a
alguien (litera': tocarla campana de
alguien) DAfter a couple of comedies
that didn't exactly ring my bell, I
thought I'd like to do something that
different.
saved by the bell salvado par la
campana 0 There was another period
of silence. It was broken by the sound of
Eleanor'S car pulling up outside the
frant door. 'Saved by the bell: I said.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a la
campana que senala el final de un
g asalto en un combate de boxeo.
something rings a bell alga me
suena (literal: alga toea la campana)
o 'Who?' he queried, 'Passing Clouds?
I simply don't remember them. Their
name doesn't ring a bell.'
bells
bells and whistles florituras
o People are still buying luxury cars
with all the bells and whistles, but
20 bellyful
cheaper systems afe becoming more
popular.
~ Tiempo atras se tocaba el6rgano
en los dnes para proporcionar
~ acompanamiento musical a las
~ peHculas mudas. Algunos de estes
organos tenfan mecanismos que
producfan efectos scnoras como
campanas V silbatos.
pull the other one, it's got bells
on it ... ver pull
* set alarm bells ringing 0
set warning bells ringing hacer
saltar la alarma 0 The is/anders' ffght
for compensation has set alarm bells
ringing round the world.
bellyful
have had a bellyful of something
(familiar) estar hasta la coronilla de
algo (literal: haberse dado una
panzada de alga) 0 I have had a bellyful
of excuses. It's a/ways someone else's fault.
belly-up
* go b e l l y ~ u p irse al garete 0 Factories
and farms went belly up because of the
debt crisis.
: Puede que esta expresi6n se
~ refiera a los peces muertos que
flotan boca arriba (belly-up) cerca
~ de la superficie del agua.
belt
below the belt bajo (litera': per
debajo del cintur6n) a These kinds of
blows below the belt are the surest way
to destroy a friendship or love affair.
En el boxeo, golpeara un
~ contrincante por debajo del
~ cintur6n va contra las normas.
a belt and braces approach (Brit)
un planteamiento sumamente
cauto a He described airport security
as a belt and braces approach, at huge
cost to industry.
No es probable que se te caigan
~ los pantalones si los lIevas sujetos
~ con un cintur6n y un par de
~ tirantes.
,
* h'ave something under your belt
tener algo en tu haber a After a few
years, I had enough recipes under my
belt to put them into a book.
* tighten your belt apretarse el
cintur6n a Clearly, if you are spending
more than your income, you'll need to
tighten your belt.
bend
drive someone round the bend
(sabre todo Brit, familiar) volver loco
a alguien aean you make that tea
before yourrdgeting drives me
completely round the bend?
* round the bend (sabre todo Brit,
(amiliar) chiflado 0 I( anyanetold
me a few months ago that I'd meet a
marvellous person like you I'd have said
they were round the bend.
benefit
* give someone the benefit of the
doubt dar a alguien el beneficio de
la duda a I am basically a trusting
person. I make it a practice to give
everyane the benefit o( the daubt.
berth
give someone or something a wide
berth evitar a alguien 0 algo
a Having lived al/ my adult life in Africa
I have a very healthy respect for snakes
and have a/ways tried to givethem a
wide berth.
La palabra berth se refiere al
~ espacio que necesita un velero
~ para maniobrarsin peligro.
best
the best of both worlds -) ver
worlds
bet
* a good bet 0
a safe bet
1 la mejor opci6n (literal: una
apuesta segura) a When you're
unfamiliar with your guests' likes and
dislikes, poultry is a safe bet forthe
main course. a If you really want to
keep your home safe from robbery, your
best bet is still to buy a burglar a/arm.
2 casi seguro 0 Buttheywill not
enjoy reading this book; it is a safe
bet that few will read more than
100 pages.
bets
* all bets are off tOdD esta en el aire
(literal: todas las apuestas quedan
canceladas) 0 This election year all
bets seem to be off In fact, even the
folks who mal<e a living predicting what
the voters will do rnd themselves on
shaky ground.
* hedge your bets cubrirse las
espaldas a Political forecasters are
hedging their bets abautthe likely
outcome of this Saturday's Louisiana
governor's race.
~ Cuando los corredores de
~ apuestas aceptan una apuesta
~ cuantiosa, a menudo intentan
~ protegerse de posibles perdidas
~ apostando a su vez en otras casas
~ de apuestas. Esta practica se
~ denomina hedging.
big
get too big for your boots (Brit) 0
get too big for your britches (EE UU)
tener muchos humos a Nobody in
England will ever allow us to get too big
for our boots.
La palabra britches significa
"bombachos". Tambien puede
escribirse breeches.
bill 21
bike
on your bike (Brit, familiar) largo
(literal: m6ntate en la bid) 0 It was a
heated game, and when I got Alec I just
said something Jj/(e'You're out mate, on
your bike.'
bill
* be given a clean bill of health
1 ser declarado con buena salud
a He had a full medical late last year
and was given a clean bill of health.
2 recibir el vista bueno a Fourteen
seaside resorts failed to meet the
environmental and safety standards,
while 43 were given a clean bill of
health.
EI certificado entregado al
~ capitan de un barco para que 10
presentara en e! puerto siguiente
~ se denominaba bill a(health. En
dicho certificado constaba si
~ habra algun enfermo contagioso
~ 0 bien a bordo 0 en e! puerto del
que habra partido el barco.
* fit the bill cumplir los requisitos
a I wanted someone who really knew
their way around rim-making and I
knew that Richard wauld fit the bill.
En esta expresi6n, la palabra bill
~ se refiere a un programa para
~ anunciarun espectaculo 0 una
obra teatra1.
* foot the bill correr con los gastos de
algo a Police will have to foot the bill
for the Slight damage to both cars.
Puede que esta expresi6n
~ provenga de!a costumbre de
~ pagar una factura firmandola al
o pie (oat).
* sell someone a bill of goods (EE UU)
dar a alguien gato por liebre
a I began to realize that I'd been sold Q
bill of goods, that I wasn't in any way
incompetent or slothful.
22 bind
bind
be in a double bind estarfrente a un
arma de doble fila (literal: tener una
atadura doble) 0 Women are in Q
double bind: they are expected to act
like men, but they are criticized when
thevdo.
bird
the bird has flown el pajaro ha
valado 0 He was supposed to follow
the woman to work. Instead he'd
wandered off, come back an hour later,
and found the bird hod nown.
a bird in the hand 0
a bird in the hand is worth two in
the bush mas vale pajaro en mana
que ciento volando aAnother
temporary discount may not be what
you want, but at least it is a bird in the
hand.
a bird of passage un ave de paso
aMost of these emigrants were birds of
passage who returned to Spain after a
relatively short stay.
an early bird un madrugador
a We've always been early birds, up at
5.30 or 6am. aAn early-bird discount is
sometimes aval/able at the beginning of
the season.
the early bird catches the worm
a quien madruga, Dios Ie ayuda
(literal: el pajaro madrugador
atrapa el gusano) a If you're going to
make it to the Senate, you need to start
right now. The early bird catches the
worm.
eat like a bird comer como un
pajarito a She always orders two
larger chops and one smaller chop
because her daughter eats like a bird
and her husband eats a lot.
a little bird told me me 10 dijo un
pajarito a Incidentally, a little bird told
me that your birthday's coming up.
a rare bird una rara avis a Diane
johnson's book is that rare bird, an
American novel of manners.
rare bird ("ave extraFia") es la
traducd6n de la expresi6n latina
"rara avis", usada por el escritor
romano Juvenal en el siglo II d. c.
para describir a un cisne negro.
En aquella epoca no se canada la
existencia de los cisnes. negros,
aunque mas tarde sedan
descubiertos en Australia.
birds
the birds and the bees las casas
de la vida (literal: los pajaros y las
abejas) oAt the age of16, I remember
having yet another discussion about the
birds and the bees with my father.
s Hayquien explica a los ninos
~ las relaciones sexuales y la
~ reproduccion contandoles como
~ se reproducen los ani males.
birds of a feather lobos de una
camada oSheand my mother were
birds of a feather. You felt something
special between them that left you out.
birds of a feather flock together
Dios los crfa y elias sejuntan (literal:
pajaros de una pluma sejuntan)
o Birds of a feothernock together.
Basically, people seek out
neighborhoods that are most congenial
to them. '
for the birds detontos a Thisjournal
business is for the birds. It's a waste of
time.
~ Esta expresion se refiere al
~ estiercol de caballo, que solo les
~ resulta uti! a los p.3jaros pequenos
~ que buscan materiales para hacer
el nido, a com ida como las
~ semillas.
kill two birds with one stone matar
dos pajaros de un tiro a We can tall<
about Union Hill while I get this
business overwith.l<il/ two birds with
one stone, so to speak.
biscuit
take the biscuit (Brit) serel colma
(literal: lIevar la galleta) 0 This bon
takes the biscuit. The whole idea is
ridiculous and bureaucratic and not fair
on the children.
Esta expresi6n tiene un origen
~ similar a take the cake, frase que
~ hace referenda a la antigua
~ costumbre de entregar pasteles
~ como premios en los concursos.
bit
r--:c-------,
Aqui la patabra bit significa
"boca do" (de un caballo).
champ at the bit 0
chomp at the bit ser devorado par
la impaciencia (literal: mascar et
bocado) 0 Foremen had been champing
at the bit to strike before next week's
meeting.
get the bit between your teeth
entusiasmarse 0 You're persistent
when you get the bit between your
teeth, I'll saV that forvou.
s EI bocado (bit) deberfa cotocarse
~ en la parte trasera de la boca de
~ un caballo, detras de los dientes.
~ Cuando un caballo se desboca a
veces muerdeel bocado, 10 que
~ dificulta aljinete 0 al cachero el
~ uso de las riendas para
~ controlarlo.
bite
bite off more than you can chew
querer abarcar demasiado (literal:
marder mas de 10 que puedes
masticar) a Don't bite offmore than
you can chew simply because
everything is going so well.
a second bite at the cherry (Brit)
black 23
una segunda oportunidad (literal:
un segundo mordisco a la guinda)
o We might, if we push hard enough,
get a second bite at the cherry in two
yeats'time.
take a bite out of something
(EE UU) lIevarse un pellizco de alga
a The government is going to betaking
a bigger bite out ofpeop/e's income than
ever before.
biter
the biter gets bit (Brit) el cazador
es cazado oSympathy seldom
abounds when the biter gets bit.
~ Biteres una palabra antigua que
~ -significa "estafador".
bitten
once bitten. twice shy el gato
escaldado del agua fria huye
(literal: mordido una vez, tfmido
dos) 0 I'm certainly not looking for new
boyfriends or thinking of having any
more kids. Once bitten, twice shy.
black
* black and blue amoratado (literal:
negro y azul) 0 I spent that night in
hospital and was released the next day
with minor head and neck injuries. My
race was black and blue.
* black and white blancaynegro
a That is not, any more, an accurate
portrait of much of British society.
People do not see these things purely in
black and white. a It'sjust not a bloc/(
and white issue.
* in black and white par escrito
o We have a strict, clear rule in black
and white, that sexual harassment will
lead to expUlsion.
* in the black con saldo positivo
o Last year, the company was back in
the black, showing a modest pre-tax
surplus Of 4.6 million.
24 blank
Esta expresi6n proviene de la
antigua costumbre de usartinta
negra para anotar asientos en el
haberde un libra de contabilidad.
blank
* draw a blank
1 no lIegar a ninguna parte
o I searched among the bottles and
under and behind and inside everything
I could think of and drew a blank.
2 (sabre todo EE UU) quedarse la
mente en blanco 0 Why do we
recognize a face, but sometimes draw
a blan/( when it comes to the name?
3 (sabre todD Brit, Periodismo) no
marcar, no ganar 0 Goa/-shy Raith
drew a blank at home yet again.
~ Originalmente, draw a blank
g significaba recibir un boleto no
~ premiado en una laterla.
blanket
a wet blanket
1 un aguafiestas (litera': una manta
mojada) 0 'Hey', said Thac/<, looking at
Michael. 'Stop being such a wet
blonket.'
2 algo que frustra un
acontecimiento o He was wise
enough to know that a wet blanl<et of
reality was not needed at that point.
throw a wet blanket over
something aguar!a fiesta a alga
o The weather threw a wet blanket over
the championship rnal yesterday.
blanks
fire blanks (Brit) fallar 0 Dalian and
his fellow attackers continued to fire
blanks against Norwich and it was left
to ful/-bacJ< Steve Staunton to provide
Villa's first goa/.
Blanks significa "cartuchos de
fogueo". Dichos cartuchos
contienen carga exp!osiva pero
~ no una bala, de modo que no
~ causan heridas 0 danos cuando
1 ~ se dispara el arma.
I
I'jleed
* bleed someone dry chuparla
sangre a alguien 0 He extorted money
from me on a regular basis for five years.
But he was careful not to bleed me dry.
~ Antiguamente, los m'edicos solran
~ practicar sangrias a sus
~ pacientes.
blessing
* a blessing in disguise una
bendici6n (oculta) 0 Franklin's illness
proved a blessing in disguise, for it gave
him strength and courage which he had
not had before.
blind
blind as a bat mas ciego que un
topo (literal: mas ciego que un
murcielago) 0 Without myglasses I
was blind as a bat.
~ La mayorla de murcielagos se
~ muestran activos solo par la
~ noche. En lugar de orientarse
~ mediante la vista, se orientan
~ enviando sonidos para producir
g ecos que les permiten percibir los
~ objetos.
the blind leading the blind un cieg'q
!Ievando a otro ciego 0 I'm afraid it's
the blind leading the blind as I've never
actually used this software before
myself
~ Esta expresi6n proviene de una de
las historias que cuenta Jesus en
~ la Biblia (Mateo 15:l4l.JesLis dice
~ que si un ciego gUla a otro ciego,
~ no es probable que tengan exito
~ en su empeno.
fly blind volar a ciegas 0 We will
be nying blind into a world we don't
know anything about.
~ Un pHoto vue/a a ciegas cuando
~ pHota un avi6n sin usar la
g navegaci6n visual, confiando
~ unicamente en su instrumental.
swear blind (Brit) jurary perjurar
o He had a reputation for being a bit of
a philanderer but he swore blind that he
had met the right girl in me and said he
wanted to settle down.
blink
on the blink averiado (literal: en el
parpadeo) 0 We had to have the
washing done at the laundry because
our machine was on the blink.
block
* on the block (EE UU) a subasta
o Last weel<, after months of rumors,
the company officially put itself on the
block.
put your head on the block 0
put your neck on the block jugarse
el pellejo 0 He really put his neck on
the block there and it's great to see his
bravery being rewarded.
~ Aquf la palabra block significa
~ "tajo del verdugo".
* a stumbling block un escollo 0 Your
inability to choose between material
security and emotional needs is a major
stumbling block to your happiness.
~ Esta expresi6n proviene de la
~ Biblia (Epfstola a los romanos,
~ 14:13), donde se aconseja a la
~ gente no hacer nada que pudiera .
~ impedirel exito de los demas.
blocks
be first off the blocks 0
be first off the starting blocks ser
el mas madrugador 0 The Liberal
Democrats were rrst off the bloc/(s with
their manifesto on Monday.
get off the blocks 0
blood 25
get off the starting blocks
comenzar can exito 0 People thought
I was totally mad and, iftheythinl<that,
then youjust can't get o(fthe starting
blocks.
~ Estas expresiones vienen del
~ atletismo. los velocistas apoyan
~ los pies contra tacos de salida
@ (starting bloc/<s) para darse
~ impulso al iniciar la carrera.
blood
* bad blood hostilidad (literal: mala
sangre) 0 The situation has reached
crisis point because o(the bad blood
between the two.
Tiempo atras la gente crera que
~ algunos sentimientos, como la ira
~ y el resentimiento, se lIevaban en
~ la sangre.
bay for blood (Brit) clamarvenganza
o The travel company had just buried
itself with debts Of more than f12m and
thousands of disappOinted
holidayma/(ers were baying for blood.
~ Esta expresi6n com para las
~ peticiones de la gente a los
~ ladridos de lajaurfa durante una
~ cacerra.
be after someone's blood tenersela
jugada a alguien (literal: ir buscando
la sangre dealguien) oAdam has
upset Broderick, who is after his blood.
blood and thunder (Brit)
melodramatico (literal: sangre y
trueno) 0 In a blood and thunder
speech, he cal/ed for sacrirce from
everyone.
* blood is shed a
blood is spilled (Periodismo, litera rio)
se derrama sangre oAII the signs are
that i(blood is spilled the countries will
be at war. 0 Given the political blood
that was spilled over the dercit
reduction package, few observers
26 blood
believe the president will start spending
more.
blood is thicker than water la
sangre tira (literal: la sangre es mas
espesa que el agua) 0 Families have
their problems andjea/ousies, but blood
is thicker than water.
blood on the carpet
enfrentamiento violento (literal:
sangre en la a!fombra) 0 The issue is
highly emotional and will cause a lot of
blood on the carpet.
* blood, sweat. and tears sangre,
sudory lagrimas 0 It's almost as if the
end product - the songs themselves-
are less important than the blood,
sweat, and tears that went into them.
Esta expresi6n proviene de un
~ discurso pronunciado durante la
~ guerra porel primer ministro .
~ britanicoWinston Churchill, en el
~ que este dijo "Solo pued6 ofrecer
~ sangre, esfuerzo, lagrimasy
g suder". Churchill us6 esta
~ expresi6n varias veces en otros
~ discursos pronunciados en
tiempo de guerra.
have blood on your hands tener
las manes manchadas de sangre
0/ want him to know he has my son's
blood on his hands.
* in cold blood a sangrefrra 0 They
murdered my brother. They shot him
down in cold blood. 0 This isjust
another attempt to excuse the cold-
blooded murderofan innocent woman.
En la epoca medieval, algunas
~ personas creran que ciertas
~ emociones cambiaban la
temperatura de la sangre.
* in your blood en la sangre 0 Trilok
has music in his blood. '/ was born into
a family of musicians.'
it is first blood to someone 0
someone draws first blood
(Periodismo) anotarse el primer
tanto (literal: sacar al primera
~ a n g r e ) 0 The picture had looked
! bright as the Scots drew rrst blood with
t a drop goal from GregorTownsend.
, like getting blood out of a stone 0
like getting blood out of a turnip
(EE UU) como sacarle agua a las
piedras (literal: como sacar sangre
de una piedra 0 de un nabo) a The
goods have to be returned to their
rightful owner and getting money back
from the seller is like getting blood out
ofa stone. .
* it makes my blood boil me hierve la
sangre a This statement is untrue and
makes my blood boil.
: En la epoca medieval, algunas
~ personas creran que ciertas
~ emociones cambiaban la
temperatura de la sangre.
make your blood run cold (litera rio)
helar la sangre 0 It makes my blood
run cold to think what this poor,
he/pless child must have gone
through.
: En la epoca medieval, algunas
~ personas creran que ciertas
~ emociones cambiaban la
~ temperatura de la sangre.
* new blood savia nueva 0 TheJuly
Ministerial reshuffle is a chance to
freshen up the government and make
way for new blood.
out for blood can sed de sangre
o They seem to be out for blood, and
they're attacking everywhere where
their enemy is.
scent blood olersangre aRight
wing parties, scenting blood, have been
holding talks aimed at building an
alternative coalition.
sweat blood sudarsangre a I sweat
blood to write songs with tunes that
you can remember.
opposition to the Government
continues to be its own backbenchers
who have now tasted blood for the first
time.
young blood savia nueva a The
selectors have at last shown some
bravery and forward thinking and gone
for some young blood, fielding a side
whose average age is just 26.
blot
be a blot on the landscape afear
el paisaje (literal: ser una mancha
en el paisaje) a The power station is
both a blot on the landscape and a
smear on the environment.
blow
* soften the blow 0
cushion the blow disminuirel
impacto o Although attempts were
made to soften the blow, by reducing
what some people had to pay, the
tax still met with widespread
opposition.
* strike a blow for something
dar un gran paso hacia alga
a Her appointment would stri/<e a
blow for women's rights in Po/and.
blows
* come to blows lIegar a las manos
a Some residents nearly came to blows
overthis proposa/.
blue
* out of the blue inesperadamente
a Turner's resignation came out of the
blue in the aftermath of his team's3-o
defeat at Portsmouth.
Esta expresi6n campara un
suceso inesperado a un rayo
procedente de un cielo azul. Las
expresiones out Of a clear blue skyy
a bolt from the blue estan basad as
en la misma idea.
board 27
bluff
En el poquer, la palabra bluff
si.gnifica "farol".
* call someone's bluff poner a
alguien en evidencia aMrLukanov
warned that he would deal severely with
any protest actions in the universities.
Now, the students have called his
bluff
blushes
* spare someone's blushes 0
save someone's blushes (Brit)
evitarquealguien pase un bochorno
aAndy Gray spared Totten ham's
blushes last night, scoring a superb goal
against Enreld.
board
* aboveboard legrtimo aAnyonewho
wants to inspect our books can see for
themselves that we are totally above
board.
2 Esta expresi6n proviene de los
~ juegos de naipes en los que los
~ jugadores depositan sus apuestas
~ sobre una mesa. Lo mas probable
~ es que todo 10 que sucede bajo la
g mesa vaya contra las reg las,
~ mientras que lasjugadas quese
~ hagan sobre la mesa, donde los
~ otrosjugadores puedan verlas,
~ seran probablemente limpias.
* across the board de forma
generalizada a The compromise
proposal reduces funding across the
board.
Original mente, esta era una
expresi6n americana que se
empleaba en la hrpica. Si alguien
apostaba a que un caballo 0 bien
ganara 0 quedara segundo,
tercero 0 cuarto, se decfa que
dicha persona apostaba across
the board.
28 boat
* go back to the drawing board
valver al punta de partida 0 His
government should go back to the
drawing board to rethink their
programme in time to return it to
Parliament by September.
Drawing board significa "mesa de
dibuja".
go by the board (Brit) 0
go by the boards (EE UU) irse al
traste 0 You may rnd that all your
efforts go by the board when he is away
at university.
Originalmente, la expresi6n go by
the board significaba caerse 0 ser
empujado par la borda de un
barco.
sweep the board (Brit) arrasar
o The government swept the board in
yesterday's first contested National
Assembly elections.
Esta expresi6n proviene de
aquellosjuegos de naipes en los
que los jugadores depositan
sabre la mesa el dinero que
apuestan. La expresi6n sugiere
la imagen del ganador barriendo
la mesa can el brazo para recoger
g todo el dinero.
* take something on board (Brit)
1 aceptar algo 0 I listened to them,
took their comments on board and then
made the decision.
2 hacersecargodealgo oAi/you
have to do is call us. Our coordinator
will take your problem on board and
solve it.
' EI sentido literal de esta expresi6n
es subir algo a bordo de un barco
0 de una barca.
boat
float someone's boat (familiar)
entusiasmar a alguien (literal: hacer
flotar la barca de alguien) 0 I can see
its appeal. But it doesn't float my boat.
* irl.the same boat en el mismo barco
1.0 Ifbaldness is up on you, take
lheart - 40 per cent of men under35 are
in the same boar.
push the boat out (Brit) tirar la tasa
por la ventana (literal: empujar la
barca) 0 I earn enough to push the
boat out now and .
Esta expresi6n quiza tenga que
ver con las celebraciones de
despedida de un barco cuando se
hacfa a la mar.
* rock the boat creardificultades
(literal: sacudir la barca) 0 Diplomats
are expecting so much instability in a
power struggle otter his death that they
argue it's unwise to rocl< the boat now.
Bob
Bob's your uncle (Brit) se acab6
() If the boiler ever gets too hot, the
safety valve releases a/I the excess
steam, and Bob's your uncle. No
prob/em.
Esta expresi6n se remonta a un
g escandalo politico que tuvo lugar
en Gran Bretana en 1886. EI
primer ministro Robert Cecil
cancedi6 a su sabrino el puesto de
g Jefe de Secretarfa de Irlanda V fue
muvcriticado porello. EI nombre,
g Bob es la abreviatura de Robert.
body
* body and soul encuerpovalma
() They wor/<ed body and soul to make
this day a success.
* a body blow (sabretodo Brit,
Periodismo) un reves 0 The result will
deliver a body blow to Conservative
party conpdence.
En el boxeo, un body blowes un
punetazo entre el estern6n V el
ambliga.
keep body and soul together i r
tirando (literal: mantener cuerpo V
almajuntos) o2D-year-old Rafael says
he's selling prewood to keep body and
soul together.
over my dead body par endma de
mi cadaver 0 They will get Pen brook
Farm only over my dead body.
boil
be on the boil (Brit) estar
caciendose o Across the border in
Sweden, a similar debate is on the
boil.
come to the boil (Brit) 0
come to a boil (EE UU) entrar en
ebullid6n 0 Their anger came to the
boil last week when they protested at a
media campaign against them.
go off the boil (Brit)
1 perder la chispa 0 Sandy Lyle says it
pays to go back to the fundamentals
when your game goes off the boil.
2 flaquear 0 If a relationship seems to
be going off the boil, it is a good idea to
appraise the situation.
3 arrasar oAII three p/ayers are
obviously on the boil at the moment in
the Italian league.
bold
bold as brass mas fresco que una
lechuga 0 Their leader, bold as brass,
came improperly dressed, while aJl the
others were wearing black ties.
Esta expresi6n probablemente
proviene de un incidente acaecido
g en Gran Bretana en 1770. EI
peri6dico London Evening Post
public6 ilegalmente las actas
parlamentarias, 10 que provoc6
la encarcelad6n del impresor.
EI alcalde, Brass Crosby, 10 puso
en libertad V fUe encarcelado a
su vez. Hubo protestas publicas
y Crosby no tard6 en ser
liberado.
bone 29
bolt
* come like a bolt from the blue 0
come like a bolt out of the blue
caercamo una bomba oMrsThomas
says the arrest had come 'like a bolt out
of the blue'.
Esta expresi6n campara un
suceso inesperadoa un ravo
procedente de un delo azul. las
expresiones out of a clear blue sky V
out of the blUe estan basadas en la
misma idea.
someone has shot their bolt (Brit)
alguien ha quemado su ultimo
cartucho 0 The opposition have really
shot their bolt; they'll never ever get any
more votes than this.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
un arquero que solo tiene una
flecha (bolt) V se encuentra
.@ indefenso tras haberla disparado.
bomb
go like a bomb (Brit, familiar)
ircomo un b6lido oOnce I had a
Russian motorbi/(e. It was built like a
tank, weighed a ton, went like a bomb
and was pure joy to ride.
put a bomb under something (Brit)
transformar radical mente algo
(literal: poner una bomba bajo algo)
o One half of us admired and valued the
BBCs high standards, the other half
longed to put a bomb under it and
propel it into innovation.
bombshell
* drop a bombshell dejar caer una
bomba oMy ex-wife is on the phone
and she drops a bombshell. Sue, our
beloved daughter, is leaving the country
to live in Australia.
bone
* a bone of contention la manzana
de la discordia (literal: un hueso en
30 bones
disputa) 0 Pay, of course, is nat the
only bone of contention.
close to the bone 0
near to the bone fuera de tono
(literal: cerca del hueso) 0 This isn't
strictly satire, it's far too close to the
bone to be runny.
* cut something to the bone reducir
alga al mfnima (literal: cartaralgo
hastael hueso) oWemanagedto
break even by cutting costs to the bone.
have a bone to pick with someone
tener una cuenta que ajustar con
alguien 0 '/ havea bone to pick with
you.' She (eltjustired in bringing up a
matter that she had been afraid to
discuss before.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n se
~ refiera al hecho de que los perros
~ se pelean a menudo porun hueSD.
bones
* the bare bones el meollo (literal:
los huesos pelados) 0 We worked out
the bare bones of Q dea/.
feel something in your bones intuir
alga (literal: sentir alga en los
huesos) 0 joe, I have a hunch you're
going to losetonight.ljustfeel it in my
bones.
* make no bones about something
no esconder algo 0 There will be
changes in this Welsh team until we get
it right. I make no bones about that.
Puede que esta expresi6n haga
~ referencia a los juegos de azar.
~ Bones es una palabra antigua que
~ significa "dados". 5i unjugador
~ tira 105 dados despues de
agitarlos una sola vez en lugarde
~ seguir un ritual minucioso, se dice
~ que dicho jugador makes no bones.
book
* bring someone to book (Brit) pedir
cuentas a alguien 0 No one has yet
been brought to book for a crime which
outraged Italy.
~ Original mente, si ordenaban a
~ alguien que demostrara que algo
~ que habra dicho 0 hecho obedecfa
a una norma 0 a un acuerdo
~ escritos, se decfa que dicha
persona was brought to book.
a closed book (Brit) un misterio
(literal: un libro cerrado)
o Economics were a closed book to him.
It constituted a strange, illogical
territory where two and two didn't
always make four.
close the book on something poner
puntofinalaalgo o lawyers say they
are happy to close the book on one of the
most frustrating chapters of the
company's history.
* do something by the book 0
go by the book haceralgosegun las
reglas o Modern man is often dull,
studious, careful, safe. He does
everything by the book.
* in someone's book al modo de ver
de alguien 0 People can say what they
like, but in my book he's not at all a bad
chap.
an open book un libro abierto 0 Her
long /ife is not a completely open book,
but it is full of anecdotes and insights
into her part in Hollywood history. \
read someone like a book conocer '
muv bien a alguien 0 There are a
numberofbooks on the market which
suggest that it is possible to learn to
read a person like a book.
throw the book at someone
castigar severamente a alguien
o 'If this is found to be true, then we will
throw the book at thec/ubs involved,'
Barry Smart, the chairman of the
league, said yesterday.
g Esta expresi6n se refiere a un libro
~ en el que se han escrito leves.
you can't judge a book by its cover
las apariencias engaAan (literal: no
se puedejuzgar un libro porsu tapa)
o You can't judge a book by its cover.
just because someone looks strange
doesn't mean they're not a nice person.'
books
be in someone's bad books (Brit)
estar en la lista negra de alguien
oSir john was dernitely in the
Treasury's bad books for incorrect
thinking on economic prospects.
be in someone's good books (Brit)
estar a buenas con alguien 0 I never
really was that bothered about being in
the teacher's good books.
cook the books amaAar las cuentas
oShe knew that when the auditors
/ool<ed over the books there would be no
hiding the fact that she had cooked the
books and 3 million was missing.
~ En esta expresi6n books se refiere
~ a fibros de contabilidad.
boot
the boot is on the other foot
-+verfoot
* get the boot 0
be given the boot (familiar) ser
puesto de patitas en la calle (literal:
recibir la bota) 0 The chief reason he
got the boot was because the Chancellor
didn't trust him any more.
put the boot in (Brit, familiar)
emplear la violencia (literal: meter la
bota) 0 Policemen who are tempted to
put the boot in occasionally will have to
tread more carefUlly in future.
* put the boot into someone or
something 0
put the boot in (Brit, familiar)
ensaAarse can alguien 0 There's no
one quite like an unpublished novelist
for putting the boot into established
reputations.
bootstraps 31
boots
die with your boots on morir con
las botas puestas 0 Unlike some
businesspeople who die with their boots
on, he has very sensibly lett the entire
running Of Sea marl< to his son.
~ Originalmente esta expresi6n se
~ usaba para referirse a los soldados
~ muertos en combate.
fill your boots (Brit) ponerse las
botas oAs soon as the company was
sold off, the bosses were always going
to fill their boots with cut-price share
options.
get too big for your boots ... ver
big
lick someone's boots adular a
algulen (litera': lamer las botas de
alguien) 0 Even if you didn't have an
official position, you'd still be a big shot
locally: everybody would be licking your
boots.
quake in your boots estar muerto
de miedo (literal: temblar en las
botas) 0 I(you stand up straight, you'll
gIVe an impreSSion of self confidence
even if you're quaking in your boots.
step into someone's boots (sobre
todo Brit) ocupar ellugar de a!guien
o Michael /(inane, the leading Irish
jockey, has turned down the chance to
step into Steve Cauthen's boots and ride
for Sheikh Mohammed next season.
bootstraps
La palabra bootstraps significa
"?rejas" (de una bota). Es decir,
trras que sobresalen a ambos
lados de una bota V avudan a
calzarse.
pull yourself up by your bootstraps
reponerte graCias a tus propios
esfuerzos (literal: incorporarte
tlrando de las orejas de las botas)
o It was his ability to pull himse/(up by
3
2 bored
his bootstraps which appealed to
Mrs Thatcher.
to your bootstraps (Australia)
hasta la medula 0 Lord McAlpine and
all his Friends are Jaw and order men to
their bootstraps.
bored
bored to death 0
bored to tears
bored stiff aburrido como una astra
o There are no jobs, there's nothing to
do; these young peop/eare bored to
death.
boss
show someone who's boss
ensefiarle a alguien quien manda
o It was a classic strategy: show new
students who is boss atthe very
beginning and everything will then
go smoothly.
bottle
hit the bottle darse ala bebida
o One newspaper even said I'd started
hitting the bottle. Complete rubbish.
bottom
at the bottom/top of the heap
~ v e r h e a p
at the bottom/top of the pile
... verpile
be at the bottom of something 0
lie at the bottom of something
estar par detras de algo 0 Remember
that pride is at the bottom of all great
mistakes.
the bottom falls out of something 0
the bottom drops out of something
la demanda de algo se viene abajo
o But just as quickly, the bottom fell out
oftheAmerican home video game
market.
bump along the bottom (Brit)
arrastrarse par los suelos 0 New car
sales are continuing to bump along the
bottom as the motor industry shows
little sign that it is going to revive
substantially this year.
from the bottom of your heart
r, -+ ver heart
'* get to the bottom of something
Ilegar al fondo de algo 0 The attack
was quite severe. We intend to get to
the bottom of things and, ifneeds be,
ensure that action ;s brought against
those responsible for it.
scrape the bottom of the barrel
..... ver barrel
bounds
* out of bounds prohibido(litera':
fuera dellfmite) 0 The area has been
out of bounds to foreigners for more
than a month. 0 The private lives of
public figures should be aut of bounds
to the press and public.
bow
Bow se pronuncia con el mismo
sonido vocalieo que la palabra
how ("como").
bow and scrape mostrarse
demasiado solkito 0 Having a
hereditary title can be a drawback
because some people feel they have to
bow and scrape.
. EI verbo bow significa "hacer una
~ reverencia". Tiempo atras, scrape
~ significaba haeerun tipe de \
~ reverencia eonsistente en echar
~ una pierna hacia atras y doblar
~ !a otra.
take a bow (sabre todo Brit,
Periodismo) que grande eres (literal:
sa!ir a agradeeer 105 ap!ausos)
o When you've got the best camerawork
and the best commentators -Martin
Tyler, take a bow - it's hard to go far
wrong.
box
a black box un proceso
o Only a decade ago cancer was a black
box about which we knew nothing at
the molecular level.
En un sistema electr6nico 0
~ informatico, black box significa
~ "eaja negra".
out of the box listo para usar
o The computer industry has yet to sell
a PC which can be used by a novice,
straight out of the box.
be first out of the box/come out of
the box (sobre todo EE UU) ser el
primero (en haeer algo)/salir
o Arco is dernitely rrst out of the box
with an alternative gas for cars without
catalytic converters. 0 Are you
anticipating that the Governor is going
to come right out of the box with a
whole series of substantial decisions?
Esta expresion hace refereneia al
~ beisbol. Despues de golpear la
~ pelota, unjugador sale corriendo
" del area (box) y se dirige a la
~ primera base.
think outside the box pensar de
forma alternativa 0 She goes on to
urge companies to think outside the box
and challenge the old ways of working.
boy
someone's blue-eyed boy
(sobretodo Brit) 0
someone's fair-haired boy
(sobretodo EE UU) el nino bonito de
alguien 0 He'd lost interest in Willy by
that time -I was the blue-eyed boy.
a whipping boy una eabeza de
tureo 0 Businessmen fearthat they
and the hard-won free-market reforms
will be the whipping boys forthe
economic ills that confront the new
administration.
~ EI sentido literal de whipping boy
~ es "nino de los azotes".
brass 33
boys
boys will be boys los ninos son as!
o 'Your troubles arejust beginning,' they
would say, shaking their heads. 'Boys
will be boys.'
* one of the boys uno mas oHis
overly enthUSiastic efforts to seem just
one of the boys were sometimes
embarrassing.
brain
get your brain into gear (familiar)
poner la mente a carburar oA1I1
want is to get my brain into gear and
get back to the top.
have a brain like a sieve teneruna
memoria de mosqUito (litera': tener
el cerebro como un celador)
o Grandad's lost the car keys again-
his brain's like a sieve.
brains
pick someone's brains expri mi rei
coco a alguien 0 I'd like to pick your
brains about something. Nothing
urgent.
* rack your brains devanarse los
sesos 0 Reformers are racking their
brains for a way to slow down these
processes.
brass
the brass ring (EE UU) exito
o There are good and bad features to
living among people who are all young,
on the make and gOing for the brass ring
professionally.
~ En algunos tiovivos colocaban un
anlllo de laton (brass ring) fUera
~ del alcanee de quienes montaban
en los cabalJitos. 5i alguien
~ consegufa cogerlo, Ie permitfan
~ dar una vuelta sin pagar.
cold enough to freeze the balls off a
brass monkey (Brit, familiar) un friO
que peJa 0 It was a cold snap in the
34
bread
middle of spring with winds cold
enough to (reeze the balls 0(( a brass
monkey.
~ La frase brass monkey hace
~ referencia a la bandeja colocada
~ en la cubierta de un barco de
~ guerra sabre la que se apilaban
las balas de canon. Cuando hacfa
~ mucho frio, el metalse contrafa y
~ provocaba el desmoronamienta
de las balas.
get down to brass tacks ir al grana
o The congress was dueto get down to
brass tacks today with a debate on the
party's performance during the last five
years.
~ La explicacion habitual de esta
expresi6n es que en el argot
~ rimado que emplean los cockneys
~ (habitantes del este de Londres)
brass tacks significa facts
~ ("hechos").
bread
the best thing since sliced bread 0
the greatest thing since sliced
bread el no va mas (literal: 10 mejor
desde el pan de molde) a When your
programme prst started I thought it
was the best thing since sliced bread.
But over the last three months I think
you have adopted an arrogant attitude.
bread-and-butter basi co a On
major bread-and-butter issues, there's
little difference between the two
candidates.
bread and circuses pan Y circo
aMetternich proceeded to neutralize
political dissent through a policy of
bread and circuses.
Esta expresi6n es la traducci6n de
una frase que aparece en una
satira del poeta romanoJuvenal.
Se refiereal hecho de que, en la
antigua Roma, las autoridades
~ proporcionaban al pueblo
~ qivertimentos publicos y comida
~ afin de prevenir posibles
~ rebeliones.
j
cast your bread upon the waters
(/iterario) hacer el bien sin mirar a
quien 0 You should mal<e time to offer
assistance to others. It's a case of
casting your bread upon the waters-
who knows how the favour will be
repaid.
@ La traducci6n literal de esta
g expresi6n, "Manda tu grana por
~ el mar", proviene de la Biblia
~ (Eclesiastes 11:1). Significa que los
que sean generosos y serviciales
~ seran recompensados, pero
g posiblemente solo al cabo de
g mucho tiempo.
know which side your bread is
buttered on saber donde aprieta el
zapata (literal: saber en que lado se
ha untado el pan de mantequilla)
a Donaldwasa man who I<newwith
utter clarity which side his bread was
buttered on.
* your bread and butter tu sustento
a 'Who's youraudience?"we play maybe
a hundred colleges a year. That is our
bread and butter.'
breadline
live on the breadline a
be on the breadline vivir en la
miseria a They should be stripped of
everything they own but the bare
essentials. Let them feel what it is like
to be on the breadline.
En epocas de escasez,
particularmente en Estados
Unidos durante el siglo pasado,
los pobres solfan hacer cola a la
entrada de panaderfas 0 de
comedores de beneficencia para
que les dieran pan gratiS, 0 muy
barato.
break
'* give me a break (familiar)
1 que tonterfa a Give me a breald
Why quote feminists on a decision that
concerns the rights of all women? Why
can't they quote mothers, teachers,
nurses, or dancers?
2 dejameen paz a Anxious families
yesterday begged youngsters, 'Give us a
break', after dozens of cars were wrecked
by the gongs.
never be given an even break a
never get an even break no tener
nunca una oportunidad a He /(ept
talldng about how she nevergot an even
breal< (rom the(amily.
~ Never Give a Suci<er an Even Breal<
~ es el tftulo de una pelfcula
~ protagonizada par el actor
~ comico estadounidenseW. C.
~ Fields en 1941.
breast
beat your breast -+ ver beat
make a clean breast of something
confesar alga can franqueza a If you
make a clean breast of your problems,
creditors, whether secured or unsecured
are much more lil<elyto deal fairly and '
leniently with you.
breath
* a breath of fresh air un sapia de
aire fresco a Basically, I was bored.
SoMil<e, my husband, was a breath of
fresh air.
* hold your breath contener la
respiracion aShe had been holding her
breath and hoping that the agreement
would be Signed.
* in the same breath acto seguido
o For politicians to demand firm
immigration controls and argue against
racism in the same breath is a deep
contradiction.
someone is wasting their breath
brick
35
alguien esta gastando saliva a He
wanted to protest again, but the tone of
her voice told him he was wasting his
breath.
* take your breath away dejarte sin
habla a Tell me again about the
picture.' 'It's beautifUl. It's so beautiful it
takes your breath away.'
* with bated breath con el alma en
vila a They got the people in the
villages interested in what was going to
happen, so they were then watching
wit.h bated breath as the experiment
began.
~ Bate es una forma antigua del
~ . verba abate, que en este contexto
~ significa "controlar" a "contener".
breeze
shoot the breeze darle a la lengua
o Goldie does what she likes doing best:
shooting the breeze about life, love, and
her bad reputation.
~ EI sentido de shoot usado en esta
~ expresion es, probablemente, el
~ mismo que se emplea en shoot the
rapids. Am bas expresiones
~ sugieren la idea de dejarse lIevar
2" par la conversacion.
brick
come up against a brick wall
encontrarse en un callejon sin salida
(literal: encontrarse can una pared
de ladrillo) 0 I was tired, I had been
working real hard for a long time and I
felt that I'd come up against a brick
wall.
drop a brick (Brit) meter la pata
(literal: dejar caer un ladrillo)
a After his comments on the liveN
programme, Mr Freeman was
immediately aware that he had dropped
a political brick of the worst kind.
drop something or someone like
a hot brick ~ ver drop
36 bricks
bricks
make bricks without straw hacer
ladrillos sin paja 0 Hisjob was
apparently to make education bricks
without straw - that is to say, to be
inspiring without having much money.
~ Esta expresi6n proviene de la
~ Biblia (Exado, 5:7) V se refiere a la
orden del fara6n de no dar paja
~ para hacer ladrillos a los israelitas
cautivos.
bridge
someone will cross that bridge
when they come to it alguien
tratara ese problema en su momenta
o 'You can't make me talk to you.' 'No,
but the police can,"1'11 cross that bridge
when I [orne to it.'
bridges
* build bridges tender puentes
o We 1001< for ways to build bridges
between our two organizations.
brief
hold no brief for something (Brit,
wlto) no ser partida rio de algo
o This newspaper holds no brief for a
committee that has done nothing to
distinguish itselfin the past.
~ En un contexto legal, la palabra
briefsignifica "escrito".
bright
bright as a button (sobretodo Brit,
anticuado) mas listo que el hambre
(litera': maS brHlante que un bot6n)
oShe was as bright as a button and
sharp as anything. l(it had been her
running the company, it might still be Or<.
bright-eyed
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
alegre y activo (litera': de ojos
brillantes y rabo peludo) 0 But far
now, go and sleep awhile. I need you
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow.
F:sia expresion com para a una
i ~ e r ~ o n a a\egre y activa con una
~ ""dilla.
britches
.get too big forvour britches ... ver
big
broke
* go for broke jugarse el todo por el
todo 0 In london's West End there is a
reluctance to take risks with new plays
while going for broke on musicals.
~ Cuando unjugador apuesta todo
g su dinero a unjuego 0 a una mano
~ de cartas, se dice que goes for broke.
* if it ain't broke, don't fix it si
funciona, no 10 toques oWith regard
to proposals for some grand
reorganization of the intelligence
community: If it ain't bro/<e, don't fiX it.
And I believe it is not broke.
~ EI primer usa documentado de
~ este proverbio moderno se debe
~ 31 estadounidense Bert Lance,
director de la oficina de
~ Administraci6n Y Presupuesto del
~ presidente Carter (1977). Lance se
g referla a la reorganizacion
~ gubernamental.
broom
a new broom una escoba nueva
o We had a new, exceptionally young
headmaster and he was a very active
new broom.
brown
brown as a berry muy moreno
(litera': marron como una baya)
o Steve Hobbs had just come bacl< from
his holiday. Brown as a berry he was,
when he came round here the following
Monday.
Puede que esta expresion haga
referencia a las enebrinas (juniper
berries) 0 a las cedrides (cedar
berries), que son marrones,
mientras que la mayorfa de bayas
son rojas, moradas 0 blancas.
brownie
* brownie points tantos a favor
oMrStein would almost certainly win
extra brownie pOints for taking an ultra-
cautious view and removing uncertainty
from the share price.
~ The Brownies es una organizacion
~ escultista para ninas. Se espera
~ que sus miembros se porten bien
y sean serviciales.
brunt
* bear the brunt of something
aguantar 10 mas duro de algo
o In 37 years with British Rail, / saw
how station staff always bore the brunt
of public anger over fare rises.
brush
tar someone with the same brush
meter a alguien en el mismo saco
o I am a (ootball supporter and I often
have to explain that I'm nat one o(the
hOOligan sort, because we all get tarred
with the same brush.
~ Esta expresion proviene del uso
~ de alquitran para senalar a todas
~ las ovejas de un rebano y
~ distlnguirlas aSI de otras rebanos.
bubble
* the bubble has burst ha estallado
la burbuja 0 The bubble has burst.
Crowds at the team's World league
games are down (rom last year's 40,000
average to 22,000.
Esta expresion hace referencia a
la Burbuja de los Mares del Sur, un
desastre financiera que tomo su
buck 37
nombre de la Companla de los
Mares del SULA principios del siglo
XIII, esta campania aceptosaldarla
deuda nacional britanica a cambie
del monopoJio del camercio con los
mares del sur. Mucha gente invirti6
en la empresa, pero esta quebro en
1720 y numerosos inversores se
arruinaron.
on the bubble (EE UU) en la cuerda
fioja (literal: en la burbuja) 0 Hewlett
was on the bubble after a dimcult round
yesterday.
Puede que esta expresion haga
referencia a una burbuja que esta
punto de estallaro a la burbuja
en un nivel de burbuja, que se
alejara de! centro si e! nivel no se
mantiene exactamente horizontal.
buck
En el poquer, la ficha 0 el objeto
que se pasaba a la persona a la
que Ie tocaba repartir la mano
siguiente se denominaba buck.
5i no querfa repartirni
responsabilizarse de declarar la
primera apuesta, dicha persona
podIa 0 bien quedarse la ficha 0
pasarsela a su vez a otro jugador.
* the buck stops here 0
the buck stops with me yo soy el
respensable 0 If you are going to
blame anyone, it must be the man in
charge and that's me. The buck stops
here.
g Esta expresion suele asociarse
~ al presidente estadounidense
~ Truman, quien la tenia escrita
~ en un letrera colocado sobre el
~ escritorio del Despacho Oval para
~ recordarle sus responsabilidades.
* pass the buck pasar la pelota 0 He
is our responsibility. Canada is the only
38 bucket
place he has ever known and to deport
him is simply passing the buck because
of 0 legal loophole.
bucket
kick the bucket estirar la pata
(literal: darle una patada al cuba)
oA11 the money goes to her when the
old man kicks the bucket.
~ Los Of!genes de esta expresi6n
~ son inciertos. Puede que se refiera
~ a un suicida que se sube a un
~ cuba, se ata una 50ga al cuello V
~ luego Ie da una patada al cuba.
bud
* nip something in the bud cortar
alga de ralz 0 It is important to .
recognize jealousy as soon as possIble
and to nip it in the bud before it gets out
ofhand.
: Puede que esta expresi6n se
~ refiera a una temperatura'
~ extremadamente fria que dana
~ una planta e impide queflorezca.
~ Por otra parte, podrfa referirse a
~ unjardinero que pad a una planta
~ en brote para impedir que
florezca.
buffers
hit the buffers (Brit, Periodismo)
frenar de golpe 0 Their plans may not
get very for before they hit the bufFers.
g Los topes colocados al final de
~ una via ferrea se denominan
bufFers.
bug
* be bitten by the bug haberle picado
el gusanillo 0 Bitten by the travel bug,
he then set off for a working holiday in
Australia.
bull
a bull in a china shop un Elefante en
una cacharrerfa 0 In confrontational
situations I am like a bull in a china shop.
a red rag to a bull (sobre todo Brit) a
a ted flag before a bull (sabre todo
EB UU) una provocaci6n (literal: un
traporojoauntoro) o This sort of
Information is like a red rag to a bull for
the tobacco companies but it really
. needs to be exposed.
~ Mucha gente cree que el color
~ rojo enfurece a los toros. En ~ n a
corrida de taros, el torero aglta
~ una muleta para que el taro la
~ embista.
take the bull by the horns cager el
toro par los cuernos 0 This is the time
to take the bull by the horns and tackle
the complex issues offinance.
~ En una carrida de taros, el torero
~ a veces cage al toro par los
~ cuernas antes de matarlo.
bullet
* bite the bullet enfrentarse al toro
(literal: morder la bala) 0 The same
stressful event might make one person
utterly miserable, while another will
bite the bullet and make the best of it.
Tiempo atras, a veces se les daba
a los heridos en combate una bala
~ para que la mardieran mientras el
~ medico los operaba sin calm antes -,
nl anestesla.
get the bullet a
be given the bullet (Brit, familiar)
ser puesto de patitas en la calle
o The banks are still making money but
they only have to have one bad year and
everybody gets the bullet.
bum
a bum steer (sobretodo EE UU,
familiar) engana 0 Did you give me
a bum steer about your name and
address?
Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a un bueV sin valor, aunque
tam bien pod ria referirse a una
persona a la que Ie indican mal el
camino.
get the bum's rush (familiar) ser
ignarado 0 He turned up there at 2.45
and sat down to lunch with European
royalty, so we got the bum's rush.
~ Bum significa "vagabundo". Esta
~ expresi6n hace referencia a un
~ vagabunda al que expulsan por
~ la fuerza de algCin sitia.
bums
put bums on seats (Brit, familiar)
lIenar un teatro/un cine, etc. 0 He's
a/ways been like that and will never
change. That's why he gets bums on
seats - he's a showman.
~ En ingles britfmico, bum significa
g "trasero".
bundle
a bundle of nerves ... ver nerves
drop your bundle (sobre todo
Australia) arrojar la toalla (literal:
dejar caer el farda) oAt 25-6
University were losing badly, but to
their credit they did not drop their
bundle.
bunny
not a happy bunny (Brit) muV
mosqueada oArthur stared into the
cup, worriedly. He was not a happy
bunny.
~ Bunnyes una palabra infantil
~ para referirse a un canejo. Esta
~ expresi6n recuerda e! lenguaje de
~ un cuento.
burn
* burn your boats (Brit) 0
burn your bridges quemar las naves
o I didn't sell it because I didn't know
bush 39
how long I would be here. / didn't want
to bum all my bridges.
~ Durante las invasianes, a veces
~ ras generales romanos quemaban
g sus barcos 0 los puentes que
~ hubieran cruzado, de modo que
~ sus soldados no pudieran
~ replegarse V se vieran abligados
~ aseguircambatienda.
burner
L ~ palabra burner significa
"quemador" (de una cocina).
* put something on the back burner
aparcar alga oShe put hercareeron
the back burner after marrying co-star
Paul Hogan two years ago, spending her
time making a homeforthem in Australia.
bush
the bush telegraph (Brit, anticuado)
radio mac uta 0 No, you didn't tell me,
but I heard it on the bush telegraph.
~ Esta expresi6n hace referencia
~ a un metodo primitivo de
~ comunicaci6n entre personas
~ repartidas por una zona extensa,
~ las cuales tocan tam bores para
~ enviarse mensajes.
not beat about the bush (Brit) 0
not beat around the bush na
andarse con rodeos 0 I decided not to
beat around the bush. 'I'm at Sam's,' I
told her. 'Eddie didn't come back from
his paper route yet. Nobody Iwows
where he is.'
En las cacerfas, las batidares
galpean los matorrales con palos
para hacer salir a los pajaros 0 a
otras ani males pequenos. Puede
que tengan que hacerlo con
cautela, va que no sa ben
exactamente d6nde se encuentran
los pajaros 0 los animales.
40
bushel
bushel
hide your light under a bushel
ocultar tus logros 0 Don't be tempted
to hide your light under a bushel for fear
of upsetting other people.
Esta frase proviene de la Biblia
~ (Mateo S:ls).Jesus dice que nadie
enciende una lam para para
~ esconderla despues bajo algo,
~ sino que se coloca sobre un
~ candelero para que alumbre a
g todo el mundo.
bushes
beat the bushes (sobre todo EE UU)
buscar alga par todas partes 0 He
was tired ofbeating the bushes for
work, and he did not want to as/( for
help or accept charity.
business
be in business (hab/ado) estar listo
o It plugs in here, right?O/wy, we're
in business. Let's see how it works,
guys.
business as usual aquf no ha
pasado nada oMrFitzwatertold
reporters: It is business as usual; this
isn't the kind Of crisis that requires us to
drop everything else.
do the business (familiar) estar ala
altura 0 Now I could bejudged solely
on my achievements as a player, and
I was absolutely determined to prove I
could still do the business.
do something like nobody's
business hacer alga como loco
o I mean Geoffrey can chat like nobody's
business.
* mean business iren serio oOneof
them poked a shotgun at me. / could see
he meant business.
busman
a busman's holiday (sabre todo Brit)
vacaciones parecidas al trabajo
diario (literal: las vacaciones de un
conductor de auto bus) oA fire crew's
Christrhas outing turned into a
busrhan's holiday when their coach
caught fire.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a los conductores de
~ autobOs de principios del sigl0 xx,
~ cuanda los autobuses iban
~ tirados porcaballos.Algunos
~ conductores a veces pasaban su
~ dfa libre viajando en sus
~ auto buses para asegurarse de
~ que los conductores de releva
~ trataban bien a los caballos.
busy
a busybeeo
busy as a bee atareadrsimo
(litera': tan ocupado como una
abeja) 0 He is busy as a bee designing
every production in London.
butter
butter WOUldn't melt in someone's
mouth alguien es una mosquita
muerta (literal: la mantequilla no
se derretirra en la boca de alguien)
o He may look as though butter
WOUldn't melt in his mouth, but J
WOUldn't trust him.
butterflies
have butterflies in your stomach
estar nerviosfsimo (literal: tener
mariposas en el estomago) 0 He
seemed so full of enthusiasm that I felt
foolish still having butterflies in my
stomach.
butterfly
break a butterfly on a wheel
(Brit) pasarse de bruto 0 They
have had their ideology combed over,
examined, misinterpreted and
rewritten. Talk about breaking a
butterfly on Q wheel.
Esta frase es una cita de EpIsto/a 01
doctor Arbuthnot (1735). de
Alexander Pope. Tiempo atras,
la rueda era un instrumento de
tortura. Ataban a una persona a
la rueda y Ie rompfan los brazos y
las piernas, 0 10 golpeaban hasta
matarla.
button
* do something at the touch of a
button hacer alga al toque de un
boton o Specially trained staffwill be
able to trace obscene and threatening
calls at the touch of a button, and pass
the information to police.
button 41
* a hot button (fE UU) un asunto
candente 0 If crime is the city's issue
most known to outsiders, rent control
is the city's hot button for its residents.
on the button en punto 0 He said
he'd meet us at 10.00 on the button.
press the right button 0
press all the right buttons acertar
de Ileno (literal: apretar el baton
correcto) 0 In what it describes as a
well-judged performance, the
newspaper says he pressed all the right
buttons to please the representatives.
you're right on the button has
dado en el clavo 0 I\m I right?' 'Right
01] thOe button.'
caboodle
Puede que caboodle venga de la
palabra holandesa boedal, que
significa "propiedad",
the whole caboodle 0
the whole kit and caboodle (Brit)
todo, toda la pesca a I would
probably rnd that I could barrow the
whole caboodle.
cage
rattle someone's cage hacer la
Pascua a alguien (literal: agitar la
jaula de alguien) a I don't rattle their
cages and they don't rattle mine.
Cain
raise Cain armar la gorda a I figure
she'd raise Cain if we tried to stop her.
~ Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
~ la historia de!a Biblia en la que
~ eafn asesin6 a su hermanoAbel
~ preso de la ira. (Genesis 4:1-9).
cake
* have your cake and eat it nadary
guardar la ropa a The Chancellor can't
have his cake and eat it: interest rates
will go up, but tax revenues will go down.
Aunque have yourcal<e and eat it
sea ahara la forma mas comun, la
expresi6n original era eat your cake
and have it. Hayquien considera la
versi6n reciente il6gica, ya que sin
duda es posible tener un pastel y
despues comerlo, pero no al reves.
take the cake serel colma 0 Officers
say they get to see some pretty odd things
but that just about takes the cake.
s En las antiguas Grecia y Roma ya
~ se entregaban pasteles como
~ premia, pero se cree que esta
expresi6n se origino entre los
~ afroamericanos del sur de
~ Estados Unidos en tiempos de la
~ esclavitud. Los participantes en
~ una competicion caminaban 0
~ bailaban alrededorde un pastel
~ en parejas, y el pastel se
~ entregaba como premia a la
pareja que se moviera con mas
elegancia.
cakes
cakes and ale (Brit) diversion (literal:
pasteles y cerveza) a You can't deny
other people cakes and ale just because
you've never enjoyed them yourselF.
~ Esta expresi6n aparece en la obra
~ Twelfth Night (Noche de Reyes) de
~ Shakespeare (acto II, escena Ill).
~ Cakes and Ale (Rosie en castellano)
~ tam bien es el tftulo de una novela
~ de Somerset Maugham publicada
:;: en 1930.
calf
kill the fatted calf celebrar una
fiesta de bienvenida a He went off to
make movies, and when he returned, his
record company didn't exactly I<ill the
fatted calf
call
Esta expresi6n proviene de la
parabola del hijo pr6digo (Lucas
5:3-32), relatada par Jesus en la
Biblia. Segun dicha parabola, un
joven vuelve a casa despues de
malgastartodo el dinero que su
padre Ie habfa entregado. Sin
embargo, su padre esta tan
contento de verlo que celebra su
regreso matando una ternera y
celebrando un banquete.
* that was a close call escapamos 0
nos salvamos por un pelo a 'That
was a close cal/,' Bess gasped, as the
boat steadied and got underway.
calm
* the calm before the storm la calma
antes de la tormenta a Things are
relatively calm at the moment, but I
thinl( this is probably the calm beFore
the storm.
camp
a camp follower un simpatizante
o Even in my day as a player, we had our
camp followers.
~ Original mente, la frase camp
~ followers se referfa a aquellos
~ civiles que viajaban con un
g ejercito y se ganaban la vida
~ vendiendo mercandas 0 servicios
~ a los soldados.
pitch camp acampar aAs reporters
pitched camp outside their home, the
family's pOlitical differences became a
public concern.
can
a can of worms --+ verworms
* carry the can (Brit) pagar el pato
a It annoys methat I was the only
one who carried the can forthat
deFeot.
candy 43
Originalmente, esta era una
expresi6n militarque hacfa
referencia al hombre escogido
para ir a buscar un recipiente de
cerveza para un grupo de
soldados.
in the can en el bote a We've got the
interview in the can.
las antiguas pelfculas
cinematograficas se guardan en
recipientes metalicos circulares
~ denominados cans ("Iatas").
candle
burn the candle at both ends hacer
de la noche dfa (literal: quemar la
vela por ambos extremos) aMost
people need six or seven hours each
night and you're burning the candle at
both ends /Fyou regularly sleep For less
than rye.
not be worth the candle (Brit) no
valer la pena a Ifit means falling into
my present state afterwards, writing
isn't worth the candle.
Original mente esta expresi6n
~ hacfa referencia a unjuego de
naipes en e! que la cantidad de
~ dinero que se apostaba era
~ inferior al coste de la vela que se
~ consumfa durante dichojuego.
someone can't hold a candle to
someone alguien no Ie lIega a la
suela de loszapatos a alguien
a There are football players now valued
in the f2m bracket who can't hold a
candle to Ian in terms of ability.
Esta expresi6n da a entender que
~ una persona ni siquiera es digna
~ de sostener una luz para ayudar a
i vera otra.
candy
like taking candy from a baby coser
y cantar (literal: como quitarle
44 cannon
caramelos a un be be) oStealing the
stuff was lil<etaking candy from a baby.
cannon
* cannon fodder carne de can6n
o The rFty-rve to sixty-rveyear-olds
would be sent to the front as cannon-
fodder. They were to attack ahead of the
regular troops and absorb the enemy's
rre.
~ La palabra foddersignifica
~ "forraje".
"* a loose cannon una bomba de
relojerfa 0 There is Q widespread worry
that the military command has turned
into a loose cannon beyond the control
of the government.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere a los
~ canones que se transportaban
en la cubierta de los barcos de
~ guerra. Si alguno de los canones
~ no estaba bien 5ujeto, podfa girar
y hacer un agujero en el barco.
canoe
paddle your own canoe
arreglartelas solo (literal: rema tu
propia canoa) oAs faras the rest of
Europe is concerned, we've just got to
paddle our own canoe.
cap
cap in hand (sobretodo Brit) en
actitud humilde a On holiday, if you
rely on cash and lose the lot, you could
end up going cap in hand to the nearest
British consulate.
~ Esta expresion sugiere la imagen
de un criado u otra persona de
bajorangoquesesacaelsombrero
en presencia de alguien importante.
if the cap fits, wear it (Brit) el que se
pica, ajos come (literal: si te queda
bien la gorra, pontela) a I have not
mentioned any names yet, but I told the
team what I think and I told them that
;rthe cap rts, they should wear it.
put your thinking cap on 0
get your thinking cap on usar la
materia gris aShe decided to put her
t
l
binl<ing cap on: there must be ajob
somewhere that she could do.
~ Puede que esta expresion se
~ refiera al birrete que solfan lIevar
~ los jueces cuando d i c t a ~ a n
~ sentencia.
capital
* ... with a capitalT/I/F alogrande
a That man's Trouble with a capital T.
carbon
* a carbon copy el vivo retrato
(literal: copia en papel carbon)
aShe's a/ways been quiet. She's a
carbon copy of her mother - her mother
always hated making a fUSS.
card
a calling card tarjeta de
presentacion a He says the actor used
the New York magazine cover story
about him as 'his calling card'.
~ En ingles americano, calling card
~ significa "tarjeta de visita".
a wild card una incognita a I was
always a bit uneasy about him; I liked
him, but he was a bit of a wild card.
~ Enjuegos como el poquer, wild
~ card significa "comodfn".
cards
keep your cards close to your chest
no soltar prenda a The Prime Minister
was said yesterday to be keeping his
cards close to his chest after an informal
discussion at cabinet on Thursday.
Esta expresion se refiere a
jugadores de algun juego de
naipes que sujetan las cartas
cerca del pecho para que nadie
pueda veri as.
lay your cards on the table 0
put your cards on the table poner
las cartas sobre la mesa a Put your
cards on the table and be very clear
about your complaints. Thjs should
cleartheair.
* on the cards (Brit) previsto a There's
no need to look so surprised. This has
been on the cards for a long time.
; Esta expresion se refiere a las
~ cartas usadas para predecirel
futuro, como las del tarot.
play your cards close to the vest
(EE UU) no soltar prenda 0 He plays
his cards very close to the vest, causing
some attorneys with whom he's worked
to describe him as secretive and
manipulative.
play your cards right (sobre todo
Brit) jugar bien tus cartas aSoon, if
she played hereards right, she would be
head oFthe London ornee.
carpet
be on the carpet (Brit) lIevarse una
bronca 0 The bad boy of English
cricket was on the carpet again this
week for refusing to wear one of the
club's sponsored shirts.
~ Puede que esta expresion se
refiera a una alfombra colocada
~ frentea un escritorio, sobre la que
~ alguien permanece de pie
~ mientras es reprendido. Por otra
~ parte, tam bien podrfa referirse a
g un patron que llama a su crlado a
~ una de las mejores salas de la
g casa, la cual tendrfa una
~ alfombra, a fin de reprenderlo.
roll out the red carpet recibircon
todos los honores (literal: extender
la alfombra roja) a The museum staff
rolled out the red carpet; although it
was a Sunday, the deputy director came
in especially to show us round.
* sweep something under the carpet
case 45
(sabre todo Brit) echartierra sobre
algo (literal: barrer algo debajo de la
alfombra) a People Often assume if
you sweep something under the carpet
the problem will go away, but that is
not the case.
carrot
* carrot and stick la zanahoria y el
palo a But Congress also wants to use
a carrot and stick approach to force
both sides to negotiate.
* offer someone a carrot ofrecer un
incentivoaalguien aHe is to offer
the public a new carrot by reversing this
week's doubling of petrol prices.
Esta expresion sugiere la imagen
~ de alguien que anima a un burro a
~ moverse sosteniendo una
zanahoria frente al animal.
carry
carryall before you (Brit) arrasar
a Newcastle United were carrying all
before them, winning a/l their matches.
cart
put the cart before the horse
empezar la casa por el tejado
(literal: colocar el carro delante del
caballo) a Creating large numbers of
schools before improving school
management is putting the cart before
the horse.
cartload
as cunning or clever as a cartload of
monkeys (Brit, anticuado) mas listo
que el hambre (literal: listo como un
carro lIeno de monos) 0 They are
engaging creatures, cunning as a
cart/oad of monkeys.
case
En estas expresiones, case
significa "caso", y no caja 0
maleta.

46 cash
be on someone's case 0
get on someone's case (familiar)
meterse con alguien 0 I don't need
my friends getting on my case and
telling me what to do as wel/.
on the case cuidando del asunto
o I am on theeose, and as soon as I have
a solution to the problem, J'II/et you
know.
cash
a cash cow la gallina de 105 huevos
de oro 0 The park has been a cash cow
forthe city. Sales taxes there account for
approximately 75 per cent of the city's
general fund.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
~ algo que produce dinero de forma
tan abundante como una vaca
~ produce la Jeche.
castles
castles in the air castilios en el aire
o 'Along the way I have to become very,
very rich.' He shook his head in wonder
at her. 'You're building castles in the air,
Anne.'
cat
* cat and mouse 0
a game of cat and mouse el gate y
el raton 0 He would play cat-and-
mouse with other riders, sometimes
waiting until the fourth lap to come
from behind and win.
~ Esta expresion hace referencia a
~ un gato quejuega con un raton
antes de matarlo.
the eat's whiskers a
the eat's pyjamas el no va mas
(Brit, anticuado) oShe had this great
dress on and shethought she was the
eat's whiskers as she came out along
the gallery.
~ Estas expresiones provienen de
~ Estados Unidos yse hicieron
populares en Gran Bretafia en la
g decada de 1920. Cat's whisker
~ tarnbien significa "detector de
~ bigbtes de gato", un dispositivo de
~ las ladios galena que consiste en
~ un alambre fino que hace
~ contacto con un cristal.
* a fat cat un ricachon (literal: un
gato gordo) 0 They want highertaxes
for the bulk of the population, not just
the fat cats.
fight like cat and dog Ilevarse
como el perro y el gato 0 They had
fought like cat and dog ever since he
could remember, and he wondered
howthev'd got together in the nrst
place.
grin like a Cheshire cat sonrefrde
oreja a oreja 0 Charles was Sitting in
his place, grinning like a Cheshire cat,
when Ijoined him.
EI gato de Cheshire es un
personaje de Alicia en el pafs de las
~ maravillas(186s), del escritor
~ ingles Lewis Carrol. Este gato
~ desaparece gradualmente hasta
que solo seve su enorme sonrisa.
~ Por otra parte, puede que la
~ expresion provenga de los letreros
en las posadas de Cheshire,
@ muchas de las cuales tenfan
dibujado un leon sonriente.
let the cat out of the bag irse de la
lengua (literal: dejar salir de la bolsa
al gato) 0 The Mosses didn't tell the
cops my name, did they?, 'Of course not,'
she said. 'They wouldn't want to let the
cat out of the bag.'
like a cat on hot bricks a
like a cat on a hot tin roof sobre
ascuas 0 He's liI<e a cat on hot bricks
before a game.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(La gata sobre
el tejado de zinc) es el titulo de una
obra deTennesseeWilliams.
like the cat that got the cream
(sabre todo Brit) sin caber en sf de
satisfaccion (litera': como el gato
que se comiola nata) 0 Did you
notice Hugh acting like the cat that got
the cream?
like a scalded cat como gato
escaldado (Brit) oScrambling around
to recover his glasses, the scientist
darted to his car like a scalded cat and
clambered quicldy in.
look like something the cat
dragged in teneruna pinta terrible
(literal: parecer algo que arrastro el
gato) 0 It is quite possible to be an
intelligent and successful woman and
look like something the cat has dragged
in.
look what the eat's dragged in
mira quien viene por aquf 0 In strolls
Bobs. 'Now look what the eat's dragged
in,' says Jeanie, with a nod.
put the cat among the pigeons 0
set the cat among the pigeons
(Brit) meter los perros en danza
(litera': poner al gato entre las
palomas) 0 Once again she set the cat
among the pigeons, claiming that
Michael was lying.
see which way the cat jumps (sabre
todo Brit) esperara verde que lado
caen las peras (litera': esperar aver
hacia que lade salta el gato) 0 I'm
going to sit tight and see which way the
cat jumps.
Esta expresion podrfa guardar
~ relacion con el antiguojuego
~ conocido como tip-eat, en el cual
~ los jugadores esperaban a ver en
~ que direccion se movfa un trocito
~ de madera denominado "gato"
~ antes de darle un go!pe 0 de
~ hacerlo saltar par los aires
~ (tipping it).
there isn't room to swing a cat
(sobretodo Brit) no cabe un alfiler
Catch 47
o Inside, there isn't room to swing a cat,
and everything you see and touch is the
most basicjunl<.
; Cat de esta expresion es
~ probab!emente un cat-o'-nine-tails
("azote de nueve ramales"), un
~ tipo de larigo usado en otros
tiempos para castigar a !os
~ infractores en e! ejercito y en la
armada. Sin embargo, la
~ expresion tambien podrfa
referirse a la antigua costumbre
~ de hacer oscilar gatos por la cola
~ como blancos para arqueros.
t h e r e ~ s more than one way to skin
a cat cada maestrillo tiene su librillo
(literal: hay mas formas de desollar
a un gato) 0 There is more than one
way to skin a cat; keep positive and try
another method of reaching your goal.
when the eat's away, the mice will
play cuando e! gato no esta, bailan
los ratones 0 While the bosses are out
of the room, the workers watch the
game- a case of while the eat's away
the mice will play.
catbird
in the catbird seat (EE UU,
anticuado) en una posicion segura
o If I can run around the world and buy
that particular group, then I'll be in the
catbird seat.
g Esta expresion se popularizo en
~ las decadas de 1940 y1950,
~ cuando la empleo el comentarista
de beisbol Red Barber. Catbirds
~ son pajaros canto res
~ norteamericanos. La: expresion
podrfa deberse a que estes
~ pajaros suelen posarse en las
~ ramas mas altas de los arboles.
Catch
a Catch 22 un callejon sin salida
o There's a Catch 22 in social work
48 cats
You need experience to get work and you
need work to get experience.
~ Esta expresi6n proviene de la
novela Catch 22 (Trampa 22) de
~ 1961, esc rita porel autar
~ estadounidenseJoseph Heller.
~ La novela trata sabre pilotos de
bombarderos en la Segunda
~ Guerra Mundial.la situaci6n
denominada Catch 22 consiste en
~ que cualquier persona cuerda
~ pedirfa dejarde volar, perc las
g autoridades solo se 10 permitfan a
los dementes.
cats
it's raining cats and dogs (Brit;
anticuado) Ilueve a (antaros (literal:
Hueven gatos y perras) 0 'Could you
see how he lool<ed?"Not really. It was
raining cats and dogs by then.'
~ Existen varias explicaciones
posibles de esta expresi6n, pero
~ ninguna puede probarse. Quiz.
~ se refiera a los dfas en los que el
~ alcantari!!ado de las ciudades
~ funcionaba tan mal que los perras
~ y los gatos a veces se ahogaban
~ cuando Ilovfa mucho. Por otra
~ parte, cats and dogs podrfa ser una
~ deformacion 0 una mala
~ comprension de la palabra griega
~ catadupe, que significa "cascada",
~ por 10 que la expresion original
~ habrfa sido "!!ueve como una
~ cascada" (0 it's raining like a
g waterfall). 0 puede que su origen
~ se remonte a la mitologfa nordica,
~ en la que a veces se asociaba a los
~ gatos y a los perras con el espfritu
~ de las tormentas.
caution
* throw caution to the wind 0
throw caution to the winds
abandonar la prudencia 0 This was
no time to think, he decided. He threw
caution to the winds and rang the bell of
\he,ground-roor rat,
cdling
* go through the ceiling
1 dispararse o Sales went through the
ceiling and pharmacists began
reporting shortages of the drug.
2 perder los estribos (literal:
atravesar el techo) 0 'Ifhe did what
she said, she was happy, but i(he didn't,
she went through the ceiling.'
cent
not have a cent to your name
-+vername
* not a red cent 0
not one red cent (sabre todo EE UU)
ni un dura 0 But investors have to
remember that with many shows they
won't get a red cent back
~ La moneda estadounidense de un
~ centavo solfa estar hecha de
cobre, perc actualmente se hace
~ con una mezcla de cobre, estano
2 y zinc.
centre
Centre se escribe center en ingles
americano.
* centre stage primer plano
o The summit is the first time he has
occupied centre stage at an important
international gathering since coming
to power last year.
~ stagesignifica "escenario". EI
~ centro del escenario es ellugar en
~ que un actor resulta mas visible.
~ En el teatro se dan indicaciones a
~ los actores como centro del
~ escenario, izquierda del escenario,
~ derecha del escenario, fondo del
~ escenario y partedelantera del
escenario.
cents
your two cents' worth (sobre todo
EE UU) tu opinion (literal: tus dos
centavos) 0 Your father I<ept telling me
to hush up and don't be a damn (001, but
you I<now me, I had to put in my two
cents' worth.
chain
yank someone's chain (sobretod?
EE UU, (amiliar) mosquear a algulen
(literal: tirar de la cadena de alguien)
o When would I learn to smarten up and
ignore her when she yanl<ed my chain?
chalice
( Chalice significa "caliz". )
a poisoned chalice (sobretodo Brit)
un arma de doble filo 0 The contract
may yet prove to be a poisoned chalice.
chall<
by a long chalk (Brit) de lejos
o Where do you think you're going,
Kershaw? You haven't finished by a long
challe
~ Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a la costumbre de marcar
con tiza el suelo para mostrar los
~ tantos de unjugadoro de un
~ equipo.A long chalk podrfa
~ significar"muchos puntos", 0
~ "una gran cantidad".
chalk and cheese (Brit) como el dfa
y la noche (literal: tiza y queso)
o Our relationship works because we
are very aware o( our differences, we
accept that we are chall< and cheese.
chance
chance would be a fine thing (Brit)
ya quisiera yo 0 Everyone needs a day
in bed sometimes. I(you've got kids
you're probably thinking 'chance would
be a rne thing',
* not a snowball's chance in hell 0
chapter 49
not a chance in hell (Brit) ni la
menor posibilidad 01(1 was caught
with all the film on me I had not a
snowball's chance in hell o(ta/king my
way out o(lt.
S La expresi6n original era as much
~ chance as a cat in hell without claws,
~ cuya traduccion litera! serra "las
~ mismas posibilidades que un gato
~ sin garras en el infierno".
change
* a change of heart un cambio de
idea oAt the last minute, she had a
change o(heart about selling it. It had
been in her family (or generations.
get no change out of someone no
conseguir sacar nada a alguien
(Brit) 0 You won't get any change out
o(him, so don't expect it. And no
promotion, either.
changes
* ring the changes (Brit) variar 0 The
different varieties enable you to ring the
changes so that your cat never gets
bored with his (ood,
. Ring the changes significa tocar
g cierto numero de campanas de
~ una iglesia, cad a una de las cuales
~ produce una nota distinta, una
g tras otra en todas las
~ combinaciones posibles.
chapter
chapter and verse con pelos y
senales 0 I explained everything to
Lapiere. I gave him chapter and verse.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a la
~ costumbre de enumerar los
capftulos y los verslculos a! citar
~ pasajes de la Biblia.
a chapter of accidents (Brit) una
serie de desgracias 0 In fiction,
however, such a chapter o( accidents
can end up seeming comic.
50 charity
Muchas escritores han usado con
g frecuencia esta expresi6n. Uno de
los U505 mas antiguos es the
chapterof accidents is the longest
chapter in the boo/{ ("el capitulo de
accidentes es el capitulo mas
largo del libra"). Ellibra en
cuesti6n es la historia de la vida
de una persona, 0 la cr6nica de un
acontecimiento determinado.
charity
charity begins at home la caridad
bien entendida empieza par uno
mismo 0 Charity begins at home.
There are manvtas/(s right here on
campus that need volunteers as wel/.
chase
cut to the chase ir al grana 0 He
talked about the need to see all points of
view, then he cut to the chase: 'Well, it
looks like there is nothing here for me.
I'm planning ta ny back:
s En las pelfculas, (uanda termina
una escena yempieza otra se dice
que la acci6n "corta" (cuts) de una
escena ala siguiente. Cuando una
pelfcula pasa a una escena con
una persecuci6n automovilfstica
se dice que dicha pelfcula cuts to
the chase. Esta expresi6n compara
los asuntos importantes que hay
que debatir 0 tratar con acciones
excitantes de una pelfeula, como
las persecuciones
automovilfsticas.
cheek
* cheek by jowl codo con codo oAfter
about seven years, al/ this living cheek
by jowl began to irritate people.
jowl es una palabra anticuada que
significa "mejil/a" (cheek).
* turn the other cheek poner la otra
mejilla 0 It's better to learn howto
avoid a situation where you have either
to defend yoursel( or turn the other

chleese
a big cheese (familiar) un pez gordo
(literal: un queso grande) 0 During
the conference big cheeses from the
State Department were dropping in and
out all the time.
En esta expresi6n, la palabra
cheese puede ser una defprmaci6n
0 una mala comprensi6n de la
palabra urdu "chiz" 0 "cheez", que
significa "cosa". Empez6 a usarse
en ingles hacia 1840 debido a la
presencia britanica en India. Mas
g tarde esta palabra se emplearfa
@ para referirse a alguien
importante.
cheque
Cheque se escribe check en Ingles
america no.
* a blank cheque carta blanca
oDe KJerk had, in a sense, been given a
blank cheque to negotiate the new
SouthA{rica.
Esta expresi6n se usa a menudo
con su sentido literal, "un cheque
g en blanco".
chest
beat your chest .... ver beat
* get something off your chest
desahogarse contando algo
oMy doctor gave me the opportunity to
tall< and get things offmy chest.
chestnut
* an old chestnut (sobre todo Brit) la
vieja historia de siempre (literal: una
castana vieja) 0 The feminist struggle
is too important to become an old
chestnut over which people groan.
chicken
chicken and egg la gallina y el
huevo 0 It's a chicken-and-egg
argument about which comes first: Do
people create this lifestyle? Or does
environment influence how people live.
o Until we get promotion, we won't get
the top players. But until we g.et top,
players, we won't p:omotlOn. It s a
chicken-and-egg Situation.
chicken feed
1 calderilla (literal: pienso para
gallinas) 0 The
we receive from our sponsors IS chicken
feed compared to the f20m budgets
available to some of our rivals.. .
2 nimiedades o Ordinarily, late m
the campaign, presidential
don't play around with chicken feed /I/<e
this.
* like a headless chicken (Brit) dando
palos de ciego (literal: como un .
polio sin cabeza) 0 Instead ofrunnrng
round like a headless chicken you're.
using your efforts in a more productive
way, more efficiently.
chickens
don't count your chickens 0
don't count your chickens before
they're hatched no hagas las
cuentas de la lechera (literal: no
cuentes los pollos [antes de que
nazcan]) 0 When dealing with ..
important financial arrangements, It IS
imperative that you do not count your
chickens before they are hatched.
child _
* child's play unjuego de ninos 0 He
thought the work would be child's play.
chin
keep your chin up 10:
animos 0 Richards was keepmg
chin up yesterday despite the continued
setbacks.
chip 51
lead with your chin actuar con
agresividad 0 This game is no place for
a player who cannot lead with his chin.
: Esta expresi6n proviene del
boxeo. Se refiere a un boxeador
que boxea sacando barbilla,
exponiendose as! a los go!pes
de su contrincante.
"* take it on the chin encajar e!
o When the police arrived, he took It on,
the chin, apologizing for the trouble hed
caused them.
: Esta expresi6n se refiere a alguien
que se mantiene en pese a
haber recibido un punetazo en la
mandfbula
chink
Chink significa "grieta" 0
"hendidura".
a chink in someone's armour
el tal6n deAquiles de alguien .
o Opposition leaders hope to usethelr
annual conference to attack what they
see as the most vulnerable chink in the
government's armour.
Armour se escribe armor en Ingles
americano.
chip
a chip off the old block de pal?
tal astilla 0 Lewis's lawyer said IS a
chip off the old block - a hothead and a
bully just like his dod:
En esta expresi6n, chip significa
"asti!!a".
"* a chip on your shoulder un.
resentimiento oMy father had a chip
on his shoulder; he thought people
didn't like him because of the way he
looked.
: Se dice que antiguamente, en
Estados Unidos, algunos hombres
52 chips
lIevaban a veces un trocito de
madera sabre el hombro con la
esperanza de que alguien 10
hiciera caery les diera una excusa
para entablar una pelea.
chips
En las expresiones siguientes, la
palabra chips se refiere a las fi(has
que se emplean en los casinos.
call in your chips (sabre todD Brit)
movilizar a los contactos 0 That
point needs mai<ing, before the
President's (riends in the labour unions
and the steel and textile industries try
to call in their chips.
En los juegos de azar, call in your
chips significa pedir a los atras
~ jugadores que te paguen todo el
~ dinero que te deben.
cash in your chips vender 0 /C/ was
small in over-the-counter drugs' in the
States. It decided to cash in its chips at
a surprisingly good price.
g En un casino, al acabar de jugar se
cambian las fichas por dinero, 0
~ you cash in your chips.
have had your chips (Brit) haber
perdido su ultima oportunidad
o Atter thq-l defeat, mast of the
70,000 crowd were convinced they'd
already had their chips.
Puede que esta expresion hag a
~ referencia a losjugadores que han
~ perdido todas las fichas, y por ello
tienen que dejardejugar.
* when the chips are down cuando
lIega el momento de la verdad
o There will be no panic. We are at our
best when the chips are down.
En un casino, losjugadores
coJoean sus fichas sobre la mesa
al apostar.
choice
of choice preferido 0 Now we have
_ conclusive evidence that oat bran is the
I,. fibre of choice for those who want to
I; /(eep their cholestero/levels out of the
ris/(zone.
chop
. * chop and change (Brit) cambiar
constantemente de opinion aAfter
chopping and changing forthe first
year, Paul and Jamie have settled down
to a stable system of management.
Esta expresion se empleaba
g originalmente en referencia a
~ aquellas personas que
~ compraban yvendfan
~ mercancfas. Chop significaba
~ "comerdar" 0 "hacertrueques",
mientras que change era una
~ version abreviada de exchange,
~ "cambiar".
* forth. chop (Brit, familiar)
1 a punto de ser despedido 0 There
are rumours that he is for the chop.
2 a punto de desaparecer 0 He won't
say which programmes are for the chop.
chord
* strike a chord despertar emociones
(literal: tocar un acorde) 0 It is a case
which has shoc/(edAmerica - and one
which has struc/( a chord with every
family with teenagers.
church
a broad church (Brit) un concepto
muy variado (literal: una iglesia
amplia) o Rock music in Franceisa
very broad church indeed.
cigar
close but no cigar cas; cas; 0 It was
a case Of close but no cigar for a group Of
illegal immigrants intercepted by
customs Officials on their way to the
train station.
Antiguamente, a veces se
entregaban puros como premia
en las ferias. Puede que esta
expresion se hubiera empleado
cuando alguien que estaba a
punto de obtener un premio no
10 lograba al final.
circle
"* come full circle volveral puntode
partida a Her life had now come full
circle and she was bacl< where she
started, in misery, alone.
* the wheel has come full circle se ha
vuelto al punto de partida (literal: la
rueda ha completado un cfrculo)
o The wheel has come full circle in
psychotherapy.
~ Puede que estas expresiones hagan
~ referenda a la idea medieval de
~ la rueda de la fortuna que gira
~ constantemente, de modo que la
~ persona que tiene buena suerte
~ en una epoea de su vida tendril
mala suerteen otra epoca.
* square the circle lograr la
cuadratura del cfrculo oAII have the
same hope: that foreign markets and,
especially, foreign investment will
somehow provide enough jobs to square
the circle.
* a vicious circle un cfrculovicioso
a The economy has been caught in a
vicious circle: the economy COUldn't
create Jarge numbers of jobs because
consumers weren't spending; consumers
weren't spending because the economy
wasn't creating jobs.
circles
go round in circles (Brit) darvueltas
sobre 10 mismo a They have been
going round and round in circles about
treatment methods. And their solution,
in the end, was perfectly
straightforward.
claws 53
run round in circles (Brit) hacer las
cosas sin orden ni conderto aShe
wastes a lot of energy running round in
circles, whereas more careful planning
could save a lot of effort and achieve a
great deal.
circus
a three-ring circus (sobre todo
EE UU) un autentico foll6n (literal:
un circo de tres pistas) 0 They might
fight among themselves, but griefwas
a private thing, not something to be
turned into a three-ring circus by
newspaper reporters.
clam
shut up like a clam no decir ni PIO
(literal: eerrarse como una almeja)
a When they are worried, they may well
shut up like a clam, dennitely not
wanting to tell you what is wrong.
clanger
drop a clanger (Brit) meter la pata
o 'You WOUldn't have thought that
Jimmy of all people would drop such a
clanger.'
~ Puede que esta expresion
~ provenga de la comparacion
~ entre un error obvio V
embarazoso con el ruido fuerte
~ (clang) que provoea un pesado
~ objeto metalico al caer.
clappers
like the clappers (Brit) como un
loco 0 What is it that ma/<es people run
like the clappers (or a train?
~ Clappersignifica "badajo".
claws
get your claws into someone
1 dominar a alguien 0 These people
had got their claws into him and he
didn't know howto get clear of them.
2 echar las garras a alguien oSadly
54 clean
for Jackie,Amanda got her claws into
Gavin first.
clean
clean as a whistle
1 impoluto o There are no scandals.
His private life is as clean as a whistle.
2 limpio como los charras del oro
(literal: limpio como un silbato) 0 It
leaves your face feeling clean as a
whistle but not bone-dry.
* come clean confesarlo todo 0 I had
expected herto come clean and confess
that she only wrote these books for the
money. But, no, she insists that she
takes them 01/ very seriously.
* squeaky clean impoluto oAs a
country-dweller mysel"I can truthFully
say that not 01/ people living in the
countryside are as squeaky clean as they
like to think.
~ Las superficies limpias a veces
rechinan (squeak) cuando las
limpias 0 las frotas.
cleaners
take someone to the cleaners dejar
a alguien sin blanca oJust for a
change, the insurers discovered that
they had been taken to the cleaners.
~ Esta Frase es una variante de la
~ expresi6n to clean someone out
("dejar limpio a a/guien"), la cual
~ se ha empleado desde el siglo XIX.
~ La gente dice que la "han limpiado"
(they have been cleaned out)
~ cuando han perdido todo su
~ dinero y sus objetos de valor, por
ejemplo a causa de un robo a de
una estafa.
clear
clear as a bell can toda claridad
(literal: claro como una campana)
o Her words, when she rna"y spoke,
were as clear as a bell.
clear as crystal mas claro que el
agua (literal: claro como el cristal)
91 read the instructions - they were as
clear as crystal.
clear as day mas claro que el sol
(literal: claro como el dfa) oSuddenly
she stepped out from behind a tree less
than ten yards from me. I saw her face
as clear as day.
clear as mud nada claro (literal:
claro como el barro) 0 'It's all written
down there! Self-explanatQryl Clearly:
'Clear as mUd. Even I can't understand
it, and I'm pretty smart.'
in the clear
1 fuera de toda sospecha 0 Their
possessions had not been searched so
they were not officially in the clear.
2 fuerade peligro oSheandher
husband underwent an agonising
48-hour wait for the results of tests
before discovering he was in the clear.
3 con ventaja 0 There was more
gloomy news for the Prime Minister in
an opinion poll yesterday which showed
the Conservative Partytive points in the
clear.
* steer clear evitar o Steer clear of
foods made from artircial preservatives.
clever
box clever (Brit) montarselo bien
o By boxing clever with your personal
tax allowances, you could save over
900 a year.
cloak
* cloak-andMdagger clandestino
o They met in classic cloak-and-dagger
style beside the la/(e in Stjames's Park,
both tossing snacks to the ducks.
Esta expresi6n proviene del
nombre de cierto tipo de obra
teatral espanola del siglo XVII,
en la que 105 personajes lIevaban
capa y combatfan can dagas
o con espadas.
clock
* round the clock 0
around the clock las veinticuatro
horas del dfa 0 Fire crews were
worl<ing round the clock to bring the
huge blazes under control.
* turn back the clock retroceder en el
tiempo 0 He said if he could turn back
the clock, he would act differently.
clockwork
* like clockwork
1 ala perfecci6n 0 Thejourney there
went like clockwork - (lying out on
Friday from Gatwick it too/( seven hours
door-to-door.
2 como un reloj 0 They would arrive
li/<e cloc/(worl<just before dawn.
clogs ..'
pop your clogs (Brit, familiar) estlrar
la pata 0 The kids want to know that
the person they're paying to see isn't
going to pop their clogs during the
performance.
Puede que esta expresi6n haga
~ referencia a un antiguo sentido
~ de pop, que significaba empenar
~ algo. los zuecos (clogs) solfan ser
~ el calzado habitual de personas
~ como los trabajadores de las
~ fabricas, especial mente en el
~ nortede Inglaterra.
close
* something is too close to call algo
esta muy igualado 0 The presidential
race is too close to call.
cloth
cut from the same cloth (sabre todo
Brit) cortado con el mismo patron
o London critics are a/l cut from the
same cloth: they are white, male,
middle-aged, middle-class and
un iversity-ed ucated.
cut your coat according to your
cloud 55
cloth (sobretodo Brit) adaptarse a
las drcunstancias (litera': cortar el
abrigo segun la tela) 0 It is up to
organizations which were supported by
the taxpayer to cut their coats according
to the cloth available.
have cloth ears (Brit) no escuchar
(litera': tener orejas de tela) 0 The
audience had been sitting there for two
hours with cloth ears.
made of whole cloth (EE UU) puro
invento 0 There are those who say that
story was made of whole cloth.
clothes
steal someone's clothes (Brit,
Periodismo) robarle la ideas a alguien
(literal: robarle la ropa a alguien)
o The Chancellor has tried to steal our
clothes but he has done it in a cheap and
shoddy way.
cloud
* every cloud has a silver lining
no hay mal que par bien no venga
(litera': todas las nubes tienen farro
de plata) oAs they say, every cloud has
a silver lining. If we hadn't missed the
plane, we would never have met you.
* on cloud nine en e! septimo cielo
(literal: en la nube nueve) 0 I never
expected to win, so I'm on cloud nine.
Probab!emente esta expresi6n
~ provenga de las categorfas
~ numeradas de nubes empleadas
~ porel servicio metereol6gico
~ estadounidense.la nube numero
~ nueve, el cumulonimbo, es la mas
~ alta y aparece a unos 30 mil pies.
~ A esta altura V mas arriba, las
~ nubes no estan formadas por
~ vapor de agua, sino par cristales
" de hielo.
* under a cloud bajo sospecha 0 He
was under a cloud after his men failed to
find wha had placed the bamb in the
a(fice.
56 clover
clover
in clover vivir a cuerpo de rey 0 For
the next ten days I was in clover atVicl<y
and Allen's house. They took me to all
the town's attractions and its
restaurants.
EI trebol (clover) es una planta que
suele (reeer en campos de hierba.
Se dice que a las vacas les gusta
pastaren campos en los que haya
muchos tnboJes.
club
join the club ya somas dos (literal:
hazte socia) 0 Confused? Thenjoin the
club.
clue
* not have"a clue (familiar) no tener
ni idea 0 I don't have a clue what will
happen now.
coach
drive a coach and horses through
something (sabre toda Brit) saltarse
alga a la torera (litera': conducir una
carroza y suscaballosa traves de
alga) 0 The judgment appeared to drive
a coach and horses through the Hague
agreement.
coalface
La palabra coa/face significa
"frente donde empieza la veta de
carbon" en una mina.
at the coalface (sabre todo Bnt) en el
frente 0 The key is to listen and learn
from those at the coa/face about how
improvements could be made.
coals
haul someone over the coals
(Brit) echarle una bronca a alguien
o I heard later that UncJeJim had been
hauled over the coals for not letting
anyone know where we were.
Puede que esta expresion haga
referenda a una costumbre
::: medieval para deddir si alguien
era un hereje. La persona en
!: cuestion era arrastrada sobre
\ carbones encendidos. Si marfa
quemada se la consideraba
culpable, pero si sobrevivfa se la
consideraba inocente.
rake over the coals (sabre todo Brit)
remover las cenizas 0 Let us not
waste time raking over the coals when
there is hard work to be done.
send coals to Newcastle Hevar lena
al monte (literal: enviar carbon a
Newcastle) o Sending food to that
region is like sending coals to
Newcastle. There is plentv offood,
the problem is the breakdown of the
distribution system.
La dudad de Newcastle fue el
principal centro minero de
Inglaterra durante mas de
150 alios.
coast
the coast is clear no hay moros en
la costa oMidge stepped aside,
nodding that the coast was clear, and
Lettie ran through the lobby and up the
main staircase.
Puede que esta expresion hag a
g referenda a los mensajes
enviados por contrabandistas
para decirqueno habfa
guardacostas en la zona V que
era seguro atracar 0 zarpar.
coat-tails
Coat-tails se suele escribir coattails
en ingles americana.'
* on the coat-tails of someone a la
sombradealguien oShewaslool<ing
forfame and glory on the coot-tails of
her husband.
Tailcoat significa "frac", mientras
que coat-tails son los faldones de
un frac.
cobwebs
bloW away the cobwebs despejar la
mente (literal: quitar las telarafias
[soplandoD 0 We have a cottage in the
Cotswolds, and getting back there atter
a few days in London really blows the
cobwebs away.
cock
a cock and bull story un cuento
chino (literal: una historia de gallos
y toros) 0 They'll be believed, no matter
what Idnd of a cocl< and bull story they
teli.
s puede que esta expresion
provenga de antiguas fabulas en
las que animales como los gallos y
los toros podfan hablar.
es posibfe que venga de los
nombres de posadas como The
Cock CEI Gallo") y The Buli CEI
Toro"), donde fa gente se reunfa e
intercambiaba historias y chistes.
cockles
warm the cockles of your heart
(anticuado) afegrar ef corazon
(literal: calentar los berberechos de
tu coraz6n) 0 In the bold black and
white setting, the sunny yellow color of
the house warmed the cockles of my
heart.
g Los berberechos estan asociados
al coraz6n porque tienen una
forma similar. EI nombre
zool6gico de los berberechos es
Cardium, queviene de fa pafabra
griega que significa "coraz6n".
coffee
wake up and smell the coffee abrir
los ojos (literal: despertar V oler el
cold 57
cafe) 0 It would really serve you well to
wake up and smell the coffee and quit
acting like a teenager!
coin
* the other side of the coin laotra
cara de la maned a 0 Of course, I get
lonely at times. But the other side of the
coin is the amazing freedom I have.
pay someone back in their own
coin pagar a afguien con la misma
moneda 0 We need to tell them that
if they don't actually cease their attacks
they could face the praspect afbeing
paid back in their own coin.
cold
catch someone cold (sabre todo Brit,
Periodismo) sorprender a alguien
o They maintained their two-point lead
at the top of the Third Division with a
29-14 win after Barrow had caught them
cold to lead 8-4 at the interval.
cold as ice frfo como e! hiefo
o He sat cold as ice through breakfast,
ignoring Claire's hand on his shoulder as
she passed his chair.
* come in from the cold resurgirdel
olvido 0 Over the past two years,
Swedish investors have come in from the
cold.
The Spy who Came in from the Cold
(EI espfa que surgi6 del frfo) es ef
tltufo de una novela del escritor
ingles John Le Carre pubficada en
1963.
* leave someone cold dejarfrfo a
alguien 0 Given the world situation,
chat about shopping and hairdos leaves
you cold.
* leave someone out in the cold
dejar a afguien al margen 0 The
developing countries must not be left
out in the cold in current world trade
talks.
when one person sneezes, another
catches cold (sabre todo Brit)
58 collar
cuanda algulen estornuda, atro se
resfrfa oAndwhen theAmerican
economy sneezes, the City of London
catches cold.
collar
hot under the collar enfurecido
(literal: con calor bajo el cuello)
o Judges are hot under the collar about
proposals to alter their pension
arrangements.
colour
C%urse escribe c%ren ingles
americana.
the colour of someone's money la
pasta de alguien 0 He madea mental
note never"to enter into conversation
with a customer until he'd at least seen
the colour of his money.
colours
Colours se escribe colors en ingles
americana. Los colores de un
barco son su bandera nacional.
nail your colours to the mast
1 (Brit, Periodisma) dejarclara tu
postura 0 Let me nail my colours to
the mast straightaway. I both like and
admire him immensely.
2 (Brit, Period/sma) declarar
abiertamente tu apoyo 0 In the
Thatcher years, the young MP nailed his
colours to MrsT's mast more firmly
than many.
~ Los buques de guerra solfan
~ arriar la bandera (their colours)
~ para mostrar que se rend!an.
~ A veces la bandera estaba clavada
~ al mastil como sefial de que los
~ marinos combatirfan hasta el
~ final.
sail under false colours engafiar a
la gente 0 This report sails under(alse
colours. The author had reached his
basic conclusions long before he even
b.egan gathering any (resh evidence.
~ Cuando los barcos piratas
g divisaban un barco cargado con
~ un tesoro, a menudo arriaban su
~ bandera e izaban la bandera de
una naci6n amiga a fin de poder
~ acercarse al barco 10 s,uficiente
como para atacarlo.
* see someone in theirtrue colours
ver la verdadera cara de a!guien
o When my boyfriend was involved in.a
road rage incident it was as i(l was
seeing him in his true colours (or the
first time.
~ Cuando un barco pirata se
~ acercaba a otro barco cargado
~ con un tesoro tras navegar con
~ una bandera falsa (sailing under
~ (a/sec%urs), el barco pirata
revelaba su identidad izando su
~ bandera autentica.
* with flying colours con exito
o If that was the best Morgan could
throw at her, she was going to come out
o(this with nying colours.
~ Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
~ un buque de guerra victorioso que
vuelve al puerto can su bandera
~ nacional izada.
* pass something with flying colours' ,
aprobar algo con muy buena nota
o She thought she was on a (ast tracl< to
a goodjob as a medical assistant when
she passed the entrance exam with
nying colors.
comb
with a fine-tooth comb 0
with a fine-toothed comb a fondo
(literal: con un peine de puas finas)
o I have taken the responsibility of
going through Ed's personal papers and
letters with a fine-tooth comb.
Los peines de puas finas se usan
para sacarle a alguien las liendres
y los piojos del pelo.
come
* come out fighting lanzarse a la
batalla 0 The crude oil producers have
come out fighting, claiming the West is
using environmental issues as a way of
cutting back on oil.
~ SI un boxeador se lanza al
g combate (comes out fighting), sale
~ de su esquina nada mas sonar la
~ campana y ataca de inmediato a
~ su contrincante.
where someone is coming from
las razones de alguien 0 I do see
where he's coming (rom - as a company,
we're not great at innovation.
comfort
* cold comfort poco consuelo
o beco/dcom(ort noservirdemucho
consuela 0 Finding out more about
this disease can be cold comfort, as no
cure and virtually no treatment are
available.
commas
* in inverted commas (Brit, hob/ado)
entrecomi!!as 050, in what sense do
you see the students as disadvantaged,
in inverted commas?
common
common as muck (Brit,o(ensivo) de
10 mas ordinaria (literal: ordinario
como la mugre) 0 Learyguessed
correctly that his guests were as
common as muck and planned the
menu accordingly.
concrete
set in concrete escrito en piedra
(literal: endurecido en hormigon)
o With expenditure plans now set in
concrete (or three years, slower growth
cool 59
would mean highertaxes.
converted
preach to the converted querer
convertir a los queya 10 estan
o While I was encouraged by the
positive receptions we had received in
August I was essentially preaching to
the converted then.
~ Los conversos (the converted) son
~ aquellas personas que se han
~ convertido al cristianismo.
cookie
be caught with your hand in the
cookie jar (sabre todo EE UU) ser
plllado con !as manos en la masa
(literal: ser pi/lado con la mano
dentro del tarro de !as gal/etas)
o The banker had been caught with his
hand in thecooldejar. Had my client not
been aggressive he would have lost
35,000 dollars.
a smart cookie un chico listo oAs
soon as movie film had been invented,
around 1890, smart cookies started
thinking about how to accompany
pictures with sound.
that's the way the cookie crumbles
as! es la vida (literal: asf se
desmenuza la gal/eta) 0 Even after
he (ailed, he didn't give up. That's the
way the coo/de crumbles,' he said.
a tough cookie un tfo duro 0 Behind
that sweet smile, there lies one tough
coo/de.
cooks
too many cooks 0
too many cooks spoil the broth
demasiadas cocineras estropean el
caldo 050 (ar nothing had worked. It
was simply a case of too many cooks.
cool
cool asa cucumber mas fresco que
una lechuga (literal: fresco como un
60 COOp
pepina) 0 Neveronce did she gasp for
air or mop her brow. She was as cool as
a cucumber.
'* keep your cool no perderla calma
o The manager has kept the pressure off
the players by keeping his cool and it
has paid off
* lose your cool perderlacalma
oAt this I last my cool and shouted '(or
goodness sake, stopi'
coop
La palabra coop quiere decir
"gal!inero". En Estados Unidos
tambien es un terminG arg6tico
que significa "c,3rcel",
fly the coop tamar las de
Villadiego (litera': salk volando del
gallinero) 0 It should be a proud
moment when a senior stylist nies the
coop to set up in Q salon of his or her
own.

En el argot de principios del
siglo xx, cop significaba "valor" 0
"usa",
not be much cop (Brit, familiar) no
ser gran (osa 0 She looked round the
big room: 'there's no one here but us,
this place can't be much cop.'
copybook
blot your copybook (Brit) manchar
tu reputaci6n {litera': manchar el
(uaderno) 0 I'm proud of my family
heritage and I don't want to blot my
copybook
Anos atras, los escolares tenran
"cuadernos de escritura"
(copybooks). En estos cuadernos
habra ejemplos de palabras
escritas, con espacios en blanco
para que los ninos las copiaran.
cord
cut the umbilical cord 0
; t'ut the cord soltar amarras (literal:
t cortarel cord6n umbilical)
\ 0 I'll never forget all you've done for me,
but it's time to cut the umbilical cord.
I want you to go away. I need time alone
to think.
core
* to the core hasta los tuetanos
o Frank, a professional to the core, had
nodded his approval.
* shocked to the core
profundamente afectado 0 Father
Carney said the community was
shoc/(ed to the core.
corn
earn your corn (Brit) hacer por
merecer (litera': ganarse los
cereales) 0 The back four got us
through the match. They earned their
corn against Middlesbrough and that's
why we came offwith a win.
corner
* fight your corner (Brit) defendertu
posici6n 0 The future of Britain lies in
the EU and we must fight our corner
from within using honest and
intelligent arguments.
g En un combate de boxeo, a cada
boxeador se Ie adjudica una
esquina del cuadrilatero. Los
g boxeadores vuelven a sus
respectivas esquinas aJ final de
cada asalto.
* in a tight corner 0
in a corner en un aprieto 0 I was
horrified at what I had done and knew I
was in a tight corner and-that
everything depended upon my keeping
my head.
in your corner de tu lado 0 Harry
and I were encouraged. We felt we
already had Bob in our corner.
En un combate de boxeo, los
entrenadores y sus ayudantes van
a las esquinas de los boxeadores
entre asaltos para animarlos y
ofrecerJes ayuda.
* just around the corner ala vuelta
de la esquina 0 With summerjust
around the corner, there couldn't be a
better time to treat your home to a
bright new look.
paint yourself into a corner 0
box yourself into a corner meterse
en una situaci6n comprometida
o I've been watching her these last few
years. She's painted herselfinto a
corner. She is trapped.
oS Cuando alguien esta pintando
el suelo, si acaba en una esquina
de la habitaci6n rodeado de
partes pintadas se dice
que dicha persona has painted
himselF 0 herselfinto a corner.
g La expresi6n box vourselfinto a
cornerse refiere a un boxeador
que acaba en una esquina del
cuadrilatero sin posibilidad de
3 escapar.
turn the corner empezar a mejorar
oAt last, Joe turned the corner.
corners
* cut corners ahorrar esfuerzos
o Don't try to cut any corners as you'll
only be mal(ing wor/< for yourself later
on.
four corners of the world 0
four corners of the Earth todos los
rincones de la tierra oA foreign
correspondent makes friends in all four
corners of the world.
cost
* count the cost (sobretodo Brit)
evaluar los danos 0 The government
is today counting the political cost of
the dispute which has already prompted
country 61
the resignation of one government
minister.
couch
"* a couch potato un teleadicto
(literal: una patata en el sofa)
o In fact, we sit, like a pair Of couch
potatoes in front of television, and
watch her eat.
count
Las expresiones siguientes se
refieren a la pa!abra count
("cuenta") en el boxeo. Cuando
un boxeador noquea a otro, este
ultimo pierde el combate si no se
levanta antes de que el arbitro
acabe de contar hasta diez.
down forthe count (sabre todo
EE UU) fuera de combate 0 Without
this business, our little town was down
forthe count.
out for the count fUera de combate
oAt 10.30am he was still out for the
count after another night disturbed by
the crying baby.
counter
under the counter (sobretodo Brit)
bajo mano oMostofthetrading was
done under the counter, through some
form of black-market barter.
En Gran Bretana, durante la
Segunda Guerra Mundial, los
tenderos a veces guardaban los
g artfculos mas solicitados bajo el
mostradorde la tienda. Solo los
vendian a clientes especiaies, ya
3 menudo los cobra ban muy carDs.
country
* go to the country (Brit) convocar
elecciones generales 0 The Prime
Minister is about to call a snap election
even though he doesn't have to go to the
country for another year.
62 courage
courage
Dutch courage (sabre toda Brit) la
osadfa del alcohol (litera': el valor de
los holandeses) 0 The survey also
noted how some performers used a little
Dutch courage to overcome inhibitions.
~ Antiguamente los holandeses
~ ten fan fama de beber mucho
alcohol.
course
* on course for something bien
encaminado para algo 0 We're well
on course for a victory in a general
election.
* run its course 0
take its course seguir su cursa
o The real recovery for the auto industry
won't come until the recession runs its
course.
* stay the course aguantar hasta el
final 0 In Canada, where the infantry is
open to women, very few have stayed
the course.
court
* hold court ser el centro de la
atenci6n oShe used to hold court in
the college canteen with a host of
admirers who hung on her every word.
~ En esta expresi6n !a palabra court
~ significa "corte" (de un soberano).
he was laughed out of court se
rieron de e! 0 When one London
architect suggested a similar idea to a
British developer he was laughed out of
court.
~ Si un demandante ha perdido e!
~ derecho a ser escuchado en un
~ tribuna!sedicequeestaoutof
court.
rule something out of court (sabre
todo Brit) descartar algo por
completo 0 I was going to start
studying medicine in September but
then in August I caught polio which
Ilearl y ruled it out of court.
<1:oventry
. .
l send someone to Coventry (Bnt)
haeer el vado a alguien (literal:
mandar a alguien a Coventry)
o There is a strong feeling of hostility
towards his decision. He has been sent
to Coventry.
Esta expresi6n tiene varios
~ orfgenes posibles. Du'rante la
~ Guerra Civil inglesa, los
~ prisioneros monarquieos de
Birmingham eran enviados a fa
~ carcel en Coventry. Segun otra
~ version, los ciudadanos de
~ Coventry detestaban tanto a los
~ soldados que se negaban a
dirigirle la palabra a eualquier
~ mujerquefuera vista hablando
~ con uno de ellos. Por
~ eonsiguiente, a los soldados no
~ les gustaba que los enviaran a
Coventry.
cover
coveryourback eubrirse las
espaldas 0 "Perhaps the greatest
singer of his generation." A well-placed
"perhaps" always covers your back.
cow
have a cow (EE UU,(amiliar)
eabrearse 0 Don't tell Dad; he'll havea
cow ifhe ever finds out.
a sacred cow una vaea sagrada
o The trade unions were, perhaps, the
greatest sacred cow in British politics
during thelg60s and early 1970S.
En la religion hind(i'las vacas se
consideran animales sagrados.
cows
until the cows come home euando
las ranas erfen pelo (literal: cuando
las vacas vengan a casa) 0 Your child
will enjoy this lively tape until the cows
come home!
La forma comp!eta de esta
expresion es until the cows come
~ home unbidden Chasta que las
vaeas vuelvan a casa par su propia
voluntad").
crack
atthecrackofdawn al romperel
alba o He was scheduled toget up at
the cracl< of dawn for an interview on
'Good Morning America'.
* have a crack at something intentar
alga 0 I've decided now to have a cracl<
at the world cross country race.
cracked
* not all it's cracked up to be no tan
bueno como 10 pintan 0 Package
holidays are not always all they're
cracked up to be.
cracking
get cracking (familiar) poner manes
ala obra 0 I realised that if we got
cracldng, we could make the last 700
miles to St Lucia within our deadline.
cracks
fall through the cracks a
slip through the cracks (sabre todo
EE UU) colarse per las rendijas 0 This
family slipped through the cracks in the
system so they are not eligible for aid.
* paper over the cracks (sabre
todo Brit) disimular [as grietas
oAccepting the minister's resignation
will only serve to paper over the cracks
of a much more serious rift.
cradle
it's cradle snatching (Brit) eso es
ser un/una asa[tacunas 0 His uncle
said: 'His dad and I just can't believe it.
The woman is even older than his
creek 63
mother. It's cradle snatching.'
from the cradle to the grave desde
e! nacimiento hasta [a muerte
(litera': desde!a cuna hasta la
tumba) 0 The health service is said to
provide for every emergency from the
cradle to the grave.
rob the cradle (EE UU) asa[tar
cunas 0 'I'll always be younger,' he said,
'and there'll always be those who might
accuse you of robbing the cradle.'
crash
crash and burn fracasar
estrepitosamente o Stress can cause
over-achievers to crash and burn, and
they can end up suffering from
emotional disorders.
~ Puede que esta expresion haga
~ referencia a un avi6n que se
ineendia tras estre[[arse.
crazy
crazy as a bedbug (EE UU, familiar)
loco de atar (literal: mas loco que un
ehinche) 0 By now she'd concluded
that Skolnick was crazy as a bedbug.
cream
the cream of the crop [0 mejorde
[0 mejor 0 ThefirstMidlands media
degree show features the cream of the
crop of this year's graduates in
photography, film, and video.
creature
creature comforts comodidades
o Each room has its own patio or
balcony and provides guests with all
modern creature comforts.
E. Un antiguo significado de [a
~ palabra creatures es "comodidades".
creek
up the creek 0
up the creek without a paddle
(familiar) en un 110 (literal: riachue[o
64 crest
arriba sin remo) 0 We're up the cree/<
because we don't know where to go
(rom here.
crest
on the crest of a wave en la cresta
de la ala 0 They are on the crest Of a
wave, winning games even when they
don't ploy wel/.
cricket
it's not cricket (Brit, anticuado) es
juego sucio (literal: no es criquet)
o The banI< puts thousands oFpounds a
year into cricket - yet their treatment Of
staff is deffnitely not cric/<et.
EI (riquet se suele asociar a
valores como eljuego limpioy el
s respeto por los demas jugadores.
crisp
burned to a crisp chamuscado
o Customers who insist on having their
food burnt to a crisp should get itthat
way.
critical
go critical a1canzar el punta (rftieo
o The programme confirmed its initial
impact in wee/< two, and really 'went
critical' with the third edition on 8
December.
crocodile
shed crocodile tears derramar
lagrimas de cocodrilo 0 He shed a lot
Of crocodile tears. He described the
wrecking of the coal industry as 'a
dreadful thing to have to do'.
Segun una antigua creencia, los
cocodrilos suspiraban y gem ran
para atraer a su presa, y lIoraban
mientras se la comfan.
cropper
* come a cropper (sobre todo Brit)
1 lIevarse una buena plancha 0 Scott
must concentrate on learning his new
trade. He will come a cropper ifhe
thinks he Iwows it al/ before he starts.
2 darse un batacazo 0 Marco nearly
came a cropper just before the rnish
when hejust pulled his bike clear of a
policeman by a crash barrier.
g Puede que la palabra cropper
venga de la expresi6n. to fall neck
and crop, que significa caer
pesadamente. Crop significa
"buche" (de un pajaro).
cross
a cross to bear una cruz que hay
que cargar 0 'My children are much
cleverer than me, it is a cross I have to
bear,' he quips at one point in the
interview.
crossfire
caught in the crossfire en medio
del fuego cruzado 0 Teachers say they
are caught in the crossrre between the
education establishment and the
Government.
Esta expresi6n se usa mas a
s menudo en su sentido literal.
crow
as the crow flies en linea recta
(literal: como vuela la corneja)
oAlthough not distant as the crow
nies from Tehran, this mountainous
area has always been and still is
remote.
Antiguamente se crera que los
cuervos siempre volaban hacia su
destino por la ruta mas directa
posible. La expresi6n makea
beeline esta basada en una idea
similar.
eat crow (sabre todo EE UU) tragarse '
uno sus palabras 0 But by the end of
the year, Sarre showed he was willing to
eat crow. His rrstjudgments of
Watergate, he wrote, had been 'really
wrong'.
Se dice que esta expresi6n esta
relacionada con un incidente
sucedido durante la guerra
angloamericana de 1812-1814. Un
soldado americana que entr6
g accidental mente en una zona
ocupada por los britanicos fue
enganado para que entregara su
arma. A continuaci6n un oficial
britanico 10 ob/ig6 a comer un
trozo de un cuervo que habra
cazado. Cuando Ie devolvieron el
arma, el soldado ob/ig6 al oficia!
britanico a comerse el resto del
pajaro.
crunch
* when/if it comes to the crunch
cuando/si lIega el momenta de [a
verdad 0 Ifft comes to the crunch, I'll
resign over this.
La palabra crunch ("crujido") se
usa para imitarel sonido quese
produce al aplastar, rompero
comer algo duro.
crust
crust (of bread) significa
"mendrugo".
earn a crust (Brit) ganarse el pan
o In his early days, he would do almost
anything to earn a crust from the sport.
cry
* a far cry from something poco
que ver con algo 0 It isn't a perfect
democracy, but it's a far cry from the
authoritarian rule of only a few years
ago.
in full cry (sobretodo Brit) a todo
vapor 0 We hod lett four orrve people
back in the bar where a Sunday
/unchtimejazz band was in full cry.
cupboard 65
Esta expresi6n hace referencia al
sonido que produce unajaurfa
cuando los perros ven al animal
al que persiguen.
cudgels
take up the cudgels salir en defensa
o The trade unions took up the cudgels
forthe367 staf(who were made
redundant.
La palabra cudgel significa "porra".
cuff
* improvisado 0 The
singer offered an apology last night,
sqying: 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean any
offence. It was a nippant, off-the-cuff
remark.'
Una posible explicaci6n de
esta expresi6n es que los que
pronunciaban discursos tras una
cena solfan escribirse notas en los
pufios de la camisa para recordar
10 que iban a decir. Otra
explicaci6n es que en los primeros
tiempos del cine los directores a
veces se escribfan notas en los
punos de la camisa durante la
flImaci6n de una escena, para
acordarse despues de 10 que
querfan decirles a los actores.
cup
* something is not your cup of tea
alga no te va (literal: alga no es tu
taza de te) 0 It's no secret that I've
never been the greatest traveller. Sitting
for hours on motorways is not my cup of
tea.
cupboard
cupboard love (Brit) amor
interesado 0 'Cupboard love: she
accused, freeing her an/des of the cat.
'You'd agree with anyone who could
open the fridge or coo/<er.'
66 curate
Cupboard significa "armaria", y!os
~ armarios a menudo conti en en
~ comida 0 alguna otra (osa que
~ pudieran quererun nino 0 un
~ animal.
curate
a curate's egg (Brit) alga con su lado
buena y su lado malo 0 Wasserman's .
collection or duets with famous friends
is something of a curate's egg.
~ La palabra curate significa
~ "coadjutor", 0 eclesiastico
~ anglicano que ayuda al parroCD 0
~ al rector de una parroquia. Una
~ famasa vineta c6rnica publicada
~ en la revista britanica Punch
~ muestra a un coadjutor
~ desayunando con un clerigo
~ importante.AI coadjutor Ie han
~ servido un huevo en mal estado,
~ pero con tal de no ofender a nadie
~ dice que es "buena en parte".
curiosity
curiosity killed the cat fa curiosidad
mata al hombre (literal: la
curiosidad mato al gato) 0 'Where
are we going?' Calder asked. 'Curiosity
killed the cat, dear. You'l! find out soon
enough.'
curtain
Eisignificado literal de curtain es
"telon".
* bring the curtain down on
something poner punto final a algo
o Richardson brings the curtain down
on one of the most amazing managerial
careers of all-timethis weekend.
curtains
it's curtains es el fin 0 If the vote is
yes, it's curtains for us. A way Of life will
disappear.
En esta expresion, la palabra
~ curtains hace referencia al telon
! . ~ de un teatro.
durve
throw someone a curve ball (sabre
todo EE UU) cogera alguien
desprevenido 0 Our plan is to go into
the winter with our reservoirs full,just
in case Mother Nature throws us a
curve ball next spring.
~ En el beisbol, el compuesto curve
~ ballse refiere a una pelota que
~ traza una curva en el aire en lugar
~ de viajar en linea recta.
cut
* a cut above the rest par encima del
resto 0 Smith's detective stories are
generally agreed to be a cut above the
rest.
* cut and dried nftido 0 Now, this
situation is not as cut and dried as it
mayseem.
Una posible explicacion de esta
~ expresion es que se refiere a
, ~ madera cortada y secada que esta
~ lista para usarse. Tambien podrfa
~ referirse a hierbas cosec had as y
secadas para usos culinarios 0
3 medicinales.
cut and run largarse 0 He had an
unfortunate tendency to cut and run
when things didn't go his way.
Antiguamente, las anclas de los
barcos lban sUjetas con cuerdas.
51 atacaban a un buque de guerra,
en lugarde perdertiempo izando
~ el ancla, sus marineros a veces
~ cortaban la cuerda._
* the cut and thrust (Brit) el toma y
daca 0 Why does he want to go back
into the cut and thrust of business at
an age when most men are happily
retired?
be cut out for something no
tener 10 necesario para alga
oAs you'll have gathered, I lett
medicine anyway. I wasn't really cut
out for it.
someone cannot cut it alguien no
esta a la altura oMany managers
can't cut it at the highest level.
cylinders 67
cylinders
* fire on all cylinders emplearse a
fonda (litera': usar todos los
cilindros) 0 I saw her a few weel(s ago
and she was pring on all cylinders.
I don't thin/( she would know what to
do with herselnf she didn't work.
Esta expresion se refiere a los
~ cilindros de un motor, que suelen
~ ser cuatro.
PubHh:oa
dab

A finales del siglo XVII, dab
significaba "inteligente" 0 "habi!".
* a dab hand at something (Brit) un
hacha para alga aShe's an avid reader
and a dab hand at salving dimwit
crossword puzzles.
daft
daft as a brush (Brit) mas tonto que
Abundio (literal: mas tonto que un
cepillo) oShe was as daft as Q brush,
and never said anything sensible.
Puede que esta expresi6n venga
de la Frase as soft as a brush, ya que
tanto soft como daft pueden
significar"estupido". Tambien es
posible que provenga de otra
expresion mas larga, as daft as a
brush without bristles. (Bristles
significa "cerdas".)
daggers
at daggers drawn (Brit) a matar
(literal: con las dagas
desenfundadas) 0 The couple have
been at daggers drawn since they
separated six months ago.
look daggers at someone (litera rio)
fulminar a alguien con la mirada
a He looked daggers at Mary as ifit had
al/ been her fault.
daisies
pushing up the daisies criando
malvas (literal: brotando
margaritas) a That was the last time I
saw the old rogue. I can only assume
he's either in prison or pushing up the
daisies.
damper
* puta damper on something aguar
alga (literal: poner una sordina a
algo) aThecoldweatherputadamper
on our picnic.
Esta expresi6n puede referirse
a cualquiera de estos dos
significados de damper: 0 bien
"sardina" (de un piano) a
"reguladorde tiro" (de una
chimenea).
dance
lead someone a merry dance
(Brit) traer loco a alguien a When I
tried to rnd out who was in charge,
they Jed me a merry dance, sending
me from one department to another
before I found the right person to
talk to.
dark
* be in the dark about something
no saber nada sabre alga (literal:
estar en la oscuridad sabre alga)
a The sooner we can rnd out what has
happened, the better for ai/ of us. But at
the moment I'm in the dark.
keep something dark ocultar alga
(literal: mantener alga oscuro)
aShe took pleasure in keeping dark the
identity of her new boyfriend.
a leap in the dark (Brit) un saito al
vado (literal: un saito a la oscuridad)
o The couple have taken a leap in the
dark, selling their home in London and
buying 10 acres of land in the coun.try.
a shot in the dark un palo de clego
(literal: un disparo en la
o It was just a shot in the darl< but It
was the right answer.
whistle in the dark disimularel
miedo (literal: silbar en la oscuridad)
oMaggie started telling jokes, trying to
keep up everyone's spirits, but we al/
knew she wasjust whistling in the dark.
dash
cut a dash (sobre todo Brit) destacar
o The handsome bridegroom cut a dash
in an elegant suit with a patterned
waistcoat.
date
* past your sell-by date (Brit)
anticuado 0 This type of TV
programme is well past its sell-by date.
s Sell-by date significa "fecha de
caducidad" (de un alimento).
dawn
* a false dawn (sabre todo Brit,
Periodismo) un espejismo (literal: un
falso amanecer) 0 National elections
are scheduled for next year, but this
country has seen many false dawns
before. Is it really heading for democracy
and peace this time?
day
at the end of the day (hab/ado) al
final oAt the end of the day, it's the
Germans who will decide.
* call itaday
1 abandonar 01 searched for the cat
for hours but I had to call it a day when
darkness fell.
2 colgar las botas 0 It's no secret I
want his job when he calls it a day.
day 69
* carry the day (Periodismo)
conseguir la victoria 0 DrMead's
argument carried the day.
Esta expresi6n se usaba
original mente para decir que
ejercito habfa ganado una batalla.
the day of reckoning el dfa de
ajustar cuentas (literal: dfa de! Juicio
Final) 0 The president has broken many
laws, and his day ofrec/wning is
approaching.
don't give up the day job sera
mejor que te dediques a otra cosa
(literal: no dejes tu trabajo de todos
los dfas) 0 I started my business in the
middle of a recession. People thought I
was mad and said: 'Don't give up the
day job.'
* late in the day tarde o She feels that
it is too late in the day for him to start
behaving like a loving husband.
make my day alegrame el dfa
o "Do you wanta rght?" - "Go ahead.
Make my day."
En la pelfculaSudden Impact
(lmpactosubito, 1983) Harry, un
polida interpretado porc/int
Eastwood, usa esta expresi6n
@ para desafiar a un delincuente
2 que amenaza con dispararle.
* make someone's day alegrarle el
dfa a alguien 0 Make your Mum a
special card and tell her that you love
her. It will make her day.
put off the evil day (Brit) retrasar 10
inevitable 0 You're putting off the evil
day when the patient's going to die.
save for a rainy day ahorrar para e!
tiempo de vacas flacas (literal:
ahorrar para un dfa lIuvioso)
o Saving for a rainy day and paying Off
debts is now a top priority for families.
seize the day aprovecha el
momenta 0 Don't waste your life.
Seize the day.
70 daylight
~ Esta es una posible traducci6n de
~ la frase latina "carpe diem",
* someone has had their day alguien
ha pasado de mod a 0 He's done well
but, at 60, he has had his day.
something is all in a day's work
alga son gajes del oficio 0 For war
reporters, dodging snipers' bullets is all
in a day's wor/<.
daylight
* do something in broad daylight
hacer alga a plena luz del dfa 0 The
paintings - valued at $20 million - were
stolen in broad daylight by armed men,
DS some (orty visitors looked on.
daylights
beat the living daylights out of
someone dar una paliza tremenda a
alguien 0 The two men were beating
the living daylights out of each other.
o He enjoys the money and the (arne but
his true pleasure comes from walking on
to a golf course and beating the living
daylights out Of everyone else.
~ En esta expresi6n, puede que la
~ palabra daylights guarde relaci6n
~ con la antigua amenaza de "hacer
~ que la luz del dfa brille a traves de
~ alguien" (make daylight shine
~ through someone) al apunalarlo 0
~ dispararle. Tambien podrfa estar
~ relacionada con un antiguo
~ significado de daylights que hace
referencia a los ojos 0 a los
~ 6rganos internes de una persona.
~ 51 dicha persona recibe una
~ paliza, sus daylights dejarfan de
~ funcionar.
scare the living daylights out of
someone dar un susto de muerte
a alguien 0 You scared the living
daylights aut o(me last night. All that
screaming.
days
* it's early days (Brit) todavfa es
; pronto oMaybe in time they will be
t friends again, but it's very early days.
*] someone's days are numbered
alguien tiene 105 dfas contados
oAs rebels advanced on the capitdl it
became clear that the President's days
in power were numbered.
something has seen better days
algo ya no vale 10 que antes 0 There
was an old brass double bed with a
mattress that had seen better days.
dead
come back from the dead resucitar
o I could not believe I had done it. I had
come back from the dead and my career
had survived the ultimate test.
cut someone dead (Brit) hacer el
vado a alguien 01 said 'Good morning'
to my neighbour but she just cut me
dead, and wall<ed past me as though I
did not exist.
dead as a dodo (Brit) mas muerto
que mi abuela (literal: mas
muerto que un dodo) 0 Thenoppy
disk is an invention that is now as dead
as a dodo.
~ El dodo era un gran pajaro no
~ volador que vivfa en las islas
~ Mauricio y Reuni6n. 5e extingui6
~ a finales del siglo XVII como
~ consecuencia de la caza y de la
~ destrucci6n de sus nidos por
~ parte de 105 colonizadores de las
~ islas.
dead as a doornail mas muerto que
mi abuela (literal: mas muerto que
el clava de una puerta) a In 1964,
people said the Republican Party was
dead as a doornail.
No se sa be a que se refiere aquf
exactamente la palabra doornail.
En la epoca medieval, puede que
fuera la placa de una puerta que
se golpeaba con la aldaba. 5e
crera que algo que era golpeado
tan a menudo deberra estar
muerto. Porotra parte, puede
que doornail haga referencia a los
clavos gruesos davados en las
puertas exteriores. No queda
daro por que se describirfa a
dichos clavos como "muertos",
a dead.
drop dead irse al cuerno (literal:
caerse muerto) 0 Richard told me to
drop dead.
* drop-dead gorgeous (familiar)
guapfsimo a She's funny, Idnd, clever
- and drop-dead gorgeous.
knock 'em dead (familiar) dejalos de
piedra 0 Just 1001< 'em in the eye and
Imocl< 'em dead!
~ La palabra 'em es una forma
abreviada dethem usada en ingles
informal 0 no estandar.
* he WOUldn't be seen dead in a
baseball cap no se pondrfa una
gorra de beisbol ni borracho
o Vincent wouldn't be seen dead in a
pair of trainers and a baseball cap.
deaf
deaf as a post (anticuado) mas
sordo que una tapia (litera': mas sardo
que un poste) oMyfatherisdeafas
a post.
deal
a done deal cosa hecha
a The takeover proposal, however;
is not a done deal as the company's
shareholders must first approve the
plan.
* get a raw deal ser tratado
injustamente a We must ask why
bank customers get such a raw deal.
And then find ways to make sure they
get treated fairly in future.
death 7'
Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a recibir una mana mala en
unjuego de naipes.
death
a death blow un golpe mortal
o They warned that the incidents would
be a death blow to the Middle East
peace process.
at death's door a las puertas de la
muerte 0 He has won five golf
competitions in three months, a year
after being at death's door.
* bored/scared/worried to death
muerto de aburrimientojde miedo/
de preocupacion aShe was scared to
death that he would leave her.
dice with death (Brit) jugarse la
vida 0 In their daily lives, fishermen are
constantly dicing with death.
~ To dice significa "jugar a los dad 05".
* fight to the death to do something
luchar a muerte por hacer alga
0'1 will fight to the death to win-
whatever it takes.
hold onto something like grim
death (sobre todo Brit) agarrarse
firmemente a algo 0 I clung to the
chain like grim death.
a living death una muerte en vida
o For nearly four years he has been in a
coma, kept alive by medical equipment,
but trapped in what one doctor
described as a 'living death'.
look like death warmed up (Brit) 0
look like death warmed over (EE UU)
estar muy demacrado (litera':
parecer la muerte recalentada)
o You were looking like death warmed
up, but you seem a lot better now.
* sign someone's or something's
death warrant firmar la sentencia
de muerte de alguien 0 algo a The
company's ~ a w e d business strategy has
signed the death warrants for
thausands a(jobs.
72 deck
deck
Deck significa normal mente
"cubierta" (de un barco), 0, en
ingles americana, "terraza
entarimada".
all hands on deck (sobre toda Brit)
todos manos a la obra 0 We had less
than three weeks to organize the
wedding, so it was all hands on deck
~ A los miembros de la tripulaci6n
g de los barcos a veces se les llama
~ hands, mientras que deck significa
"cubierta".
hit the deck caer al sue[o 0 When we
heard the sound of gunfire, we hit the
deck and covered our heads with our
hands.
not play with a full deck esconder
alga (litera': nojugarcon una baraja
completa) 0 This guy is either very
clever or he's not playing with a full
deck.
decks
* dear the decks despejar el terreno
(literal; despejar las cubiertas)
o Clear the decks before you think of
taking on any more responsibilities.
~ Antiguamente, todos los objetos
innecesarios se sacaban de las
~ cubiertas de los barcos de guerra
~ antes de una batalia para que la
~ tripulacion tuviera mas espacio
'" para moverse.
deep
* run deep estar profundamente
arraigado oMy allegiance to Kendall
and his company ran deep.
degree
give someone the third degree
(familiar) interrogar agresivamente
a alguien oMy girlfriend gives me the
third degree every time I go out without
her. She wants to know where I've been
and who I've spoken to.
qe'molition
~ do a demolition job on someone
\ (Brit, Periodismo) hacer trizas a
alguien 0 In his speech, Cool< did a
demolition job on the prime minister's
strategy.
dent
* make a dent in something tener
impacto en algo 0 Theaveragefamily
in Britain spends flOD a week on food,
which makes a big dent in the
household budget.
department
something is not your department
algo no es tu campo (literal: algo no
es tu departamento) 0 The po/itical
issues are something else, but that's not
really my department.
depth
* out of your depth perdido 0 When I
nrst started my new job, I relt out army
depth, but now I love it.
Esta expresion se refiere a alguien
~ que esta en aguas profundas
~ pero que 0 bien no sa be nadar
~ demasiado bien, 0 no sa be nadar
~ en absoluto,
depths
plumb the depths
1 sumergirse en las profundidades
o 'This crime plumbs the very depths of
the abyss into which it is possible for
the human spirit to sink,' thejudge
said.
2 penetrar en las profundidades
o In his writings Shakespeare plumbed
the depths o(human psychology.
3 hundirse oTheyrrequentlyplumb
the depths of loneliness, humiliation
and despair.
Estas expresiones estan
relacionadas con la navegacion
en otros tiempos. Cuando un
barco se halJaba en aguas poco
profundas, uno de los marineros
comprobaba la profundidad del
agua lanzando por la borda un
trozo de plo'mo (denominado
plumb) sujeto a una cuerda.La
expresion swing the lead tam bien
se refiere a esta costumbre.
deserts
Deserts es una palabra anticuada
que significa "recompensa" 0
"castigo" merecidos, La palabra
deserts esta relacionada con el
verbo deserve C"merecer") y se
pronuncia acentuando la
segunda sflaba,
* get your just deserts Ilevarte tu
merecido oSome people felt sympathy
(orthe humbled superstar. Others relt
she was getting her just deserts for
years of outrageous behaviour.
designs
have designs on someone/
something tener las miras puestas
en a/guien/a/go 0 He had a reeling
that Francine had designs on him.
o He has designs on the top job at the
company.
devices
* leave someone to their own
devices
1 dejarque alguien haga 10 que Ie de
la gana 0 Ifleftto my own devices, I
would eat a chocolate dessert every
night.
2 dejarque alguien se las arregle
solo 0 He was more mature than the
others, having been left to his own
devices after his motherwall<ed out on
the family when he was just 12.
diamond 73
Uno de los antiguos significados
de la palabra device era "deseo" 0
"voluntad".
devil
be between the devil and the deep
blue sea (sobre todo Brit) estar entre
la espada y la' pared (literal: estar
entre el diablo yel mar azul
profundo) 0 We are between the devil
and the deep blue sea: if we pay our
rent, we won't have any money for food.
Esta expresion tiene su origen en
Iii navegacion y no en la religion.
No esta claro a que se referfa
exactamente la palabra devil, pero
cree que era algunajuntura 0
alguna tabla de diffdl acceso, de
modo que un marinero que
tuviera que impermeabilizarla
debfa adoptaruna postura muy
poco segura V corrfa el riesgo de
caer al agua.
better the devil you know (sobre
todo Brit) mas vale malo conoddo
que bueno por conocer (literal:
mejorel diablo conoddo) 0 It is
becoming clearer to them that he is no
angel; but better the devil you know.
have a devil of a job 0
have the devil's own job costar
horrores 0 We got there just in time,
but we hod a devil or ojob nnding her in
that place.
speak of the devil 0
talk of the devil (hoblado) hablando
del rey de Roma (literal: hablando
del diablo) 0 'Speak orthedevil: she
greeted Tom, smiling.
~ Esta expresion proviene del dicho
, talk orthe devil and he will appear
g ("hab/a del diablo y aparecera").
diamond
a rough diamond (sobre todo Brit) 0
a diamond in the rough (EE UU)
74 dice
1 un buen hombre sin pulir
o Marden was the rough diamond
of the three men, (eared for his
ruthlessness but respected for his
First World War Military Cross.
2 un diamante en bruto
o First novels are usually rough
diamonds, with flashes of
inspiration.
~ Un diamante en brute es aque!
~ que aun no ha sidotallado ni
~ abrillantado.
dice
the dice are loaded against
someone alguien tiene todD en
contra (litera': los dados estan
cargados contra alguien)
o I survived that night on the
mountain when all the dice were
loaded against me.
~ Los jugadores que querfan
~ hacertrampasenunjuegode
~ dad os a veces "cargaban los
~ dados" (loaded or weighted the
dice) para que tendieran a caer
~ de una forma determinada.
no dice
1 sin suerte 0 I spent part arrhat
time calling everyone I knew to see if I
could find another job for him. No dice.
2 ni hablar a Nope, sorry, we're not
interested, no dice.
~ Esta expresi6n proviene deljuego
de dad os denominado craps, y
~ significa que la ultima tirada de
~ unjugador es descalificada y no
se cuenta.
die
the die is cast la suerte esta echada
(literal: los dados estan echados)
a I have made this decision to get a
puppy. In fact, the die is cast: I have
already paid (or it.
Drees una antigua forma singular
de la palabra dice. Una vez
echados los dad os, es imposible
, cambiar la forma en que caeran.
~ to die for (familiar) espectacular
(literal: para morirse) a The food here
is to die for, it's heaven on a plate.
dime
La moneda estadounidense de
diez centavos se denomina dime.
be a dime a dozen (EE UU) haber a
montones aAction movies are a dime
a dozen these days.
turn on a dime (sabre todo EE UU)
darun giro radical a Nowadays
businesses need to be flexible and to
change, and sometimes to turn on a
dime in order to stay competitive.
~ Esta expresi6n sugiere la posibilidad
~ de maniobrar rapidamente y con
~ facilidad en un espacio reducido,
~ como sucede al detenerse V
cambiar de direcci6n sin dejar de
~ pisar una moneda. La expresi6n
~ tambien se refiere a vehfculos.
dinner
be done like a dinner (sobre todo
Australia) servapuleado a The fact
is, you were done like a dinner by a
superior team.
dinners
have done something more than
someone has had hot dinners (Brit)
haber hecho algo un montonazo de
veces (literal: haber hecho algo mas
veces que las que alguien ha cenado
caliente) aShe's had more boYfriends
than I've had hot dinners. Ha tenido
un montonazo de novios. a Robin
and Uzzie Hamer of First Ascent activity
holidays have climbed more mountains
than you and I have had hot dinners.
dirt
* dig up dirt on someone 0
dig the dirt (Brit) sacar los trapos
sucios de a!guien a They hired a
detective firm to dig up dirt on their
rival.
dish the dirt on someone sacar los
trapos sucios de alguien a relucir
aMany politicians, who protest that
their private lives are their own, are
quite happy to dish the dirt on a (ellow
politician.
do someone dirt 0
do the dirt on someone (EE UU)
hacer unajugarreta a alguien a They
tel/ me you have done me dirt. Tell me it
ain't true.
dirty
do the dirty on someone (Brit)
hacer unajugarreta a alguien
a lots ofpeop/e make use of a situation
like this to do the dirty on somebody
they don't like.
* wash your dirty linen in public (Brit)
a
air your dirty laundry in public
(EE UU) sacar los trapos sucios a
relucir a We shouldn't wash our dirty
laundry in public and if/ was in his
position, I'd say nothing at all.
distance
* go the distance aguantar hasta el
final a Dave Hilton failed to go the
distance when he was forced off the
pitch in the second halfwith a leg injury.
Se dice que un boxeador goes the
~ distance cuando consigue pe!ear
hasta e! final del combate.
within spitting distance
1 auntirodepiedra aMostofthe
world's biggest financial firms are
already established within spitting
distance o(the Bani< o(England.
2 a un paso a We are now within
dividends 75
spitting distance Of our goa/. We've
raised $9542-55.)ust $457.45 to go.
* within striking distance
1 a un tiro de piedra a Jronbridge is
well signposted from the motorway and
within easy striking distance of both
Birmingham and Manchester.
2 a un paso a He is within striking
distance of victory in the election.
distraction
Distraction es una pa!abra
a!1tigua que significaba "Iocura".
drive someone to distraction
volver loco a alguien a Nothing I said
or did would get them to tidy up their
bedrooms. It drove me to distraction.
ditch
* a last ditch attempt un ultimo
intento desesperado a The President
has been making a last ditch attempt to
prevent the rebels taking over the city.
En esta expresi6n, ditch significa
~ "zanja defensiva" 0 "trinchera".
~ La Frase hace referencia a los
~ soldados que estan dispuestos a
~ defender sus posiciones hasta la
~ muerte en lugarde rendirse.
divide
* divide and conquer 0
divide and rule (Brit) divide y
venceras a Trade unions are concerned
that management may be tempted into
a policy o( divide and rule.
Esta expresi6n proviene de la
~ Frase latina "divide et impera"
~ y describe una de las tacticas
~ emp!eadas par los romanos para
~ gobernarsu imperio.
dividends
* pay dividends proporcionar
grandes resultados (litera': pagar
76 Dixie
dividendos) 0 Taking time out to get
fit is time well spent and will pay
dividends in the long run.
~ Dividend significa "dividendo",
Dixie
someone is not just whistling Dixie
(EE UU) alguien no esta de broma
(literal: alguien no esta
simplemente silbando Dixie)
o 'Is that Q threat?' 'I'm not just
whistling Dixie,'
~ Dixie era el nombre con que se
~ bautiz61a zona del sury del este
~ de Estados Unidos que constitufa
~ el banda confederado en la guerra
~ de Secesi6n. Esta zona dio
~ nombrea varias melodfas que se
~ hicieron populares como
~ canciones belicas de los
~ confederados.
doctor
just what the doctor ordered mana
de santo (literal: justo 10 que el
doctor recet6) 0 'Meatballs in tomato
sauce!' Max exclaimed happily, 'just
what the doctor ordered.'
dog
a dog and pony show (EE UU) un
numera drcense (literal: un
espectaculo de perro y pony) 0 We
bombarded the management team with
charts, graphs, (acts, and figures. Our
boss responded by dozing Off during
most o( our dog and pony show.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere a
~ numeros circenses en los que
~ partidpan perros y caballos.
the dog days
1 la canfcula 0 We spentthedog days
o( summer in the mountains o( Arizona.
2 los tiempos duros o Those were the
dog days o(the Conservative
government.
Los antiguos romanos
denominaban a estes dfas dies
caniculares, 0 "dias de los canes",
porque la estrella Sirio, de la
constelaci6n del Can Mayor,
podfa verse en el delo matinal en
esa epoca del ano. Se crefa que la
conjunci6n de Sirio con el sol
produda temperaturas muy
elevadas.
it's dog eat dog se despedazan los
unos a los otras (literal: es un perro
secomea un perro) olnthe1992
campaign, he said that ifit was going to
be 'dog eat dog' he would do anything it
tool< to get himsel(re-elected.
dog-in-the-manger el perra del
hortelano 0 On the one hand the
council has a high regard (or the
carnival's tourist benefits, but on the
other it does not want it to have too
high a profile. It's a dog-in-the-manger
attitude which has taken the (un out o(
a great event.
~ Una de las fabulas de Esopo trata
~ sobre un perro que impidi6 a un
~ buey comer el heno de su establo,
~ pese a que el perra no podfa
~ comerselo.
a dog's dinner (Brit) una chapuza
(literal: la cena de un perra) 0 The
government's latest proposals are a
dog's dinner.
every dog has its day a cada cerda
Ie lIega su San Martin (literal: a cada
perro Ie Hega su dfa) 0 I've been
waiting a long time (or success - (our
years - but every dog has its day.
Este praverbio se usa en ingJes aJ
g menos desde el siglo XVI.
~ Shakespeare 10 cita- en Hamlet
(acto V, escena I).
it's a dog's life es una vida de perros
o It's a dag's life being a football
manager.
you can't teach an old dog new
trickS lora viejo no aprende a hablar
(literal: no Ie puedes ensenar trucos
nuevosa un perro viejo) 0 I'm 65 and
you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
doghouse
En ingles americana, doghouse
significa "caseta" (de perro).
be in the doghouse meterse en un
buen no (literal: estar en la caseta
del perra) 0 Four ministers have
landed themselves in the doghouse after
failing to turn up to a meeting at the
White House.
dogs
call off the dogs parar los ataques
oAfteryears o(persecution, it's time to
call off the dogs. He's been punished
enough.
~ Los perras a que hace referenda
~ esta expresi6n son perras de caza.
go to the dogs ir ala ruina (literal: ir
a los perras) 0 I(you ask me, the whole
country is going to the dogs.
let sleeping dogs lie dejar las casas
como estan (litera': dejar que los
perras sigan durmiendo) 0 Why does
she come over here stirring everything
up?Why can't she let sleeping dogs lie?
throw someone to the dogs echar a
alguien al foso de los leones (literal:
echar a alguien a los perras) 0 He
will trick you, use you, and throw you to
the dogs. He'll do anything to save his
own skin.
~ Los perros a que hace referencia
~ esta expresi6n tambien son
~ perras de caza.
doldrums
* be in the doldrums
1 estar estancado 0 Property prices
remain in the doldrums.
dollar 77
2 estar abatido oAt that time Freddie
had just lost his job and was in the
doldrums.
come out of the doldrums
1 salir del estancamiento 0 Let's
hope that the economy may rnally be
coming out of the doldrums.
2 salirde! abatimiento 0 With
the help of my family and friends,
/ eventually came out of the
doldrums.
~ Estas expresiones se refieren a la
~ zona de las ca!mas ecuatoriales
~ (the Doldrums), una parte del mar
~ cercana al ecuador donde apenas
sopla el viento. Par cansiguiente,
~ los veleros pod fan permanecer allf
~ parados durante largos perfodos.
dollar
the 64.000 dollar question !a
pregunta del mi!l6n de d61ares
o They asked the 64,000 dollar
question: 'So what ma/<es a good
marriage?' Faith(ulness comes out top
of the list on that.
~ En ladecadade1940seemitfa
~ en Estados Unidos un concurso
~ radiof6nico Hamada Take It or
: Leave It ("La toma a 10 deja").
~ Los concursantes ten fan que
~ responder a distintas preguntas
~ para obtener premios que
~ oscilaban entre dos d61ares por
~ una pregunta facil y 64 par la mas
~ diffci!. Un concurso te!evisivo
~ similar de los aiios cincuenta
~ aument6 el premia a 64.000
~ d6lares.
you can bet your bottom dollar
puedes apostarte 10 que quieras
(literal: puedes apostarte el d61ar de
abajo) oA police insider was quoted as
saying of the crime: 'You can bet your
bottom dollar 5inc/airwas involved.'
78 dollars
Esta expresion se refiere a las pitas
de monedas depositadas en una
mesa de p6quer. Unjugador
seguro de sf mismo colocarfa
todas sus monedas sabre una
moneda de d61aryempujarfa el
mant6n hacia el centro de la
mesa.
dollars
feel a million dollars sentirse
radiante (literal: sentirse como un
mill6n de d6lares) o After all my
recent problems, I now feel a million
dallars.
it's dollars to doughnuts (sabre toda
EE UU) puedes apostarte 10 que
quieras 0 It's dollars to doughnuts
that, in the future, banks will charge
more for their services.
look a million dollars i r
despampanante (literal: parecer un
mill6n de d6lares) aShe lool<e,d a
miJlion dol/ars when she got off the
plane.
domino
* a domino effect el efecto domin6
o The accident created a domino effect,
causing about 70 other cars to crash and
injuring 14 other people.
Un comentarista politico
estadounidense usa esta
expresi6n por primera vez en la
decada de 1950 para describir 10
que algunos pen saban que
sucederfa si un pars de
determinada zona se voMa
comunista: se crera que los
restantes parses de su entorno
tambien "caerran" en manos de
los comunistas. La expresion
sugiere la imagen de una hileriil de
dominos en posicion vertical; si
uno se cae derriba a! siguiente,
hasta que todos hayan cafdo.
done
done and dusted (sobre todo Brit)
cerrado 0 The investigation should be
yone and dusted by the end of next month.
ddnkey
do the donkey work (Brit) hacer el
trabajo pesado (literal: hacer el
trabajo de los burros) 0 The boss sent
(ar Andy and gat him ta da the dan key
work.
for donkey's years (Brit) 9urante
un porron de arlOs 0 I've been a
vegetarian (or donkey's years.
En un principio esta expresion era
~ as long as donl<ey's ears ("tan largo
~ como las orejas de un burro"). E!
~ cambia a donl<ey's years puede que
~ se produjera porque la expresion
~ se emplea al hablarde period os
~ detiempo.
door
be knocking at someone's door
estar lIamando a la puerta de
alguien o MiI<e was in terribletrouble
but it wasn't long before help was
knocking at his door.
close the stable door after the
horse has bolted (Brit) 0
close the barn door after the horse
has gone (EE UU) tomar medidas
demasiado tarde (literal: cerrar la
puerta del establo despues de que
se haya escapado el caballo) 0 It is
good to see the government ta/<ing
positive action, even though it might
1001< liI<eclosing the stable door after
the harse has baited.
* do something by the back door
(sabre tada Brit) hacer alga de forma
subrepticia (literal: hacer algo por
la puerta de atras) 0 He said the
government would not allow anyone to
sneak in by the back door and seize
power by (orce.
kn"ck: on the door of something
lIamar ala puerta de algo 0 These
two players will, I'm sure, soon be
knocking on the door of the national
team.
* lay something at someone's door
achacar alga a alguien 0 We have no
doubt about who is responsible forthe
riot. The blame must be laid at the door
o( the government.
one door closes and another one
opens cuando una puerta se
cierra otra se abre 0 Robert was
philasaphical after lasing hisjab.
'Obviously, I am disappointed,' he
explained. 'But one door closes and
another one opens.'
push at an open door (Brit)
empujar una puerta abierta
o Persuading companies to invest in
green technology today is like pushing
at an open door.
the revolving door
1 el baile de nombres 0 The revolving
door on the boardroom has continued to
turn, with Victoria Jones becoming the
sixth chief executive to leave in the past
ten years.
2 los constantes vaivenes 0 Bill
Clinton ran a campaign that included a
strong pledge to stop the revolving door
between public service and the private
sector.
3 el cfrculo vicioso 0 These young
people are caught in the revolving door
o(thejustice system, ending up bacl<
on the streets after serving time in
prison.
doors
* do something behind closed doors
(Periodismo) hacer algo a puerta
cerrada 0 The summer I was fourteen
and Rita was twelve, our parents
started having long tal/<s behind
closed doors.
down 79
dos
* the dos and don'ts of something
10 que debey 10 que no debe hacerse
can algo 0 The publisher produces Q
detailed boaklet(ull a( das and dan'ts
(or aspiring authors o(romantic fiction,
stressing that the story must always
have Q happy ending.
dot
do something on the dot hacer
algo a la hora en punto 0 They have
breakfast at nine o'e/ocl< on the dot.
~ En la esfera de un reloj, los
~ minutos suelen estar senalados
~ con puntos.
since the year dot (Brit) desde los
tiempos de Maricastana 0 Most o(
these people have lived here since the
year dot.
double
at the double a
on the double (Brit) corriendo
oMichael reached (or his phone. 'Jill?
Myaffke, please, at the double:
: Atthe double es una expresion
~ militarque significa "marchar a
~ paso ligero".
down
* be going down the drain 0
be going down the tubes 0
be going down the pan echarse a
perder 0 Small businesses are going
down the drain because o(the (ailed
economic policies o(this government.
down and dirty (sobretodo EE UU)
de forma cruda 0 The film portrays
the roe/< band at their most down and
dirty.
* down and out
1 en la miseria o Having been down
and out himself, Barry understands the
problems, and he's helped many people
to find homes andjobs. 0 There are
80 downer
hundreds of down and outs living just
a few yards (rom his palace.
2 derrotado 0 From this newspaper
article, you will see that Ted appears to
be down and out as candidate for
governor.
S 51 un boxeador es noqueado y no
consigue levantarse antes de que
el arbitro haya (ontado hasta
diez, dicho boxeador pierde el
combateyse dice que esta down
and out.
* down-at-heel (sabre todD Brit) 0
down-at-the-heels (sabre todD
EE UU) desharrapada 0 The night
to I(athmandu is always (ull o(scruffy,
down-at-heel people like Hyde.
S Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
de una persona que Heva zapatos
con los tacones gastados porque
no tiene dinero ni para repararlos
ni para comprarse atras.
get down and dirty (sabre toda
EE UU) actuar con rnalas artes
o I(the President gets down and dirty,
the Governor will give as good as he
gets.
* go down the drain 0
go down the tubes
go down the pan echarse a perder
o You have ruined everything - my plans
(or the (uture, my business. All those
years o(wori< have gone down the drain.
downer
have a downer on someone (Brit)
mirarmal a alguien o Her dad hasa
downer on every guy she meets.
drag
* drag your feet 0
drag your heels dar largas 0 There's
been substantial criticism of the United
States (or dragging its (eet on measures
to protect the environment.
drain
be going down the drain -+ ver
,down
t go down the drain ... ver down
like a drain (Brit)
desternillarse (litera': refse como
una alcantarilla) 0 I've watched this
comedy series over and over again but /
still laugh like a drain evervtime.
Esta expresi6n hace pensar en
risas fuertes e incontroladas que
suenan como el agua que se
escurre par una alcantarHla, y
quiza en una boca
abierta que recuerda una boca de
alcantarilla.
drawer
* out of the top drawer (sobretodo
Brit)
1 de entre los mejores (literal: del
cajon de arriba) 0 The Grange Hotel
may be out o(the top drawer, but it's
not pretentious. 0 The play has a top-
drawer cast including Maria Aitken and
Tim Piggot-Smith.
2 ,de la alta sociedad 0 Betty
Boothroyd is hardly out o(the tap
drawer. She used to wor/( in
showbusiness as a dancer.
dream
* do something like a dream hacer
alga de maravilla (literal: hacer alga
como un sueno) oShe had noticed,
from across the dancef/oor, that he
danced like a dream.
* a dream ticket (sabre todo Brit,
Periodismo) una pareja ideal 0 It
should have been Hollywood's dream
tic/(et: husband and wife starring
together in a romantic blockbuster movie.
En Estados Unidos, la palabra
ticket significa lista de candidatos
que un partido politico ha
designado para las elecciones.
EI compuesto dream ticket se
refiere a una pareja de candidatos
que parecen complementarse
muy bien, yque atraeran mucho
apoyo.
dreams
* beyond your wildest dreams mejor
que 10 que se podrfa habersonado
jamaS 0 The response o(viewers.to our
charity appeal was beyond our wIldest
dreams. The money just kept pouring in.
never in your wildest dreams n i en
tus sue nos mas dorados 0 We were
told that we had won a lot o(money but
never in my wildest dreams could I have
thought it would be morethan 1 million.
*" the person or thing of someone's
dreams la persona 0 cosa de los
sue nos de alguien 0 It was in Tunisia
that they saw the house of their dreams,
the most beautiful dwelling imaginable.
dressed
all dressed up with nowhere to go
compuesta y sin novio (literal: toda
arreglada y sin ningOn lugar adonde
ir) 0 The team were left all dressed up
with nowhere to go after their match
was called offbecause of a frozen pitch.
dressed to kill despampanante
(literal: vestida para matar) oShewas
dressed to kill in a red strapless gown.
driver
in the driver's seat ... verseat
drop
* at the drop ofa hat con cualquier
pretexto (literal: tirando un
sombrero) 0 People should sort out
their own minor problems and not just
call the police at the drop of a hat.
A principios del siglo XIX, los
com bates de boxeo solfan
comenzar cuando alguien tiraba
al suelo un sombrero.
dry 81
* a drop in the ocean (Brit) 0
a drop in the bucket (sabre todo
EE UU) una gota de agua en el mar
o Unfortunately, this tax won't raise a
lot of money. It's a drop in the ocean,
really.
Puede que'esta expresi6n venga
de una frase de la Biblia en la que
se afirma que las naciones son
insignificantes, a "una gota en un
caza" (a drop 0(0 bucket). (Isaias
40:15)
* drop something or someone like a
hot potato 0
drop something or someone like a
hot brick abandonar alga 0 alguien
como a un perro sarnoso (literal:
abanadonar algo a alguien como a
una patatajun ladrillo caliente)
o It is a rule of the tourism business
thot clients must (eel happy on holiday.
If a place gains a reputation for being
unwelcoming, the trade drops it like a
hot potato.
drum
bang the drum for something or
someone dar bombo a algo a a
alguien 0 The trade secretary is
banging the drum for British industry.
drummer
march to a different drummer
(Periodismo) seguir otros criterios
(literal: marchar al ritmo de otro
tamborilero) 0 The state-supported
school marches to a different drummer,
and I wi/I permit it to continue to do so.
drunk
drunk as a skunk borracho como
una cuba (literal: borracho como
una mofeta) 0 When John arrived here
last night, he was drunk as a skunk.
dry
dry as a bone mas seco que una
82 duck
pasa (literal: mas seco que un
hueso) 0 By the end of)une the pond
was as dryas a bone.
dryas dust
1 mas seeD que la mojama 0 The
fields were dryas dust.
2 un autentico aburrimiento 0 His
book is badly written, poorly edited and
dryasdust.
duck
a dead duck un fracaso (literal: un
pato muerto) 0 Thegovernment is a
dead duc/c
* a lame duck
1 un polftico saliente 0 The
government is headed by Q president
who looks like a lame duc/e
2 caso perdido 0 Elizabeth often
invites lame ducks to spend Christmas
with us.
* a sitting duck un blanco facilfsimo
(litera': un pato sentado) 0 They
heard the sound of gunfire. 'It's a' trap,'
Joe whispered.l'\nd we're sitting ducks!
We've gat to find somewhere to hide.'
Los patos son presas faciles para
los cazadores cuando se posan
sabre el agua 0 sobre la tierra.
take to something like a duck to
water sentirse como pez en el agua
en algo 0 Gilbey became a salesman
for BMW He too/( to it like a duc/( to
water, quickly becoming Car Salesman
of the Year.
ducks
get your ducks in a row (sabre todo
EE UU) poner las cosas en orden
(,jtera/: poner los patos en fila)
o The government needs to get its duc/(s
in a row.
En esta expresi6n, la palabra ducks
significa duckpins, una variaci6n
deljuego de bolos con diez bolos
mas pequerios y una bola de
menor tamario sin orifidos para
meter los dedos. EI senti do literal
get your ducks in a row es tener
los duckpins colocados para el
ij juego siguiente.
play ducks and drakes with
someone (Brit) tratar de pena a
alguien (literal:jugar a hacer
cabrillas can alguien) 0 Pp/iticians
are playing ducks and drakes with the
poorest and most disadvantaged people
in the country.
Ducks and drakes es el juego de
hacer cabrillas. Con esta
expresi6n, la actitud de alguien
hada los demas se campara qulza
can alguien que lanza piedras al
g agua para pasar el rata y sin
pensar en 10 que hace.
dudgeon
in high dudgeon (literario)
enfurecido 0 She left the meeting in
high dudgeon after learning that the
only perl< was free coffee.
dull
dull as ditchwater 0
dull as dishwater que aburre a los
muertos (literal: apagado como el
agua de lavarplatos) 0 He's a dull
writer and that's a fact. Du/J as
ditchwater.
2 La expresi6n dull as ditchwater
tiene mas de 200 arias de
antiguedad, mientras que du/J as
dishwateres una variante mas
reciente. Hace referenda al color
pardusco del agua en acequias 0
g en palanganas para lavar los
platos.
dummy
spit out the dummy (sabre todo
Australia) coger una rabieta 0 He
spat out the dummy when his wife said
that she wanted to go on holiday
without him.
dumps ..
down in the dumps depnmldo
o Tom's a bit down in the dumps.
Let's try to cheer him up.
dust . ,
be eating someone's dust I r detras
dealguien (literal: ircomiendo e! polvo
dealguien) 0 We were all eating his
dust I didn't know he could run so fast
" 5i cabalgas detras de otro caballo
en una carrera, dicho caballo te
levantara polvo en la cara.
"* bite the dust
1 irse al garete 0 There are thousands
of restaurants in and around London.
Some mal<e big money. Most break even,
and quite a few have bitten the dust
2 morder el polvo 0 The climax of
mostWestems comes when the villain
bites the dust.
::=: En las historias sobre el Oeste
americano, se deda que los
vaqueros "mordfan el polvo" (bit
the dust) cuando los derribaban
g del caballo de un disparo.
"* the dust has settled ha pasado la
tempestad 0 Now that the dust has
settled, it is c/earthat nothing much
has changed.
Dutch 83
* gather dust acumularpo!vo
o This project has been gathering dust
on the shelves of the Ministry of the
Environment forthe last five years.
shake the dust from your feet (Brit)
largarse (literal: sacudir e! polva de
los pies) 0 Our job here is done. It's
time to shake the dust from our feet and
move on.
Esta expresi6n aparece en la
Biblia (Mateo 10:14). 5e aconseja a
la gente que si nadie los recibe ni
escucha sus palabras al irse de
algun lugar, deberfan sacudirse el
de los pies (10 que equivale a
novolver a dicho lugar).
you couldn't see someone for dust
(Brit) alguien puso los pies en
polvorosa oAs soon asMaria told her
boyfriend she was pregnant, hewos orr.
You couldn't see him for dust.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
alguien que se marcha al galope,
de modo que solo puede verse la
nube de polvo que levantan 105
cascos de su caballo.
Dutch
go Dutch (anticuado) pagar a escote
o Many women are happy to go Dutch
with a new boyfriend on the first date.
eagle
an eagle eye ojos de Iince (literal:
ojos de aguila) 0 No antiques shop,
market or junk shop escapes her eagle
eye.
~ las aguilas tienen muy buena
~ vista y puede divisaranimales u
~ objetos pequenos desde las
~ alturas.
keep an eagle eye on someone or
something no perder de vista a
aJguien 0 algo oMrGrogan kept an
eagle eye on everything that was going
on in the factory.
ear
bend someone's ear machacar la
cabeza a alguien (literal: doblar la
oreja de alguien) 0 You can't go on
bending everyone's ear with this
problem.
go in one ear and out the other
entrar par un ardo y salir par el
atro 0 I'd said it so many times
before that it just went in one ear and
out the other as far as he was
concerned.
* grin from ear to ear sonrefrde oreja
a oreja 0 McCarthy was grinning (rom
ear to ear. He absolutely radiated
warmth and pride.
have an ear for something
tenerordo para algo 0 He had an
ear (or languages, which he enjoyed,
and by this time he spoke five
nuently.
have someone's ear gozar de la
confianza de alguien 0 He has been
one of/taly's most inf/uenti.al figures,
a man who is said to have had the ear
Of every Ita/ian prime minister.
keep your ear to the ground
(sobre todo Brit) mantenerse al
tanto (literal: mantener eJ ordo
pegado al suelo) 0 Watch and learn.
While you do this, keep your ear to the
ground. Know who is coming, who is
going: a new vacancy cauld bean
opportunity for you.
~ En las pelfculas, los indios
~ americanos a menudo aparecen
g can la oreja peg ada al suelo a fin
~ de escuchar los pasos de las
~ personas 0 los animales a 105
~ que siguen la pista.
lend an ear to someone prestar
atencion a alguien oS/owlyyour
status at work will improve, and your
boss and colleagues will/end a
sympathetic earto your gripes and
grievances.
listen with half an ear escuchar
a medias (literal: escuchar can
medio ordo) 0 She was listening to
the news on the radio with half an ear
when she suddenly heard his name
mentioned.
out on your ear (familiar) en la
calle 0 I'd (ailed the (irst year exam in
the History o( Art. I had to pass the
re-sit or I'd be out on my ear.
play it by ear improvisarsobre la
marcha (literal: tocar de aIda)
o 'Where will we stay in
Gloucestershire?' 'Oh, I guess a
bed-and-breakfast place. We'll have
to play it by ear.'
turn a deaf ear to something
hacer caso omiso de algo 0 The,
Mayor o(Paris has long turned a deaf
earto parisians who want tougher laws
to protect the cleanliness o(their
pavements.
ears
be all ears sertodo ordas 0 That's
a very good question. May I answer it
(ran/<ly?''I'm all ears.'
* fall on deaf ears caer en ordas
sordos 0 The mayor spoke privately
to Gibson yesterday and asked him to
resign, but said that his plea (ell on
deo( ears.
have nothing between your ears
no tener nada en la cabeza 0 He's
good-looking but he has nothing
between his ears.
have something coming out of
your ears tener algo para dary
tomar (literal: tener algo sallendote
de las orejas) 0 Everyone who wants
to tall< to me is talking about (ootball.
I've had (ootball coming out or my ears.
I can't get away (rom it.
have steam coming out of your
ears echar humo por las orejas
o Not that Labour's (ront-benchers
quite see it that way; indeed, they have
steam coming out o(theirears at the
suggestion.
pin back your ears
1 (Brit, anticuado) escuchar bien
o Right, pin back your ears, everyone.
2 (sabre todo Brit) correr a toda
velocidad 0 The Newport back division
dropped the bal/30 metres out and
Hughes pinned back his ears and raced
to the line.
pin someone's ears back (EE UU)
echarla bronca a alguien 0 Dad was
earth 85
(urious about what I'd done and pinned
my ears bacle
prick up your ears aguzar el oldo
oShe stopped talking to prick up her
ears - and Kenworthy had heard the
same sound.
s Cuando algunos ani males oven
g un ruida repentino 0 desconocido
~ aguzan las orejas; es decir, las
~ !evantan poniendolas tiesas para
~ orr mejor.
someone's ears are burning se
habla mucho de alguien (literal:
los ordas de alguien estan ardiendo)
o Howard's ears must have been
burnirig as he was referred to as the
'little man in the big house'.
up to your ears hasta arriba
o 'Why don't you came to the cinema
with us?"/ can't. I'm up to my ears in
reports:
wet behind the ears verde
(literal: mojado detras de las orejas)
o Terry wasjust out o(university, with
a shapely haircut o(medium length that
(ailed to hide the (oct that he was wet
behind the ears.
s Esta expresion tiene das
posibles orfgenes: puede que
~ se refiera a un cachorro al que
lava su madre, a quiza a los
~ ninos que se olvidan de secarse
~ detras de las orejas despues de
!avarse.
earth
* come down to earth 0
come down to earth with a bump
volver ala realidad (litera': va!ver a
la tierra (con un golpetazo 0 When
something good does happen, it's
important that it is celebrated. Next
day something will happen and you'll
came back down to earth.
* down to earth realista 0 They think
she's too glamorous and won't want to
86 easier
speak to them. But thot'sjust not true
at all. She's very friendly and very down
to earth. 0 Everyone liked her down-to-
earth approach to life.
go to earth (Brit) esconderse
o The girl who had supplied the gun
and plastic explosive device stayed put
for a couple o(weei<s before she, too,
went to earth.
La palabra earth significa aquf
"madriguera" (de un zarro) ..
g En la (aza, esta expresi6n se
usa para referirse a un zarro
acorralado que se esconde en
su madriguera.
promise the earth prometer e/ oro y
el mora (literal: prometer la tierra)
o One voter summed up the mood:
'Politicians have lost credibility,' he
complained. They promise the earth
and don't deliver.'
run someone to earth (Brit)
perseguiry encontrar a alguien
o I must admit I thought I had run my
man to earth, for although a great
many people live there now, there could
not be many that would match my
description.
Vease nota mas arriba.
easier
* easier said than done eso se dice
pronto 0 The alternative option is to
scrap the unwanted machines, and
use the metal for some other purpose.
Butthis, too, is easier said than done.
easy
easy as pie 0
easy as ABC 0
easy as falling off a log facilfsimo
(literal: facil como una tarta/ABC/
caerse de un tranco) oMichael
understood at once. 'Why, that's easy as
pie,' he said as the rest of us scratched
our heads.
Las letrasABC se pronuncian por
separado, como si deletrearamos
una palabra.
easy come. easy go tal como viene,
se va 0 My attitude to money is easy
come, easy go. That isto say, I earn a
lot, but I also give quite a lot away in
different ways.
go easy on someone no ser muy
duro con alguien 0 They had togo
easy on him because he was only
thirteen and it was also his first
offence.
go easy on something no pasarse
can algo 0 Small meals at regular
times are important. Go easy on the
salt. Don't add extra sugar.
* take it easy 0
take things easy
1 (Brit) tomarselo can calrna
o The seven astronauts aboard the
space shuttle Columbia are taking it
easy today, (allowing six (ull days o(
medical research.
2 (sabre todo EE UU) hasta la vista
o 'Thanks. See you later.''Take it easy.
Don't do anything I wouldn't do.'
ebb
* at a low ebb decafdo (literal:
en marea baja) 0 When I have been
at a Jaw ebb I have found the
friendship and Christian love of my
fellow churchgoers to be a great
strength.
Ebb tide significa "marea baja".
echo
cheer someone to the echo
(Brit, anticuado) darle a-alguien
una sonora ovaci6n 0 Supporters
turned out in their thousands to watch
some of the best squash played in their
country. They cheeredjansherto the
echo.
eclipse .
In eclipse (culto) ecllpsado .
o Even when her
in eclipse she had no financral warnes.
edge
* at the cutting edge 0
on the cutting edge en la,
vanguardia (litera': en el fila
cortante) 0 Telluride has
prided itself on being on the cutting
edge o( computer technology.
o These were the men and women
doing the cutting-edge resea:ch.
a cutting edge una
competitiva (literal: un
cortante) 0 We need a cutting
edge and hope(ullythis product can
provide it.
give someone the rough edge
of your tongue -+ vertongue
* lose your edge dejarde.ser .
competitivo 0 Its staff WIth
criticisms that their magazine IS out Of
date or has lost its edge.
EI sentido literal de esta expresi6n
es "valverse romo" (una espada 0
un cuchillo).
* on edge con los nervios de punta
o Brenda had every right to be on edge.
Ever since I had left on the Saturday .
morning, she had been bombarded With
telephone cal/s.
on the edge of your seat en
suspense (literal: al borde del
asiento) oSaturday night's final had
the spectators on the edge of their
seats.
* take the edge off something
mitigar algo oMy head never seemed
to clear completely, and the painkillers
only took the edge off the pain.
Take the edge off a blade significa
"vo!ver roma una hoja" (de una
espada, un cuchillo, etc.)
eggs 87
edges
fray at the edges hacer aguas
(literal: deshilacharse)
o The government's army has begun
to (ray at the edges.
rough edges
1 pequenos defectos ? He
the reputation of sometImes taking
himself a little seriously. Those
rough edges have long since worn
off'
2 pequeiios problemas 0 The show,
despite some rough edges, was an
instant success.
egg
* get egg on yourface quedar en
ridiculo (literal: recibir un huevo
en la cara) 0 Steve didn't expect to
win. Hejust didn't want to get egg
on his face.
En una multitud a veces
hay personas quetiran
huevos a alguien (como un
polftico 0 un interprete) para
mostrarle su enfado 0 su
desagrado.
lav an egg (EE UU) fracasar
(litera': ponerun huevo)
o Independent studies showed the
ad laid an egg.
Esta expresi6n se debe
probablemente a la similitud
entre la forma redondeada de
un huevo y un cero. La palabra
duck (duck's egg, "huevo de
pato"), es una de
cero en el deporte bntanlco.
EI equivalente en el deporte
estadounidense es goose egg
("huevo de ganso").
eggs
* put all your eggs in one basket
jugarselo todo a una carta
(litera': ponertodos los huevos
88 eggshells
en una cesta) 0 Don't put your eggs
in one basket; study hard at school
and a/ways keep an alternative job in
mind.
eggshells
walk on eggshells andar con
pies de pJomo (literal: caminar
sabre cascaras de huevo) 0 Healthy
or sick, good days or bad, I felt I was
always walking on eggshells around
him.
elbow
elbow grease esfuerzo ffsico
(literal: grasa del codo) 0 Plenty Of
elbow grease soon moves all the dirt.
elbowroom
1 margen de maniobra 0 His overall
message to governors, though, was that
he intends to give them more elbow
room to encourage innovation at the
state level.
2 espacio para moverse 0 There
was not much elbow room in the
cockpit.
elbows
rub elbows with someone (EE UU)
codearse con alguien oAt his famous
parties, writers, artists, and celebrities
rubbed elbows with the ultra-rich and
the socially elite.
element
* in your element en tu elemento
aMy stepmother was in hereiement,
organizing everything.
elephant
the elephant in the room el gran
problema de! que nadie se atreve a
hab!ar (literal: el elefante en la
habitaci6n) a We both I<nowthat we
can't carryon like this ~ it's the elephant
in the room.
* a white elephant un elefante
blanco a Will the complex, constructed
at some expense but never used, be
regarded as a monumental folly,
;'hite elephant?
Dicen que los reves de Siam sol(",'&41
~ regalarelefantes blancos, que
~ son muy poco-comunes, a los
~ cortesanos que no les gustaban.
~ Estos animales castaban tanto
~ de mantenerque sus.duenos se
gastaban toda su dinero en ellos
~ y se volvfan pobres.
embarrassment
an embarrassment of riches
(litera rio) mucho donde elegir
o Football (ons have an em,bor,ras>;ment
of riches to choose from next week
three matches will be screened live
simultaneously.
empty
run on empty
1 quedarse sin recursos a The band's
2008 appearance is widely agreed to be
their(inest two hours. Certainly, events
after this suggest a band running on
empty.
2 quedarse sin energfa a If you don't
feed your body daily nutrients, you are
running on empty ~ something you can
only do for a short time.
~ Esta expresion hace referencia a
un coche 0 a algun otro vehfculo
~ que aun no se ha parada pero al
~ que Ie queda muy poco
~ combustible, porloqueel
indicador sefiala que el deposito
~ esta vado.
end
* at the sharp end (sobre todo Brit)
en la linea del frente a These men
are at the sharp end of law
enforcement and when a man
is waving a gun, they have to act
decisively.
argot de los marineros, la
proa se con ace como the sharp end
eel extremo puntiagudo").
be at a loose end notenernadaque
hacer 0 Brenda had agreed to see her
at 4-30, soMrs Dambarwas at a loose
end for two and a half hours.
: puede que esta expresion haga
~ referencia a las cuerdas de un
~ velero. Los extremos de estas
~ cuerdas tenfan que atarse bien
~ paraimpedirquese
deshilacharan, V a los marineros
~ se les solfa encomendar esta
~ tarea cuando no habfa nada mas
~ urgente que hacer. La expresion
~ tam bien podrfa referirse a un
~ caballo de tiro al que desatan al
~ final del dfa vdejan suelto en un
campo.
* be thrown in at the deep end
ser arrojado a los leones (litera':
ser arrojado en el fonda profundo)
ojourna/ist Susan Hocking is being
thrown straight in at the deep end when
she anchors the evening news next
wee/<.
s The deep end es ellado mas
~ profunda de una piscina.
come to a sticky end acabar mal
o Hassan comes to a sticky end, but
so does almost everyone else in the
boo/(.
* a dead end un ca!lejon sin salida
o Do you feel you have reached a dead
end atwor/<?
* dead-end sin porvenir a He was a
dull, nondescript man in a dull, dead-
end job.
~ D e ~ d ~ ~ d significa "callej6n sin
:;: salida.
* do something to the bitter end
hacer algo hasta el ultimo suspiro
o Despite another crushing defeat, he is
end 89
determined to see the job through to the
bitter end.
~ Los marineros solfan referirse al
~ extrema de una cuerda a de una
cadena que estuviera bien sujeta
~ como the bitter end. Las bitas
~ (pastes) dela cubierta a los que
~ se ataban cuerdas para fondear
e! barco en un puerto se
~ denominaban bitts.
end it all suicidarse a I desperately
wanted to end it all, but I had an
adorable little boy who was totally
dependent upon me.
* the end of the road
1 el final a The administration realizes
now that they've come to the end of the
road of their policy.
2 el final del camino a If she doesn't
stop stealing, there's only jail at the end
o(the rood.
* go off the deep end
1 (sabre todo EE UU) enloquecer
oAt rrst they thought that I'd gone off
the deep end ond had lost my mind.
2 (Brit) enfurecerse 0 Dad didn't go
o((the deep end at all. Hejust said it
wasn't fair to make my mother worry
like that.
~ The deep end es e! !ado mas
~ profunda de una piscina.
* it's not the end of the world no es
el fin del mundo a Ifl makea mistake,
it's not the end of the world. I can
a/ways go back and correct it
keep your end up cumplirtu parte
a The fact of the matter is that we
signed a contract and we've worked
hard to I<eep up our end, and they must
keep up their end.
on the wrong end of something
can alga en contra oAgoal from
Shaun Goater, a Bermudan international,
left Howard Kendall's team on the
wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline.
90 ends
ends
* loose ends cabos sueltos 0 The
overall impact of the story is weakened
by too many loose ends being left
inadequately resolved.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n hag a
~ referenda a las cuerdas de un
~ veJero. Los extremos de estas
cuerdas tenfan que atarse bien
~ para impedirque se
deshiJacharan, ya los marineros
se les salla encomendar esta
~ tarea cuando no habra nada
g mas urgente que hacer.
* make ends meet lIegar a fin de mes
oMany peopJe are struggling to ma/<e
ends meet because wages are failing to
keep pace with rising prices.
~ Original mente esta expresi6n era
~ make both ends of the year meet, V
~ significaba no gastar mas de 10
~ que se ganaba.
play both ends against the
middle jugar ados bandas
(literal: jugar los extremos contra
el medio) 0 The Irish queen was
adept at playing both ends against the
middle, sometimes confronting the
English, and sometimes co-operating
with them.
Englishman
an Englishman's home is his castle
(Brit) cad a cual es rev en su casa
(literal: la casa de un ingles es su
castillo) oAn Englishman's home is his
castle. Everyone has a right to defend
their home.
envelope
push the envelope 0
stretch the envelope romper
moldes 0 Each time they new faster or
higher, they regarded that as pushing
the envelope.
Aquf envelope no se refiere a
un sabre para cartas, sino
probablemente a la envo!vente,
hablando de una onda pl,>ctlrnr,;c,
a una curva, en matematicas.
La expresi6n pushing 0 stretching
the envelope indica un cambia en
las propiedades de la onda 0 de
la curva.
envy
green with envy -+ ver green
error
* see the error of your ways
reconocer tu error 0 I wanted an
opportunity to talk some sense into him
and try to make him see the error of his
ways.
even
don't get mad, get even ... ver
mad
* get even vengarse 0 He is so
incensed by what he considers shabby
treatment that he's determined to get
even.
evils
* the lesser of two evils elmenorde
dos males oShouJd she choose the
misery of life on the streets orthe
unhappiness at home? In the end it
seemed the street was the lesser of two "
evils.
exception
something is the exception that
proves the rule algo es la
excepci6n que confirma la regia
o To succeed, you must be big and
powerful. Osman is neither of these.
He is the exception that proves
the rule.
expense
* laugh at someone's expense refrse
a costa de alguien o Being fat and
bald has ruined my life. I'll never forget
the people who laughed at my expense.
eye
'* an eye for an eye a
an eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth ojo par ojo y diente par diente
o Why do we put people injail?Asan
eye for an eye, orto mal<ethem realize
they did wrong?
'* an eye for something mucho ojo
para algo 0 With his unerring eye for
light, line and colour, Greenaway has
mounted one of the most beautiful
drawing exhibitions ever seen.
* be in the public eye estar a !a luz
publica 0 Increasing/y, people in the
public eye are voicing concern about the
effects o(their Ii(estyle on their(omily
Ii(e.
cast an eye on something analizar
alga 0 'Before the elections I was
pessimistiC,' saysJassem Saddoun, a
leading economist who casts a critical
eye on domestic affairs.
* cast your eye over something
echaruna ojeada a algo 0 He cast his
eye over the bookcases. She was
obviously an avid reader.
* catch someone's eye [lamar la
atencion de alguien 0 He turned the
page. The picture caught his eye
instantly. 0 My mother and my sister
love stylish, eye-catching designer hats
but cannot afford to buy them.
get your eye in (Brit) afinar la
punterfa 0 We're going to shoot some
clay pigeons later. We want to get our
eye in for the hunting season.
Esta expresion hace referencia a
juegos como el crfquet, el golf a el
snooker, en los que puede que un
jugador tarde un poco en
acostumbrarse a las circunstancias
deljuego antes de ser capaz de
calcular con precision la distancia
y la velocidad de la pelota.
eye 91
give someone a black eye castigar
a alguien 0 Whenever the Liberal
Democratic Party gets too cocky or
corrupt, voters tend to give it a blacl<
eye.
~ A black eye significa "un ojo
~ morado".
a gleam in someone's eye una idea
en la cabeza de alguien oAt present,
the plans seem to be no more than a
gleam in a developer's eye.
~ Palabras como gleam, glinty
~ twinkle (que significan, segun e!
~ contexto, "destello", "bri!!o" a
~ "centelleo"), pueden usarse para
-d'escribir la forma en que los ojos
~ de a!guien bri!!an a reflejan la luz.
~ Estas palabras a menudo sugieren
energfa, emoci6n 0 picardfa
~ ocultas y hacen referencia al
@ entusiasmo inidal de tener una
~ idea determinada antes de
~ ponerla en practica.
have an eye for the main chance
(Brit) estaralaquesa!ta o New York
has always been a place where
individuals with an eye forthe main
chance [Quid mal<etheirfortunes.
in the eye of the storm en el ojo del
huracan 0 He was often in the eye of
the storm of congressional debates
related to u.s. troop withdrawals from
Vietnam.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere al centro
~ de una tormenta. Sin embargo,
g en tormentas de viento como
~ ciclones y tornados, el ojo es en
~ realidad una zona relativamente
tranquila de bajas presiones
situada en e! centro.
keep your eye on the ball
no descuidarse ni un instante
(literal: mantener el ojo en la bola)
o She won widespread praise for her
innovation, her tough negotiating sl<ills
92 eyeball
and her ability to keep things moving,
keep her eye on the ball.
* look someone in the eye mirar a
alguien a los ojos 0 He looked me
straight in the eye and said 'Paul, I will
never lie to you.'
not bat an eye (EE UU) no
inmutarse 0 I wQstotally independent.
My mother never batted an eye about
the length of time I stayed out at night.
o Would you believe he ordered them to
flll hal( a tin mug with that stuff and
guzzled it without batting an eye, as
ifit was water?
~ EI verba bat viene de una palabra
~ francesa que significa "batir" y
se usa para referirse a las alas
~ de un pajaro. Esta expresi6n da
a entender que las personas
g que apenas parpadean en
~ determinadas situaciones no
parecen nerviosas ni
sorprendidas.
* not see eye to eye with someone
no estar de acuerdo con alguien
o The Prime Minister did not see eye to
eye with him on this issue.
someone would give their eye
teeth for something alguien
darla 10 que fuera par algo (literal:
alguien darla sus calmillos par alga)
o He's the most exciting man I've ever
worked with, and I'd give my eye teeth
to do something with him again.
something is one in the eye for
someone (Brit) alga Ie va a sentar
de pena a alguien oHis Nobel prize
will be seen in Mexico as one in the
eye for the novelist, Carlos Fuentes,
who is regarded as his great left-wing
rival.
spit in someone's eye enfadar a
alguien (literal: escupiren el ojo de
alguien) 0 The minister for Trade and
Industry spat in the eye of small
businesses yesterday when he said:
'I won't support the weak at the
expense of the strong.'
take your eye off the ball oi,trri,pr"" ,21
t (literal: dejar de tener el ojo puesto
\ en la bola) oAny reorganization is
disruptive. It makes key management
take their eye o((the anly ball.
* there's more to something than
meets the eye algo tiene mas miga
de 10 que parece 0 'Sheisconvinced
there is more to your friendship than
meets the eye."Well there isn't:
* turn a blind eye to something
hacer la vista gorda con alga 0 The
authorities were turning a blind eye to
hUman rights abuses.
~ Esta expresi6n se us6 por
~ primera vez para describir el
~ comportamiento del almirante
Nelson en la batalla del Nilo en
~ 1798. Cuando Ie dijeron que Ie
~ ordenaban retirarse, Nelson
~ acerc6 un telescopio a su ojo
~ ciego y respondi6 que no podia
~ ver la senal. EI almirante acabarfa
ganando la batalla.
* with the naked eye a simple vista
(litera': can e! ojo desnudo)
o Enough light gets through space for
us to see thousands of stars with the
naked eye, and millions with an optical
telescope.
eyeball
be eyeball to eyeball estar cara a
cara (literal: estar globo ocular a
globoocular) o The two of us sat
eyeball to eyeball. 'Why da you hate me!'
she asked, without any apparent
emotion.
eyeballs
up to your eyeballs in something
hasta arriba de algo 0 The one-time
media tycoon is down on his luck, out of
ajob, and up to his eyeballs in debt.
eyebrows
* raise eyebrows sorprender
(literal: alzar (ejas) 0 The aBC
opera TheVampyr' raised eyebrows
when it was shown but the public
loved it.
eyelid
* not bat an eyelid (Brit)
no inmutarse 0 I thought Sarah and
David would be acutely embarrassed.
But they didn't bat an eyelid. 0 It is a
popular myth that modern couples have
affairs without batting an eyelid and
believe marriage is for bores. In reality,
the opposite is true.
eyes
* all eyes are on someone or
something todas las miradas estan
enalgooalguien oAlleyeswillbeon
the Chancellor tomorrow when he gives
his Budget speech.
* before your eyes 0
in front of your eyes delante de tus
propios ojos 0 With a wrenching cracl(
the stone statue collapsed before my
eyes and crumbled to pieces at the
bottom o(the (ountain.
* can't take your eyes off someone
or something no poder dejar de
mirar a alguien a algo oAnne looked
so beautiful no one could take their eyes
o((her.
cry your eyes out lIorar a moca
tendido 0 It was a lovely school;
I cried my eyes out when I lett.
do something with your eyes
closed hacer algo con los ojos
cerrados 0 He reassembled the gun
quickly and expertly. It was something
he could do with his eyes closed.
feast your eyes on something
regalarse la vista can algo 0 Billy
licked his lips and feasted his eyes on the
chocolate cake.
eyes 93
Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
apreciar alga visual mente del
mismo modo que se aprecia la
com ida servida en un festln a!
comerla.
have eyes in the back of your
head tener ojos en la nuca 0 She
has eyes in the back of her head and is
always alert to the slightest sign of
trouble.
* keep your eyes open mantener
los ojos abiertos 0 Take up any
opportunity to increase your knowledge
and broaden your horizons. Keep your
eyes open for any interesting study
courses.
keep your eyes peeled buscar
atentamente 0 They drove there in
Charlie's-car, so Michael kept his eyes
peeled (or parking places.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere at hecho
~ de no parpadear para no perderse
~ nada de 10 que suceda, par rapido
que sea. los parpados son la "piel"
~ (sldn 0 peel) de los ojos.
make eyes at someone (anticuado)
lanzar miraditas insinuantes a
alguien 0 He was making eyes at one
of the nurses.
* meetsomeone'seves (litera rio)
mirar a los ojos a alguien oAn
uneasy moment of frozen silence passed
as Steve looked down and then finally
up at me, meeting my eyes with an
intense glare.
only have eyes for someone solo
tener ojos para alguien 0 The 26
year-old model is adored by thousands
but only has eyes for one man - her
husband.
only have eyes for something
5010 estar interesado en algo
o The president came seeking
investment in Mexico, but found
Western Europe only had eyes forthe
new democracies to its east.
94 eyes
* open someone's eyes abrir los ojos
de alguien 0 The need for female
!abourcreated during two world wars
opened many women's eyes to better-
paid lives in factories and o(ffces.
up to your eyes in something hasta
aqui de alga 0 I'm afraid I shall
getting back I'm up to my eyes in work
(with your eyes glued to something
con 105 ojos peg ados en algo 0 He
sat, eyes glued to theTV set with a loo/(
face
* bloW up in your face estallar en las
manos (litera': estallar en la cara)
o He must have known that having no
evidence, this would blow up in his face.
* come face to face with someone 0
meet someone face to face
encontrarse cara a cara con alguien
o When I prst heard o(his death I didn't
want to call her or meet her face to face.
I didn't know what to say or how to act.
o The three majorvice-presidentia/
candidates took the stage tonight in
At/anta in their only face-to-face
confrontation of the campaign.
* come face to face with something
enfrentarse a algo 0 Before the deal
was fully closed, however, Beaverbroo!<
came face to face with a serious problem.
fall flat on your face fracasar
estrepitosamente 0 I may fall nat on
my face or it may be a glorious end to
mycareer.
* fly in the face of something
oponerse abiertamente a alga 0 The
plan to sell rhino horn nies in the face of
the international ban.
get in someone's face (sabre todo
EE UU, familiar) atacar a alguien
o He pretty much got in myfaceand
told me not to leave or I'd get fired.
get out of someone's face (familiar)
dejaren paza alguien oGet out of my
face or else I'm going to call the police.
have a face like thunder (Brit)
parecer muy enfadado (literal: tener
la cara como truenos) 0 The Arsenal
striker had a face /ike thunder after
ending his international career in a
humiliating fashion.
have a long face tener la cara larga
o He came to me with a very long face
and admitted there had been an error.
* inMvour-face (familiar) agresivoy
descarado 0 Christina James plays
Perry's widow, a vivacious, in-your-face
woman who is sometimes too honest
for her own good.
* keep a straight face mantener la
cara seria 0 His laugh was hard for
Nancy to resist, but she managed to
keep a straight face. 0 It's the way he
tells ajol<e. He is completely straight-
(aced and Ijust (all about laughing.
look someone in the face mirara
alguien a la cara 0 He looked me in
the face again and repeated, " swear to
you that it wasn't me.'
lose face quedar mal 0 Perhaps the
FDA did not want to lose face by
reversing its position.
~ Esta es una expresi6n china que
~ hace alusi6n a cubrirse la cara con
un abanico par vergOenza
~ despues de revelar alguien sus
~ emociones. Aquf face significa una
~ cara que exhibe un semblante
g tranquilo.
not have the face (Brit) no tener el
coraje 0 You wouldn't lend me a couple
o(quid, would you? I mean, I'm dying (or
a smoke, and I haven't the {ace to
borrow ofFMichael.
96 face
* pull a face (Brit) 0
make a face poner mala cara
o She made a face at the musty smell,
and hurried to open the windows.
* put a brave face on something 0
put on a brave face poner al mal
tiempo buena cara 0 Dwight was
upset by the news, but he put a brave
(ace on it and wrote a note of
congratulations.
* save face quedar bien oMost
children have an almost obsessive need
to save face in front of their peers.
o The change of heart on aid seems to
show that officials are looking fora
face-saving way to bac/( down.
~ Esta frase viene de una expresi6n
~ china que hace alusi6n a
~ mantenerun semblante tranquilo
~ para evitar la verglienza de
@ revelar alguien sus emociones.
~ Un equivalente ingles de esta
~ expresi6n podrfa ser I<eep'o straight
face (ver arriba).
* say something to someone's face
deck alga a la cara de alguien
oAt school it was hard when people
talked about me. No-one would ever say
anything to my face because they were
scared o(me.
set your face against something
(sabre todo Brit) oponerse
resueltamente a alga 0 Both the
government and the major rebel groups
appear to have set theirfQces against a
negotiated settlement to the connier.
~ Esta expresi6n se usa varias veces
~ en la Biblia. Cuando Dios "volvfa
~ su rostro hacia" (0 set His face
~ against) quienes habfan hecho
~ alga mal, les mostraba su enfado.
show your face dejarse ver 0 Louis
skulked in his Harlem apartment for
three days atter his defeat, too ashamed
to show his face. 0 I felt I ought to show
my face at her father's funeral.
someone can do something until
they are blue in the face alguien
puede hacer algo hasta hartarse
~
l (literal: alguien puede hacer algo
hasta tener la cara aZUl) 0 You can
speculate till you're blue in the face, but
you can't prove a thing.
someone cannot look someone in
the face alguien no puede mirar a
alguien a la cara 0 Why did I do that?
I can't ever 1001< her in the face again.
* someone will be laughing on the
other side oftheir face (Brit) a
alguien se Ie quitaran las ganas de
refrse 0 The league leaders will be
laughing on the other side of their faces
if they lose tomorrow.
stare someone in the face saltarle
la vista a alguien 0 Even when the
evidence is staring them in the face,
they deliberately misread it.
* stare something in the face p,j'erel ill
borde de algo oSomeofmy patients
are actually staring death in the face.
They've suffered a heart attack, maybe
two.
take someone at face value
aceptar a alguien por 10 que
aparenta ser 0 Fora time I took him at
face value. At that time, I had no reason
to suspect him.
~ EI significado literal de face value "
~ es "valor nominal" de una moneda
~ 0 de un billete, aunque puede que
valgan mas 0 menos que dicha
~ cantidad, porejemplo si son muy
~ antiguos.
* take something at face value
aceptar algo sin cuestionarlo
o Clients should I<now better than to
take the advice Of a wholesaler at face
value.
throw something back in
someone's face rechazar algo de
forma desagradecida 0 We extended
the hand o((riendship and Vau have
thrown it back in our faces.
it was written all over his face se Ie
notaba a la legua 0 Utter jubilation
and relief were written all over the faces
of the freed hastages.
fair
fair and square con todas las de la
ley (literal: limpio y cuadrado) 0 This
might start further accusations, but we
don't care any more. We won fair and
square.
fairies
be away with the fairies estar
tocado del ala o She's a sweet enough
girl but she's away with the fairies.
fall
be heading fora fall ircamino de un
batacazo 0 The Tory Party is heading
(ara (all.
~ Puede que esta expresion se usara
por primera vez en el contexte de
~ la caza del zorro para referirse a
unjinete que montaba a caballo
~ de forma temeraria.
familiarity
familiarity breeds contempt donde
hay confianza da asco 0 Of course,
it's often true that familiarity breeds
contempt, that we're attracted to those
who seem so different from those we
know at home.
farm
buy the farm (EE UU,familiar)
palma ria (literal: comprar la granja)
o The plane nosedived into the ground
and expladed. He baughtthe (arm.
Un posible origen de esta
expresion es que, durante la
guerra, los pilotos de la fuerza
aerea estadounidense a veces
decfan que querfan dejar de volar,
fat 97
compraruna granja 0 un rancho y
lIevaruna vida tranquila. La frase
buy the farm comenz6 a usarse
cuando algOn pilato morfa al
estrellarse.
fashion
after a fashion mas 0 menos
oShe was educated, after a fashion,
by a governess at home.
fast
play fast and loose with something
jugar con algo 0 The banks claim high
interest rates are necessary because the
government is playing fast and loose
with public spending.
pull a fast one jugar una mala
pasada o$omeone had pulled a fast
one on her over a procedural matter and
she was not going to let them get away
with it.
fat
chew the fat dar ala lengua (litera':
masticar la grasa) 0 We lounged
around, chewing the fat for a couple of
hours.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n haga
~ referenda a 105 marineros que
~ charlaban mientras masticaban
~ la grasa de la cecina que les daban
~ para comer.
the fat is in the fire se va a armar la
gorda (litera': la grasa esta en el
fuego) 0 Immediately the fat was in
the rre, forthe minister had broken all
the rules.
Cuando se cocina algOn alimento
~ sobre una fogata, si cae al fuego
~ algo de grasa 0 de aceite las
llamas se avivan de repente.
someone is living off the fat of the
land alguien vive a cuerpo de rey
o He was pretty fed up with these
bloated royalists who were living off the
98 fate
fat of the land while the rest of the
country was starving, literally.
Esta expresion tiene su origen en
fa historia biblica delose. Durante
la hambruna en Israel, el faraon
invito al padrey a los hermanos
deJose a venir a Egipto, donde
habia mucha comida. Les dijo que
podrian comer"lo mas pingOe del
pais" (the fat afthe land, Genesis
45:18).
fate
* seal someone's fate condenar a
alguien 0 The plan removes power
from the government, sealing the fate
of the unpopular Prime Minister, and
transfers it to the President.
* tempt fate tentar ala suerte
o Indeed, many experienced yachtsmen
charge the organizers with tempting
fate in sending so many iI/-prepared
crews into such dangerous waters.
fault
* to a fault excesivamente oShewas
generous to a fault and tried to see that
we had everything we needed.
feast
enough is as good as a feast (Brit,
anticuado) rogar a Dios par santos
mas no por tantos 0 'Enough is as
good as a feast,' my great aunt Daisy
used to say to me, as I reached an ever-
chubbier hand towards the chocolate
biscuits.
g Esta frase fue empleada por
primeravez por el escritar griego
g Euripides en el siglo v a. c. para
g explicar que sergloton esta mal.
it's feast or famine cuando mucha,
cuando nada (literal: es fiesta 0
hambre) 0 While her life is rich in
memories, funds area problem. 'It's
feast or famine with me,' she says.
feather
a feather in someone's cap un
tanto que se apunta alguien (filterr": :21
una pluma en la gorra de alguien)
o Hauptmann's arrest and conviction
had been hailed as a triumph for justice
and a feather in the cap of the New
Jersey police.
Tradicionalmente, los guerreros
indios americanos
a sus penachos como
g valentia en el combate. Los
caballeros medievales en
tam bien lIevaban plumas en sus
cascos como senal de valentia.
you could have knocked me down
with a feather (anticuado) me
quede de piedra (literal: me podfas
haberderribado can una pluma)
o I won S4 votes to 48. I was C(,ml,letelysl
overwhelmed; you could have Imocl<ed
me down with a feather.
feathers
* rufflesomeone'sfeathers herir
las susceptibilidades de alguien
o I'm not surprised Rangers and chief
executive of six months, Bob Brannan,
have parted company. His mQ1na.gernerltl.
style ruffled a few feathers.
smooth ruffled feathers apaciguar
los animos, calmar los animos
(literal: alisar las plumas erizadas) "
o Members Of the exchange objected to
Mr Rawlins's confrontational style.
Mindful of this, Mr Lawrence has been
smoothing rufned feathers.
s Un pajaro eriza las plumas
its feathers) en senal de miedo 0
ycuando se calma, las plumas se
alisan.
feelers
Feelers significa "antenas" (de
insectos 0 de caracoles).
put out feelers hacer un sondeo
o 'I'm looking to play in Britain at the
end of the nextAustra/ian season,' he
said last night. 'I've put out feelers for
one ortwo clubs already.'
feet
be under someone's feet estar
molestando a alguien (literal: estar
debajo de los pies de alguien)
o When you're in the house your parents
moan about you being under their feet.
When you're out, they moan because
you're not there.
dead on your feet hecho polvo
o I'm usually dead on my feet at the end
of the game.
drag your feet -+ ver drag
* fall on your feet (Brit)o
land on yourfeet tener suerte
(literal: caer de pie) 0 He has fallen on
his feet with a new career set to earn
him a fortune.
puede que esta expresion haga
referencia a!a creencia de que
cuando un gato se cae, no se hace
dana porque siempre cae de pie.
find your feet familiarizarse (literal:
encontrar tus pies) 0 It takes a while
for people to rnd their feet at this level
and gain the necessary confidence.
Esta expresion hace referencia a
encontrarel equilibrio necesario
para poder moverse sin caerse y
sin necesidad de apoyarse.
* get cold feet a
have cold feet entrarle miedo a
alguien (literal: tenerfrfo en los pies)
o I feel your boyfriend got cold feet
about being in a committed relationship.
He may even have fallen out of/ave.
get itchy feet ponersemuyinquieto
(litera': tener picor en los pies)
o I hated living in London, and I started
getting itchy feet. Last year, I decided I
really wanted to come out to the States.
feet 99
get yourfeet on the ground (sabre
todo EE UU) establecerse 0 They have
modest two-room apartments, and
until they get their (eet on the ground,
theytal<e most meals at the institute's
cafeteria.
get your feet under the table (Brit)
establecerse (literal: meter los pies
debajo de la mesa) oMrMacGregor
will wait forthe newTransportation
Secretary to get his feet under the table.
get your feet wet 0
have your feet wet (sobretodoEEUU)
estrenarse (literal: mojarse los pies)
o Charlton thinks it's time for me to get
my feet wet. He says I'll be able to help
the department a lot more iFllearn how
police actually solve crimes.
* keep yourfeet on the ground
mantener los pies en tierra 0 He says
he keeps his feet on the ground by
keeping childhood friends around him.
* put your feet up descansar oAII
these dishes can be oven-ba/<ed from
frozen, while you put your feet up and
relax.
rushed off your feet (Brit) hasta
arriba de casas 0 Now we have a cut-
back in staffin this department, and I'm
rushed offmy feet.
someone has feet of clay alguien
tiene los pies de arcilla 0 When those
idols are found to have feet Of clay, the
pain of disenchantment can be
profound.
Segun la Biblia (Daniel 2:33), el rey
Nabucodonosor Ie pidi6 a Daniel
que 10 ayudara a comprenderun
sueno que habia tenido sobre una
estatua gigantesca. Esta estatua
estaba hecha de oro, plata, laton
y hierro, pero tenia los pies
hechos en parte de arcilla.
Daniel Ie dijo al rev que tener
pies de arcilla era senal de
debilidad.
100 fence
* stand on your own two feet a
stand on your own feet volar con
tus propias alas 0 It now seems clear
that foreign aid levels of the 19805 will
never be seen again and that these
countries wiJ/ have to stand on their
own two feet.
* sweep someone off their feet
1 enamorar perdidamente a alguien
o He is a good fifteen years older than
Felicity. He swept her off her (eet,
though. And I suppose it seemed very
romantic.
2 encantar a aJguien 0 Ten British
chefs plan to cool< a feast they hope will
sweep the French orrtheirreet.
think on your feet tamar decisiones
sabre la marcha 0 Being a parent
means thinking on your feet and
adapting as you go along.
* vote with your feet mostrar 10 que
piensas con acciones (literal: votar
con los pies) 0 It seems thous.ands of
people are already voting with their feet,
and leaving the country in the hope Of a
better life.
fence
* sit on the fence mirar los toros
desde la barrera (literal: sentarse en
la valla) 0 The commission has chosen,
extraordinarily, to sit on the fence,
murmuring that schools must decide
for themselves.
~ En esta expresi6n se hace
~ referencia a una valla que separa
~ dos propiedades 0 dos territorios.
~ Quien se sienta en ella a bien no
~ puede 0 no quiere decidiren que
~ lado quedarse.
fences
* mend fences mejorar las
relaciones (literal: repararvallas)
o Yesterday he was publicly criticized
for not doing enough to mend fences
with his big pOlitical rival.
fever
-1tt. r ~ a c h fever pitch intensificarse
~ 0 In the past year, the civil conflict has
" reached fever pitch.
fiddle
be on the fiddle (Brit) dedicarse a
hacerehanchullos oA pQstman
earning only f136 a week drove around
in a Porsche for six months before his
bosses realized he was on the ffddle.
* play second fiddle estar ala sombra
(litera': toear el segundo violin)
o The 44-year-old senator will play
second ffddle to a man who has been his
junior in the Democrat hierarchy.
s La palabra ffddle significa "violrn".
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere al primer
~ y alsegundoviolfn de una
~ orquesta.
field
come out of left field pillar
desprevenido oAII the ffrms we've
talked to have indicated that they don't
know. This has really come out of I eft
field to most people.
~ En el beisbol, eljardfn Izquierdo
~ (lett field) forma parte del
~ extraeampo (outffe/d). Se dice que
g una pe!ota viene deljardfn
~ Izquierdo cuando ellanzador la
g lanza de forma que parezca haber
g salido de la nada.
* have a field day ponerse las botas
o Debt col/ectors are having a field day
in the recession.
* lead the field Ilevariadelantera
o TheAmericans continue to lead the
field when it comes to child actors.
left-field (sobretodo Brit, Periodismo)
alternativo a Over the last few years,
the most left-field films in world cinema
have come from Japan.
En e! beisbol, eljardfn Izquierdo
(lett field) es la parte del
extracampo (outfield) donde
el so! y el viento pueden causar
problemas a la pelota. Ademas,
los espectadores suelen gritar al
fHdeadoren eljardfn izquierdo,
par 10 que los jugadores
consideran difkil jugar en esta
posicion.
out in left field a
out of left field poco convencional
aMost of the business tips are common
sense, but others are right out of left
field.
play the field darse alligue 0 He
gave up playing the field and married a
year ago.
s Cuando unjugador apuesta a
todos los caballos de una carrera
~ excepto al que se considera mas
~ probable que gane, se dice que
dicho jugador ploys the field.
fig
a fig leaf una tapadera (litera': una
hoja de parra) 0 It seems that the
pledge to rejoin the ERM was a fig leaf,
designed to indicate that the
government's economic strategy was
not dead but merely sleeping.
Segun la Biblia (Genesisn),
cuando Adan y Eva comieron la
~ manzana en el Jardin del Eden,
~ se dieron cuenta de que iban
~ desnudos y se avergonzaron, par
10 que se cubrieron los genitales
can hojas de parra.
fight
a knock-down drag-out fight
(EE UU) una pe!ea encarnizada
a Nobody had much of a stomach this
year for another Imoe/(-down drag-out
fight overthe state budget.
fi II
finger 101
Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
un tipo de combate de boxeo en el
que un boxeador al que hubieran
noqueado era sacado a rastras de!
cuadrilatero y se Ie sustitufa por
otro contendiente.
* have had yourfill of something
haberse hartado de algo 0 They have
had their fill of war, poverty, and
repression.
finders
finders keepers quien se 10
encuentra se 10 queda oObvious/y,
someone picked up my umbrella and has
made no efrort to find the owner.
Finders, keepers.
fine
cut it fine a
cut it close calcular muy justo
o They didn't plan to get here until six
o'e/ock, and that's cutting it a little
e/ose.
finger
have a finger in every pie estar
metido en todo (literal: tener un
dedo en cada pastel) 0 He has a
finger in every pie and is never short of
ideas for making the next buck.
~ La explicacion mas probable de
~ esta expresi6n es que se refiere a
alguien que esta ocupado
haciendo un pastel.
* have your finger on the pulse a
keep your finger on the pulse
mantenerse al tanto de algo
o Although I'm Scottish, otter all these
years in America I think my editors and I
have our finger on the pulse of America.
La palabra pulse significa "pulso".
Los medicos suelen tomarel pulso
a sus pacientes presionando
102 fingernails
levemente con un dedo la arteria
de la muneca.
not lay a finger on someone no
tocar a alguien oOneofthe men
accused of attacking trucker Reginald
Denny at the start of the Los Angeles
riots says he never laid a him.
* not lift a finger no mover un dedo
o I'm the one who has to clean it 01/ up.
She wouldn't litt a finger if I didn't beg
her.
* point the finger at someone
senalar a alguien 0 One socialist
blamed the press for his suicide, but
some commentators pointed a at
the political establishment.
pull your finger out 0
get your finger out (Brit)
espabilarse 0 If anything violent
happens, it happens here (irst. IfBex,'ey
Council had any sense they would pull
out and shut the place
down.
put the finger on someone
(literario) denunciar a alguien 0 It's
not like we put the on anyone
rea/,Janie. Nobody is suffering because
of what we told that detective.
* put your finger on something
entender algo 0 He had thought that
Houston would have arrived at that
solution first; but, no, it was Dr.
Stockton who had put his finger on the
truth.
twist someone around your little
finger a
wrap someone around your little
finger hacer can alguien 10 que
quieres (literal: enrollar a alguien
alrededorde tu meflique) oA child
who is spoilt is able to wrap her parents
around her little
fingernails
someone is hanging on by their
fingernails -+ ver hang
fingers
be all fingers and thumbs ... ver
,thumbs
(get itchy fingers (sobretodo Brit)
:entrar muchas ganas (literal: tener
pieor en los dedos) 0 I started getting
itchyfjngers. Me empezaron a entrar
muehas ganas. o After a few days of
watching other people play,.1 started
getting itchy fingers, and I made a chess
set for myself out Of cardboard.
* have green fingers (Brit), darsele
bien lajardinerfa (literal: tener .
dedos verdes) 0 I've never had green
it was as much as I could do to
keep the grass mown.
* keep your fingers crossed 0
cross your fingers cruzar los dedos
o I will be keeping my fingers crossed
that everything goes well.
* let something slip through your
fingers dejar que alga se te escape
de las manos o If your income is
greater than your expenses, count
yourself lucky- and don't let it slip
through
someone can count something on
the fingers of one hand alguien
puede eontar algo can los dedos de
una mana 0 I could countthejobs
advertised each year on the fingers Of
one hand.
* someone gets their fingers burned
o
someone burns their fingers
alguien se pilla los dedos (litera':
alguien se quema los dedos) 0 The
government, after getting its fingers
burned so badly, will surely not want to
make the same mistake again.
work your fingers to the bone
dejarse la piel trabajando 0 I have
washed, cooked, fetched and carried all
my life. I worked my fingers to the bone
in this house.
fingertips
* at your fingertips
1 a mana oAII basic controls are at
your fingertips for straightforward,
no fuSS operation.
2 al dedillo 0 He wanted to know 01/
about his latest projects, so that the
correct answers were at his
when hewas questioned by the right
people.
someone is hanging on by their
fingertips ... ver hang
fire
breathe fire eehar humo (literal:
respirarfuega) 0 One Democratic
legislator who was breathing fire over
the Weinberger indictment yesterday
was Brooks.
catch fire ponerse interesante
o The play only really catches once
Aschenbach falls in love.
* come under fire a
be under fire ser ataeado 0 The
president's plan first came
from critics who said he didn't include
enough spending cuts.
do something with fire in your belly
haeer alga con pasion (literal: haeer
algo con fuego en la barriga) oSome
people claim he has changed his style,
but Ion has played with fire in his belly
throughout his career.
draw someone's fire provo car las
crftieas de alguien 0 Their first
substantial work was thef/ats at Ham
Common in 1957 This immediately drew
the fire of the architectural
establishment.
Aquf significa gunfire
Cdisparos").
fight fire with fire pagar con la
misma moneda (literal: combatirel
fuego con fuego) 0 The chancellor
onswered by fighting fire with fire. He
attacked Mr Brown for wasting so much
fish 103
time and energy on the issue.
hang fire esperar antes de actuar
o Banks and building societies are
hanging fire on interest rates to see how
the French vote in their referendum.
Esta expresi6n se remonta a la
epoca en que las armas de fuego
funcionaban con polvora en lugar
de balas. 5i un arma no disparaba
bien porque la p61vora no habfa
prendido, se decfa que dicha arma
hung fire. La expresi6n nash in the
tiene un origen similar.
hold fire 0
hold your fire esperar 0 The
administration will hold its fife until it
sees the detail of the bill, but is likely
then to oppose it.
light a fire under someone (sabre
toda EE UU) poner a funcionar a
alguien 0 They need to crank up their
technical research and light a fire under
their marketing force.
g Se dice que algunos granjeros
estadounidenses de principios
del siglo xx sol fan encender
fuegos bajo aquellas mulas
particularmente tercas que se
negaban a avanzar a fin de
obligarlas a hacerlo.
* play with fire jugar con fuego
oSchulte warned government and
industrial leaders that those who even
venture to think about mass layoffs are
ploying with fire.
fish
be like a fish out of water estar
como pezfuera del agua 0 He
thought of himself as a country
gentleman; he was like a out of
water in Birmingham.
be neither fish nor fowl no serni
chicha ni limona (literal: no serni
pez ni ave) 0 By the mid-1980s,
Canada had a constitution that was
104 fishing
neither fish narrowl in terms ofpoliticai
philosophy.
Fowl es una palabra anticuada
que significa "ave de corral".
* a big fish un pez gordo 0 The four
who were arrested here last September
were described as really big (ish by the
u.s. Drug EnforcementAgency.
a big fish in a small pond el tuerto
en el pars de los degas (literal: un
pezgrande en un estanque
pequeno) 0 In Rhodesia / was a big
fish in a small pond. But here there'd be
many lean years before J built up a
reputation.
a cold fish untipofrfo o He didn't
really show much emotion - he's a bit of
o cold fish.
drink like a fish beber como un
(05a(0 (litera': bebercomo un pez)
o Herfatherdrank like a fish.
Antes la gente crefa que !os peces
bebfan constantemente, porque
2 respiran con la boca abierta.
have other fish to fry 0
have bigger fish to fry tener casas
mas impartantes que hacer (literal:
tener atras pescados que frefr)
o I didn't pursue it in detail because
I'm o(roid I hod other fish to (rv ot the
time.
something is like shooting fish in a
barrel algo es un combate desigual
(literal: algo es como disparar a
peces en un tanel) 0 I heard one case
where some of the enemy soldiers had
come out and they were saying it was
like shooting fish in a barrel.
there are plenty more fish in the
sea con el no se acaba el mundo
(literal: hay muchos mas peces en
el mar) 0 I(your daughter is upset
because her boyfriend left her, telling her
that 'there are plenty more fish in the
sea'won't help.
fishing
be on a fishing expedition (sobre
,tOdo EE UU) estar de pesca 0 You
( know why you're here. You're on a
lfishing expedition. You're hunting (or
materia/.
fit
En 105 dos primeras mod ism os, fit
significa "sano y lIena de energfa".
fighting fit (Brit) en plena forma
o Nathan is now fighting fit and ready
to tackle school again after his three- .
month bottle (or Ii(e.
fit as a fiddle rebosante de salud
o I'm as fit as a fiddle, I'm never ill,
I have an iron constitution.
Puede que, ariginalmente, esta
expresion se refiriera a un
violinista (fiddler)y no a un violrn
(fiddle). EI violinista tenia que
estar en forma para tocar toda la
tarde en un festival 0 en una
fiesta. Por otra parte, fit podrfa
haber significado suitable
en lugar de healthv
("sana"), par 10 que elsignificado
original podrfa haber sido as
suitable (or its purpose as a fiddle is
(or ma/<ing music ("tan aprapiado
para su proposito como 10 es un
violfn para tocar musica").
fit to be tied (sobre todo EE UU)
hecha una furia 0 Douglas was fit to
be tied. He almost killed Harry. He made
Harry pay back every last penny.
Aquffitsignifica "Iisto"o"apropiado"
para un proposito determinado.
fits
* in fits and starts a trompicones
o Denise's career plans can only proceed
in fits and starts.
Fit significa "arrebata".
fix
'* get a fix on someone or something
tener a alguien 0 algo 0 It's dimcult
to get a fix on what brokers earn. Their
commissions depend on the number and
cost o(the properties they sell.
'* there is no quick fix no existe un
arreglo rapido 0 There can be no quick
fix (or public spending. I(the recovery
(ailS to cut the deficit sharply, a rise in
taxes will be needed. 0 He warned
congress against any quick fix solutions
to get the economy moving.
flag
* fly the flag defender el pabell6n
o It doesn't matter whether you are
nVing the nog (orvourcountrv. orthe
HorseTrials Group, oryour sponsor,
the image you present is all-important.
keep the flag flying mantener alto
el pabellon 0 I would as/< members to
keep the nog nVing bV entering some o(
their plants in both shows.
a red flag (sobre todo EE UU)
una seflal de alarma (litera': una
bandera raja) oAnyonewho raises
a red nag could be met by officiols
when the ship or plane arrives in this
country.
a red flag before a bull .... ver bull
wrap yourself in the flag (sobre todo
EE UU) escudarse en el patriotismo
o Politicians always try to wrap
themselves in the nag on Independence
Day, but I thinl< most people can see
through thot.
flagpole
run something up the flagpole
consultar una idea 0 The President
should consider running the capita/-
goins cut bock up the nogpole.
Run 0 nog up 0 nogpole significa
"izar una bandera".
flash 105
flags
put the flags out (Brit) engalanarse
o Birthdays and christenings, or just a
spell o( good weather, are al/ the excuse
you need to put the nags out and
celebrate summer in the garden.
flame
* an old flame un antiguo amor
o Last weel<Alec was seen dining with
his old name, JanineTurner, in New
Yorl<.
flames
be shot down in flames ser
severamente criticado 0 Just six
months ago his idea would have been
shot down in names for its sheer lunacy.
* fan the flames empeararla.
situacion (literal: avivar las llamas)
o Extremist organizations in the west
were actively (anning the names in the
east, he said.
El sentido literal de (an flames es
"avivar las llamas".
go up in flames esfumarse 0 The
Hollywood she'd I<nown had gone up in
names the daV she le(t. A new
Hollywood and a new Washington had
grown up.
flash
* a flash in the pan flor de un dfa
(litera': un fogonazo en la cazaleta)
o In the days (allowing BecJ(Qn's victory,
the British establishment has gone out
ofits way to try and dismiss the result
as a nash in the pan.
Esta expresion proviene de la
forma en que fundonaban los
antiguos fusiles de chispa. AI
apretarel gatillo se produda una
chispa que encendfa la pequeiia
cantidad de polvora que habra en
la cazoleta (0 pan). Esta pequefla
cantidad a su vez encendfa el
106 flat
resto de la p6!vora. Sin embargo,
si no Ja encendfa se producfa
unicamente"un fogonazo en [a
cazoleta" (a nash in the pan) y el
fusil no disparaba bien. La
expresi6n hang firetiene un
origen similar.
in a flash en un abrir y cerrar de ojos
o5am was out of his hiding place in a
(lash and crossed the space between
him and the cliff-foot in a couple of
leaps.
flat
* fall flat
1 fracasar por completo 0 The
champagne opening of a new art gal/ery
fell nat when the boss's Wife fired a cork
straight through the most expensive
painting on show.
2 no funcionar 0 He then started
trying to tel/jokes to the assembled
gathering. These too fell nat.
flat as a pancake 'Iiso como la
palma de la mana (literal: lisa como
una torta) 0 There was barely a
breeze and the water was as nat as
a pancake.
flat-footed
be caught flat-footed 0
be left flat-footed ser pHlado
desprevenido 0 'The people around
were caught nat-footed,' said Mr. Enko.
'Nobody expected noods of such
magnitude.'
flavour
F/avourse escribe navoren ingles
america no.
* flavour of the month (sabre todo
Brit) estrella del momenta (literal:
sabor del mes) oMost stars are likely
to declare an unprecedented interest in
whatever cause is the Jatestnavour Of
the month in celebrity circles.
las heladerfas estadounidenses
solfan seleccionar un sabor del
rqes a fin de ani mar ala gente a
probar helados de distintos

flea
send someone away with a flea in
. tileirear (Brit) despacharaalguien
con cajas destempladas (literal:
echar a alguien con una pulga en la
oreja) 0 J was prepared to be met with
hostility as another nosy outsider, even
to be sent away with a nea in my ear.
But Moira was happy to chat.
flesh
flesh and blood decarney hueso
6 He was the first writer since
Shal<espeare to show his readers that
the past was peopled bynesh and blood
human beings very like themselves.
make your flesh creep ponerte Ja
carne de gallina 0 I didn't like him the
first time I set eyes on him and now I
I<now why. He made my flesh creep.
* meet someone in the flesh 0
see someone in the flesh conocer a
algu'jen en persona 0 But what does
Jamie think of his hero now, having met
him in the flesh?
* press the flesh (Periodismo) ir
estrechando manos a diestro y
siniestro (literal: apretar la carne)
o Royalty's function in the sports arena
is generally confined to pressing the
flesh and presenting trophies.
put flesh on something 0
put flesh on the bones of
something definiralgo oWhat
would a Middle East at peace actually
1001< like? Somebody needs to start
putting nesh on those bones.
someone is flesh and blood alguien
ser de carne y hueso 0 I'm flesh and
blood li1<eeveryone else and I, too, can
be damaged.
* someone is your own flesh and
blood alguien es de tu propia sangre
o He's myown flesh and blood; I'll stic/(
by him whatever he does.
flick
give someone or something the
flick (sobretodoAustralia, familiar)
mandar a alguien 0 algo a paseo
o Nikki has given Brandon the flicl<.
En el fUtbol australiano, el pase
que se hace go!peando la pelota
can la mano abierta se denomina
flick pass. Estos pases van contra
las normas, las cuales estipulan
que la pelota debe ria pasarse
golpeando!a con el puno.
flies
be dropping like flies caercomo
moscas 0 Meanwhile Burketown was
left without a police officer while people
were dropping like flies. 0 While other
retailers are dropping like flies,
supermarkets are making fat profits.
there are no flies on someone
alguien no tiene un pelo de tonto
(literal: alguien na tiene mascas
encima) 0 You have to establish that
you are an officer with good and tried
soldiers: there are no flies on the enemy.
flight
* a flight offancy imaginaciones
o This is no night offancy. The
prototype;s already flying, and
production is to begin next year.
flip
flip your lid (familiar) perder los
estribos 0 'Boy, you are brave,' she
said, bathing the bleeding cut. 11 lot of
grownups nip their lids when you clean
a cut like this.'
floodgates
* open the floodgates to something
fly 107
abrirle las puertas a alga 0 Giving in
to the strikers' demands, government
ministers said, would open the
floodgates to demands by workers in
other Jorge state-owned industries.
floor
fall through the floor hundirse
o On the fateful day, Oct. 19, the value
of those stoc/(s fell through the noor.
wipe the floor with someone dar
un buen repasa a alguien (literal:
fregar el suelo con alguien)
o When you play against people whose
technique is superior and who can
match your courage and commitment,
they're going to wipe the floor with
you.
flow
* be in full flow (Brit)
1 marchara plena vapor 0 By 1944-
45 he was in full flOW, scoring in twelve
successive matches and totalling
twenty-seven goals in this sequence.
2 haberse lanzado a hab!ar oMar/<
Muellerwas already in full now, telling
me how he had been the first to lmow
the movie men were back in town.
* go with the flow dejarse Ilevar
o This year I'm going to take a deep
breath, leave my troubles and tension in
the departure lounge and go with the
now.
fly
do something on the fly hacer alga
par la via rapida 0 This gives
architects and designers the power to
build an environment, explore it and
maybe do some designing on the fly.
the fly in the ointment la unica
peg a (literal: la mosca en la
pomada) 0 The only ny in the
ointment is the enormous debt
portfolios of Marine Midland in
Latin America.
108 food
~ Esta expresi6n proviene de la
~ Biblia (Edesiastes 10:1), donde se
~ afirma que del mismo modo que
una mosca muerta pudre una
~ (cpa de unguento de
~ perfumista, un poco de necedad
~ cuenta mas que la sabidurfa y
~ el honor.
* someone would love to be a fly on
the wall a alguien Ie gustarfa estar
allfparaverquepasa oJ'dlovetobea
fly on the wall at their team meetings.
o I'd love to work as the personal
photographerof Q rock star for a year,
documenting their life on the road from
a fly-on-the-wall perspective.
someone wouldn't hurt a fly 0
someone wouldn't harm a fly serra
incapaz de mataruna mosca 0 He
is, he insists, a pacifist, who would not
hurt a nv
food
* give someone food for thought ser
motivQ de reflexi6n para alguien 0 I
am not a religious person, but knowing
what a good and faithful servant my
friend has been, it has certainly given
me faod for thaught.
fool
a fool and his money are soon
parted a los tontos no les dura el
dinero 0 The sad truth is that a fool
and his money are soon parted, and
even more so, a fool who is in love.
* fool's gold quimera 0 The Chancel/or
dismissed as 'pure fool's gold' the idea
that devaluing the pound could assist
the British economy.
Fool's gold es otro nombre porel
que se canace la pi rita de hierro,
un mineral de coJordorado que se
encuentra en las rocas y que la
gente a veces confunde can el
oro.
live in a fool's paradise vivirde
ilusiones (literal: vivir en el parafso
d ~ un tonto) 0 English economists
Jhave been living in a fool's paradise.
Vhe recession has started.
fools
fools rush in where angels fearto
tread 0
fools rush in la ignorancia es osada
oSometimes I stop and think, how did
Iget into this? Fools rush in where
angels fear to tread.
~ Este proverbio aparece'en la obra
deAlexander Pope titulada Ensayo
~ sabre 10 cr(tica (1711).
foot
be caught on the wrong foot
sercogido a contra pie 0 The
supermarket chain seems to have been
caught on the wrong foot, still trying to
escape its 'cheap' past just as it should
be capitalizing on that record. oAgain
and again European and UN diplomacy
has been wrong-footed by events in the
Balkans.
the boot is on the other foot (Brit) 0
the shoe is on the other foot
(EE UU) se ha dado la vuelta a la
tortilla (literal: la bota/el zapato
esta en el otro pie) 0 I'm in the job.
You may have assisted along the way,
but as far as I know you're not in a
position to remove me. The boot is now
on the other foot.
~ Hasta finales del sigloxvlII, los
~ zapatos se podfan lIevar en
~ cualquiera de los dos pies, ya que
los zapateros no hacfan zapatos
~ "derechos" 0 "izquierdos". 51 a
g alguien Ie molestaba uno de los
~ zapatos, podia intentar ponerselo
~ en el otro pie para ver 51 asf Ie
~ resultaba masc6modo.
foot-in-the-door agresivo 0 Double
glazing salesmen have become a bit of a
nationa/joke, what with their foot -in-
the-door methods.
5i alguien conslgue metere[ pie
en [a abertura de una puerta,
~ podra Impedirque la cierren V que
Ie dejen fuera de [a vivienda.
* get a foot in the door meter [a
cabeza (literal: co[ar un pie en [a
puerta) 0 The only reason I took the
job was because I thought it might help
me get a foot in the door.
get off on the wrong foot empezar
con mal pie 0 Every time I come home
on leave, we seem to get off on the
wrong foot. We argue a lot.
g The wrong foot se refiere al pie
~ izquierdo. Segun una antigua
~ superstici6n, ellado Izquierdo del
~ cuerpo esta asociado a la mala
~ suerte V ala maldad. A veces los
romanos ponian a centine[as a la
~ entrada de los edificios publicos
~ para que se aseguraran de que la
gente entraba en ellos con el pie
~ derecho. La expresi6n get out of
~ bed on the wrong side se basa en
una creencia similar.
have a foot in both camps tener
intereses en los dos bandos o With
an Indian father and an English mother,
she had a foot in both camps - or
perhaps in neither.
~ En esta expresi6n camp significa
"campamento militar".
* not put a foot wrong (Brit) no
cometer ningun error ojohnWall<er
has said that all great athletes have a
season in which they don't put a foot
wrong.
* put your best foot forward
esmerarse oSir David said that the
commission should have put its best
foot forward and produced something
independent.
footsteps 109
* put your foot down
1 p[antarse 0 He had planned to go on
holiday with his friends, but his father
had put his foot down.
2 (Brit) pisar a fonda 0 Once out of
the parl< and finding a clear stretch
of the Bayswater Road, he put his faot
down.
* put your foot in it meter la pata
o I put my foot in it straight away,
referring to folk music. Tom sat forward
and glared. 'It's not fall< music, man. It's
heritage music.'
* shoot yourself in the foot tirar
piedras contra tu propio tejado
(literal: dispararse en el pie) 0 Unless
he shoots himself in the foot, in all
probability he will become President.
someone has one foot in the grave
alguien esta con un pie en la
sepultura 0 The guard and warder are
tal<en in, they're convinced De Fiore's
got one foot in the grave.
start off on the right foot entrar
con buen pie 0 To me this was a man
who was prepared to start Off on the
right foot; he was mature with some
common sense.
footloose
footloose and fancy-free
(anticuado) libre como el aire oA
divorced man is footloose and fancy-
free. He can go to parties and pubs on
his own, and come and go as he pleases.
g Este termino se refiere a una vela
~ de barco que se mueve libremente
~ y de forma imprevisible porque [as
~ cuerdas que la sujetan por la orilla
inferior (foot) estan sueltas.
footsteps
* follow in someone's footsteps
seguir los pasos de alguien
o Rudolph Garvin was a college
student, the son of a physician, who
110 forelock
wanted to foJ/ow in his father's
footsteps.
forelock
tug your forelock 0
touch your forelock (Brit)
doblegarse oA Jot of people seem to
think we're supposed to go round
touching ourforelocl< and scraping our
heads against the floor. We're not.
La palabra forelock significa
"mech6n de pelc" (que cae sabre
la frente).Antiguamente, las
personas de clase baja
acostumbraban a sacarse el
sombrero delante de personas
de clase alta. 5i no lIevaban
sombrero, se lIevaban la mana
al meeh6n.
forest
someone cannot see the wood
for the trees -+ ver trees
forewarned
forewarned is forearmed hombre
prevenido vale par dos 0 The authors'
idea is that (orewarned is forearmed: if
we [mow how persuasion works,
perhaps we can resist some of it.
fort
hold down the fort (EE UU) a
hold the fort quedarse al cargo
o Since she entered Parliament five
years ago, her husband has held the fort
at their Norfolk home during the week
fortune
* a small fortune un dineral 0 For
almost two years, Hawkins made a
small fortune running a drugstore.
foundations
shake the foundations of
something hacertemblar los
cimientos de algo 0 The crisis shoal<
the foundations of the world economy.
frame
* in the frame for something (Brit)
l;candidato a alga a Darren Bicknell
himselffirmly in the frame for an
call-up at Lord's yesterday.
2 sospechoso de algo a The fact is,
there's only ever been one guy in the
frame for this killing, and that's the
. husband.
Aquf frame se refiere seguramente
@ a un fotograma de un rolla de
peifcula.
frazzle
wear yourself to a frazzle
destrozarse a Why should / wear
myself to a frazzle, trying to save your
sldn for you?
free
free as a bird libre como el viento
(literal: libre como un pajaro) a I
have been is/and-hopping in the Pacific
forthe past two and a half years, free as
a bird.
freefall
En el paracaidismo, la palabra
freefall significa "cafda libre".
* gointofreefall (Periodismo) caeren
picado a Fears are now widespread
that shares could go into freefall before
Christmas.
frenzy
* a feeding frenzy frenesl a His
statement was unnecessary, and merely
served to start a media feeding frenzy.
Esta expresi6n se usaba
inicialmente para describir el
comportamiento de los tiburones
cuando hay sangre en el agua
pero no la com ida suficiente para
alimentarlos a todos. En esta
situaci6n los tiburones atacar21n
cualquiercosa quevean, e incluso
se atacaran entre ellos.
fresh
fresh as a daisy fresco como una
rosa (literal: fresco como una
margarita) 0 She can sleep through
anything and emerge fresh as a daisy at
the end ofit.
frighteners
put the frighteners on someone
(Brit) meter a alguien miedo en el
cuerpo a He and his chums tried to put
the (righteners on Kelley beFore she had
written a single word.
Frighteners era el nombre que se
daba a 105 miembros de bandas
criminalesa los que se ordenaba
asustar a alguien para que hiciera
alga.
fritz
on the fritz (EE UU) estropeado
aMy mother's toaster went on the fritz.
frog
have a frog in your throat tener
carraspera (literal: tener una rana
en la garganta) a Even when I was
little, other kids would ask i(l had a (rog
in my throat. Ijust have a raspy voice.
En la epoca medieval se crera que
si alguien bebra agua en la que
hubiera huevas de rana, las ranas
crecerfan en el interior de su
cuerpo. La gente pen saba que el
dolor de garganta Via tos podrfan
deberse al hecho de que las ranas
intentaran escapar del est6mago
de alguien a traves de su
garganta.
fruit
* bear fruit darfruto a People see
material conditions getting worse.
fur 111
They don't see the economic reforms
championed by the President as bearing
(ruit.
forbidden fruit fruta prohibida
o Knowing that from now on you can't
eat chocolate or have sugar in your tea
can ma/(e you want those forbidden
fruits even more.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda al
relato brblico en el que Eva tienta
aAdan para que este coma el
fruto de! arbol del conocimiento,
que Dios les habra prohibido
tocar.
frying pan
out of the frying pan into the fire
de Guatemala a Guatepeor (literal:
de la sarten al fuego) a I was hoping
to get my career bac/( on track at
Everton, after a bad time atVilla. But as
it turned out, I'd gone out o(the (rying
pan into the rre.
fuel
* add fuel to the fire echar lena al
fuego 0 You must not take the route
of trying to borrow your way out of
trouble. This really would be adding (uel
to the fire.
full
be full of yourself ser un engrerdo
a I tired of him quite quickly - he's so
(ull o(himself.
funeral
it's yourfuneral con tu pan te 10
comas (literal: es tu funeral) a Have
it your own way. You'll be sorry. It's your
(uneroi.
fur
the fur is flying se estan peleando
(literal: la piel esta volanda) a The
world's oldest major championship does
not start until tomorrow, yet already
,
112 furniture
the (ur is nying thick and (ast.
Esta expresion aJude a una pelea
~ entreanimales en la que se
~ arrancan el pelaje los unos a los
~ atras.
furniture
part of the furniture parte de la
casa (litera': parte del mobiliario)
o In ten years he has become part Dfthe
(urniture o(English li(e, his place on the
stage firmly fixed and universally
respected.
furrow
La palabra furrow significa "surco"
(en un campo de labor).
plough a IOnE!ly furrow a
plough a lone furrow (Brit, litera rio)
trabajar en solitario 0 It seems that
Shattock was something Of an original
thinker, ploughing a !onelyfurrow.
fuse
be on a short fuse 0
h ~ v e a short fuse tener un genic
mwv vivo 0 Perhaps he's irritable and
h a ~ a short (use, letting you know when
he's not pleased.
~ Ver la explicacion en light the fuse.
'blow a fuse saHrse de sus cqsillas
(literal: fundir un plomo) 0 For all my
experience, I blew a fuse in the quarter-
final and could have been sent Off.
~ En esta expresion, fuse significa
g "fusible".
light the fuse encender la mecha
o Ghana's independence in 1957 lit the
(use which led to the rapid (reeing o(
c%niaIAfrica.
En esta expresi6n, fuse significa
"espoleta" (de un cohete 0 de un
artefacto explosivo).
gaff
blow the gaff (Brit) irse de la lengua
o I said 'I've blown the ga((. .. revealed
the truth and told stories about what
really went on.'
Aquf blow significa "revelar". En
~ elsigloxlx,gafferauntermino
~ arg6tico empleado para describir
comportamientos deshonestos.
a a b ~ gagging for something (Brit,
familiar) morirse de ganas de algo
o 'Girls everywhere aregagging for a car
like this,' announced a spokesperson at
the launch.
gallery
play to the gallery actuar para la
galerfa 0 It tool< more than 20 years for
the HouseofCommons to allow TV
cameras there, because some members
were frightened that others would play
to the gallery.
game
* ahead of the game con ventaja
o We're a/ways /ooldng at new
technologies to keep ahead of the game.
* beat someone at their own game
ganar a alguien con sus propias
armas 0 The Cats beat Brisbane at
their own game: they were more
aggressive and equally skilJed.
* the game is up se acab6 el juego
o He narrowed his eyes as the blue
lights o(the police cor riled the cob.
Sensing the game was up, he pulled
over.
a game of cat and mouse -+ ver
cat
* a game plan una estrategia
oSo few people stick to their game
plan. I stuck to mine. I had always
wanted to be a millionaire from a very
early age.
~ En el futbol americano, game plan
g significa "plan dejuego".
* give the game away descubrirel
pastel 0 Johnson had intended to make
his announcement in a forthcoming
feature in The Times but the paper gave
the game away.
go on the game (Brit, familiar)
ponerse a hacer Ja calle 0 Howcan
anyone with kids think Of going on the
game?
new to the game nuevo en el
asunto 0 Don't forget that she's new
to this game and will take Q while to
complete the task, so you need to be
very patient.
not play the game (sabre todo Brit,
anticuado) nojugar limpio 0 Labour
chancel/ors really aren't supposed to do
this sort of thing. It is not playing the
game.
the only game in town la unica
alternativa 0 He's the only game in
town, and I am hoping that he can show
some rea/leadership strength.
114 games
Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a alguien dispuesto a
participar en una partida de
poquer, aunquefuera
deshonesta, porque era fa
unica que sejugaba en aquel
momento.
* play the game seguir las reg las del
juego olnordertosurviveinthe
politicol system, they have to ploy the
game.
Esta expresi6n es una eita del
"Credo olfmpico" escrito par Pierre
de Coubertin, fundadorde los
Juegos Olfmpicos modernos en
1896. Despues la usarfa sir Henry
Newbolten SU poema tituJado
Vitoi lompodo (18g8).
play someone at their own game
usar contra alguien sus pro pi as
armas 0 I never used to get introduced
to their clients. So I've started playing
them atthejrown game. When I have
clients to come and see me, I don't
introduce them either.
* playa waiting game dejar pasar el
tiempo 0 I propose to playa waiting
game, and hope that a few of the pieces
of this puzzle will soon begin to fit
together.
games
* play games jugar 0 The company
says it needs about a week to make a
decision on staffing. One employee says
he thinks the company is playing games
with them.
gangbusters
like gangbusters (sobre todo EE UU)
a 10 bestia 0 The Lakers, who struggled
early, came on /ike gangbusters at
precisely the right time, which is to say,
when the playoffs started.
La palabra gang buster hace
referencia a una persona,
especial mente un policia, al que
se Ie encomienda la misi6n de
,disolver bandas criminales.
I

garbage in. garbage out basura
entra, basura sale oA computer
expert, he said he'd learned from
computer programming that if you
put garbage in, you get garbage out.
Esta expresi6n proviene de la
informatica. 5i se introducen
datos err6neos en el ordenador,
la informaci6n producida no
servira de nada.
garden
* .... garden (Brit) 0
(EE UU) comun y
corriente 0 Whether you're looking for
specialist equipment or a common-or-
garden mixing bowl, it's worth making
a trip to the Harrods Cooks hop.
Estas expresiones se usa ban en
un principio para describir la
g variedad mas comun de una
especie de plantas.
lead someone up the garden path
(sobre tado Brit) 0
lead someone down the garden
path (EE UU) embaucar a alguien
(literal: Ilevar a alguien por el
caminodeljardfn) o He may have
Jed me up the garden path. He said
everything was over with Penny but
now he seems to be seeing her again.
gas
run out of gas (sobretodo EE UU)
quedarse sin energfas o Mil/er, who
missed second place by four seconds,
said she 'ran out Of gas' close to the
finish.
Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
un vehfculo que se detiene porque
se ha quedado sin gasolina.
gasp "I . EI
* last gasp u tlmo SUSplro 0 even
thousand years ago, at the last gasp of
the ice age, the area was covered with
rich, semi-deciduous forest, not dry
grassland.
* lastpgasp (Periodismo) en el ultimo
minuto 0 Last-gasp negotiations by
the National Museum of Photography
could ensure major new shows by
legendary photographers Richard
Avedon and Sebastiao Salgado.
: Estas frases aparecen en ellibro
segundo de los Macabeos (7:9),
en los textos ap6crifos. Siete
hermanos y su madre fueron
torturados porel reyAntfoco, y
uno de los hermanos habl6 con
actitud desafiante "aillegar a su
ultimo suspiro" (when hewas at his
lost gasp).
gauntlet
Los guantes largos y gruesos que
protegen las manos, las munecas
y los ante brazos se denominan
gauntlets.
* run the gauntlet
1 sufrir el acoso 0 President-elect
Chamorro also had to run the gauntlet
as bags Of water rained down from the
Sandinista section of the stadium.
2 padecer 0 He has run the gauntlet
of arrest, police investigation, spells in
prison and house detention in
connection with his ties to radical
groups.
Gatlopp es una palabra sueca que
significa "carrera por un camino".
Se refiere a un castigo mi!itar
sueco que se introdujo en
Inglaterra durante la Guerra de
los Treinta Aiios (1618-1648). La
vfctima tenfa que correr entre dos
genie 115
hileras de soldados arm ados con
latigos 0 con palos. En Inglaterra,
la palabra sueca gatlopp se
sustituy6 porun termino ingles
mas conocido, gauntlet.
take up the gauntlet recoger el
guante 0 We received many letters on
the subject, and several said we should
as/< our readers for nominations. We are
taking up the gauntlet. Write to us with
your suggestions.
* throw down the gauntlet arrojar
el guante 0 Thetruc/(ers threw down
their gauntlet to the government after
an all-night meeting of their strike
committee
En!a epoca medieval, los
caballeros lanzaban uno de sus
guanteletes (gauntlets) al suelo
para desafiar a otro caballero a un
g combate. Si el segundo caballero
10 recogfa, esto significaba que
g aceptaba el desaffo.
gear
* get into gear ponerse en marcha
o The town itself has got into gear with
a campaign to improvetheenvironment.
La imagen de este modismo se
refiere a la conducci6n de un
vehfculo.
genie
the genie is out of the bottle
es imposible darmarcha atras
o The genie is out of the bottle and all
attempts to stop the tide ofGM crops
are in vain.
En la mitologfa arabe, un genio
(genie) es un esplritu travieso que
tiene poderes magicos. Puede que
esta expresi6n haga referencia a
la historia deAladino, el cual frota
una lampara y libera al genio
atrapado en su interior.
116 gentle
gentle
gentle as a lamb mas manso que
un cordero 0 Brian was as gentle as a
lamb and wouldn't hurt anyone.
get
from the get-go (ramiliar) desde el
principio 0 Borrowing to make
distributions was part of the plan from
the get-go because of the seasonal
nature of the business.
ghost
give up the ghost
1 arrojar la toalla 0 In Manhattan
there was no Memorial Day parade this
year. The organizers said they've given
up the ghast after sa (ew peaple turned
out last year.
2 pasar a mejor vida (literal:
abandonarel espfritu) oAshortway
off the return ferry, Danny's car gave up
the ghost again.
~ Original mente esta expresi6n
~ significaba "morir", y hay quien
aun la usa de vez en cuando con
~ este significado.
lay the ghost of something
enterrar el recuerdo de alga 0 Jockey
Adrian Maguire laid the ghost of a
ghastly week with a comprehensive win
in the Irish Champion Hurdle yesterday.
gift
the gift of the gab a
the gift of gab (EE UU) labia (liter.l:
e! don de Ja charla) 0 He was
entertaining company and certainly had
the gift a(the gab.
Puede que esta expresi6n este
~ relacionada can la palabra
~ irlandesa y gaelicagab, que
S significa "boca".
gift horse
look a gift horse in the mouth
a caballo regalado no Ie mires el
diente 0 When you're an entrepreneur,
ypuidon't look a gift horse in the mouth.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere al hecho
W de que es posible determinar la
~ edad de un caballo al mirarle los
~ dientes.
gills
look green around the gills tener
mala cara 0 Kenny stumbled out from
the washroom. 'I'm all right now.' He
stilllool<ed quite green around the gills.
S Gills significa "branquias". En esta
~ expresi6n el termino se usa de
~ forma humorfstica para referirse
~ a la boca.
gilt
take the gilt off the gingerbread
(Brit) quitarle la gracia (literal:
quitarle el bano doradoal pan de
jengibre) 0 I(nawing that jim didn't
want to be there rather tool< the gilt Off
the gingerbread.
s Antiguamente, el pan dejengibre
~ se adornaba a veces can una
~ finfsima lamina dorada.
girl
a big girl's blouse (Brit) un
mariquita, un (media) nena 0 We'll
get that sappy big girl's blause with the
dodgy knee who cries all the time.
Blouse significa "blusa". Esta
~ expresi6n quiza se refiera a 10 que
~ se supone que lJevarfa puesto un
~ hombretfmido 0 debil en lugarde
~ una prenda masculina, par
o ejemplo aljugara f(jtbol oa rugby.
give
* give and take concesiones mutuas
o I'm in a happy relationship where
there's a lot of give and take.
give it up for someone (familiar)
un gran aplauso para alguien
o f\s a marl< of our gratitude forall her
unstinting effort overthe last year'-
to no one's surprise, he produced a
mid-size bunch of sprayed carnations
from behind his back - 'let's give it up
(arKath.'
* give or take something
1 mas a menos alga 0 There is a
buried crater35 kilometres across, in
North America. It dates bacf< 66 million
years, give or take a million.
2 sincontaralgo oWearenotin
Sydney; this is Manchester. The two do
have a similar fee/ to them, give orta/<e
the odd beach, bridge, harbour and
opera house.
glance
Ie at first glance a primera vista
o The difficulty comes when two people,
who appeared at ffrst glance to have so
much in common, discoverthat they
have simply grown apart.
glass
* the glass ceiling eJ techo de cristal
oA woman judge has at last succeeded
in breaking through the glass ceiling
into the Court Of Appeal, the second
highest court in the land.
people who live in glass houses
shouldn't throw stones quien este
libre de pecado que tire la primera
piedra (literal: !a gente que vive en
casas de cristal no deberfa tirar
piedras) 0 When will they iearn?
People in glass houses really shouldn't
throw stones.
gloss
put a gloss on something poner
un barnizenalgo o Garland could
see no harm in putting an optimistic
gloss on what the specialist had
actually said.
gnat 117
Gloss significa "glosa", 0 nota que
se anade a un texto para explicar
una palabra poco conocida.
Esta expresi6n sugiere que!a
explicaci6n ofrecida induce a
error.
glove
fit like a glove sentar como un
guante 0 Surprisingly, she has not
sung Leonora for a long time, yet, as I
reminded her, she used to say the part
fitted ~ e r v o i c e like a glove.
gloves
the gloves are off (Periodismo)
se acabaron las contemp!aciones
o In the software price war, the gloves
are off.
~ Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
~ los boxeadores que boxean con
los punos desnudos, 10 cual es mas
~ peligrosoqueboxearconguantes.
glutton
( Glutton significa "glot6n". )
a glutton for punishment un
masoquista 0 What I want to know is
why on earth you want anything to do
with this confused and angry man.
Obviously you're a glutton for
punishment.
gnat
strain at a gnat (/iterario)
discutir sabre el sexo de los angeles
o When it comes down to distinguishing
1 percent growth from a mild recession,
you'd be straining at gnats to tell the
difference.
Gnat significa "mosquito". Esta
cita ("colar el mosquito y tragarse
el camello") proviene de la Biblia
(Mateo 23:24). Jesucristo la
emple6 cuando criticaba a los
,
118 go
escribas y a los fariseos par
preocuparse demasiado de
aspectos poco importantes de
, la ley.
go
don't even go there (familiar) ni se
te ocurra mencionar!o 0 Bloom is
romantically linked to Kate Bosworth,
but don't even go there. Keeping his
private life private is oneofthe ways he
copes with his celebrity status.
go figure (sabre todo EE UU, familiar)
no hayquienloentienda a'/twas
certainly unexpected,' said Mickelson,
who hadn't touched a club for two
weeks before the tournament. " didn't
hit it great today and somehow I shot
59. So go figure.'
go off on one (Brit, familiar) ponerse
heche una furia 0 I've never seen him
go off on one before but I saw Q very
different side to him then.
* haveagoatsomeone (sobretodo
Brit) atacar a alguien 0 Finally I felt
angry, because I figured she wasjust
having a go at me forthe sake ofit.
oA mob had a go at him with stones.
what goes around comes around 10
que se siembra, se cosecha 0 What
goes around comes around. If you ignore
the otherguy when he asks for help, you
might just be setting yourself up fora
little of the same lateran.
goal
* an own goal (Brit) un gal en propia
puerta 0 He said that the Government
must get its act together and stop
scoring economic own goals.
goalposts
move the goalposts cambiar las
reg las deljuego (literal: mover los
pastes) 0 They seem to move the
goalposts every time I meet the
conditions which are required.
goat
act the goat (Brit) hacer el ganso
o Betty had a little yellow umbrella up.
a bit, turning and waving
dmpteen times till she was laughing.
g Goat significa "cabra". Se suele
g asociar a las cabras can un
comportamiento imprevisible.
get someone's goat fastidiar a
alguien (literal: coger la cabra de
alguien) 0 It was a bad result and a
bod performance, but what really got
the media's goat was the manager's
refusal to take all the blame.
Puede que esta expresi6n
provenga de una costumbre de
principios del siglo xx en Estados
Unidos consistente en meter a
cabras en los establos de los
caballos de carreras, dado que la
presencia de las cabras parecfa
tranquilizara los caballos. Si
alguien robaba la cabra, el caballo
se inquietarfa y su rendimiento se
verfa afectado.
God
God's gift un regalo de Dios
o He thinks he's God's gift to women.
Se cree que Dios 10 cre6 para
felicidad de las mujeres. 0 Up till
then I thought I was God's girt to
surgery.
* play God jugar a ser Dios 0 He
insisted that the government should
not play God: the market alone should
decide what industries should be
set up.
take God's name in vain ... ver
name
gold
all that glitters is not gold (Brit) no
es oro todo 10 que reluce oAII that
glitters is not gold and it's a good idea
to de/aYfina/izing any important
agreements, otherwise you may
jeopardize a valuable relationship.
be like gold dust (Brit) ser muy
diffcil de conseguir (literal: ser como
oro en paiva) o Leg make-up was
essential during theWarwhen stockings
were like gold dust.
* a pot of gold una fortuna (literal:
una vasija can oro) 0 When he went
to Hamburg, he should have said hewas
going to make his pot of gold. Instead,
he said he was going to improve his
football.
strike gold descubrir una mina
(literal: encontrar oro) 0 The
company has strucl(gold with its new
holiday development.
good
* as good as new como nuevo
oManufacturers recommend that
carpets should be washed regularly to
prolong their life and keep them looking
as good as new.
* give as good as you get devolver
golpe porgolpe oAlwaysgiveas
good as you get in discussions and
meetings.
good as gold como un santo
(literal: buena como el oro) 0 They
were both in the playroom as good as
gold.
lnutil oRuth's
father was a rich, charming, but good-
for-nothing man.
you can't keep a good man down
los buenos siempre vuelven 0 Rios
hit a winning smash from a sitting
position before toppling over. You can't
keep a good man down, although there
are those who would lil<e to try.
goodbye
* kiss goodbye to something
despedirse de alga oAfterthe
accident, I felt sure I'd have to kiss my
dancing career goodbye.
goose 119
goods
* deliver the goods cumplircon 10
prometido (literal: entregar la
mercancfa) 0 Is the leadership in a
position to deliver the goods in two
years?
have the goods on someone
(EE UU) conocer los tejemanejes
de alguien 0 He was offering services
and materials for about 20 years
internationally before anyone had the
goods on him and could prove that he
was do.ing it.
Aquf the goods se refiere a
artfculos robados, que pueden
usar'se como prueba contra la
persona que los tenga.
goose
cookyourgoose pringarla oBy
trying to steal my girlfriend he cooked
his goose. After that Ijust had to sack
him.
Sedicequeel reyEricxlvde
Suecia lIeg6 en cierta ocasi6n a
una ciudad y descubri6 que sus
habitantes habfan colgado un
ganso de un arbo!. Esto estaba
pensado como insulto, quiza
porque los gansos se asociaban a
la estupidez. EI rey anunci6 que
"cocinarfa su ganso" (would cool<
their goose). Sus soldados
invadieron la ciudad e incendiaron
los edificios principales. Segun
otra teorfa, la expresi6n se refiere
ala fabula de Esopo sabre e!
ganso que ponfa huevos de oro:
ver la explicaci6n en kill the goose
, that lays the golden egg.
kill the goose that lays the
golden egg matar la gallina de los
huevos de oro 0 It's Q classic case of
too many tourists loving a place to
death. 'They're killing the goose that
120 gooseberry
laid the golden egg,' said the par/<
manager.
Esta expresion proviene de la
g fabula de Esopo sabre un
@ campesino quetenfa un ganso
que ponia huevos de oro. EI
campesino ansiaba tanto hacerse
rico que abri6 e! (uerpa del ave,
esperando obtenertodos los
huevos de una vez.
someone wouldn't say boo to a
goose alguien es incapaz de matar
una mosca 0 'If you remember, at
college I wouldn't say boo to a goose.'
That's right, you were very quiet:
a wild goose chase una busqueda
imposible 0 Every time I've gone to
Rome to try to find out iFthe story could
be true, it has turned out to be a wi/d-
goose chase.
En la epoca medieval se corrfa una
carrera de caballos poco eamOn
Hamada wild goose chase.
Comenzaba como una carrera
normal, ya continuaci6n el
ganador cabalgaba en la direcci6n
@ que eligiera y 105 otrosjinetes
tenfan que seguirlo. Puede que la
carrera se lIamara asf porque los
gansos salvajes suelen moverse
deforma imprevisible, razan par
Ja que es diffcil cazar a estas aves.
gooseberry
play gooseberry (Brit) hacer de
carabina 0 '/ didn't want to play
gooseberry with you and Bev,' he smiled.
Se desconoce eJ origen de esta
expresi6n, aunque puede que
haga referencia a! hecho de que la
persona que va de carabina se
dedique a coger grosellas
espinosas (gooseberries) para
matar el tiempo mientras la pareja
de enamorados esta a salas.
gospel
take something as gospel
aceptar alga como si fuera Ja BibHa
o You will read much advice in books
dnd magazines but you should not take'
it all as gospel.
grabs
* something is up for grabs algo
a disposici6n de cualquiera 0
five Senate seats are up (orgrabs in
tomorrow's election.
grace
* fall from grace caer en desgracia
o The band /ater(ell (rom grace when it
was discovered that they never sang on
their own records.
* its/his saving grace 10 que Ie salva
o She definitely outshone the so-called
'stars' and is oneo(the film's (ew saving
graces.
grade
* make the grade alcanzarel nivel
exigido 0 Top public schools (ailed to
make the grade in a new lea,UI' t"bl,- of
academic results.
En ingles americano, grade
g significa "cuesta". Esta expresi6n
g se usaba original mente para
referirse a un tren aue conse(lUia
g ascender par una parte em"", __ " ,",.
de las vIas.
grain
* go against the grain iren contra de
tus principios 0 He would have to take
this work, although it went against the
grain o( everything he believed in and
hoped Fo<
En carpinteria, against the grain
significa "a contra hebra". Es mas
facil cortar 0 cepillar!a madera en
direcci6n de la hebra que hacerlo
a contra hebra.
grandmother
teach your grandmother to suck
eggs (Brit) ensenar a orar a un
monje (literal: ensenar a tu abuela a
sorber huevos) 0 'It's a sarcophagus.
Dig it good and wide,' he said. 'Go teach
yourgrandmotherro suck eggs,' said
Lesh/w, and waved him away with a
showoOrritation.
grapes
* sour grapes pura envidia 0 These
accusations have been going on (or
sometime now, but it is just sour
grapes.
: En una de las fabulas de Esopo,
una zorra intenta varias veces
alcanzar un racimo de uvas de
aspecto delicioso, perc no 10
g consigue.AI final desistey se dice
que probablemente no estan
: maduras.
grapevine
* hear something through the
grapevine 0
hear something on the grapevine
(Brit) enterarse de algo por radio
macuto 0 I hearthrough the grapevine
that you are getting ready to sue us. I(
that's true, I want to hear it (rom you.
Uno de los primeros sistemas
telegraficos en Estados Unidos
fue bautizado como "el
de la parra" (the grapevine
telegraph) porque 105 cables a
menudo se enredaban y
recorda ban una parra. Durante
la Guerra de Secesi6n, el sistema
telegrafico se usaba para
comunicar propaganda e
informaci6n falsa ademas de
noticias autenticas sobre el
progreso de los com bates, por
10 que cualquier data que se
escuchara "a traves de la parra"
grave 121
(on the grapevine probablemente
seria poco fidedigno.
grass
the grass is always greener on
the other side of the fence nadie
esta contento cqn su suerte
(literal: la hierba es mas verde al
otrc lade de la verja) 0 The old saying
goes that, to many people, the grass is
always greener on the other side Of the
fence, and the majority o(Britain's
young people are no exception.
* the grass roots las bases 0 The
revolution is actually coming (rom the
grass roots and I think eventually the
authorities will follow.
kick something into the long
grass (Brit, Periodisma) evitar
tratar algo 0 There were suggestions
this week that the Government intends
to Idcl< the proposals into the long
grass.
like watching grass grow como
ver crecer la hierba 0 Some people
say that watching a cricket match is
like watching grass grow.
put someone out to grass jubilar a
alguien 0 The Prime Minister reFused
to be put out to grass. Asked i(he would
quit, he replied 'The answer is no.'
Cuando los caballos son
demasiado viejos para trabajar a
veces se les suelta en un campo
para que pasten.
grave
dig your own grave cavartu propia
tumba 0 I(you go ahead with a private
investigation, you'll be digging your
own grave professionally.
* turn in your grave (Brit) 0
tum over in your grave (EE UU)
revolverse en la tumba 0 Churchill
and Bevan would turn in their graves i(
they could hearthe pathetic attempts
122 gravy
at public speaking made by members of
all parties in the past three wee/,s.
gravy
* a gravy train dinerofacil oll(eep
his salary down because I don't want
anyone to think he's riding into work
on a gravy train.
: En Estados Unidos, gravy era un
~ termino arg6tico que significaba
~ "dinero" 0 "ganancias". Los
g ferroviarios inventaron esta
expresi6n a principios de la
~ decada de1920 para describir un
~ viaje regular que proporcionaba
g un buen sueldo a cambia de poco
g trabajo.
Greek
be Greek to someone 0
be all Greek to someone (Brit)
sonarle a alguien a chino 0 Her
explanations were Greek to us, and we
were left with the feeling that we still
had a lot to learn.
~ Esta expresi6n resalta la
~ dificultad aprender y entender
~ el griego, principalmente
~ porque tiene un alfabeto distinto
~ aJ de Ja mayorfa de lenguas
~ europeas.
green
green as grass (Brit) ser mas
inocente que un nino 0 Thejob we
had to do was wholly new, and we were
all as green as grass.
green with envy muerto de envidia
(literal: verde de envidia) 0 This is the
most unexpected discovery I have made
in 20 years o( digging. Archaeologists in
other parts of the world will be green
with envy.
~ Antiguamente se crera que una
~ tez verdosa indicaba envidia.
grin
grin and bear it poner al mal
tiempo buena cara (literal: sOlnrein,
?guantar) o Severe abdominal pain
~ h o u l d always be checked. Don't just
grin and bear it.
grip
* get a grip on something controJar.
alga 0 Sa far the country has failed ta
get a grip on its innation rate.
get a grip on yourself 0
get a grip calmarse oA bito"n .. "M.
very frightened and I consciously
get a grip on myself
* lose your grip perder el control
o The oppositian feel thelt tile rICeslde,nt
has lost his grip on the country. 0 He
wondered i(perhaps he was getting old
and losing his grip.
grips
* get to grips with something
asimilar algo 0 In the front o(the van,
Julie's still getting to grips with the
gears and the brakes and the steering.
grist
* grist for the mill 0
grist to the mill (Brit) de todo hay
que sacar provecho 0 You are, Of
course, much better at writing songs
when you are completely miserable- it
gives you so much more grist forthe
mill.
EI grana que se lIevaba a un
~ molino deviento 0 deagua para
~ ser molido se denominaba grist.
~ Los molineros necesitaban
~ provisiones regula res de grana
~ para mantener en
funcionamiento sus negocios.
groove
* in the groove en forma (literal: en
e! surco) 0 Nick is in the groove, as he
showed with seven goals last weekend.
puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a la forma en que la aguja
encaja perfectamente en el surco
de un disco.
ground
be thick on the ground (Brit) haber
a patadas 0 Jobs are not exactly thiC/(
on the ground.
* be thin on the ground (Brit)
escasear 0 Ideas are thin on the
ground in the British rim industry.
break ground (EE UU) comenzar a
construir o Simpson and Hurt hope to
break ground on a planned outdoor
theater at Ten Chimneys nextAugust.
* break new ground hacer algo
nuevo 0 The programme broke new
ground in giving to women roles
traditionally assigned to men.
cut the ground from under
someone echar portierra los planes
de alguien 0 The scenario is this - you
overspend on credit cards; and then a
downturn in business cuts the ground
from under you.
fall on stony ground (Brit) caer en
saco rota 0 Warnings about the effects
on public services fell on stony ground.
Esta expresi6n proviene de la
~ parabola deJesus en la Biblia
~ (Marcos 4:5-6) sabre un
g sembrador que siembra sus
~ semillas en distintos tipos de
~ tierra. La semilla que cae en
~ terreno pedregoso muere porque
~ las rakes no pueden crecer como
~ es debido. En la parabola, la
~ semilla representa las ensenanzas
de Cristo, mientras que e! terreno
~ pedregoso representa a la gente
~ que no tarda en olvidar 0 en
g desorrlo que Cristo ha dicho.
* find common ground hallar un
terreno comun 0 The participants
seem unable to rnd common ground on
ground 123
the issue Of agriculture.
* gain ground ganarterreno 0 The
idea that Britain ought to change its
constitution has been gaining ground
for years.
get in on the ground floor estar
metido desde el principia 0 These
smaller companies are getting in on the
ground noorofwhat will be a gigantic
industry.
get something off the ground
poner alga en marcha 0 Councillor
Riley spake afthededicatian and
enthusiasm of staff and volunteers in
getting the schemes off the ground.
go t9 ground (Brit) esconderse
o He lett the hatel and went ta graund
in the station waiting-room. It was a
safe place.
~ En la caza, esta expresi6n se usa
~ para referirsea un zorroquese
~ escapa metiendose en su
~ madriguera.
hit the ground running dar el do de
pecho desde el principio (literal:
golpear el suelo corriendo) 0 She is
in excellent shape and in good spirits.
She will hit the ground running when
she gets back.
~ Puede que esta expresion se refiera
~ a aquellos sold ados que aterrizan
~ en paracafdas 0 en helicoptero en
~ una zona de combate y se
~ marchan rapidamente nada mas
~ tocar tierra.
* lose ground perderterreno 0 The
United States lost more ground in its
trade balance with other countries
during the third quarter; running up the
biggest trade deficit so far this year.
* the moral high ground la
superioridad moral 0 The party now
held the moral high ground and he, as
President, could defend it in every
country in the World.
124 guard
En una batalla, lIevara ventaja el
ejercito que se encuentre en el
terreno mas elevado (higher
ground).
* prepare the ground preparar el
terreno 0 The talks prepared the
ground (orthe meeting offinance
ministers and central bankers in
Washington.
run someone into the ground Ilevar
ala extenuaci6n a alguien 0 WeI/-
trained horses had been starved to
death or run into the ground.
run someone to ground (Brit)
acabar encontrando a alguien
o Truman eventually ran him to ground,
asleep and rather the worse for wear in
a hotel.
En la (aza, esta expresi6n se usa
para referirse a un zarro
acorralado que vuelve a meterse
en su madriguera.
run something into the
usary abusar de alga 0 They're quite
good bikes; you can run them into the
ground for quite a long time, then just
get a new one.
stamping ground territorio
a Former pals found her much changed
at Christmas when she returned to her
old stamping ground, the BlueAnchor
pub in Croydon, South London.
Puede que esta expresi6n hag a
referencia a la forma en que
piafan (stamp) los sementales al
aparearse. Tambien podrfa
referirse a las danzas de
apareamiento de los gallos de las
praderas cuando se reunen en
primavera.
suit someone down to the ground
(Brit) sentar a alguien de maravilla
o Helen has finally found a method of
exercise that suits her outgoing
character down to the ground.
guard
En deportes como ef boxeo 0 fa
!esgrima, la palabraguard
rguardia") hace referencia a fa
postura que uno adopta para
protegerse de los ataques del
contrario.
* catch someone off guard coger a
alguien desprevenido a Therewasa
bright nash, followed a few moments
later by a thunderous roar that caught
us all off guard.
* lower your guard bajar Ja guardia
a The U-boat's crew had made the
mistake of relaxing, of lowering their
guardjust when their sense of danger
should have been at its keenest.
off your guard desprevenido
a Taken off his guard, hernrml,'"
backwards into the arms offlis
* the old guard la vieja guardia a The
company's old guard is stepping aside,
making way for a new, more youthful
team.
La "vieja guardia" original estaba
formada por los regimientos con
g mas experiencia de la Guardia
Imperial de Napoleon Bonaparte.
Se consideraba a estos soldados
s los mejores del ejercito frances.
* on your guard alerta a When Hilton
came, he would have to be on his guard
each second, for the man was
dangerous.
guest
be my guest supuesto (literal:
se mi invitado) a 'Dad: she said.
'Tomorrow, I want to go swimming.'
I indicated the cool, clearwater before
us. 'Bemyguest,'lsaid.
guinea pig
* a guinea pig un conejillo de Indias
a I got the impression they weren't sure
of the possible outcome and that I was
being used as a guinea pig.
gum tree
up a gum tree (Brit, anticuado)
en un aprieto (litera': subido a un
eucalipto) a It's a goodjob we started
when we did orwe really would be upa
gum tree now.
puede que esta expresion se base
en el hecho de que las zarigUeyas
suelen esconderse en eucaliptos
cuando las persiguen.
gun
hold a gun to someone's head 0
put a gun to someone's head
amenazar a a/guien (litera': poner
una pistola en la cabeza de alguien)
a Not a man to have a gun put to his
head, Mr Riordan was soon tearing up
the offer and cancelling future meetings
with the union.
* jump the gun salir antes de tiempo
a The book wasn't due to be released
until Septemberlo, but some
booksellers havejumped the gun and
decided to sell it ear/yo
En una carrera, to jump the gun
significa empezar a correr antes
g de que disparen el tiro de salida.
* a smoking gun (sobre todo EE UU)
una prueba tangible (litera': una
pistola humeante) a First of all,
there's no smoking gun. In the course of
our investigation we did not find a
single piece of evidence.
under the gun (sobre todo EE UU)
bajo presi6n a Society, in many ways,
is under the gun. We have a multitude of
problems - medical, health problems,
crime problems, educational, literacy.
guns
be going great guns hacer grandes
progresos 0 The firm's chairman and
guts 125
managing director is going great guns
with his expansion plans.
* the big guns los peces gordos aShe
is in great demand by the film industry's
big guns.
Antiguamente los canones eran
denominados' big guns a great
guns, mientras que los rifles y los
mosquetes eran conocidos como
small guns,
spike someone's guns (Brit) poner
trabas a los planes de alguien aShe
was agreeable and competent and
spiked the guns of the critics who were
out to demolish her.
Antiguamente, cuando
capturaban un canon enemigo
de gran tamano que no podfan
mover, los soldados clavabari un
clava en el agujero en el que se
metfa la p6lvora. De este modo la
p61vora no podrfa encenderse y el
can6n no funcionarfa.
* stick to your guns mantenerse
firme 0 He should have stue/( to his
guns and refused to meet her.
Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
aquellos sold ados que
permanecen en sus posiciones
aunque los ataque el enemigo,
with all guns blazing can toda !a
artillerfa oManchesterUnited
stormed into the European Cup with all
guns blazing.
Aquf blazing significa "disparando
sin parar".
gut
bust a gut (familiar) echar los bofes
a I was busting a gut doing horrible
jobs - toilet cleaning among other
things - to support us.
guts
spill your guts (familiar) contar la
126 guts
vida propia y milagros 0 Vincent has
spilled his guts. Everything. We got a
signed confession from him.
Guts significa "tripas". Esta
expresion hace referenda al
hecho de revelarcompJetamente
algo que se ocultaba.
work your guts out (familiar)
echarel hfgado 0 These women were
amdzing. They worked their guts out
,
f r ~ m 7.30 to 4.30 every doV, often all
evening and weekend too if they had
families.
habits
* old habits die hard las viejas
costumbres tardan en desaparecer
o Despite ideas Of equality, old habits
die hard and women still carry the main
burden of/ooking atter home and
family. 0 The band broke up in 1970 and
die-hard fans have been waiting for a
reunion ever since.
hackles
* raise someone's hackles sacar a
alguien de sus casillas 0 The taxes
will presumably be deSigned not to raise
voters' hackles too much.
Las plumas del cuello de los gallos
~ j6venes y dealgunas aves mas se
~ denominan hackles. Dichas
~ plumas se erizan cuando eJ gallo
~ se vuelve agresivo.
hair
come within a hair's breadth of
doing something estar ados dedos
de hacer algo 0 The parliament came
within a halr's breadth afforcing
immediate political union between the
two countries.
get in someone's hair sacar de
qUicio a alguien (literal: meterse en
el pelo de alguien)
o They were very busy and had little
timeto get in one another's hair.
get out of someone's hair dejar de
molestar a alguien 0 Would you like
me to get out of your hair and leave you
alone?
a hair of the dog (hob/ado) una
capita para que se pase la resaca
o I need a drink, chum. A large hair of
the dog.
keep someone out of your hair
mantener a alguien a distancia
o Just do me a favor, will you? Keep her
out army hair (rom now on.
keep your hair on (Brit) calmarse
o His annoyance evaporated in a grin.
'You're right. She's got a tough job. /'11
try to keep my hair on in future.'
* let your hair down soltarse Ja
melena 0 It is only with friends that
most people feel they can let their hair
down and be themselves.
make someone's hair stand on end
poner los pelos de punta a alguien
o The rrst ten minutes of the rim made
my hair stand on end.
make your hair curl poner los pelos
de punta a I could tell you stories that
would makeyourhaircurl.
not a hair out of place impecable
a Not a hair out of pi ace, dressed in
navy and white for our photograph,
she is clearly a perfectionist.
not turn a hair no inmutarse aShe
started offby accusing him of blackmail
but he didn't turn a hair: in fact he more
or less ignored her.
pull your hair out 0
tear your hair out estar frenetico
o The nation is tearing its hair out over
what to do with these child criminals.
wear a hair shirt castigarse 0 No
one is asking you to wear a hair shirt
128 hairs
and give up all your luxuries.
~ Hair shirt significa "(iUdo",
within a hair's breadth of
something ados dedos de hacer
alga oSumpa allowed the van to slip to
within a hair's breadth Dfthe precipice,
then gave the engine full throttle.
hairs
have someone by the short hairs
tener a alguien en un puna 0 The
hard fact is that they have got us by the
short hairs. We can't do anything
without material support (rom them.
~ En esta expresi6n short hairs
~ podrfa referirse al vella pubico, al
~ vella del cogote 0 a una barba.
something will put hairs on your
chest alga te hara la mar de bien
(literal: algo te pondr. pelo en el
pecha) oSome of the concoctions
would put hairs on your chest and
indeed those brave enough to sample
some left very early on in theevening.
split hairs buscarle tres pies al gato
(literal: abrir pelos) 0 But once you
start splitting hairs like that, where are
you going to stop?
halcyon
halcyon days (literario) dfas felices
o When we as/( him whether the wool
industry will ever see those halcyon
days again, he turns away and shal<es
his head.
Los siete dfas ante rio res y
posteriores al dfa mas corto del
ano se denominan a veces halcyon
days. Halcyon viene de la palabra
griega que significa "martfn
pescador" 0 "a/cion". Segun una
leyenda griega, los dioses
convirtieron aA!cfone (en ingles
Halcyone) y a su marido en
martines pescadores. Se crera
que estos pEijaros hacfan sus
nidos en el mar durante los siete
dfas ante rio res al dfa mas corto
,del ano, y despues incubaban sus
Lhuevos durante los siete dfas
?posteriores. Los dioses siempre
apaciguaban las tormentas
durante este periodo.
half
go off half-cocked hacer las casas
sin pensar 0 Remember, don't go off
half-cocl<ed when we get there. Sticf< to
the plan. a In-store guest appearances
are usually embarrassing, half-cocked
events.
~ Si se dispara en la posicion de
~ medio amartillado (at half-cock),
~ el disparo se desperdicia. Esto se
~ debea que el mecanisma de
~ disparo no se ha elevado 10
~ suficiente como para canectar
~ con el gatilla.
how the other half lives como
viven los de mas a He clearly has little
idea how the other half lives, though,
carrying a l,ooo-dollar note in his
poc/(etto nourish in small shops which
cannot give him change.
* your other half a
your better half tu media naranja
a They invited us out to dinner atterthe,
election because they said it was high
time they met my other half
halfway
* meet someone halfway lIegar a un
compromisa con alguien (literal:
encontrar a alguien a media
camino) a Senator Gray said
Democrats are willing to meet the
president halfway on measures to
stimulate the economy.
halves
not do things by halves no hacer
las casas a medias a In Italy they
rarely do things by halves. When
designers latch on to a theme, they work
itthrough thoroughly, producing the
world's most wearable clothes in the
most beautiful fabrics.
hammer
go at it hammer and tongs
1 (Brit) darle duro 0 'He loved
gardening,' sniffed Mrs Gascoigne. 'He
went at it hammer and tongs as soon as
he got back from work.'
2 (sobretodo Brit) discutir
acaloradamente 0 They were going
at it hammer and tongs."What about?'
'I'm not very sure, but they were arguing.'
Esta expresion sugiere la imagen
~ de un herrero que sujeta un trozo
~ de hierro candente con unas
tenazas (tongs) y 10 golpea
~ repetidamente can un martillo
~ (hammer).
* go under the hammer (Brit) ser
subastado 0 Theprst half of the
collection goes under the hammer on
Friday and there are some real treasures.
~ En una subasta, el subastador
~ golpea la mesa con un martillo
~ cuando se ha vendido algo.
hand
be bound hand and foot by
something estar atado de pies y
manos a These people are still bound
hand and foot by tradition.
be hand in glove with someone ser
una ycarne can alguien, estar
conchabado con alguien
o Employment on the building sites is
controlled by more than 40 gangs, who
are believed to be hand in glove with the
police.
La expresion original era hand and
glove ("mano y guante"). Se
empleaba para decir que existfa
una relaci6n a una similitud muy
fuertes entre dos casas.
hand 129
be waited on hand and foot
ponerseio todo en bandeja a alguien
a If you are incapable of lying on a
beach and being waited on hand and
foot, then La Samanna, on the Caribbean
island ofSt Martin, is not for you.
* bite the hand t ~ a t feeds you
morder la mano quete da de comer
aShe may be cynical about the film
industry, but ultimately she has no
intention of biting the hand that feeds
her.
the dead hand of someone or
something (sobre todo Brit) la
influencia negativa dealguien 0
algo 0 For too long we have lived under
the dead hand of the dieticians and the
nutritionists. We have become a society
where feasting is frowned on and food
faddism is the fashion.
do something to keep your hand in
hacer algo para canservar la
practica 0 I had to wait two years
before I was offered another part, and
just to keep my hand in, I went on tour
with a play that wasn't very good.
* force someone's hand apretar las
tuercas a alguien a Today's move may
be a tactical manoeuvre designed to
force the hand of the Prime Minister.
~ En losjuegos de naipes, to force
~ someone's hand significa obligar a
~ un jugador ajugar una carta
~ antes de 10 que tenia previsto.
give someone a big hand dar a
alguien un fuerte aplauso a I'm Hal
Morgan and these are the Praise Him
Singers from Muncie, Indiana, so let's
give them a big hand.
give with one hand and take away
with the other quitarcon una
mano 10 que se da can la otra 0 My
parents were very supportive, but they
gave with one hand and tool< away with
the other, because I never really learned
to be independent.
ii
I'
11
:!
il
II
II
I
!
1
I
I,
I,
1'1
I'
I
1
130 hand
* go hand in hand estar
estrechamente relacionado 0 The
principle orthe playgroup movement
is that play and learning go hand in
hand: your child masters new skills
and absorbslwowledge while having
(un.
hand-to-mouth sobre la marcha
o Unless a government sets its course
rrom the start, it is doomed to spend the
rest ants term in hand-to-mouth
improvising.
* have a free hand tener carta
blanca 0 I shall have a free hand and be
able to train the squadron as I like.
* have a hand in something
interveniren alga 0 Peter is a very
experienced yachtsman, and had a hand
in the design himself
have someone eating out of your
hand tener a alguien comiendo de
tu mana 0 No one can handle the press
as she can and she usually has them
eating out orher hand by the time they
leave.
have someone in the palm of your
hand
1 tener a alguien en el bolsillo
oA cursory 1001< at the audience shows
that she's got them in the palm of her
hand.
2 tenera alguien en un puna
o Boris shrugged off a warning that he
is 'playing with nre'. Barbara's ex-
boyrriend said: 'She has Boris in the
palm a(her hand.'
have to do something with one
hand tied behind your back tener
que hacer alga con una mano atada
ala espalda 0 The club is having to
improve the team with one hand tied
behind its back because it has no money
to spend on new players.
have the upper hand empezar a
dominar 0 The changes are byno
means revolutionary, but they do
suggest that ror the nrst time economic
rerormers now have the upper hand in
the party hierarchy. .
j have your hand in the till (sobre
todo Brit) ser cogido can las manos
en fa masa (litera': tener la mano en"
la caja del dinero) 0 He had his hand
in the till, and was sacked rrom hisjob
at the supermarket.
a heavy hand una mano'dura
o The heavy hand orthe military has
not prevented their economies rrom
doing very well.
hold someone's hand apoyar a
alguien 0 I will support him up to a
point but I can't hold his hand forever
and there comes a time when John has
to take responsibility himself
know something like the back of
your hand conocer algo como la
palma de la mana 0 He knows the
city lil<ethe back orhis hand.
* lend a hand 0
lend someone a hand echar una
mana a alguien 0 /(I'd known, I'd have
been glad ta lend a hand - yau shauld
have rung me up.
* live from hand to mouth 0
live hand to mouth vivir al dfa
o I have a wire and two children and
we live rrom hand to mouth on what I
earn. 0 The villageorCuestecita is
typical orthe desperate hand-to-mouth
economy that exists on the fringes or
Cerrejon.
* an old hand un perro viejo oAn old
hand at photagraphy, 34-year-old Tim
has been shooting British landscapes
and wildli(e as a habby (arthe last 13
years.
overplay your hand pasarse
o He said the police had overplayed
their hand in not accepting the
'generous' offer.
~ En esta expresi6n la palabra hand
~ se refiere a una mana de cartas.
* reject something out of hand
descartar alga sin mas 0 He has
rejected out orhand any suggestion
that there can be any compromise over
the proposals.
the right hand doesn't know what
the left hand is doing la mana
derecha no sa be 10 que hace la
izquierda 0 The right hand doesn't
know what the lert is doing. One
company digs up roads and nils them in,
and then another service does the same
a (ew days latee
s Esta expresi6n proviene de la
~ Biblia (Mateo 6:3). Jesus dice que
~ si alguien da limosna, deberfa
hacerlo sin alardear de ella y sin
~ dedrselo a nadie. (Oeberfa
g hacerlo de modo que la mana
~ izquierda no sepa 10 que hace la
, derecha.)
show your hand poner las cartas
boca arriba 0 On domestic politics he
seemed unwilling to show his hand too
clearly.
someone can do something with
one hand tied behind their back
alguien puede hacer algo can una
mano atada a la espalada 0 The
Explorer camcorder is so neat and ni(ty
you can operate it with one hand tied
behind your back
* someone or something gets out of
hand alguien 0 algo se escapa de las
manos 0 We heard a man being
abusive. It was getting out orhand so
we rang the police.
a steady hand on the tiller una
manofirme o '/(everthere was an
urgent need fora steady hand on the
tiller, it is now: said one European
diplomat.
~ Tiller significa "cana del tim6n".
* take someone or something in
hand hacerse cargo de alguien a
algo 0 The feeling is growing that the
hands 131
'present government only reacts to
events rather than taking the situation
in hand.
throw in your hand tirar la toalla
o After a brief bounce, Wall Street
crashed again, and the ffnancier had to
throw in his hand.
~ Enjuegos de naipes como el
g p6quer, to throw in your hand
~ significa poner las cartas sobre la
g mesa para aceptar que se ha
~ perdido.
* try your hand at something probar
alga 0 In his latest book, he tries his
hand at fiction.
* turn your hand to something
dedicarse a alga 0 Judy is one of those
women who can turn her hand to most
things.
* work hand in hand trabajar en
estrecha colaboraci6n oStee/makers
are working hand in hand with auto
makers to slash the cost of producing
automotive parts.
you have to hand it to someone
(hoblado) hay que reconocerselo a
alguien 0 Whatever you thought or his
act, you had to hand it to him - he l<new
how to make money.
handle
fly off the handle perder los
estribos 0 Unless some decision was
reached, they might ny affthe handle
and do something roolish.
~ Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
la cabeza de un hacha que se ha
~ soltado, de modo que cuando
alguien va a usarel hacha, la
cabeza sale disparada.
hands
* at the hands of someone a manos
dealguien oShespokeorthe
humiliation she endured at the hands or
the police.
132 hands
* be out of your hands ya no estar en
tus manos 0 Things were out of our
hands now. We could only wait.
be rubbing your hands with glee
(sabre todo Brit) frotarse las manos
oSome of the cereal producers are
rubbing their hands with glee. Lower
prices (or grain will help them win bac/<
a bigger slice Gfthe market in France.
* be wringing your hands retorcerse
las manos oMr Ashdown had accused
the Government of wringing its hands
and doing nothing as the country's
jobless ffgures spiralled.
* change hands cambiarde mana
o The property has changed hands
several times recently.
* fall into someone's hands caer en
manos de alguien 0 There is a real
(earthat (aad supplies could (all into
the hands Of the Maffa, thus increasing
the misery Of ordinary citizens.
fall into the wrong hands caer en
rna las manes 0 Preventing nuclear
materials falling into the wrong hands
is a huge problem.
* get your hands dirty mancharse las
manes 0 Getting their hands dirty
keeps top managers in touch with the
problems Of customers, and it shows
everybody that serving customers is
important.
* get your hands on someone 0
lay your hands on someone poner
la mana encima a alguien 0 That's
the most likely explanation, they say,
but we can't be sure until we lay our
hands on the culprits.
* get your hands on something 0
lay your hands on something
conseguir algo 0 First of all, how was
he able to get his hands on that money
so easily?
* have your hands full estar muy
ocupado 0 The federal government
will obviously have its hands full trying
to enforce environmental laws while
keeping residents happy.
* in safe hands en buenas manos
o They could get on with their own .
knowing their girls were in safe hands.
* in someone's hands en manos de
alguien 0 Some delegates have
criticized the move, saying it will leave
too much power in the hands of the
party leadership.
* off your hands de tus cuidados
o I can always take the children off your
hands for a while, if you've nothing
much else for me to do.
* on your hands
1 entre manos 0 What is already clear
though is that the local pOlice now have
yet another problem on their hands.
2 bajo su responsabilidad 0 Those
parents who took a lax attitude to
family discipline now have hooligan
children on their hands.
* play into someone's hands hacer el
juego a alguien 0 The main opposition
parties played into his hands by
boycotting the election.
a safe pair of hands (sobre todD Brit)
una persona competente 0 The
mayoral o(fice will be derned by the rrst
incumbent, so he must be a safe pair Of
hands.
shake hands on something sellar
050 keen were the Russians to shake
hands on the deal that they offered to
accept palm oil in part payment.
* sit on your hands no hacer nada
o The pace of development in Formula
One is so fast that if you sit on your
hands you quickly regret it.
someone does not dirty their
hands aJguien no se mancha las
manos 0 These are people who live in
the commuter belt around the capital
with more secure jobs and who have
never had to dirty their hands to earn a
living.
"* someone's hands are tied alguien
tiene las manos atadas 0 He would
like to help but he is powerless because
his hands are tied by regulations
approved by the council of ministers.
sully your hands (culto) mancharse
las manos 0 He had no intention of
sullying his hands by playing polities,
"* wash your hands of something or
someone lavarse las manos de alga
o alguien 0 The Macclesffeld MP said:
'We cannot wash our hands of
responsibility forthe state of the
economy.'
Segun la Biblia (Mateo 21'24),
g Poncio Pilatos se lavolas manos
~ para mostrar que no querfa
responsabilizarse de la sentencia
~ de muerte de Jesus.
* win hands down
1 ganardeforma aplastante 0 We
have been beaten in some games which
we should have won hands down.
2 ser de lejos el mejor 0 The New
Winter Palace Hotel wins hands down
for both comfort and evocative location,
situated a few steps away from the
banks o(the Nile,
~ Esta expresion se empleaba
~ inicialmente en la hfpica para
g describir a losjeckeys que
~ ganaban carreras can facilidad y
~ podfan cruzar la meta con las
~ manos bajadas y las riendas
g sueltas.
* with your bare hands con las
manos 0 Rescue workers and residents
were digging through tonnes of mud
with shovels and their bare hands
yesterday in search of survivors.
handsome
handsome is as handsome does
(anticuado) el habito no hace al
monje 0 Handsome is as handsome
happy 133
does, my mother and grandmother
always said, in order to counter self-
admiration.
hang
be hung out to dry ser abandonado
o Once again, the CIA - apparently
unable to resist political manipulation
by the administration - is in danger of
being hung out to dry.
* get the hang of something coger
el tranquillo a algo 0 Once one gets
the hang of it, reading a good play can
be,o delight(ul and challenging
experience.
* hang tough (sabre todo EE UU,
Periodismo) mantenersefirme
o TheWhite House is hanging tough
for a good agreement.
hang up your boots (Brit) colgar las
botas 0 I want a few triumphs and
medals to reflect on when I eventually
hang up my boots.
let it all hang out soltarse la
melena 0 The defence most frequently
claimed forthe baring of the more
dreadful revelations is that Of
'unburdening'; let it al/ hang out and
you will (eel better,
someone is hanging on by their
fingertips 0
someone is hanging on by their
fingernails alguien pende de un hilo
(literal: alguien esta colgado de las
yemas de los dedos) 0 Real Madrid's
poor start to the season has left coach
Benito Floro hanging on to his job by his
ffngernails.
happy
happy as a clam (sabre todo EE UU)
mas contento que unas castafiuelas
(literal: mas contento que una
almeja) 0 Join the other l<ids. Do that,
and beFore you know it you'll be happy
asa clam.
happy as a lark mas contento que
134 hard
unas castanuelas (literal: mas
contento que una alondra) 0 Look at
me- eighty-two years old and happy as
a iarid
happy as Larry (Brit, familiar) mas
contento que un nino con zapatos
nuevas 0 I gave her a police badge to
wear on her sleeve and she's as happy
as Larry.
Aquf Larry probablemente se
refiere a Larry Foley (1847-1917),
boxeador australiano de mucho
exita. podrfa ser una
variante de iarril(in, palabra del
siglo XIX usada principalmente en
Australia que significa "vandaJo"
0 "rufian",
happy as a pig in muck (Brit,
familiar) mas contento que un nino
con zapatos nuevas (literal: mas
contento que un cerda en el
estiercol) 0 From day one I adored it.
I was as happy as a pig in muck.
hard
hard as nails duro como una roea
(literal: duro como las unas)
o He's a shrewd businessman and
hard as nails.
* hard done by (Brit) tratado
injustamente 0 Those who felt hard
done by made their dissatisfaction
clear.
play hard to get hacerse de rogar
o Only a few days ago, the Social
Democrats were playing hard to get as
the CDU tried to woo them into
coalition talks.
hardball
plav hardball (sabre todo EE UU)
mostrarse implacable 0 TheWhite
House decided to retaliate by taking
jobs away from his state, showing they
were tough guys who could play
hardball.
Hardball es otra palabra para
referirse al beisbol, y en esta
expresi6n se compara con el
softball,juego similar al beisbol
que sejuega con una pelota
blanda y mas grande.
hare
. run with the hare and hunt with
the hounds (Brit) nadar entre dos
aguas (literal: corrercon la liebrey
cazar con lajaurfa) 0 They learn very
quicl<ly to run with the hare and hunt
with the hounds; to side with whoever is
nearest in a relentless quest to avoid rows ..
Hound significa "perro de caza".
start a hare (Brit) sacar un tema
o Some work needs to be done before the
connection is proved. But Mr Birchall
has started a hare that many
researchers will be watching.
g Start a hare significa molestar a
una liebre y obllgarla a abandonar
su escondrijo para que lajaurfa
pueda cazarla.
harness
La palabra harness significa "ames".
back in harness (sabre todo Brit) de
vuelta a la rutina 0 They hope to have
the Australian Test forward Troy Coker
back in harness before the end of the
season.
work in harness (Brit) trabajar en
equipo 0 Experts in production
statistics and computing may work in
harness on a single project.
harvest
reap the harvest -+ ver reap
hat
go hat in hand to someone (sobre
todo EE UU) ir a mendigarle a
alguien (literal: ir a alguien con el
sombrero en la mana) 0 He won't go
hat in hand to the White House to ask
that sanctions be lifted against his
country.
s Antiguamente las personas de
g clase baja acostumbraban a
sacarse el sombrero delante de
personas de clase alta. La
g expresi6n tambien podrfa
referirse al hecho de que los
mendigos a veces sostienen el
g sombrero para pedirdinero.
keep something under your hat no
decir palabra sobre algo 0 Look, if I
tell you something, will you promise to
keep it under your hat? Promise now,
not a word to anyone.
s Esta Frase era un eslogan usado
para fomentar la seguridad en
Gran Bretana durante la Segunda
s Guerra Mundial.
knock something into a cocked hat
(sobretodo Brit) ser muy superior a
alga (literal: convertir algo en un
sombrero de tres picos) 0 I am
writing a novel which is going to Iwoc/<
Proust into a cocked hat.
s Una posible explicaci6n de esta
expresi6n es que se refiere a ciertos
sombreros usados en el siglo XVIII,
que se hacfan doblando el ala de
un sombrero redondo para
convertirlo en otro de tres picos.
Segun dicha explicaci6n, en un
principio la expresi6n significaba
cambiar algo completamente.
Tambien podrfa referirse aljuego
estadounidense de bolos en el
que solo se colocaban tres bolos,
en la forma triangularde un
sombrero de tres picos.
* old hat nada nuevo (litera':
sombrero viejo) 0 I think that's a bit
old hat now, isn't it? I wanted to do
something quite different.
hat 135
Puede que esta expresi6n se deba
a que en la epoca en que las
mujeres solfan lIevar sombrero,
las modas cambiaban muy
deprisa.
pass the hat 0
pass the hat around pasar el
platillo oAirbus will soon be passing
the hat around again for an enormous
7oo-seat aeroplane.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda al
hecho de usar un sombrero para
recoger dinero.
someone will eat their hat if
something happens (anticuado)
alguien es el Papa de Roma si algo
ocurre (literal: alguien se comera el
sombrero si algo ocurre) 0 I will eat
my hat if the Liberal Democrats improve
their parliamentary representation at
the next general ejection.
* take your hat off to someone
quitarse el sombrero ante a!guien
o You have to take your hat off to
whoeverthought this one up. 0 Hats
off to them for supporting the homeless.
talk through your hat decir
disparates 0 He is tall<ing through his
hat when he attributes the
overcrowding and over-use of parts of
the Lake District to its designation as a
national park.
throw your hat into the ring 0
throw your cap into the ring
echarse al ruedo 0 He said
straightaway that he would play. I am
delighted that he has decided ta throw
his hat into the ring.
Antiguamente, 105 boxeadores
profesionales solfan retar a !os
que acudfan a las ferias para que
pelearan con elias. Quien
estuviera dispuesto a aceptar el
reto lanzaba su sombrero al
cuadrilatero.
136 hatch
hatch
go down the hatch ser devorado
oA record 4.4 billion worth of
confectionery went down the hatch last
year.
En el sigloxVIII, esta expresi6n se
usaba como brindis en la armada.
g Hatch significa "escotilla".
hatches
batten down the hatches apretarse
los machos (literal: cerrar las
escotillas) 0 While most companies
are battening down the hatches, fearing
recession, Blenheim is leading an
assault on the US market.
La palabra batten significa
g "palanca de cierre" (de una
escatilla).
hatchet
( Hatchet significa "hacha peq.uena".)
bury the hatchet enterrar el hacha
de guerra 0 One employee said the
two men had finally buried the hatchet
arter their railing-out.
do a hatchet job on someone or
something poner por 105 suelos a
alguien 0 algo 0 ReporterMa/colm, he
says, set out to do a hatchet job on him
and succeeded.
Puede que esta expresi6n este
relacionada con las luchas
violentas entre bandas en Estados
Unidos a principios del siglo xx.
Verexplicaci6n en a hatchet man.
a hatchet man una persona
encargada del trabajo sucio 0 He
had to play the hatchet man and it was
not pleasant forthe many he laid off.
Puede que esta expresi6n este
relacionada con las luchas
vio!entas entre bandas en Estados
Unidos a principios del siglo xx.
las bandas sorran contratar a un
asesino (hatchet man) para que
matara a hachazos a algun
miembro importante de una
banda rival. Este tipo de asesinato
recibfa el nombre de hatchet job.
haul
En las expresiones siguientes,
haul significa "trayecto".
be in something for the long haul
(sabre todo EE UU) estar en alga a
largo plaza 0 Impatience is not our
problem. We're in it (or the long haUl.
Five years is the minimum.
* a long haul un camino largo
o Revitalizing the economy will be a
long haul.
* over the long haul (sabre toda
EE UU) a largo plaza 0 The smart
economic message for the nation is
that prudent leadership, coupled with
patience, will accomplish more over the
long haUl.
hawk
watch someone like a hawk vigilar
estrechamente a alguien (literal:
vigllar a alguien como un halcon)
o Some guysjust sit there and watch
her like a hawk, dead sure she's trying to
cheat.
hay
make hay While the sun shines
aprovechar la ocasi6n (literal: hacer
heno mientras brilla el sol) oMaking
hay While the sun shines, the Egyptian
government has ta/(en radical measures
to liberalize the economy.
head
be banging your head against a
brick wall (sobretodo Brit) 0
be banging your head against a
wall darse con la cabeza contra la
pared 0 It is a waste energy
banging your head agamst a brick wall,
wishing things were different.
*" be hanging over someone's head
. pendersobre la cabeza de alguien
o Irthe post rell vacant, it is unlikely
that the Home Office would want to
appoint him if an inquiry was hanging
over his head.
Esta expresion probablemente se
g remonta a la historia de la espada
de Damocles; vease la explicaci6n
en sword.
* be head and shoulders above
someone estarmuyporencimade
alguien 0 Richards, according to imran
J(han, was head and shoulders above
any other player at his pea/<.
bite someone's head off echar un
rapapolvo a alguien (literal: arrancar
la cabeza de un mordisco a alguien)
oAnd don't bite my head off just
because you're in a bad mood!
build up a head of steam acumular
cad a vez mas tension 0 Bob was the
most angry, as if in waiting for the other
items to be cleared he had built up a
greater head ofsteam.
* buryyour head in the sand seguir
la tactica del avestruz (literal:
enterrar la cabeza en la arena)
o Don't be an ostrich and bury your
head in the sand, hoping your problems
will disappear.
Antiguamente se crefa que los
avestruces escondfan la cabeza
en la arena cuando estaban en
g peligro.
come to a head/bring something
to a head alcanzar un punto crfticol
lIevar algo hasta un punto crltico
o These problems came to a head in
September when five of the station's
journalists were sacl(ed. 0 The issue
that brought things to a head over the
head 137
weekend was the sudden dip in late
demand for summer holidays across the
industry.
En esta expresi6n head (cabeza)
podrfa hacer referencia a la
cabeza que forman las hojas de
un repol/o si, tal ycomo esperan
los agricultores, crecen
apretadas. 0 bien a la cabeza que
forma un forunculo antes de
reventarse.
do someone's head in (sabre todo
Brit, hablado) enloquecer a alguien
o During her year off she worked at a
boutique in Bromley, doing things liI<e
cleaning coat hangers. 'It did my head
in,' she laughs.
* fall head over heels enamorarse
perdidamente 0 It was obvious that
Alan had fallen head over heels in love
with Veronica.
Hasta finales delsiglo XVIII esta
expresion era heels over head, en
referencia a alguien que da una
voltereta.
* from head to toe 0
from head to foot de pies a cabeza
o She was covered from head to toe with
bruises.
get in over your head 0
be in over your head nadar en
aguas demasiado profundas
o He rea/izecj that he was in over his
head, and that only his ramily could
help him.
get your head around something
conseguir entender algo 0 He can't
get his head around the fact that the
children born in this country are not
'immigrants'.
* give someone their head dar rienda
suelta a alguien 0 Hewas a nice,
decent man who treated people properly
and he recognized ability and gave
people their heads.
138 head
~ Esta expresi6n proviene de la
~ hfpica y se refiere al momenta en
~ que eJ jinete afloja las riendas,
~ permitiendo al caballo moverse
~ con mas libertad.
* go head-to-head enfrentarse
mana a mana 0 General Motors and
Ford are expected to go head-ta-head in
the markets to buy up rival 15% stakes
inJaguar. oAs top athletes, we should
be running against each other
whenever possible. Head-ta-head
competition makes our sport what
it is.
* go over someone's head
1 pasar par encima de alguien
o He was reprimanded for trying to go
over the heads of senior officers.
2 serimposlble que alguien 10
entienda 0 The few books that exist
today either come from abroad, having
been written for pre-school native
speakers, or introduce grammar that
goes over young heads.
* goto your head subirse ala cabeza
o Ford is deffnitety not a man to let a
little success go to his head. He Imows
he still has a lot to learn. 0 He was not
accustomed to strong liquor and it went
to his head.
have your head in the clouds
estar en las nubes 0 Whether some o(
them still have their heads in the clouds
a(terour FA Cup win over Spurs, 1 don't
know.
have your head screwed on tener
la cabeza sobre los hombros (literal:
tener!a cabeza atornillada) 0 Good
girl! I always knew you had your head
screwed on properly.
a head of steam un apoyo 0 While
most senior Conservative MPs still
believe an election next year is more
likely, there's an increasing head Of
steam behind going to the polls this
November.
Una maquina devaporsolo
funcionar cuando el vapor ha
alcanzada determinada nivel de
presion.
head-to-head cara a cara 0 They
havejust begun a third session o(head.
to-head tall,s which are expected to last
until late afternoon. 0 Next time you
have a head-to-head with someone in
authority, watch your language.
* keep a cool head mantener la
cabeza frfa 0 I have to keep a cool
and try not to let my anger show.
* keep your head mantener la calma
o The most Important thing is to keep
your head and look to the future.
* keep your head above water ir
tirando (literal: mantener la cabeza
fuera del agua) 0 Thousands Of other
small businesses like mine are, at best
struggling to keep their heads above '
water or, at worst, have gone bust.
* keep your head down
1 intentar pasar desapercibido
o After unity, he had little time (ar
Christian Democrats who had kept their
heads down under the old regime.
2 trabajarde 10 lindo o When he gets
a chance o(winning, he keeps his head
down and really goes for it.
* knock something on the head (Brit)
1 echar algo par tierra (literal:
go/pear a algo en la cabeza) 0 It's
time to knock on the head the idea that
we are not fully human, not (ully alive,
unless we have that special somebody in
our lives.
2 abandonar 01 remember usin the
early days saying: 'When we stop
enjoying ourselves, we'll knock it on the
head:
"* laugh/shout your head off
desternillarse de risa/desgaFiitarse
o They were probably laughing their
heads off. 0 He'll have to shout his head
affta be heard.
* lose your head perder la cabeza
a He warned the party not to lose its
head, saying that it was not a 'time for
panic'.
not right in the head (hob/ado) mal
de la azotea 0 'According to Great-
Aunt Louise,' I said, 'the grandmother
wasn't quite right in the head. Maybe
Mrs Iss!erwas ashamed of that too.'
off the top of your head (hab/ado)
sin pensarlo 0 Last year the amount o(
money we put into development and
suppart was, o((the top o(my head,
about twenty-eight thousand pounds.
o OJ(, affthetop o(your heod, do you
know thecapital of South Korea?
off your head (Brit, familiar) mal de
la cabeza 0 It's like working in a war
zone. You must be o((your head to live in
that area.
on your head be it 0
on your own head be it (sabre todo
Brit) tu sabras 10 que haces o If you
choose to ignore my generous offer, then
on your own heads be it.
out of your head (amiliar)
habiendo perdido el juido olfhe
didn't I<ill anybody, it was only by lucl<
because he was out of his head and
screaming like a maniac.
put your head above the parapet
(Brit) jugarse el cuello (literal:
asomar la cabeza encima del
parapeto) 0 This is a policy option
which cannot be ignored - although
no-one is prepared to put their head
above the parapet to say so.
put your head in a noose 0
stick your head in a noose panerte
la saga al cuello 0 If 1 have to be
caught, OK, but I am damned i(1 will
put my head in a noose and walk into
that hotel!
put your head into the lion's mouth
meterse en la boca del lobo (literal:
meter la cabeza en la boca de! leon)
head 139
o Put your head into the lion's mouth
andjust say'l don't know what the hell
is going on.'
~ Esta expresion se refiere al
~ conaddo numero de circa en el
~ que un domador mete la cabeza
~ en la baca de, un !eon.
put your head on the block -+ ver
block
* scratch your head tenermuchas
dudas (literal: rascarse la cabeza)
oA lot ofpeop/e are scratching their
heads and saying, 'What are we doing?
Are we getting our money's worth?'
someone can do something
standing on their head alguien
puede hacer alga con los ojos
cerrados (literal: alguien puede
hacer algo haciendo el p i n ~ ) 0 Tom,
the cameraman, had won ffve Oscars
during his long working lire, and could
have directed the whole picture
standing on his head while playing a
game of cards.
someone cannot make head or tail
of something 0
someone cannot make head nor
tail of something alguien no Ie
encuentra ni pies ni cabeza a alga
o I COUldn't make head or tail o(!t
myself, but it sounded lil<e part o( some
sort of hymn or prayer.
* something rears its head a
something rears its ugly head
algo vue!ve a levantar cabeza
o Now the same ugly (orces of racial
hatred are beginning to reartheir
heads again.
* turn something on its head a
stand something on its head dar
la vuelta a alga 0 Instead orp/eading
(or women's rights, they should turn the
argument on its head and point out the
cost o( denying women the right to
earn.
140 heads
heads
* heads roll ruedan cabezas 0 The
wide/y-held view is that heads should
roll over the losses.
~ Antiguamente, las personas que
~ ocupaban cargos importantes a
~ veces eran decapitadas 5i se les
~ consideraba responsables de un
~ error 0 de un problema.
knock people's heads together
(sabre toda Brit) dar unos
coscorrones 0 lfhe's unable to Imock
everybody's heads together, then
questions are going to be raised about
his own ability to continue in office.
put your heads together
intercambiar ideas (litera'; juntar /as
cabezas) 0 If there's a problem, there's
no sense of noun de ring around. We all
just sit down, put our heads together
and rgure it out.
* turn heads flamar la atenci6n oAt
the age of 20, the dark-haired actress was
aireadyturning heads in the right places.
headway
* make headway hacer progresos
oA spokesman said the two sides have
agreed on a timetable for the rest of the
talks and have also made headway on
some security issues.
heap
at the bottom of the heap en 10
mas bajo de la escala oAt the bottom
of the heap live at least 1 million people
- the rural poor.
at the top of the heap en 10 mas
alto de la escala 0 While the executive
sa/aries should put Suncorp at the top of
the heap in Queens/and, they would
barely rate in Sydney and Melbourne.
heart
E! corazon suele considerarse e/
centro de las emociones.
* a bleeding heart un liberal
coraz6n (litera': un corazon
sangriento) 0 This huge leap
and the misery it causes can't be
on poverty, as the bleeding hearts
a/ways insist: we are much richer
than we were then. 0 This was
that Charles Lindbergh deplored.
* break someone's heart partir el
corazon a alguien 0 When he left his
wife for me, I was appalled. What I'd
wanted was a good time, but in the
I broke his heart. 0 It broke mv hP<1Cr,""
see this woman break down the way
did.
a broken heart un coraz6n roto
o We have all read in fiction of people
dying of a brol<en heart, but can this
happen in reality? oMary is broken-
hearted and has spent many nights
crying.
cross my heart (hab/ado) telojuro
(litera': me santiguo) oAnd I won't
tell any of the other girls anything you
tell me about it. I promise, cross my
heart.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere a la
~ costumbre cristiana de
~ santiguarse.
* cry your heart out lIorara lagrima
viva (literal: I/orar hasta que '">d'Od
el corazon) 0 I threwmv:>elfan ;fa t , n ~
bed and cried my heart out. It took me
good while to get over the emotional
damage of that encounter.
* eat your heart out chupateesa
(literal: c6mete el coraz6n) 0
managed to overtake the bus, and
smashed through the gatejust as it was:
being closed. james Bond, eat your
heart out, / say.
Esta expresi6n tiene su origen en
una antigua creencia. Se dice que
el fil6sofo griego Pitagoras
s empleaba el dicho "no te comas el
~ coraz6n" (do not eat your heart out),
~ que significa "no desperdicies tu
vida preocupandote".
from the bottom of your heart
de todo coraz6n 0 I want to thank
everyone from the bottom of my heart.
50 many people have helped me.
harden your heart against
someone or something hacer
de tripas coraz6n y evitar algo
o The most important things for
Nicholas now are mobility and Braille
lessons. You will have to harden your
heart against doing everything for
him.
* in your heart of hearts en 10 mas
intima de tu corazon 0 But in your
heart of hearts, you must know that
you're not going to save some of these
children?
* lose heart descorazonarse
o I suppose I'm less optimistic than I
was at first. This disease seems to recur
so often you begin to lose heart.
lose your heart to someone
(litera rio) enamorarse de alguien
(literal: perder e! coraz6n por
alguien) 0 Don't lose your heart to him
too soon because he couldjust be filling
in time with you.
* open your heart 0
pour out your heart abrir el
coraz6n oAt first my boYfriend was
incredibly supportive. I'd phone him up
and pour out my heart in a way I
COUldn't to anyone else.
* set your heart on something poner
todo el empeno en algo oShe
decided not to try for university. Instead
she set her heart on a career in catering.
* someone has a heart of gold
alguien tiene un coraz6n de oro
o He helped all the local sporting
organizations - bowls, hockey, rugby
and tennis. He had a heart of gold.
heart 141
someone's heart bleeds for
someone a alguien Ie da mucha
pena alguien (literal: el coraz6n de
alguien sangra poralguien) 0 You
looked so sad when you walked up the
aisle at the funeral. My heart bled for
you when I watched it.
someone's heart hardens against
someone or something el coraz6n
de alguien se endurece ante alguien
oalgo oAll oFo sudden my heart
hardened against my beautiful mother
and her desire for fun and a rich,
handsome husband.
someone's heart is in the right
place alguien tiene buen corazon
(literal: alguien tiene el corazon en
ellugar correcto) 0 Whether
Johnson's professional judgement was
good or not, I decided that his heart was
in the right place.
someone's heart is in their mouth
alguien tiene el coraz6n en un puno
(literal: alguien tiene el corazon en
la boca) oMy heart was in my mouth
when I walked into her Office.
someone's heart isn't in something
alguien no tiene puesto el corazon
en algo 0 Playing was no longer fun.
I lost my competitiveness and my heart
wasn't in it.
someone's heart sinks a alguien se
lecaee!almaalospies o There was a
police car outside the house. My heart
sank 01'/1 never forget that heart-
sinking moment when they told me the
news.
* something is close to your heart
algo te toca muy de cerca 0 For
presenter Manjeet K. Sandhu the
pOSition of Asian women in society is an
issue very close to her heart.
* take something to heart tomarse
algo a pecho 0 He could have taken
this criticism to heart since he built his
reputation on being a good manager.
142 heartstrings
wear your heart on your sleeve
lIevar el coraz6n en la mana
(literal: lievar el coraz6n en la
manga) aShe simply doesn't wear her
heart on her sleeve so it's sometimes
difficult to know what she's feeling.
heartstrings
* tug at the heartstrings toear la
fibra sensible oMissCookson knows
exactly how to tug at readers'
heartstrings.
~ En la epoca medieval, se crefa
que "las cuerdas del coraz6n"
~ (heartstrings) eran unos tendones
que sujetaban dicho organa.
heat
the heat is on hay presi6n
o To perform well when the heat is on,
all you have to do is let it happen.
jf you can't stand the heat, get out
of the kitchen si no 10 aguantas, va
sabes d6nde esta la puerta (litera': si
no aguantas el calor, sal de la
cocina) 0 If you are a manager of a top
(ootboll club and you don't like the heat
you should get aut o(the kitchen.
~ Esta expresian se hizo muy
~ popularcuandoel presidente
~ estadounidense HarryTruman la
usa en 1952 para anunciar que no
~ volverfa a presentarse a las
elecciones presidenciales.
* in the heat of the moment en el
calor del momento a He said that his
comments were made in the heat of the
moment and were not supposed to be a
personal attack.
* turn up the heat on someone
empezar a ejercer presi6n sobre
alguien a The firm will be turning up
the heat on its rivals in a highly
competitive industry now scrapping
for a share of the domestic market.
heather
set the heather on fire (sobre todo
Escocia) entusiasmar (litera':
incendiar el breza) a Their results
have not set the heather on fire.
heaven
in seventh heaven en el septimo
delo aAfter I was given my first
camera I was in seventh heaven.
S Segun el islam, hay siete delos. EI
~ septimo es el mas glorioso, yesta
gobernado parAbraham. En la
~ religianjudfa, el septima ciela es
ellugar en que habitan Dias y sus
~ angeles.
move heaven and earth remover
cielo y tierra a He had been moving
heaven and earth for six weeks in order
to prevent the film being made; and he
had (ailed.
heavens
the heavens opened (sabre todo Brit.
litera rio) se abrieron los cielos aAs
we sat down to eat, the heavens opened
for a few minutes and we all crouched
under our blue awning holding our
plates.
heel
* bring someone to heel 0
call someone to heel meter a
alguien en cintura a In practice it's
still not clear how the president will use
his power to bring the republics to heel.
heels
* at your heels pisandote los talones
a They led the girls away, their mother
attheir heels. a Intel and Motorola may
dominate the market for
microprocessors but scores offirms are
snapping at their heels.
* dig in your heels 0
dig your heels in empecinarse
o He could dig in his heels and fight
stubbornly (or what he believed to be
right.
drag your heels ... verdrag
* hard on the heels of something 0
hot on the heels of something a
rengl6n seguido de algo a The news
comes hard on the heels of the
appointment of new chief executive
CedricWalker.
* hard on someone's heels 0
hot on someone's heels pisandole
los talones a alguien a The next
generation of British athletes is pressing
hard on the heels oftoday's champions.
a But the law was hard on their heels.
Within two weeks gang leader Michael
McAVOY and Brian Robinson were
behind bars.
kick up your heels pasarse!o en
grande a Combine music, culture and
good food injerseythis month. Kick up
your heels at the annual jersey jazz
Festival.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a un
~ caballo al que han soltado en un
~ campo, dado que !os caballos
suelen levantar los cascos al
g galopaL
* kick your heels (sobre todo Brit) 0
cool your heels (sobre todo EE UU)
quedarse de p!ant6n a The Tunisian
authorities wouldn't grant us
permission to ny all the way down to
Sfax, so I had to I<icl< my heels at Tunis
Airport.
set someone back on their heels 0
rock someone back on their heels
sorprender a alguien a Ireland
started brightly, only to be rocked back
on their heels by the first error justlO
minutes into the match.
show someone a clean pair of heels
(sabre todo Brit)
1 hacertragar polvo a alguien aLum
/(on showed everyone a clean pair of
heels in the 100m and 200m.
hell 143
2 ser muy superior a alguien aOnly
one point stands:japan has shown all
the other rich countries a clean pair of
heels.
take to your heels (litera rio) poner
pies en po!vorosa a He tool< to his
heels and rushed out of the room.
heights
* dizzying heights (EE UU) 0
the dizzy heights alturas
vertiginosas a Turner had first known
such dizzy heights in thelg60s when
she became one of the top exponents of
blacl<American music.
hell.
* all hell breaks loose se arma la
grande a In 'jungle Fever', a happi/y-
married black architect begins an affair
with his Italian-American secretary, but
all hell breal<s loose when his wife finds
out.
~ Esta expresi6n apareci6 por
~ primera vez en el poema EI parafso
g perdido de)ohn Milton (1667).
come hell or high water contra
viento y marea a The chairman of the
Senate judiciary Committee says the
all-male panel will have two female
members this year, come hell or high
water.
* from hell infernal aA cute family
puppy turns into the pet from hell in
this comedy starring Charles Grodin.
give someone hell
1 hacer la vida imposible a a!guien
aShe gets teased at school. The children
give her hell, particularly the older bays.
2 ponercomo un trapo a alguien
a When she didn't get off the train at
Euston, I phoned the police and they
found her in a sleeping compartment.
She gave me hell for embarrassing her!
3 dolerlemuchoaalguien aMy
back's giving me hell, let me tell you!
144 hell
But I'm going to dig the garden up.
go hell for leather actuar como un
endemoniado 0 The Dutch boys are
confident from all their skating and go
hell (or leath"
Esta expresi6n podrfa tener SU
origen en la hfpica. La palabra
leather ("cuero") se habrfa referido
g a una silla de montar.
* go through hell pasar las de Carn
(literal: atravesarel infierno) GAfter
the case he made no comment, but his
solicitor said that he had gone through
10 months o( hell.
go to hell irse al garete 0 This
government has to wake up. The
country is going to hell and they'rejust
sitting on their backsides.
hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned no hay mayor peligro
que el de una mujerdespechada
o Faithless husbands who doubt that
hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned should read TolleckWinner's
novel 'Love With Vengeance' and
beware.
Esta Frase praviene de la tragedia
de William Congrevetitulada The
Mourning Bride (1697).
hell on earth un infierno
a Organizing it al/ has been hell on
earth, but it's worked absolutely
brilliantly.
* just for the hell of it porpuro
capricho a On the same street, David,
aged 10, has been arrested (or burglary.
Another boy has been caught putting
sugar in petrol tanks,just (orthe hell
o(it.
* a living hell un infierno a School is a
living hell (or some children.
play hell 0
play merry hell montar un numero
aShe played merry hell and stormed out
in a rage.
play merry hell with something
(Brit) 0
play hell with something hacer
estragos en algo a Divorce and
remarriage play hell with "rem"t,, .,""
inheritance law.
put someone through hell hacer I
vida imposiblea aJguien a
say the girl has put them through
since the incident.
* raise hell armaria aAretheythe
that first thing they want to do
and raise hell, or are th"y h!erE' toplc,V
football? a He has had a reputation as
a hell-raiser but claims to have now
settled down. 0 She came in and
hell. Her son's sports bag was missing.
It had everything in it - trainers, track
suit, hundreds o(pounds' worth.
the road to hell is paved with good
intentions eJ camino del infierno '
enlosado con buenas intenciones
a The road to hell is paved with good
intentions, and there are many, many
pots of vitamin tablets which have
started but neverf/nished.
Aqufelverbopavesignifica
"enlosar". Esta expresi6n fue
empleada porel escritorSamuel
Johnson, y en una anotaci6n del
16 de abril de 1775 de su biograffa
se menciona la variante helJ is
paved with good intentions eel
infierno esta enlosado con buenas
intenciones").
there'll be hell to pay se armara la
gorda 01(1 try to getthrough the
kitchen with these muddy boots, there'll
be hell to pay. You know what she's like.
she has been to hell and back las ha
pasado moradas a We have been to
hell and bac/( but the love o(this little
boy has kept us going.
when hell freezes over cuando las
ranas crfen pelo (literal: cuando se
congele el infierno) a TelJ them you'll
get married when hell freezes over,' she
says.
ride herd on someone (EE UU)
cuidar de alguien a His departure
would undermine state efforts to ride
herd on the oil companies.
g Originalmente, riding herd
significaba patrullar a caballo
junto a un
para impedlrque nmgun
g se alejara.
here
* neither here nor there (hab/ado)
irrelevante a 'You know John doesn't
beiieve in marriage, mum."WhatJohn
believes is neither here northere.'
herring
* a red herring una pista fa!sa (literal:
un arenque raja) a This isa total
political red herring and an attempt to
divert from the main issues in the
campaign.
Un arenque raja (red herring) es un
arenque puesta en remajo en
agua salada durante varias dfas y
que despues se ahuma.A veces se
usa ban arenques rajas para
ensefiar a un perra a seguir un
rastra. Tambien se usa ban para
apartar a los perras del rastra que
segufan en una cacerfa.
hide
someone hasn't seen hide nor hair
ofsomeone alguien no Ie ha vista el
pelo a alguien 0 They never found her.
It was a bad business. The wrong she
did, it's never left me, but I haven't seen
hide nor hair of her since.
En este contexto hide significa
"piel" de un animal. especial mente
si se trata de un animal grande.
highway 145
hiding
be on a hiding to nothing (Brit)
lIevar todas las de perder aA car
manufacturer capable o(making only
50,000 cars a year is on a hiding to
nothing.
La palabra hiding significa "paliza",
pera se desconoce el origen de
esta expresi6n.
high
high as a kite que no se cabe en sf
(literal: alto como una cometa)
a When I had finished the course I felt as
high as a kite. But when my Wife asked
mewhat / had learnt / could not be
specific.
"* leave someone high and dry dejar a
alguien en la estacada aSchoo/swith
better reputations will be nooded with
applications while poorer schools will
be le(t high and dry.
Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
de un barco varado en una playa
despues de que haya bajado la
marea.
* ride high irle muy bien las cosas
(literal: cabalgar erguido) a The
elections came at a time when Labour
was riding high, while support forthe
Conservatives had slumped.
Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
de unjinete que se sienta erguido
en la silla V parece orgulloso y
seguro de sf mismo.
search high and low for something
a
hunt high and low for something
remover el cielo V la tierra en busca
de alga 0 J'vehunted high and low for
the photos, but I've moved since then
and I can't find them.
highway
highway robbery ... ver robbery
146 hill
hill
* over the hill para el arrastre (litera':
sabre la colina) 0 It's true some people
regard you as probably over the hill at
r(ty.
~ Esta expresi6n campara la cima
~ de una colina con la mitad de la
~ vida, poria que tras Ilegar ala
~ cima se inicia el camino de
~ descenso hacia la vejez y la
muerte.
hilt
* to the hilt 0
up to the hilt de lIena 0 He'll be a
good candidate. We'll back him up to the
hilt.
. ~ Hilt significa "empunadura" (de
~ una Espada 0 de un cuchillo). Esta
expresion sugiere la imagen de un
~ cuchiflo 0 de una Espada clavados
~ hasta la empunadura.
hip
joined at the hip una y carne
(literal: unidos par la cadera)
o Though we often work together, we're
not joined at the hip, so we see things
differently.
shoot from the hip 0
fire from the hip hablar sin pensar
(literal: disparar desde la altura de la
cadera) aShe specifically declared that
she did not shoot from the hip. She liked
to think hard and long before taking
decisions.
~ Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
~ de un vaquero que saca el rev61ver
de la pistolera y dispara de
~ inmediato, sin levantarel arma
~ para apuntar.
history
* be history (hablado) serhistoria
a He sometimes wonders ifhe made the
right choice when he decided to give up
football. '/ might have made it in
football, but that's all history now:
* the rest is history eJ resto ya es
historia aAjob with the company
was advertised in The Daily Telegraph.
/ applied and the rest is history.
hit
* ,hit and miss a la buena de Dios
a The acting, however, is hit and miss:
it ranges from the highly stylish to the
appallingly gauche.
* hit it off hacer buenas migas
their extended two hourtal/< yesterday,
the two leaders actually seem to have
hit it aft
* a hit list
1 lista negra a They published a
of countries guilty Of unfairtrade
practices, and called for bilateral
negotiations with the offending
countries.
2 lista de objetivos a The letter,
which said the family is on a hit list, has'
been passed to police for further
investigation.
* make a hit caer bien a Eleanor and
Sara made a hit with the whole
delegation.
Hobson
it's Hobson's choice (sobre todo Brit)
no hay elecci6n (litera': es la
elecci6n de Hobson) a They want rid
of him, he is irreplaceable. It really is
Hobson's choice forthem. Hell with
him, or Hell without him.
EI Hobson de esta expresi6n
podrfa ser un hombre Ham ado
Thomas Hobson, que ganaba
dinero alquilando caballos a
finales del sigloxvl. Hobson
segufa un sistema de turnos que
el mismo habfa ideado, por 10 que
el cliente no podfa elegiraunque
hubiera muchos caballos
disponibles.
h o 9 _ - - - - - ~
(H09 significa "cerdo". )
go hog wild (Brit) perder el control
o That doesn't mean you should go hog
wild and double the recipe's sugar
content. Just keep the word 'moderation'
in mind.
s A veces los cerdos pueden
~ volverse agresivos y diffciles de
~ controlar.
* go whole hog (EE UU) 0
go the whole hog tirar la casa par la
ventana 0 Dixons sells a range of hi-fi
speakers costing from 10.99 to 72.99.
Oryou can go the whole hog and buya
dedicated sound output system for 299
live high on the hog (sobretodo
EE UU) vivir a cuerpo de rey a He and
Austen were living high on the hog in a
nat with three servants.
hold
hold up your hands levantar la
mano a I(we had lost by big margins
to better teams then wewould hold up
our hands and admit we're not good
enough. But that's not the case.
* put something on hold suspender
temparalmentealgo aSome
observers suggest that, as a result of
this, he'll just put the project on hold
until the political climate changes.
~ EI sentido literal de esta expresi6n
~ es "poner algo en espera", y
~ proviene probablemente de la
~ frase que se emplea cuando
alguien espera a que Ie pasen una
~ Hamada telef6nica.
holds
* no-holds-barred sin restricciones
oAt left-back, Jones became something
of a cult r9ure with his no-holds-barred
approach to the game.
hole 147
Esta expresi6n se refiere a un
combate de lucha libre en el que
no se acatan muchas de las
normas habituales, por 10 que los
luchadores pueden sujetar a sus
contrincantes como mejor les
parezca.
hole
be in the hole (EE UU) deber 0 The
Federal HousingAdministration has
just been discovered to be $4 billion in
the hole.
s EI "agujero" (hole) a que se hace
: referencia aquf podrfa haber sido
~ una'ranura abierta en la mesa de
~ p6querde una casa dejuego. EI
~ dinero cobrado pordicha casa se
introducfa en la ranura y cala a un
~ caj6n cerrado con lIave. Se decfa
~ que losjugadores que debfan
~ dinero a la casa estaban "en el
agujero" (in the hole).
blow a hole in something
1 torpedear algo a 'fschools opted
out of local authority control, would it
blowa hole in the new system?
2 desangrar algo aA major natural
disaster such as an earthquake or
hurricane could blow a hole in the fund.
burn a hole in your pocket
quemarte en las manes (litera':
quemar un agujero en el bolsillo)
aMoneyalwaystends to burn a hole in
my pocket.
a hole card (sabre todo EE UU) un as
en la manga a The fact that I knew
where shewas and had in my
possession a boxful Of evidence were my
only two remaining hole cards.
En el tipo de p6querdenominado
stud, la carta denominada hole
card esla unica carta que se
reparte boca abajo para que los
otros jugadores no puedan verla.
148 holes
in a hole (sobretodoBrit) en un
apuro 0 The Tories are now in a
dread(ul hale after last Thursday's
election results.
someone needs something like a
hole in the head a alguien no Ie
hace ninguna falta algo 0 We need
an interest rate rise like we need a hole
in the head.
2 AI parecer, esta expresi6n es la
~ traducci6n de una Frase en
~ yiddish. Se popularizo tras el
~ estrenodelaobraAHoleinthe
~ Head (1957) de Arnold Shulman, y
~ de la pelfcula titulada en espanal
~ Millonario de ilusiones, basada en
~ dicha obra y protagonizada par
, Frank Sinatra (1959),
holes
pick holes in something encontrar
defectos en algo 0 They say that the
great science of the 21St century will be
biology. Thus we do not need so many
physicists as in the past. It is easy to
picl< holes in this argument.
something has more holes than
Swiss cheese (sabre todo EE UU)
algo tiene mas agujeros que un
queso Gruyere 0 The current laws,'
he says, 'have more holes than Swiss
cheese.'
hollow
beat someone hollow (Brit) dar una
paliza a alguien 0 Waterman was the
first independent operator to tal<e on
the big boys at the pop game ond beat
them hollow.
* ring hollow sonar a false 0 Details
of his 27-year affair have been revealed
to all. His speeches on family values and
the stability of marriage ring hollow
now.
~ Esta expresion aludea un objeto
~ supuestamente solido que hace
ruido cuando se Ie da un golpe,
10 que indica que es mas barato
o endeble de 10 que se crera.
holy
the holy of holies el
sanctasanctorum 0 Last year, his
work was performed for the first
theAldeburgh Festival, thehaly of'halip,
in the contemporary British music
scene.
home
* at home
1 comodo o Melanie is equally at
home singing oratorio, spirituals,jazz
or performing in musical theatre.
2 natural 0 The16-year-o/d's huge
shoulder and arm muscles would 1001<
more at home on a male hammer
thrower.
* be home and dry (sabre todo Brit) a
be home and hosed (sabre todo
Australia) respirartranquilo (literal:
estar en casa y seco) 0 There are still
three weel<s to polling day and the
Labourcandidate is not yet home and
dry.
3" Puede que estas expresiones se
~ refieran a un corrector de larga
~ distancia que gana la carrera
~ holgadamentey queya se ha
~ lavado cuando 105 otros jugadores
~ Ilegan a la meta.
be nothing to write home about no
tener nada de particular 0 Yes, there
is cheese, bread and meat in the local
market and shops, but it's nothing to
write home about.
* be on home ground estar en tu
terreno 0 This is a play where Godber
is on home ground, writing about the
mining communities of his childhood.
bring home the bacon
1 ganarse las habichuelas (litera';
traer el beicon a casa) 0 The question
'Who brings up the baby and who brings
home the bacon?' has become one of the
most important of all political
questions. .
z (periodismo) veneer 0 But Reid and
Duffield showed that, given the right
horsepower, they are capable Of
bringing home the bacon in style.
.* bring something home to someone
hacerle ver algo aalguien 0 This new
1V advert really brings home to people
hoW badly some children are treated.
close to home personal (literal:
cerca de casa) 0 The message the film
conveyed struck so hard and so close to
home that it moved meta tears.
* hit home 0
strike home conocerse de verdad
o In"many cases the reality of war
doesn't hit home with reservists until
they're actually called upan ta fight.
hit a home run (EE UU) cosechar un
gran exito 0 Bartlett Giamatti hits a
home run here with his memoir of
encounters with WHo Auden over many
years.
En el beisbol, cuando un bateador
~ hace unjonron envra la pelota
~ muy lejos, de modo que puede
~ recorrertodas las bases y ganar
~ una carrera antes de que el otro
~ equipo recupere la pelota.
the home stretch 0
the home straight la recta final
o This month, Wales take on the Czech
Republic in the home straight of the
qualifying competition.
The home stretch 0 the home straight
~ es la recta final de una carrera de
~ caballos.
* make yourself at home ponerse
comodo o Arnold and Gwen had found
the hidden key, let themselves in and
made themselves at home. 0 'Sit down,'
Anne said. 'Make yourself at home.'
hook 149
honest
honest as the day is long
(anticuado) la honradez en persona
o This boy's hard-working, ambitious,
smart, and honest as the day is long.
They don't come any better than Russell
here.
hoof
* do something on the hoof
1 (Brit) sobre la marcha 0 They
expressed their disquiet at the disarray
over the government's handling of its
economic policy and their fears that
policy was being made on the hoof.
2 deprisa y corriendo 0 We know the
character: his shirt is always undone, he
is rude, consumesjunk food on the hoof
and is a/ways complaining.
Hacer algo on the hoof significa
~ literalmente hacerlo a caballo,
sin detenerse para desmontar.
hook
do something by hook or by crook
hacer algo por las buenas 0 por las
malas 0 If a man took Antonia's fancy,
she would go out of her way to get him
by hook or by crook.
~ En esta expresion, hool< significa
"podadera", mientras que crool<
~ significa "cayado". Puede que la
~ expresion haga referenda a una
ley medieval que permitia a la
~ gente corriente recoger lena de
los bosques pertenecientes al rey
~ 0 a un noble, siempre que
~ cogieran solo ramas secas a las
~ que pudieran lIegarcon sus
~ podaderas y sus cayados.
* get off the hook librarse 0 We
cannot let the government get off the
hook for what it has done.
hook,line. and sinker
completamente 0 I fell for her hook,
line and sinker.
150 hooks
~ AI morderel anzuelo, los peces
~ a veces se tragan parte del sedal
@ (line) y el plomo (sinker). ademas
2" del anzuelo.
on your own hook (EE UU) por sf
mismo oSt. Mary's Hospital does not
meet incoming rights with its own
vehicle. Patients come on their own hoof<.
~ Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
~ alguien que pesca un pez usando
~ su propio equipo de pesca y sin
2" ayuda de nadie.
ring off the hook (sabre todo EE UU)
no parar de sonar 0 His phone started
ringing off the hook as banks and
rnancial institutions begged for his he/p_
sling your hook (Brit) largarse
o The team is entering a new era and if
Richardson doesn't want to be part Grit
then he should sling his haole
2 En esta expresi6n hook podrfa
g significar"ancla". EI ancla tenra
~ que izarse y atarse con cuerdas a
~ can cadenas lIamadas eslingas
~ (slings) antes de que el barco
~ pudiera moverse.
swallow something hook, line.
and sinker tragarse algo (literal:
tragarse algo con anzuelo, sedal y
plomo) 0 Our president is one heck
of a salesman, and people arejust
swallowing this thing hook, line, and
sinker, without knowing what it's al/
about.
hooks
get your hooks into someone echar
!a garra a alguien 0 The big industries
like to get their hooks into the bright
young people, to subsidize them
through their education and then reap
thebenert_
hoops
make someone jump through
hoops 0
make someone go through the
hoops poner aalguien a prueba
(litera': hacer que alguien atrav"".
saltando unos aros) 0 The academic
staff still wanted the rigour so they
basically put a four-year course into
three years and made us jump through
hoops.
~ Ciertos animales de circa estan
~ adiestrados para saltar a traves
~ de aros que a veces estan en
~ llamas.
hoot
not give a hoot 0
not give two hoots no imnm-t"'-"n
camino 0 I'm really disgusted with
pOliticians. They don't give two hoots
about their constituents.
hop
* be caught on the hop (Brit) ser
pHlado desprevenido (literal: ser
pillado saltando) 0 In both cases the
West was caught on the hop when a
brutal dictator decided that it was safe
to use force to resolve a long-standing
territorial dispute.
hopping mad echando chis pas
o Apparently. the family is hopping mad
that she left them nothing in her will.
a hop. skip. and ajump un pasito
o Of course, the Romanian language is
justa hop. skip, and ajump from
Italian.
horizon
* on the horizon a la vista (literal: en
el horizonte) 0 With breast cancer, as
with many common diseases, there is no
obvious breakthrough on the horizon.
horn
blow your own horn (EE UU) darse
bombo (literal: tocartu propia
trompa) 0 Maybe I am a superstar
right now, but I don't go around blowing
my own horn; this is a game which kicks
you right back in the face.
Antiguamente, la lIegada de
~ personas importantes a un lugar
se anunciaba tocando trompetas.
hornet
(Hornetsignifica "avispon". )
stir up a hornet's nest remover un
avispero o According to my brother
paul, this Lonnie Norton was asking a
lot of questions and stirring up a
hornet's nest around town.
horns
lock horns enfrentarse (literal:
entrechocar los cuernos) 0 During
his six years in office, Seidman has often
locked horns with lawmakers as well as
the administration.
~ Esta expresion hace referencia ados
~ animales macho, como los ciervos,
~ que entrechocan los cuernos al
~ pelearse par una hembra.
on the horns of a dilemma entre la
espada y la pared (literal: en los
cuernos de un dilema) 0 I was often
caught on the hornsofa dilemma. Do I
work late in the air-conditioned cool
darkness of the office, or retreat to the
cafe for a cold lemonade?
g En la Edad Media, un dilema se
~ representaba tradicionalmente
~ como un animal con dos cuernos,
~ como un toro.
pull in your horns 0
draw in your horns echarse atras,
apretarse el cintur6n 0 The world's
big spenders have pulled in their horns
during the recession and the top
designers have felt the pinch.
Cuando detectari algun peligro,
los caracoles retraen los cuernos
(horns)_
horse 151
horse
back the wrong horse elegir mal
(litera': apostar por el caballo
equivocado) 0 We think they're
backing the wrong horse if they support
the Mengistu government.
come down off .your high horse a
get down off your high horse bajar
los humos (litera': bajarse del
caballoa!to) oltistimeforthe
intellectuals to get down off their high
horses and to really take the struggle
into the ghettoes.
~ Antiguamente, 105 caballos muy
. grandes eran una muestra de alto
~ ra,ngo, porque solo los montaban
~ los caballeros.
eat like a horse comer como una
lima (litera': comer como un
caballo) 0 When Kelly is on
medication, he eats like a horse and
when he is off, he has almost no
appetite at all.
flog a dead horse (Brit) 0
beat a dead horse (EE UU)
machacar en hierro frfo (literal:
azotar a un caballo muerto)
o They're exhausted. You're nogging a
dead horse. You have some talented
boys but they're playing like run-down
machines.
from the horse's mouth de buena
tinta (literal: de la boca del caballo)
o Most of the book is completely true;
it comes from the horse's mouth.
. Esta expresi6n podrfa referirse a
~ que es posible adivinar la edad de
. un caballo mirandole los dientes.
~ Tambien podrfa referirse a un
~ pronostico en las carreras que,
g de tan fiable, parece como si el
~ propio caballo haya revelado 10
~ bien que va a carrero
get on your high horse ponerse a
pontificar (literal: subirse al caballo
152 horses
alto) 0 When Kuwait was occupied,
President Bush and Prime Minister John
Major lost no time in getting on their
high horses.
a one-horse race (sabre toda Brit)
una contienda en la que no hay
color (litera': una carrera con un
solo caballo) oMarseiIJeare
threatening to turn the French
championship into a one-horse race.
a one-horse town un pueblucho
(litera': un pueblo con un caballo)
o Lumut is something of a one-horse
town, but you can always take a boat
across to Pang/wr island and 1001< at
Dutch ruins.
* someone is a dark horse alguien es
una inc6gnita (litera': alguien es un
caballo oscuro) 0 To many people,
Atkinson is Q dark horse who worked
away for many years behind the scenes
at British Airways.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n se
~ refiera a un caballo del que 60 se
~ sabe demasiado, por 10 que es
~ diffcil predecir c6mo correra en
~ una carrera.
a stalking horse
1 pretexto 0 The development will
act as a stalking horse for (urther
exploitation o(the surrounding
countryside.
2 candidato queen unas elecciones
desaffa a un Ifder de su propio
partido, con el proposito de medir la
fuerza de la oposicion 0 There was
even talk a( one o(them putting up (or
the leadership as a 'stalking horse' (or
the real contender.
~ Se conocfan como stalking horses
~ aquellos caballos adiestrados
~ para permitir a los cazadores que
~ los montaban ocultarse detras de
~ ellos, y as! acercarse a los pajaros
~ que cazaban.
* a Trojan horse un caballo de Troya
o The Chancellor did not tax child
benert, but he has created
Horse enabling him to tax this
the (uture.
you can lead a horse to water but
you can't make it drink puedes
darle una oportunidad a alguien,
pero no puedes obligarle a que la
. ace pte (literal: puedes lIevar a un
caballo hasta el agua, pero'no
puedes obJigarle a que beba) 0 You
can't educate kids who aren't int,erested;
You can lead a horse to water but you
can't make it drink
horses
change horses in midstream
cambiar de polftica a mitad de
camino olthinl<wewerevervwisennt
to change horses in midstream.
EI presidente estadounidense
~ Abraham Lincoln dijo 10 siguiente
en 1864: "Me recuerda la historia
~ de un viejo agricultor holandes,
~ cualle comenta a un conocido
~ que era mejorno cambiarde
~ caballo al cruzar un arroyo" (it was
~ best not to swap horses when
~ crossing streams.)
hold your horses (hab/ado) para el
carro 0 Hold your horses a minute, will
you, andjust ta/<e another 1001< at this
badge.
horses for courses (Brit) cada cual a
10 suyo 0 We know the selection forthe
matches will be a case of horses for
courses, and so, like anyone else, I'/Ijust
be happy to be playing, whatever
position.
~ Algunos caballos parecen
~ adaptarse mejor a ciertos tipos de
carreras.
ride two horses at the same time a
ride two horses at once (Brit,
Periodismo) jugarcon dos barajas
(litera': montar dos caballos al
house 153
---------------
mismo tiempo) oHeis not doing his
popular appealmuch goad by
continuing to fide two horses at the
same time.
wild horses wouldn't make
someone do something alguien no
harfa algo por nada del mundo
o Wild horses WOUldn't make Nicola sell
the yard i(shefound out it would make
me rich.
hostage
a hostage to fortune (sobre todo Brit)
un rehen del destino oChar/es, then
nearly 33, had already made himsel( a
hostage to (ortune by declaring that30
was a suitable age to settle down.
Esta expresion proviene del
~ ensayo de Francis Bacon titulado
~ O(Marriage and Single life (Del
g matrimonio y la solterra, 1625).
hot
hot and bothered sofocado
o Sir Terence was astonished that
everybody had got so hat and bothered
about the affair.
he went hot and cold (Brit) Ie dieron
escalofrfos 0 It still makes me go hot
and cold whenever I thinl< about it.
someone blows hot and cold
1 alguien es una veleta (literal:
alguien sopla caliente y frfo)
o The media, meanwhile, has blown hot
and cold an the affair.
2 alguien es muy irregular 0 They
seem to have blown hot and cold in their
early matches.
too hot to handle demasiado
complicado 0 Even for someone of
Mr Hurd's sldll and experience, the
situation proved too hot to handle.
hot cakes
sell like hotcakes (sobre todo EE UU)
o sell like hot cakes 0 go like hot
cakes venderse como rosquillas
(litera': venderse como pasteles
calientes) 0 Their jam was selling like
hot cakes.
Hotcal<es es la palabra habitual en
~ ingles americano, y tambien se
~ usa a veces en ingles britanico.
~ En ingles americana son crepes,
~ mientras que en ingles britanico
2 son pasteles recien hechos.
hour
* at the eleventh hour a ultima hora
o The concert, scheduled (or last
Saturday, was cancelled at the eleventh
hour, atter the star Peter Gabriel pulled
out on Thursday. 0 The eleventh hour
decision came as the President made it
clear he was prepared to gamble his
political career i(it came to conflict.
En la Biblia, Jesus usa esta
~ expresi6n en la parabola de los
~ obreros de la vifia (Mateo 20:1-16).
~ En la epoca de Jesus, las horas se
contaban desde el amanecer
~ hasta el atardecer, yen la hora
~ duodecima oscureda. Asf, la hora
undecima era la ultima antes de
que anocheciera,
hours
at all hours a cualquierhora 0 In
Hollywood, you can shop at al/ hours,
and get almost anything you want.
house
bring the house down hacer que se
venga abajo la sala 0 We had just one
rehearsal and I was petrired but, as
Lenny predicted, the sketch brought the
house down.
': En esta expresi6n, house significa
"teatro".
eat someone out of house and
home provocarle un gasto en
comida enormea alguien 0 They eat
everybody out o(house and home but
154 houses
nobody minds because they provide
such prst-rate entertainment.
~ Esta expresi6n aparece en la obra
g de Shakespeare Enrique IV(segunda
~ parte, acto II, escena I) de 1597.
get on like a house on fire lIevarse
de maravHla (literal: lIevarse como
una casa incendiandose) 0 I went
over and struck up a conversation, and
we got on like a house on pre.
: Esta expresi6n alude a un acto
~ intense y repentino, como el
g incendio y la rapida destrucci6n
~ de una vieja casa de madera con
el tejado de paja.
a halfway house (Brit) un terminG
media oA halfway house between the
theatre and cinema is possible.
: Antiguamente, las posadas
~ situadas a media camino entre
dos poblaciones vecinas se
~ denominaban halfway houses.
~ En dichas posadas se hospedaban
~ los pasajeros de las diligencias.
Este nombre adn se ve en los
~ letreros actuales de ciertas pubs
g y pequenas hateles.
* a house of cards un castillo de
naipes 0 This government could fall
aport like a house of cords during the
first policy discussion.
* put your house in order a
get your house in order po"ner tus
asuntos en orden 0 The government
gives the newspaper industry a twelve-
month deadline to put its house in order
or face tough statutory controls.
someone would not give someone
or something house room (Brit)
alguien no quiere sabernada de
alguien a de alga 0 I feel that some
o(the paintings that peaple pay
thousands o{pounds {or are
absolute rubbish. I wouldn'tgivethem
house room.
houses
go round the houses (Brit) i
o Although in many cases we go round
the houses, we get to the important
issues as well.
hue
a hue and cry protestas ruidosas
o Thereprobablywill bea hue and cry
about my suggestion o{more power to'
the police.
~ Hasta el siglo XIX, hueanq cry era
nombre legal de los gritos de
~ alguien a quien habran ~ o b a d o y
~ que pedra ayuda. Se consideraba
~ delito negarse a participar en la
~ persecuci6n delladr6n tras haber
~ aida los gritos de la vfctima.la
~ palabra hue viene del frances
~ antiguo huer, que significa "gritar"
huff
* in a huff picado 0 He stormed offin a
huff because he didn't win.
hump
get the hump (Brit) ponerse de mal
humor 0 Dad used to coach me in the
back garden when I was about 10, but
he tried to drum too much into meand
I used to get the hump with him.
we're over the hump pasamos 10
pear 0 I think we're basically overthe
hump in this instance. We've got an
economy now that's lil<elyto grow.
hymn sheet
sing from the same hymn sheet
(Brit) remaren la misma direcci6n
(literal: cantar usando el mismo libra
de himnos) oAssheand her husband
face a court case, they can be relied upon
to sing from the same hymn sheet.
dot the i's and cross the t's poner
los puntas sabre las res 0 Unless all
the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed,
a contract is not likely to be valid.
En ciertos tipos de letra antiguos,
~ tras escribir una palabra se
~ anaden los puntas de las res y se
g cruzan las tes.
ice
*'breaktheice romperel hielo
o Brea/< the ice with tea or coffee and
get to know your client a little better.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a la
~ necesidad de romperel hielo
~ alrededor de un barco para que
~ pueda navegar.
* put something on ice aparcar algo
(literal: poner alga en hielo) 0 Plans
have been put on ice for a meeting in
london of the five permanent members
of the United Nations Security Council.
Esta expresi6n se refiere al uso de
hielo para conservar la com ida y
evitar que se pudra.
* skate on thin ice pisarterreno
peligroso (litera': patinar sobre una
capa fina de hielo) oAI/through my
career I had skated on thin ice and
somehow had, so far, got away with it.
* something cuts no ice alga te deja
frfo 0 Flying is dreadful. Statistics cut
no ice with anyone scared of going up in
the air in a plane.
I
~ Esta expresi6n esta relacionada
~ can el patinaje sabre hielo. A fin
~ de que un patinadorconsiga
moverse can facilidad, las
~ cuchillas de los patines deben
estar afiladas para poder cortar
el hielo.
icing
* the icing on the cake laguinda
o I was proud to bea member of the
Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix team, but to
drive their fantastic sports cars as well
really was the icing on the cake.
inch
come within an inch of doing
something quedarse a un paso de
alga oA driver who comes within an
inch of smashing into a tree will
nonetheless claim that there is nothing
wrong with his eyesight.
give someone an inch and they'll
take a mile dale a alguien la mana y
se tamara el brazo (litera': dale a
alguien una pulgada y se tamara
una milia) o Be tough and
uncompromising - if you give colleagues
an inch, they will toke a mile.
to within an inch of your life hasta
casi matarte 0 His fists were clenched
as ifhewere going to beat Smythe to
within an inch o{his life.
information
too much information (familiar) no
hace falta que me 10 cuentes (literal:
156 ink
demasiada informaci6n) 0 'I've been
to the toilet twice already.'Too much
informationl'
ink
bleed red ink (Periodismo) estar
lIena de numeros rajas (literal:
sangrar tinta raja) 0 Even large
companies are bleeding red ink But
they are quickly closing plants and
axing thousands of jobs to boost
performance.
Esta expresi6n proviene de la
antigua costumbre de usartinta
raja para anotar asientos en el
debe de un libra de contabilidad.
innings
La palabra innings significa "turna
para batear".
have a good innings (Brit, anticuado)
1 haberdisfrutado un exita
prolongado 0 His career ended when
his horse (ell and he was left with
permanent loss o(vision in his lett eye.
'/ had a good innings: he says.
2 habervivido una larga vida 0 He
himself had had a good innings, he said,
but he was sorry for younger victims in
desolate circumstances.
ins
* the ins and outs los pormenores
o There are many helpful books now
available written by cookery and dietary
experts who can advise on the ins and
outs of dieting in great detail.
insult
* add insult to injury empeorar
todavfa mas las cosas (literal: anadir
insulto a la of ens a) 0 The Council of
State opposed the president's
suggestion and added insult to injury by
leal<ing its hostile and secret (onnm,mt,
to the press.
* to add insult to injury para colma
de males 0 To add insult to injury, al/
three lost in the final.
iron
cast iron a
. (Brit) irrebatible 0 Even if
one could visualize her as a murderer,
she has a cast-iron alibi.
strike while the iron is hot a hierro
candente batir de repente 0 This is
the week to get plans a((the ground.
time to stril<e while the iron is hot.
E Un herrero solo puede dablare!
hierro cuanda este material esta
al roja vivo.
* with an iron fist con mana de hierro
o The Generals have ruled the nation
with an iron fist for more than half of its
independent existence.
irons
have a lot of irons in the fire tener
demasiados asuntos entre manos
(litera': tener muchos hierros en el
fuego) 0" will be earning a lot more
money,' he says, declining to say how
much more. "also have a numberof
other irons in the fire.'
ivory
* someone lives in an ivory tower
alguien vive en una torre de marfil
o They're all out of touch - they live up
in a little ivory tower, and they don't see
What's going on down here.
Esta expresi6n es una traducci6n
de la frase francesa tour d'ivoire,
usada por el crftico Saint-Beuve
para describir la forma en que el
escritor Alfred de Vigny se aisl6
del resto de la sociedad.
Jack
* before you could say Jack Robinson
en menos que canta un gallo (literal:
antes de que puedas decir Jack
Robinson) 0 The pair of them were out
of the door and down the steps before
you could say Jacl< Robinson.
Se desconoce la identidad deJack
Robinson. Puede que el nombre
se hiciera popular porque tanto el
nombre como el apellido fueron
muy comunes en otras tiempos.
La frase aparece en la novela
g Evelina (1778) de Fanny Burnley.
jack
ajack-of-all-trades
1 un factotum 0 He soon caughtthe
theatre bug, and became ajack-of-all-
trades at the local amateur theatre.
2 alguien que mucho abarca y poco
aprieta 0 His critics sometimes
described him as ajacl<-o(-all-trades.
Jacl< era un nombre usado para
referirse a cualquier hombre, 0 a
cualquiertrabajador.
jackpot
* hit the jackpot
1 ganar la loterfa 0 The National
Theatre hit thejacl<pot with its first
musical, GuysAnd Dolls.
2 acertar 0' went through all the
people called Lasalles in the Sydney
phone bool< until I hit thejackpot.
Esta expresi6n proviene del
p6quer.Jacl<potsignifica "bote".
jail
* get out of jail (Brit, Periodismo)
libtarse por los peros (literal: salir de
la carcel) 0 Chelsea got aut a(jail
because Everton made the fundamental
mistake a(trying to defend a one-gaol
lead.
Esta expresi6n viene del juego
"Monopoly", en el que los
jugadores pueden usaruna
tarjeta especial para salir antes de
la career.
jam
jam tomorrow (sobre todo Brit) el
dfa de manana 0 The City simply does
not believe it. It has been promisedjam
tomorrow too many times before by the
company.
Esta expresi6n aparece en el
cuento infantil Through the Looking
Glass (Alicia a traves del espejo) , de
Lewis Carroll, donde la Reina Roja
dice: ''La norma es mermelada
manana y mermelada aver, pero
nunca mermelada hoy". Como
senalaAlicia, esto significa que
nadie podra comer nunca
mermelada.
Jell-O
like trying to nail Jell-O to the
158 jewel
wall (EE UU) como pedir peras al
alma (litera': como clavar gelatina
en la pared) 0 Right now, it's just
about lil<etrving to nail ffve pounds of
jell-O to the wall.
)el/-O es una marca de gelatina.
~ EI presidente estadounidense
~ Theodore Roosevelt empleo par
~ primera vez esta expresi6n en una
~ carta dirigida a RoscoeThayer en
~ 1915. Describfa la dificultad de
~ negociar con Colombia ace rca del
~ canal de Panama.
jewel
* the jewel in someone's crown fa
java de la corona de alguien 0 His
achievement is astonishing and this
boo/< is the jewel in his crown.
~ Esta expresi6n ya se empleaba
~ en la epoca victoriana, pero
probablemente se conozca
@ mejorcomo tftulo de una nov-ela
~ de Paul Scott publicada en 1966
que formaba parte de una serie
~ ambientada en la India
~ victoriana. En esta obra India es
~ vista como "lajoya", mientras que
~ la "corona" es ellmperio britanico.
job
do ajob on someone (familiar) dar
una paliza a alguien 0 Coetzer is a
difficult opponent. But I'm equally sure I
can do ajobon him.
a full-time job un trabajo a tiempo
completo oMaintaining a happy
home in which a family can thrive is a
full-timejob, and for many women it
becomes their career for life.
jobs
jobs for the boys (Brit) enchufismo
(literal: trabajos para los chicos)
o The council has faced a string Of
allegations over Jobs for the boys'.
Johnny
Johnny-corne-lately recien llegado
o The basic trouble was that, in the
of the left, Benn was always something
of a johnny-come-lately,
~ As] se denominaba a los
~ marineros sin experiencia en la
. ~ marina de guerra
~ estadounidense.
joker "
the joker in the pack (sobre todo
Brit) la gran inc6gnita (literal: el
comodfn en la baraja) 0 Ray enjoys
long walks and the occasional gameof
golf He is probably best known os the
quiet one who is the joker in the pac/<.
Joneses
keep up with the Joneses no ser
menosqueelvecino o Her mother
was very keen on keeping up with the
)oneses, and through much of her teens
Linda accepted what she now calls
'these false values'.
~ Esta expresion viene del tftulo de
~ una historieta deArthur Momand
~ publicada por primera vez en el
periodico NewYorkGlobeen 1913.
judgment
Judgment se suele escribir
judgement en ingles britanico.
sit injudgment juzgar 0 I thinl<
people should work hard to keep a
marriage alive. I don't want to sit in
judgment on other people, but if there's
anything that's good, try to hold on to
it.
jugular
* go forthejugular lanzarse a Ja
yugular 0 If England go forthejugulor
in tonight's game, we won't have to
worry about scraping a draw.
jump
* getajump on someone (sobretodo
EE UU) adelantarse a alguien 0 This
year, many stores did try to get ajump
on the shopping season by holding
promotional sales even before
Thanksgiving.
Esta expresi6n se refiere al
~ participante en una carrera
~ que deja atras los tacos de
~ salida antes que los otras
~ corredores.
* jump up and down pegar saltos
a He is not someone who jumps up
and down. Heisa man of quiet
determination and rrm principles.
someone is for the high jump (Brit)
alguien se la va a cargar aGod help
anyone who was sneaking a cup of tea
when they shouldn't have been, They'll
be forthe high jump,
Jury 159
Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a los delincuentes que eran
sentenciados a la horca
antiguamente.
take a running jump (sobre todo Brit)
irse a frefr esparragos (literal: saltar
tomando carreriHa) 0 'My dad
reckons your stories are all made up.'
'Well you can tell your dad to take a
runningjump because we don't make up
the letters - ever.'
jury
* thejury is still out esta par ver
(literal: tOdavfa no ha vue Ito e!
jurado) 0 Thejury's still out on what
are'the long-term effects of air
pollution.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda al
periodo durante el cual el jurado
de unjuicio se retira de la sala
para decidir un veredicto.
Pubfikoa
kangaroos
have kangaroos in your top
paddock (sabre todoAustralia,
familiar) estar rna! de la azotea
(literal: tener canguros en el
potrero) 0 Some attribute my attitude
to having a few kangaroos loose in the
top paddock.
~ EI sentido literal de esta expresi6n
~ es que los animales salvajes han
~ desplazado a los anirnales de
:s granja.
keel
* on an even keel estabilizado
(literal: sabre una quilla equilibrada)
o She sees it as her role to keep the
family on an even keel through its time
o(hardship.
~ Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
~ de un barco que navega sin
problemas porque esta
equilibradoynoseescora.
keen
keen as mustard (sabre todD Brit,
anticuado) extraordinariamente
entusiasta (literal: entusiasta como
la mostaza) 0 I have an adult pupil
who scored very low in assessments but
is keen as mustard.
Keen significa "entusiasta", pero
tam bien puede significar "afilado"
(sharp) cuando se refiere a la hoja
o al filo de un arma 0 de una
herramienta. La palabra sharp
~ tam bien hace referencia a un
~ sabor acido 0 agrio, por 10 ,que
~ aquf el entusiasmo se equlpara al
~ saborfuerte que proporciona la
mostaza a la comida.
keep
something earns its keep algo
justifica el gasto 0 In Bob's garden
everything must earn its keep, with
fruits and vegetables given priority over
flowers.
keeper
I am not someone's keeper no soy
el guarda de alguien 0'1 don't know
where he is,' Hughes replied, 'I'm not his
l<eeper."No, simply hisempJoyer.'
I'm not my brother's keeper
no soy el guarda de mi hermano
o Part of me wants to help him, but
part of me realizes I can't be my
brother's keeper.
~ Estas expresiones provienen de
~ un relato bfblico (Genesis 4:9).
Cafn ha matado a su hermano
~ Abel, pero intenta neg arlo.
~ Cuando Ie preguntan d6nde esta
~ su hermano, carn responde: "No
10 se. ~ S o y y o acaso el guardian de
~ mi hermano?"
ken
something is beyond your ken alga
te es incomprensible 0 The subject
matter is beyond the ken of the average
layman.
Aquf ken significa conocimientos
o capacidad de comprensi6n de
una persona. EI verba escoces ken
significa "saber", "conocer".
I<ettle
* a different kettle offish harina de
otro costal (litera': una cacerola de
pescado diferente) oArtistic
integrity?Who needs it? Money? Now
that's a completely different /<ettle of
fish.
kibosh
put the kibosh on something dar al
traste can algo 0 The company gave
its subscribers access to software that
puts the kibosh on pop-up ads if a user
doesn't want them.
~ EI origen de esta expresi6n es
~ incierto, pero hay quien cree que
~ la palabra kibosh podrfa venirdel
yiddish.
kick
kick someone upstairs ... ver
upstairs
kick a man when he's down dar a
moro muerto gran lanzada (litera':
dar una patada a un hombre que
esta caido) 0 It (expulsion) would be
regarded by many people, including
many in the party, as going too far in
kicl<ing a man when he's down.
kick-off
Kic/<-offsignifica "saque inicial" en
un partido de futbol.
for a kick-off para empezar 0 Is it
not in fact the opinion of the public that
most dentists earn far too much for a
kick-ofF
kid
like a kid in a candy store (sobre
todo EE UU) como un nino con
king 161
zapatos nuevos (literal: como un
nino en la tienda de chuches) oA
money manager in Chicago, he went on
a buying binge and 'felt like a kid in a
candy store,' he recalls.
treat someone with kid gloves
tratar a alguien con guantes de sed a
(literal: tratar a alguien con guantes
decabritilla) oMrSarbuttswas
treated as a VIP. Everybody was treating
him with kid gloves.
kill
in atthe kill (Brit) presente en el
momenta culminante 0 Burns was
one of the happiest men at the finish.
He was in at the kill 106 miles and four-
and-a-quarter hours after the start of
the race.
* move in for the kill lanzarse aJ
ataque 0 Nic/<and I appeared almost
unstoppable and we moved in for the
I<ill.
killing
*: make a killing hacer su agosto
o The boss of Britain's top pizza concern
made a l<illing on the market yesterday
by selling off most o(his shores.
kindness
kill someone with kindness pasarse
de amable con alguien (litera':
matar a alguien de amabilidad)
o 'He is killing me with kindness,' Sallie
says. 'He's just too attentive.'
king
a king's ransom (sobre todo Brit) un
dineral (literal: el rescate de un rey)
o Roberts is asking a king's ransom for
her next film role.
live like a king vivir a cuerpo de rev
o Company executives lived like Idngs.
The top thirty-one executives were paid
a total Of14.2 million dollars, or an
average of 458,000 dollars.
162 kingdom
kingdom
blow someone to kingdom come
mandar a alguien al atro barrio
o One false move could blow us all to
kingdom come.
@ Esta expresi6n viene de la frase
~ del padrenuestro "Venga a
~ nosotros tu rei no" (Thy kingdom
~ come)(Mateo 6:10).
kiss
kiss and make up hacer las paces
o They argue constantly and publicly
but always manage to kiss and make
up.
* kiss-and-tell romance con una
celebridad 0 On many occasions we
discussed selling details ofldss-and-tell
stories.
3 Esta expresi6n aparece en la obra
~ LoveforLovedeWilliamCongreve
(1695).
* the kiss of death el golpe de gracia
(literal: el beso de la muerte)
o Relying on cliches is the l<iss Of death
for a decent writer.
Esta expresi6n se refiere al relata
biblieo de como Judas traicion6 a
Jesus a! besarlo.
kit
the whole kit and caboodle -+ ver
caboodle
kitchen
everything but the kitchen sink !a
casa a cuestas (literal: todo menDs
elfregadero) o When she goes on a
picnic, she always wants to take
everything but the kitchen sink.
kite
fly a kite (sobretodo Brit) lanzar un
globo sonda (literal: hacervolar una
cometa) 0 The committee has paid a
good deal of attention to what might be
politically possible. It is consciously
nying a kite.
kittens
have kittens (sobretodo Brit) darle
un ataque de nervios (literal: tener
gatitos) 0 The boss wi/I have kittens if
I don't get that dress back inside the
. hour.
En la Edad Media se decfa que si
~ una embarazada sentia do"lor de
~ estomago, ello se debra a que
~ tenia gatitos arafiandole el
interior de la matriz.
knee
kneeMhigh to a grasshopper
(anticuado) un renacuajo (literal: a la
altura de la rodilla de un saltamontes)
o I've lived here since I was knee-high to
a grasshopper.
knees
be on your knees hecho polvo
o Several times this afternoon he had
sounded as ifhe were on his knees.
* bring something to its knees lIevar
a alga al borde del desastre (literal:
hacer arrodillarse a alga) 0 Britain
was brought to its Imees after a wave Of
paralysing strikes.
go down on your knees suplicarde
rodiHas 0 They won't take the manager
back, even i(he gets down on his knees
and apologises.
knell
* sound the death knell anundarel
principia del fin (literal: hacer sonar
el toque de difuntos) 0 The
announcement that the mine would
close in March with the loss of more
than g80 jobs sounded the death Imell
Far the village.
knickers
get your knickers in a twist (Brit,
familiar) ponerse nervioso 0 Let's not
get our knickers in a twist until we see
the outcome of those games.
knife
like a knife through butter con
gran facilidad (literal: como un
'cuchilio en la mantequilla) 0 Think
about the women who have gone
through liFe like a knife through butter.
slicing through every kind of setback
and discouragement.
* on a knife-edge (sabre todo Brit) en
el filo de la navaja 0 Ourrnances are
on a knife-edge at the moment.
stick the knife in ensafiarse (litera':
meter el cuchillo) 0 Her colleagues,
often eager to stick the knife in,
deFended her yesterday.
twist the knife hurgaren las
heridas (literal: retorcer el cuchillo)
o Jones then twisted the knife with
another goa/.
knight
a knight in shining armour un
principe azul (literal: un caballero
con una armadura brillante) o/just
Felt dizzy and then I co/lapsed. I am very,
very grateful to Tom and I always will be
- he really was my knight in shining
armour.
~ Armour se escribe armoren
g ingles americana. En los relatos
~ escritos 0 ambientados en la
~ Edad Media, los caballeros de
~ brillante armadura solfan acudir
~ al rescate de las doncellas en
s apuros.
knitting
stick to your knitting dedicarse a 10
suyo (literal: dedicarse a su labor de
punta) 0 It failed because we did not
understand the plumbing business, and
it taught us a lesson about sticking to
our knitting!
knots 163
knives
* the knives are out (sobre todo Brit)
se la tienenjurada (literal: han
sacado las navajas) 0 His book has
hit the shops and the knives are out.
knock
knock someone sideways (Brit)
dejar de piedra a alguien (literal:
tirar a alguien de lado) o Something
like this, a huge shock, completely
knocks you sideways.
knock something sideways (Brit)
destrozar algo 0 Conrdence in the
British legal system has been knocked
sideways, hasn't it?
knot
cut the Gordian knot (litera rio )
cortar el nuda gordiano 0 Scott
decided to close the inquiry last year
when he concluded that it would be
possible to go on forever. You have to
cut the Gordian Imot.'
~ Segun una antigua leyenda,
Gordias, reyde Frigia, at6 un
~ nuda que nadie podia desatar.
Se dija que quien 10 desatara
~ conquistariaAsia. Cuando
~ Alejandro Magno se enter6,
~ resolvi6 el problema cortando
~ el nudo con una espada.
* tie the knot (familiar) casarse
(literal: atar el nuda) 0 The couple
tied the knot last year aFter a 13-year
romance.
s Atar nudo5 en las prendas de ropa
~ 0 en las cintas que lIevan la novia
~ y el novio en su bod a es una
~ costumbretradicional que
~ simboliza la uni6n del nuevo
" matrimonio.
knots
tie someone in knots enredar a
alguien 0 He could tie her in knots in
164 know
an argument and never once missed an
opportunity to prove his intellectual
superiority.
tie yourself in knots liarse 0 He was
tying himselfin knots, trying to sound
at once supportive of the Government,
yet somehow disapproving of the
'damage' to Britain's 'reputation'.
know
* know something or someone inside
out conacer alga 0 a alguien como
la palma de la mana 0 Liam has
played for and against some of the
greatest clubs in Europe and knows the
game inside out.
not know whether you are coming
or going (hob/ado) no saber 10 que
se hace (literal: no saber 5i estas
volviendo 0 estas venda) 0 The truth
is I'm so excited that I hardly know
whether I'm coming or going.
knuckle
near the knuckle (Brit) rayando en
la indecencia (litera': cerca del
nudillo) 0 There are important people
who (ear the public will be outraged.
. This kind o(material is very nearthe
knuckle.
knuckles
* rap someone on the knuckles echar
un rapapolvoaalguien o If we find
the banl< made a mistake or was negligent,
we will rap them on the lmuc/</es.
Hace algun tiempo, los maestros
castigaban a veces a los alumnos
que se porta ban mal pegandoles
en los nudillos con una regia 0 con
una vara.
labour
Labour se escribe laboren ingles
americano.
_* a labour of love un trabajo
realizado par amor al arte 0 They
concentrated on restoring outbuildings
such as the Victorian greenhouse, an
expensive labouro(love.
~ Esta expresi6n aparece en la
Biblia (Epfstola primera a los
~ tesalonicenses, 1:3). Se refiere al
~ "trabajo de la caridad" (labour o(
~ love) de la gente (el trabajo que
hacen movidos por la caridad), y a
~ la intensidad de la confianza de la
~ genteenJesus.
lads
one of the lads (Brit) uno de los
amiguetes 0 He likes being one of the
lads, you know, having pints down the
pub.
lady
it isn't over until the fat lady sings
mientras hay vida, hay esperanza
(literal: no se acaba hasta que no
cante la senora gorda) 0 'Who
knows, Michael might (all 0(( and break
a leg,' hejoked. f\s they say, it isn't over
until the (at lady sings.'
EI origen de esta expresi6n es
incierto, pero podrfa ser una
referencia humorfstica al hecho
de que en la parte final de las
6peras la herofna suele cantar un
aria antes de mork. Este papello
interpretan a menudo sopranos
corpulentas.
lam'
Lam es un termino argotico
-americano que significa "huir",
on the lam (sobre todo EE UU)
huyendo de lajusticia 0 He was
arrested on Friday, after living on the
lam since1999.
lamb
like a lamb como un cordero
o She'd (allowed him likeo lomb. She
hadn't asked him why he was taking her
to a medical research laboratory rather
than to a normal hospital or clinic.
lambs
like lambs to the slaughter como
borrego al matadero 0 The record
companies have an easy life. We grovel
and foJ/ow their every word like lambs
to the slaughter.
land
get the lay of the land 0
get the lie of the land enterarse del
estado de las cosas 0 I'm not sure
what's going to happen. That's why I'm
coming in early, I want to get the lay of
the land.
land-office
do a land-office business (EE UU,
anticuado) arrasar 0 The Paradiso,
one of the capital's newest and most
166 lane
luxurious clubs, was doing a land-office
business.
En Estados Unidos, antes de la
guerra de Secesion, el gobierno
abri6 olicinas (land offices) que
vendfan los derechos de parcelas
situadas en el Oeste. Eran tantas
g las personas que querfan comprar
tierras para asentarse allf que
solfan formarse !argas colas frente
ala puerta de las oficinas antes de
que estas abrieran por la manana.
lane
* the fast lane la vida vivida a tope
o Tired orlire in the rast lone, Jock, a
fiFty-ish American businessman, decides
to give it all up to rUlfil a dream or
becoming a painter.
2 Fastlaneyslow/anesignifican,
respectivamente, "carril rapido"
y"carrillento".
lap

( La palabra lap significa "regazo". )
fall into someone'slap (aer a
alguien como Ilovidodel (ielo (literal:
caer en el regazo de alguien) 0 It
would not be safe to assume that victory
will fall into our lap at the next election.
in the lap of the gods en e! aire
(literal: en el regazo de los dioses)
o Once they had repaired my lung they
had to stop the operation. The liver is
self-healing anyway, so at that stage,
my lire was in the lop arthegads.
Esta expresi6n indica que e!
resultado final depende del azar,
pues sugiere que nadie sa be que
bendiciones cae ran del regazo de
los dioses hasta que dichas
bendiciones aparezcan en la tierra.
in the lap of lUXUry nadando en la
abundancia 0 We don't live in the lap
o(luxury, but we're comfortable.
Puede que esta expresi6n al
la imagen de una mujerque se
ocupa de todas las necesidades
del nino que tiene sentado en su
regazo.
land in your lap caerte encima
o These problems have landed in the
of Donald Jackson, an unassuming
'managerwith little international
experience.
large
large as life (Brit) en carne y hueso
o I called on him one Friday night on
some pretext or other and there they 0/1
were, large as life.
larger
* larger than life singular 0 John Huston
was a larger-than-liFe character, whose
temperament was as dramatic as any Of
the fictional figures in his own films.
lark

( Larksignifica "alondra". )
be Up with the lark (sobre todo Brit,
anticuado) levantarse can las
gallinas (literal: levantarse con las
alondras) oMost bakers are up with
the lark, but NeviJIeWilldns is in action
hours before the rest.
last
stick to your last (anticuado)
zapatero a tus zapatos 0 Looking
back, I should have stuck to my last and
gone on to get a research job in one of
the studios.
2 Esta expresi6n proviene del
proverbio let the cobbler stick to his
last ("que el zapatero se atenga a
su harma").
lather
in a lather frenetico, acalorado
o The truth Of the matter is that you
have spent the past six months working
yourselfup into 0 lather over situations
which are really none of your business.
;: (uando los caballos tienen
mucho calor, el sudor que recubre
su pelaje a veces forma una
sustancia espumosa lIamada
lather.
laugh
* have the last laugh serel que rle el
ultimo o Singer Des O'Connor is
expecting to have the last laugh on his
critics by soaring to the top of the
Christmas hit parade.
laundry
* a laundry list (sobretodo EE UU) una
!ista interminable (litera': una lista
de ropa para lavar) 0 This document
is expected to set out a laundry list Of
reasons why shareholders should reject
the bid . .
air your dirty laundry in public
-+verdirty
laurels
En la antigua Grecia se asociaba el
laurel al diosApolo. Losvencedores
en los juegos plticos, celebrados
en honordeApolo, reciblan
coronas de laurel.
look to your laurels no dormirse en
los laureles 0 The City of London
maintains a dominant role, but it must
now look to its laurels.
* not rest on your laurels no
dormirse en los laureles 0 The
trouble with all successful restaurants,
however, is the tendency to rest on their
laurels and stagnate.
law
* be a law unto yourself dictar tus
pro pi as leyes 0 Most athletic
departments are pretty much a law
lead 167
unto themselves - unaccountable in
terms of where this money goes.
the law of the jungle la leyde la
jungla 0 The streets are subjectto the
law ofthejungle and pOlicing has been
entrusted to private law enforcement
agencies.
Esta frase se hizo popular a ralz de
la publicaci6n en 1894 de la obra
titulada TheJungle Bool( (Ellibro de
10 selva), de Rudyard Kipling.
* lay down the law obrar
autoritariamente 0 They were
traditional parents, who believed in
laying down the law fortheirchildren.
* take the law into your own hands
tomarse iajusticia porsu mana
o Could we have taken the law into our
own hands and thrown the unwanted
visitors out?
lay
get the lay of the land -+verland
lead

En estas expresiones, lead se
pronuncia como red.
go down like a lead balloon caer
muy mal (literal: caercomo un
globo de plomo) oAseniorsource
said the memo had gone down like a
lead balloon.
swing the lead (Brit) fingirse
enfermo (literal: balancear!a
plomada) 0 There is no question of
taking money away from those who are
genuinely sick. We simply want to stop
anyone swinging the lead.
Antiguamente, cuando un barco
estaba en aguas poco profundas
uno de los marineros comprobaba
la profundidad del agua lanzando
por la borda una plomada (lead)
Ilamada plumbline. A veces los
168 leaf
marineros se limitaban a hacer
~ oscilar la plomada, porque eran
~ demasiado perezosos como para
realizar correctamente dicha
~ tarea. La expresi6n plumb the
~ depths tambien se refiere a esta
~ costumbre.
leaf
En las expresiones siguientes,
la palabra leafse refiere a la hoja
de un libra.
shake like a leaf ... vershake
* take a leaf out of someone's book
seguir el ejemplo de alguien (literal:
coger una pagina dellibro de alguien)
o I(he wants a better rapport with the
British public, it's high time he took a
leaf out o(Bruno's book and started
doing game shows, even pantomimes.
* turn avera new leaf pasar pagina
o The military leader said he and the
king have agreed to turn over a new leaf
in their relations with one another.
leaps
* in leaps and bounds 0
by leaps and bounds a pasos
agigantados 0 The US population
grew by leaps and bounds.
lease
Lease significa "contrato de
arrendamiento".
* be given a new lease of life (Brit) 0
be given a new lease on life (EE UU)
ser revivido 0 The old oa/( table was
picked up for just 4 and subsequently
given a new lease of life by Kim's mother.
leash
( Leash significa "correa" (de perro).)
give someone a longer leash dar
maslibertad a alguien oAt the
beginning of the 1992 campaign, Dan
Quayle was given Q longer leash than
ever before.
keep someone on a short leash 0
keep someone on a tight leash
corto a alguien 0 The government
strove to impress the country with its
calm reasonableness and kept its
. on a tight leash.
strain at the leash saltar de
impaciencia 0 The players had better
realise that we have enough youngsters
straining at the leash to take their
places i(they don't do their jobs.
least
least said, soonest mended (Brit,
anticuado) cuanta menos se diga,
antes se arregla 0 Say nothing. Least
said, soonest mended is what I always
say. Especially in court.
leave
be left in the dust (EE UU) quedarse
atras 0 The Canadian economy was
left in the dust by the torrid pace o(
expansion in the U. S. economy in the
third quarter.
Cuando un vehfculo se aleja,
~ 0 cuando una persona sale
~ corriendo, las ruedas a los pies al
moverse levantan polva en la
~ calle.
left
left, right, and centre (Brit) 0
left and right (EE UU) a diestro y
siniestro 0 They're all expecting the
state to payout money lett right and
centre.
leg
break a leg buena suerte (literal:
rampete la pie rna) 0 Jason sent
Phillip a (ox (rom the airport beFore
Monday's show, with the greeting:
'Break a leg and enjoy yourself.'
'" Existen numerosas supersticiones
~ asociadas al teatro. Por ejemplo,
~ much as actores consideran de
~ mal aguero desearle "buena
g suerte" directamente a alguien.
~ asi que fingen desearle mala
~ suerte.
* give someone a leg up dar un
empujoncito a alguien 0 The mother
seemed to think that her name had
given her boy a leg up on the
competition.
::0 Give a rider a leg up significa ayudar
~ a unjinete a subirse al caballo.
not have a leg to stand on no tener
donde agarrarse (literal: no tener
una pierna sobre la que aguantarse)
o I haven't got a leg to stand on. I had
no witnesses.
pull someone's leg tomar el pelo a
alguien (literal: estirar de la pierna a
alguien) 0 Is he serious or just pulling
our legs?
Hay dos posibles explicaciones de
~ esta expresian, aunque no existen
~ pruebas de ninguna de elias. Se
~ dice que, antiguamente, cuando
g ahorcaban a alguien los amigos 0
~ los familiares del condenado a
veces Ie tiraban fuerte de las
~ piernas para que muriera
~ rapidamente y con menos
~ sufrimiento. La expresian
~ tam bien puede referirse a un
~ lad ran que Ie pone la zancadilla a
~ alguien antes de robarle.
talk the hind leg off a donkey (Brit)
hablar por 105 cod 05 0 He could talk
the hind leg ofF a donkey. It took real
perseverance to get through to him on
the telephone.
legs
have legs tener potencial (literal:
tener piernas) oMrBlucherwas
letter 169
conpdent that his concept had legs, so
he persisted and pressed MrCooperfor a
meeting.
on its last legs en las ultimas 0 By
the mid-lg80s, the copper industry in
the US was on its last legs.
leopard
a leopard does not change its spots
(sabre todo Brit) genio y figura hasta
la sepultura (literal: un leo pardo no
cambia sus lunares) 0 Women who
believe they have tamed a 'wild' man are
usually wrong. The c/ichethat a leopard
doesn't change its spots still happens to
be true.
EI profeta Jeremias usa una
~ variante de este proverbio en la
~ Biblia (Jeremfas 13:23) para decir
~ que los malvados no cambian.
~ JeremIas pregunta "lMuda el
~ cusita su pie!, 0 el !eopardo sus
~ pintas?". EI profeta conc!uye que a
~ las personas a las que han
~ enseAado hacerel mal, 0 que
~ siempre han obrado mal, les sera
diffcil hacerel bien.
letter
a dead letter una ley en desuso
(literal: una carta muerta) 0 In this
cannict, international humanitarian
law is a dead letter. Unacceptable
practices are going on.
~ Las cartas que no se pueden ni
~ repartir ni devolver porque no
~ lIevan bien escritas las direcdones
~ se denominan dead letters.
* follow something to the letter
cumplir algo al pie de la letra
o Even if that international agreement
is followed to the letter, the ozone layer
won't recover fully until the year 2060.
* the letter of the law la ley esc rita
o The Home Office stuc/( to the letter of
the lawoverthede(inition of dependants.
170 level
level
on the level defiar 0 Walta minute,
is this guy on the level or not?
licence
La palabra licence se escribe license
en ingles americana.
a licence to print money (sabre todD
Brit) una mina de oro (literal: una
licencia para imprimir dinero)
o Under this Government the privatised
utilities have become a licence to print
money at the expense of the consumer.
lid
blow the lid off something 0
take the lid off something
(Periodismo) exponer algo a fa luz
publica (literal: quitar fa tapa a algo)
o The Knowledge' is a new
documentary series blowing the lid off
music business scandals.
* keep the lid on something
mantener Deulto algo (literal:
mantener Ja tapa en algo)
o But I understand thatMurray was
desperately trying to keep the lid on a
potential scandal.
lie
get the lie of the land ... ver land
* live a lie viviren la mentira aMy
mother never told my father the truth
about me. We've been living a lie all this
time, and now she has taken me from
him.
nail a lie (Brit, Periodismo) poner al
descubierto una mentira (literal:
clavar una mentira) a Top designer
Calvin Klein is one of those he/ping to
finally nail the lie that young is best.
He hasjust appointed 40-year-old Lisa
Taylor as his new top model.
a white lie una mentira piadosa
(literal: una rnentira blanca)
o I believe that this is a case where a
little white lie is really mo.re OPP,'ODl'iati
than the truth.
life
* fight for your life debatirte
vida V la muerte (literal: luchar par
tu vida) oA boy aged 15 was fighting
for his life last night but two younger
. children were said to be out Of danger.
frighten the life out of someone 0
scare the life out of someone dar
un susto de muerte a alguien
a Further tests revealed that three
veins had furred up and I needed triple
bypass surgery. It scored the life out Of
me,
get a life espabilarse V hacer algo
(literal: conseguir una vida) a It was
six o'clock in the evening. I was still in
my pajamas. Nicole looked at me, said
she thought I was deteriorating, and
suggested I get a life.
hold someone's life in your hands
tener el destino de alguien en tus
manos a You feel a responsibility to
people because sometimes you're
holding their life in your hands.
larger than life ... ver larger
* the life and soul of the party (Brit)o
the life of the party (EE UU) el alma
de la fiesta oShe was having a very
enjoyable time and was clearly the life
and soul of the party.
life is a bowl of cherries la vida es
un camino de rosas (literal: la vida es
un tazen de cerezas) 0 Life's not
exactly a bowl of cherries when you're
an international champ.
live the life of Riley darse buena
vida (literal: vivir la vida de Riley)
o He was living the life of Riley, enjoying
holidays in Italy and trips to the theatre,
while we had barely enough to eat.
Puede que esta expresi6n venga
de la cancien /sThat Mr Reilly, que
se hizo popular en Estados Unidos
en la decada de 1880. Esta
cancien describfa como serra la
vida de Reilly si estefuera rico.
put your life in someone's hands
poner tu vida en manos de alguien
oAfteral1 these years, do you take me
fora fool?What mal<esyou think I would
put my /ife in your hands?
risk life and limb arriesgar la vida
o He is not prepared to risk life and limb
on this dangerous track to clinch the
title,
someone can't do something to
save their life (hablado) alguien es
un neg ado para algo (litera': alguien
no puede hacer algo para salvar su
vida) 0 He can't sing to save his life but
he is a good guitarist.
take your life in your hands jugarse
la vida aA rider who does not know the
road takes his life in his hands by cycling
in the dark.
light
* be given the green light recibir luz
verde 0 Despite local planning
opposition he has rnally been given the
green light to develop a terrace ofn
derelict houses he owns in South
Kensington.
in the cold light of day pensarlo
can calma (litera': a la frfa luzdel
dfa) a He has to sit down in the cold
light of day and analyse what needs to
be done to prevent the club from being
relegated.
* a leading light (sabre todo Brit) una
figura prominente 0 He is a leading
light in thejust launched campaign to
rid football of racism,
g La luz que se colocaba a la
~ entrada de un puerto a de un
~ canal poco profundo para guiar a
~ 105 barcos se denominaba leading
g light.
light as a feather ligero como una
lightning 171
pluma a It wasa monstrous machine
as large as the Albert Hall and as light
as a feather.
* the light at the end of the tunnel
la luz al final del tunel aAfterhorrirc
times we are seeing light at the end of
the tunnel.
light dawns caer en la cuenta
o 'Oh!' she said, as if the light hod
rnally dawned on her. 'I'm on the wrong
noor, huh?'
out like a light durmiendo como un
tranco a Dad gently closed the door
again: 'She's out like a light,' I heard him
whisper to my anxious mother.
* seethe light ver la luz a Christianity
taught him values which theWest
preached but largely ignored in practice.
But he had seen the light and urged
everyone to share it with him.
* see the light of day
1 ver!a luz del dfa a This book might
never have seen the light of day without
the enthusiasm, support,' and friendship
of my editor, Daniel Bial.
2 nacer a Tens of millions of new souls
are seeing the light of day in Africa alone
each year.
lightning
lightning does not strike twice
desgracias asf no suelen repetirse
(litera': un ravo no cae dos veces en
el rnismo sitio) 0 Observers reckon he
will be very lucky to repeat the
performance. Lightning does not stril(e
twice, particularly in big business.
a lightning rod for something
(sobretodo EE UU) un blanco de
alga (litera': un pararrayos de algo)
a He told the Palermo court he was an
innocent lightning rod for Italy's many
crime problems.
like lightning como un ravo a I ran
across that room like lightning and
pushed backthecurtain.
172 lights
lights
the lights are on but nobody is at
home mas alia de la superficie esta
faltando un mInima de inteligencia
(litera': las luces estan encendidas
perc no hay nadie en casa)
o According to Harrington, many
projects are not properly thought
through: 'You get the feeling that the
lights are on but no one's at home.'
lily
gild the lily embellecer 10 perfecto
(litera': dorar el Hrio) 0 Here in Europe
I'm gilding the lily. There they really need
advice.
Puede que esta expresi6n este
basada en un parrafo de EJ rey
Juan, de Shakespeare (1595).
limb
go out on a limb arriesgarse (litera':
avanzar par una rama) 0 It seems to
me that you would pre(erto stay in your
present situation rather than go out on
Q limb and try something completely
new.
Aquf limb significa "rama" (de un
arbol). Esta expresi6n sugiere la
imagen de alguien que trepa
una rama, alejimdose del tronco.
* find yourself out on a limb
* be left out on a limb quedarte solo
o No company wants to be the first to
put its rates up. The companies who
have tried have (ound themselves out on
a limb. 0 It will be a great support (or
parents or relatives who (eel they have
been le(t out on a limb.
tear someone limb from limb
despedazar a alguien (literal:
arrancarle todos los miembros a
alguien) 0 Police were lucky they (ound
him before I did because they would
have been arresting me. I would have
torn him limb (rom limb.
limits
* off limits prohibido 0 The area
kept o((limits to (oreignjournalists
until early this year.
line
all the way down the line todo el
ti.empo 0 It is the British government
. that has fought farreform all the way
down the line. '
* along the line 0
down the line en algun momento
oAndthen somewherea/ong I
looked at what was really happening.
be out of line (hab/ado) estarfuera
de lugar o Addressing a (ellaw officer
like that is out o(line, and I
(or it, hear me? '
En esta expresi6n, la palabra line
hace referencia a una fila de
soldados que se espera que
actuen como una unidad.
* the bottom line 10 fundamental
(literal: la lInea final) 0 The bottom
line is that the great maiaritv "f n,'w I<;no
are physically unfit.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a la
ultima linea de unas cuentas en la
que consta la cantidad de dinero
que se ha ganado.
* cross the line pasarse de la raya
o The show's pretty outrageous, but I
don't think it crosses the line.
En esta expresi6n, Ja palabra line
se refiere a 105 com bates de boxeo
de otras tiempos, en los que se
trazaba una lInea en el suelo que
ninguno de los boxeadores podfa
cruzar. Puede que la expresi6n
draw the line se base en una idea
similar.
* down the line
1 masadelante o Whether that
happens (urther down the line we
cannot say.
z despues 050 25 years down the line,
you 100/< back and there's a sense that it
was all better back then.
':* draw the line
1 fijar eillmite (literal: dibujar la
linea) 0 It is difficult (or charities to
know where to draw the line between
acceptable and unacceptable sources o(
finance.
2 no aceptar 0 J'/I do virtually
anything - although I think I'd draw the
line at running naked across the set!
;:: Existen diversas teorfas sobre el
origen de esta expresi6n. Puede
que guarde relaci6n con las
versiones tempranas del ten is,
en las que la pista no tenfa un
tamano determinado: los
acordaban sus Ifmites
y despues dibujaban las IIneas
correspondientes. Tambien puede
g estar relacionada can la
costumbre del siglo XVI de marcar
g una Ifnea en un campo con un
arado para indicar los IImites
g entredos parcelas. Segun una
tercera posibilidad, se refiere a 105
com bates de boxeo de otros
tiempos, en los que setrazaba
una linea en el suelo que ninguno
de los boxeadores podfa cruzar.
Puede que la expresi6n cross the
g line se base en una idea similar.
draw a line in the sand establecer
un limite (literal: trazar una linea en
la arena) 0 It was time to draw a line
in the sand, (orgetthe past, and worl<
together.
draw a line under something poner
punta final a alga (litera': trazar una
lfnea pordebajodealgo) oHesaid
the document draws a line under the
pain(ul chapters of our past and clears
the way (or a new beginning.
* a fine line una lfnea muysutil
o There is a pne line between being
line 173
nicely looked after and being fussed over
too much - so don't overdo it.
get a line on someone (sobre todo
EE UU) informarse sabre alguien
o We've been trying to get a line on you,
and the more we try, the less we find.
* in the firing line en la Ifnea de fuego
o There comes a time in their lives when
your children begin to test the influence
they have over others and, as parents,
you are first in the (iring line.
* in the front line 0
on the front line en la primera lfnea
o Those in the (ront line of the British
economy are united in believing that
Britain must remain a (ull playing
member of the EU.
S Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
de un grupo de sold ados que
estan en primera linea de fuego
g durante una batalla.
in the line of fire en la lfnea de
fuego oA11 very well to say that, when
you're not in the line o(fire like me.
* on line (sobre tada EE UU) en
funcionamiento 0 We expect to be on
line as export numbers build up with a
capacity to produce tens of thousands
aftannes offeed.
* put something on the line 0
lay something on the line
1 poner algo en peligro 0 He had put
his career on the line and rwasn't
prepared to allow what he had done to
be diminished in signipcance.
2 hablar con franqueza 0 You have to
put your emotions on the line with love,
but he cannot do this.
Origina!mente, puedeque la
expresi6n lay it on the line
estuviera relacionada con los
juegos de azar. Significaba hacer
una apuesta en eljuego de dados
denominado craps, 0 en el
mostrador de apuestas de un
hip6dromo.
174 linen
shoot a line (Brit) marcarse un farol
o He'd been looking for new blood {or
his office in Vienna. That was the line he
shot, though Imowing him, I'm sure he
had an ulterior motive.
* sign on the dotted line estampar
Ja firma 0 Once you sign on the dotted
line you are committed to that
property.
* step out of line pasarse de la raya
o Values and traditions were accepted
and agreed by everyone. If you stepped
aut arline, you knew what to expect.
~ En esta expresi6n Ja palabra line
~ hace referenda a una fila de
~ soldados, de los que se espera que
~ actuen como una unidad.
* toe the line acatar las normas
o Journalists who refuse to toe the line
will have to be sacked.
~ AI inicio de una carrera, los
~ (arredores esperan en una hilera
~ con los dedos del pie colocados
~ justo detras de la linea de salida.
linen
wash your dirty linen in public
-+ verdirty
lines
on the right lines 0
along the right lines (Brit) por buen
camino (literal: por las Ifneas
correctas) 0 Sometimes al/ you really
require is just a friendly voice to tell you
that you are on the right lines.
* read between the lines leer entre
IIneas oHewasreluctanttogointo
details, but reading between the lines it
appears that the Bank of Eng/and has
vetoed any idea Of a merger between
British banks.
link
* a weak link un punto debil 0 It was
automatically assumed that EdWard
would be the weal< link in thE' partn"".
lion
fight like a lion lueharcomo un
jabato (literal: lueharcomo un
o She would have fought like a lion
protect her son.
* the lion's share la parte del leon
b Defence has taken the lion's share
this year's budget.
2 Esta expresion praviene de la
~ fabula de Esopo titulada Elle6n
~ 10 vaca, la cobra y /a oveja, en la '
~ un leon sale de caza can otras
~ animales y se queda con la
~ en lugardecompartirla con sus
~ compaFieras.
* walk into the lion's den meterse
la boca del lobo (literal: mE'tp,,",,"
la guarida del leon) 0 The Minister
walked into the lion's den of his press
accusers, looked them in the eye, and
fought back.
~ Esta expresion praviene del
~ bfbHeo sobre Daniel (Daniel 6), el
~ cual fue arrajado al foso de los
~ leones porque se nego a dejar de
~ rezarlea Dios. Sin embargo, Dios
10 protegio V los leones no 10
2 ataearon.
lions
throw someone to the lions
alguien a los leones 0 Tanya
exactly why she's been thrown to the
lions. She traces it back to quotes she
made about the business that were
reproduced out of context.
lip
~ En tiempos de los romanos V en
~ otras epocas pasadas, algunas
personas eran arrojadas al foso de
~ los leones.
button your lip no decirni mu
(literal: abotonar ellabio) 0 He hod
the grace and good sense to button his
lip, even t h ~ u g h this clearly caused him
personal pam.
keep a stiff upper lip mantener el
tipo (literal: mantener ellabio.de
arriba rfgido) 0 I shared myfeelmgs
with no one because I had always
believed in keeping a stiff upper lip,
and putting an my best face farfomily
and friends.
sse supone que no darmuestra
g alguna de emoci6n es una
~ caracterfstica tfpica de los
~ ing!eses.
* pay lip service to something 0
give lip service to something
defender algo de boquilla (literal:
hanrar algo con los labios) 0 These
agreements give lip service to money
going back to the people. But there is
not even a formula for how it would be
determined.
g Esta expresion (en la que service
~ significa "respeto"), tiene su
~ origen en la BibHa: "Este pueblo
~ con los labios me honra .. :'
j (Marcos 7:6).
lips
lick your lips relamerse
o His home supporters licked their
lips in anticipation of the first
Scottish-born winner sinceTommy
Armour in 1931.
* on someone's lips
1 en bocadealguien o The question
on most people's /ips was not whether
there would be war but when it would it
break out.
2 en la punta de la lengua de
alguien 0 He stopped in the dressing
room beside their bedroom, hung his
coat over the corner chair, his apology
already on his lips.
read my lips escucha bien 10 que
digo (literal: leeme los labios)
loaf 175
oNlrBush won the White House in
1988 thanks, in large part, to his now
infamous pledge 'read my /ips: no new
taxes'.
someone's lips are sealed alguien
es una tumba (literal: los labios de
alguien estan sell ados) oAs for
anything told to me in confidence,
well, my /ips are sealed.
litmus
* a litmus test (Periodismo) una
prueba de fuego (litera': una prueba
de tornasol) 0 The success of wind
power represents a litmus test for
renewable energy.
live
live and breathe something
vivir pory para algo (literal: viviry
respirar alga) 0 Williams lived and
breathed motor racing.
lives
have nine lives tener siete
vidas (literal: tener nueve vidas)
o I think this is probably going to be
the end, although he has shown he
is a political cat with for more than
nine lives.
~ Esta expresion viene del dicho a
~ cat has nine lives ("un gata tiene
~ nuevevidas"), empleado para
~ decir que los gatos parecen
~ sobrevivir a muchas situaciones
~ peligrosas.
loaf
half a loaf is better than none
menos da una piedra (literal: media
barra de pan es mejorque ninguna)
o I'm very disappointed that all we have
in the form aftest matches ;sjust one
solitary test, but half a laafis better
than no loaf, and we are happy that at
least we are getting this test.
176 lock
lock
* lock. stock. and barrel con todo
incluido (literal: seguro, culata y
can6n) 0 It would have been much
easier for us to have shut the business
down lock, stock and barrel, and to have
saved our cash and not paid a dividend.
lockstep
Lockstep significa "marcha
cerrada".
in lockstep (sabre todo EE UU) en
paralelo oMany criminologists argue
that suppart (or the death penalty
moves in lockstep with the crime rate.
loggerheads
* be at loggerheads estar a matar
aSocial workers and doctors are at
loggerheads over how well the new
system will work.
S En la epoca medieval,!a palabra
~ loggerhead se referfa a un .
~ instrumento compuesto de un
mango largo con una cazaleta
~ redonda en un extrema. En las
bataBas, la cazaJeta se lIenaba de
~ brea hirviendo y se echaba sobre
e! enemigo.
loins
gird your loins 0
gird up your loins (Periodismo,
litera rio) apretarse los machos a He
is girding up his loins ror another round
a(high-Ievel meetings.
Esta expresi6n se usa varias veces
~ en la Biblia. los hebreos lIevaban
~ largas tunicas que se ataban con
~ un cintur6n (girdle) cuando
~ trabajaban 0 viajaban.
long
* be long on one thing and short on
another tener mucho de una cosa y
poco de otra a The prime minister's
speech was long on words bUit silO" n.
solid action.
long as your arm largufsimo
(literal: largo como tu brazo)
a The phone's been buzzing non-stop,
I've a list ormessages as long as my
look
give someone a dirty look 0
give someone a filthy look echar
una mirada de odio a alguien a
was being a real pain. Michael
a dirty laalwnd walk,,! au!t al'th" kit:che
looked
* have never looked back haberte
ido sobre ruedas (literal: no haber
echada nunca la vista atras) a He
became a professional photographer in
1978, and has never looked back.
loop
* in the loop en el grupo de gente
informada (literal: dentro del
a There are ways that are being
out to make sure that the Congress is
(ully in the loap.
out of the loop fuera del grupo de
gente informada (literal: fuera del
lazo) a He is out of the inner loop, and
it irks him.
throw someone for a loop 0
knock someone for a loop (sabre
tada EE UU) dejar a alguien
pasmado a The banker was surprised
to rnd Johnson in his usual high spirits.
IrKravis's offer had thrown him fora
loop,johnson wasn't letting it show.
loose
* be on the loose andar suelto a You
have to wake up every day knowing that
whoever carried out those awfUl
murders is still on the loose. a The
problem is high-spirited youngsters on
the loose in the country's leary lanes.
* cut loose deshacerse a Italy has not
cut loose from the ERM as determinedly
as Britain.
hang loose tranquilizarse aGet
something to eat and come back to the
office. And hang loose.
Lord ....
take the Lord's name rn varn
-+vername
lose
* lose it (familiar) perder los papeles
o I completely lost it. I went mad,
berserk. I was shouting and swearing.
o He wal/<ed on stage, looked out into
the audience andjust lost it. Heforgot
the words and started to make up
completely different ones.
losS
'* at a loss sin saber que hacer a These
women also race language barriers and
are at a loss to Imow where to go for
help.
at a loss for words -+ verwords
a dead loss una completa inutilidad
o politics is in crisis, and politicians are
a dead loss.
losses
* cut your losses cortar por 10 sano
(literal: cartar las perdidas) 0 Only
you can decide if you should push on to
the end of your degree or cut your losses
and get out.
10;.-t - : - - c : - - : - - ~ - = ~
En ingles americana, lot significa
"parcela".
all over the lot (EEUU) portodas
partes a IBM's investments have been
all overthe lot - in pber-optic
technology, data-retrieval systems,
computer networks and so on.
* throw in your lot with someone
unirse a la suerte de alguien 0 That
does not mean that France is ready to
luck '77
throw in its lot with other Community
states on derence matters.
Antiguamente, la palabra lots
hacfa-referencia a objetos como
g trozos de paja 0 de papel usadas
~ al tamar una decision. (ada lot
~ representaba, porejemplo, un
~ terreno 0 una accion. Todos estos
~ objetos sejuntaban, y luego se
escogfan al azar para decidir
~ quien recibirfa los terrenos 0
que accion se lIevarfa a cabo.
loud
* loud and dear alto y daro a The
message must come across loud and clear
from the manager: No matter how hard
I ask you to work, I work as hard or harder.
love
all's fair in love and war todo vale
en el amory la guerra a He appears
to live by the boorish credo that all is
fair in love and war. And being cruel to
mistresses and wives isn't wrong.
for love nor money por nada del
mundo (litera': ni por amorni por
dinero) a You won't get a room here,
not for love nor money.
* there is no love lost between them
a
there is little love lost between
them na se pueden ni ver 0 There
was no love lost between the country's
two most powerful politicians.
~ Original mente esta expresi6n
~ tenfa un significado opuesto al
~ actual. sona significar que dos
personas se gustaban mucho.
luck
down on your luck una mala racha
a Even when people are down on their
luck, they deserve the same human
courtesy that any of us would expect.
the luck of the draw cuesti6n de
178 lucky
suerte (literal: Ja suerte del sorteo)
o On better acquaintance, you may
decide that there's no basis (or a real
friendship with a col/eague. That'sjust
the luck orthe draw.
Esta expresi6n se refiere al acto de
sacar una carta al azar de una
~ baraja.
lucky
* strike lucky 0
strike it lucky (Brit) tener suerte
o I arrived at 12.30 to give myse/ftime to
find a parl<ing meter, but struc/( lucky
immediately.
~ Los orfgenes de esta expresi6n se
~ remontan a la minerfa en el sigle
XIX. Se refiere a alguien que
encuentra 105 minerales 0 el
~ petro/eo que estaba buscando.
~ La expresi6n strike oil se baSil
~ en la misma idea.
lump
like it or lump it (familiar) si no te
gusta, te aguantas 0 I(vou're a
shareholder in the club then you have
some sort of say in the way things are
run. But as a paying customer you like it
or lump it.
* a lump in your throat un nuda en la
garganta oMeg felt a lump in her
throat. She was going to miss Dot, even
though the two of them had never been
particularly close.
lunch
out to lunch como una regadera
o He has railed to rulnl his role os the
mayor who could take charge. He is
seen as a man who is out to lunch.
* there's no such thing as a free
lunch no te regalan nada (literal'
no existe el almuerzo gratis) 0 Tt,'e
government has spent 74 years telling
the nation that there is no such '
a free lunch and lecturing us on the
virtues of sound economics.
Esta expresi6n se remonta
mfnimo a 1840 en Estados
~ Unidos. Recientemente volvi6 a
popularizarse cuando el
~ economista estadounidense
~ Milton Friedman la us6 en la
~ decada de1970.
lurch
* leave someone in the lurch dejar
a alguien en la estacada oMy
secretary left me in the lurch on Friday
and I haven't found a replacement yet.
~ En eljuego de
~ cribbage, unjugader esta in the
~ lurch cuando un contrincante ha
~ obte.nido ,51 puntos antes de que
el pnmerJugadorhaya
conseguido 0 bien obtener31
~ puntos 0 mover la clavija
~ alrededorde la primera esquina
del tablera usado para anotar la
puntuaci6n.
lying
* not take something lying down
no aceptar algo sin rechistar
(litera': no aceptar algo acostado)
o It is clear that he means to push
everyone out who does not agree with
him, and I for one am not going to take
it lying down.
mad
don't get mad, get even no te
enfades, vengate 0 Use these bad
feelings that you have. Don't get mad.
Get even.
Se cree que esta expresi6n
~ praviene del tenaz politico
~ estadounidense de origen
~ irlandesJoseph P.l<ennedy, padre
de)ohn F. Kennedy.AlanAbel
~ escribi6 en 1983 un libra con este
~ tItulo, descrito como "manual
sabre como tomar represalias".
mad as a hatter (sabre todo Brit)
mas loco que una cabra (litera':
mas loco que un sombrerera)
o Her sister's as mad as a hatter and if
you ask me she's not much better
herself
~ En el siglo XIX, los sombrereros
~ (hatters) usa ban nitrato de
mercurio para tratar algunas
~ telas, como el fieltro. Esta
~ sustancia es venenosa, y si los
~ sombrereros la respiraban podfa
~ producirles lesiones cerebrales.
~ Poresta razon solla creerse que
@ estaban locos.
mad as a hornet (sobretodo EE UU)
mas cabreado que una mona
(litera': mas cabreado que un
avisp6n) 0 Bob grinned. '1'/1 bet he's as
mad as a hornet."He did not sound at
all pleased:Jerrv admitted.
=: Hornet significa "avis pan".
man
the man on the Clapham omnibus
(Brit) el hombre de la calle (literal:
el hombre del autobus de Clapham)
o The wealthy and powerful never liked
the man on the Clapham omnibus
knowing what they were about.
~ Clapham es una zona de Londres,
~ mientras que omnibus("omnibus")
es una palabra anticuada que
significa "autobus".
no use to man or beast 0
no good to man or beast un inutil
complete (litera': no es bueno ni
para los hombres ni para las bestias)
o Circumstances had compelled him,
much against his will, to take no less
than six beginners, some of them first-
voyagers, of no use to man or beast.
~ Esta expresion esta sacada del
~ antiguo proverbio When the wind is
~ in the east, 'tis neither good for man
~ nor beast ("Cuando sopla viento
~ del este, no es bueno ni para los
hombres ni para las bestias").
* someone's right-hand man el brazo
derecho de alguien 0 He was always
by her side, and supported her in
everything she did. He was her right-
hand man, her business manager, and
he travelled with her everywhere.
Existen varias explicaciones
posibles de esta expresion. Una
de elias es que ellado derecho del
cuerpo se asocia tradicionalmente
180 map
ala habilidad y a la fuerza. Otra es
g que podrfa referirse al soldado
responsable del flanco derecho
de un escuadron de caballerfa.
Asimismo, tiempo atras la
g derecha del lfder en reuniones
polfticas 0 sociales estaba
consideradaellugardehonor.
map
* put someone or something on the
map dar a conocer a alguien 0 alga
(literal: poner a alguien 0 alga en el
mapa) 0 The rim which really put
Ellen Barkin on the map was The Big
Easy.
marbles
have all your marbles mantener las
facultades mentales (literal: tener
todas las canicas) 0 The producer
MirianAdhtar has found four
particularly fearless old ladies; and they
have all their marbles.
lose your marbles (familiar) perder
la chaveta (literal: perder las
canicas) oAt 831 have not lost my
marbles and my memory is, thank God,
as clear as it ever was.
pick up your marbles and go home
(EE UU) abandonartodo y largarse
(litera': recoger las canicas V
marcharte a casa) oMany people
regard a U.S. presence as a desirable
counterweight. No one wants the U.s.
to pick up its marbles and go home.
Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
a!guien quejuega a las canicas V
se enfada al perder, por 10 que
deja dejugary se Ileva las canicas
para que nadie mas pueda seguir
jugando.
march
* steal a march adelantarse (literal:
robar una marcha) 0 Investors from
other countries will be anrJOvI'd thn,
th ei rj a P" ne"wom flet it'"'s ha o'e
again stolen a march on them.
Cuando un ejercito se desplaza
secreto y coge al enemigo por
sorpresa se dice que dicho
steals a march on the enemy.
mark
* a black mark un punto
(litera': una marca negra) oAny
complaints, you got a blac/( mark
straight away, it didn't mattel'wl,ptl,,,.
they were valid or not.
Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a una antigua costumbre
escolar. Si un alumno se OOlrt"",
mal, el maestro ponla una
negra junto a su nombre en una
s: lista.
be on the mark dar en el clavo
oMichael is right on the mark about
movies being out of step with American
culture.
first off the mark el primero en
actuar 0 The fine art season began
yesterday, and Christie's were first Off
the mar/< with a coJ/ection of seven
paintings by Paul Cezanne.
get off the mark (sobre todo Brit)
1 comenzar 0 Don't waste time with
small talk; get off the mar/( right away.
2 ser el primero en anotar, ser el
primero en ganar 0 The goal was
Atkinson's second of the season, I
got off the mark against Ipswich Town
on Saturday.
En esta expresi6n, la palabra mark
se refiere a la linea tras la cual se
colocan los corredores al inicio de
una carrera.
hit the mark dar en el clavo oAs
with the rest of the book, the idea is
there, but the result doesn't hit the
marl<.
:;: En esta expresi6n marl< significa
"blanco" (de tiro).
.-If-.leave your mark. 0
le.ave a mark deJar huella (literal:
dejar una marca) 0 He now has five
more years in office and would stiJI
dearly like to leave his mar/( on the
world. 0 I lived abroad, in Asia, forfour
years, and this is an experience that
tends to leave its mark.
* rnake your mark dejar huella 0 The
article looks at the new generation Of
Japanese directors mal<ing their marl< in
world cinema.
off the mark lejos de ser cierto
oMussels are sometimes called 'Poor
Man's Oysters', but I think that name is
way off the marl<.
overshoot the mark excederse
o I quite unwittingly overshot the mark,
and I still feel embarrassed about it.
s En esta expresi6n marl< significa
"blanco" (de tiro).
overstep the mark pasarse de la
raya () Sometimes newspapers overstep
the mar/( but overall they do more good
than harm.
En esta expresi6n, la palabra marl<
se refiere a la linea tras la cual se
colocan los corredores al inicio de
una carrera. Tambien podrfa
referirse a los com bates de boxeo
de otros tiempos, en los que se
trazaba una linea en el suelo que
ninguno de 105 boxeadores podia
cruzar.
* quick off the mark (sobretodo Brit)
muy vivo 0 These price cuts are great
news for the holidaymakerwho is quicl<
offthemarl<.
slow off the mark muy lento
o International relief efforts on behalf of
the refugees were slow off the mark.
En esta expresi6n, la palabra marl<
se refiere a la linea tras la cualse
masters 181
colocan 105 corredores al inicio de
una carrera.
up to the mark a la altura de las
circunstancias 0 They get rid of those
whose work is not up to the mark.
En esta expresi6n la palabra marl<
significa "contraste", 0 sfmbolo
oficial que se graba en las piezas
de oro y plata.
* wide of the mark lejos de la realidad
o For once, it seems that theirfigures
are not too wide of the marlc
;:.:; En esta expresi6n mark significa
"blanco" (de tiro).
marker
* put down a marker dejar
constancia (literal: colocar un poste
indicador) 0 Having considered
carefully his every word, I can now put
down my marker. I simply do not believe
he says what he means.
market
* in the market for something
dispuesto a comprar algo o If you're
in the market for expensive skin care
products, the following list includes
some of the most well known.
marrow
En estas expresiones marrow
significa "medula".
chilled to the marrow (sabre todo
Brit) helado hasta los huesos oAn
icy wind murmured through the trees.
Lenny was chilled to the marrow of his
bones.
to the marrow completamente
o I was thrilled to the marrow when the
invitation arrived.
masters
serve two masters servir aDios y at
diablo (literal: servir a dos senores)
182 mat
o But there is something more
fundamentally wrong: Sir Nicholas is
expected to serve two masters: politics
and the law.
Esta expresi6n aparece en la
Biblia (Mateo 6:24, Lucas 16:13). En
eJ Serm6n de la Montana, Jesus
dice que ningun hombre puede
servir a dos senores, porque
g aborrecera a unoy amara al atro.
mat
go to the mat (sobretoda EE UU)
luchar como un jabato (literal: caer
en la colchoneta) 0 Librarians have
gone to the mat for us and I'm
determined to do my bit to help them
meet the demand for the books.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a un
g luchador que combate con fiereza
y esta dispuesto a arriesgar una
carda.
match
* meet your match encontrar la
horma de tu zapata 0 When I got into
the room with Wesley, it was almost like
looking into a mirror for me. I had finally
met my match in power and intellect.
a shouting match una pelea de
gallos (literal: una disputa a gritos)
a We didn't want to get into a horrible
shouting match with the university.
the whole shooting match todo a I
filled in my donor card, tiC/(ing the
whole shooting-match, from kidneys to
liver.
Puede que esta expresi6n haga
referencia a alguien que gana
todos los premios en un concurso
de tiro.
McCoy
the real McCoy el autentico (literal:
el autentico McCoy) a You can buy
prosciutto anywhere, but if you want
Es posible
escribiera 0 i
En el siglo XIX, un fabricante de
whisky apellidado Mackay
anunciaba su praducto COllloth.
real Mackay para distinguirlo de
otras marcas con nombres
similares. Esta expresi6n
podria provenirde una
entre las dos ramas del clan de
Mackay sobre cual de las dos
mas antigua. Finalmente los
MacKay de Reay, a "los aut:ent:ico<
Mal<ay" ganaron la disputa.
meal
make a meal of something (sobre
tOdD Brit) exagerar alga
has made such a meal out o( a mildly
mistaken newspaper report.
a meal ticket algo que te da de
comerporvida (literal: un vale por
una com ida) 0/\ degree he,s neverb,,,n
a meal ticket, butthe recession ''',eo"',,"a
life (or graduates tougher than
a square meal una comida ue,:enI.
a The troops are very tired. They
had a square meal for four or five days.
Antiguamente, las tripulaciones
de los veleras camian en pll' ,to,s de
madera.
meaning
someone does not know the
meaning of the word alguien no
sa be 10 que significa oShe is an
optimist; Ruthie doesn't even know the
meaning of the word depression.
means
by fair means or foul par las buenas
o por las malas aShe never gave up
trying to recover her property, by fair
means orfoul.
re
for good measure par anadidura
o This is a (airly conventional love story,
with a murder mystery thrown in for
good measure.
*" have the measure of someone
tener a alguien calado (literal: tener
las medidas de alguien) 0 LUi was the
only person I knew who had the
measure o( her brother.
meat
be the meat in the sandwich (Brit)
e"star atrapado entre la espada y la
pared (literal: ser la carne en el
bocadillo) 0 These oil and gas
companies are the meat in the sandwich
in a fight involving contractors and the
provincial government.
dead meat
1 (familiar) hombre muerto (literal:
carne muerta) a He's dead meat i(he
comes back here.
2 condenado aAnyonewho
remembered her said she was dead meat.
meat and drink to someone (sabre
todo Brit) un placer para alguien
o What normal people considered
pressure was meat and drink to Robert
Maxwell.
one man's meat is another man's
poison 10 que a uno cura a otro
mata (literal: la carne de un hombre
es el veneno de otro) aArt is
everywhere. Because it is a question of
personal taste, the cliche of one man's
meat being another's poison is in this
case especiallyfitting.
EI autor romano Lucrecio dijo en
De Rerum Natura: "Lo que para
unos es alimento puede serun
amargo veneno para otras".
medicine
give someone a taste of their own
medicine pagar a alguien con la
middle 183
misma moneda (literal: darle a prabar
a alguien su prapia medicina) a The
cowardly thugs who mug old people
should be given a taste of their own
medicine with the return o( corporal
punishment.
melting pot
(Melting potsignifica "crisol". )
in the melting pot (sobretodo Brit,
Periodismo) sabre el tapete a I am
very disappointed. The whole business
has been put into the melting pot again.
men
dead men tell no tales los muertos
no hablan a Hanley told police the gun
went off accidentally while Mr Khan
was playing with it. 'These statements
were a cover-up,' Mr Spencer told the
jury. 'Hanley l<illed Mr Khan. He knows
that dead men tell no tales.'
* the men in suits (sobre todo Brit) los
ejecutivos (literal: los hombres de
traje) oA lot of young people feel
detached (rom older politicians - the
men in suits.
separate the men from the boys ver
quien es hombrey quien no (literal:
separar a los hombres de los ninos)
o This is the game that will sort out the
men (rom the boys. It is absolutely vital
to win thereplay and get to the final.
messenger
shoot the messenger matar al
mensajera a I don't ma/<e the rules
- don't shoot the messenger!
mickey
* take the mickey (sobre todo Brit)
tamar el pelo a He started taking the
mickey out of this poor manjust
because he was bald.
middle
* in the middle of nowhere en el
184 midnight
quinto pine 0 When I was 14, my
family moved away (rom Glasgow to a
village in the middle ofnowhere.
* middle-of-the-road
1 de centro 0 He is a moderate,
middle-of-the-road person who
understands both sides afthe
discussion.
2 comun o These are, (or the most
part, ordinary middle-of-the-road
people who want the usual things out
o(li(e.
midnight
burn the midnight oil quemarse las
pestanas (litera': que mar el aceite
de medianoche) 0 Chris is burning
the midnight oil trying to rnish his
article on the Bosnian situation.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
alguien quetrabaja hasta bien
entrada la noche a la luz de un
quinque.
mile
go the extra mile hacer un esfuerzo
adicional (litera': recorrer una milia
mas) 0 I discovered that going the
extra mile has always been the hallmarl<
of successful people.
a mile off a la legua 0 You can spot
undercover cops a mile off.
run a mile (sobretodo Brit) salir
pitando (literal; correr una milia)
o He liI<es the ladies but he'd run a mile
ifonechased him.
miles
miles away pensando en otra cosa
(literal: a millas de distancia) 0 Her
mother was pacing up and down and
seemed miles away. She hadn't noticed
them at all.
milk
it's no use crying over spilled milk
a 10 hecho pecho (litera'; de nada
sirve lIorar por la leche
o But a rueful Mr Phelps r
for him, 'it didn't work, did it?
use crying over spilt milk.'
milk and honey (literario) vacas
gordas (literal: leche y miel) 0
days ofmilk and honey are back-
least for us equity salesmen in
Esta expresi6n se emp.lea en la
Biblia para describir la Tierra
g Prometida de los israelitas.
(Exodo 3:8)
milk and water (sabre todo Brit)
(literal: leche y agua) 0 Fryer
dismissed the report as milium" """0"
mill
go through the mill pasarlas
canutas (litera': pasar par el i
o 'Oh I've been through the mill,' said
Shirley. 'Single parent, no money, and a
boyfriend who beat me up.'
Esta expresion hace rpferc'nr;,
grana que se convierte en
en un molino.
* run-of-the-mill corriente V m"IiP'nt<
01 wasjust a very average run-of-the-
mil/kind of student.
Puede que esta expresi6n aluda
la imagen de un molino deagua
que hace los mismos
movimientos continuamente V
forma regular mientras el flujo
agua no cambie. Tambien es
posible que provenga del uso
Frase run-of-the-mill en Estados
Unidos como termino para
referirse a la madera que se ha
cortado en un aserradero pero
que aun no se ha clasificado.
million
a chance in a million una
posibilidad entre un millon olt is
amazing really. He had a chance in ci
million of surviving. We are so relieved
he is all right.
one in a million unico (litera': uno
en un mill6n) oAt25, Bernstein wasa
star. One in a million.
illstone
Mil/stonesignifica "piedra de
molino".
* a millstone around your neck una
cruz a cuestas (litera': una piedra de
molino al cuello) 0 Long-term illness
can make you feel like a millstone
around your family's necks.
mincemeat
En ingles britanico, mincemeat
significa "carne picada".
make mincemeat of someone
hacer picadillo a alguien 0 I remember
old Fiona made mincemeat of him at a
dinner party without him even realizing.
mind
* blow Vour mind (amiliar) dejar
alucinado (literal: fundir la mente)
o Oxford really blew his mind. He loved
the (eeling o(the place, he loved the
people.
* cross your mind ocurrfrsele a
alguien 0 The thought crossed my
mind that she might be lying about her
age. 0 It evidently never crossed his
mind to enter politics.
give someone a piece of your mind
decir cuatro verdades a alguien
(litera': darle a alguien un pedazo de
tu mente) 0 The more she thought
about it, the more upset she became.
She would like to go out and give him a
piece of her mind.
have a mind no tener
mas que una idea en la cabeza
o Saunders is the complete modern
striker, busy, quick, and with a one-
miracles 185
track mind for scoring goals.
Esta expresi6n se refiere
probablemente a un ferrocarril de
g via unica que solo permite que los
trenes (irculen en una direccion.
* in your mind's eye en tu
imaginacion (litera': en eJ ojo de tu
mente) 0 I can Often see you in my
mind's eye, sitting in your rat alone.
* in your right mind en su sana juicio
o Those places are so dangerous that no
one in their right mind would go there
unless they had to.
* keep something in mind tener
presente algo 0 Go where you like, but
keep in mind that some places are more
problematic than others for women
travelling a/one.
* the mind boggles te quedas
alucinado 0 The mind boggles to think
what they could eventually achieve.
mind over matter el poder de la
mente 0 Good health is simply a case
Of mind over matter.
mind your p's and q's ... ver p
* out of your mind loco 0 When her
boss told her she would have to reduce
her salary, she snapped, f!.re you out of
your mind?' 0 I was out army mind
with fear, I didn't know what to do.
slip your mind olvidarse 0 The reason
for my visit had obviously slipped his mind.
that's a weight off my mind eso me
quita un peso de encima
o Armstrong heaved a sigh ofrelief,
That's a weight of{my mind.'
minds
* in two minds (Brit) indeciso 0 Roche
was in two minds whether to make the
trip to Oslo.
miracles
work miracles hacer milagros
o This beauty cream really works
miracles and freshens up my face.
186 misery
misery
put someone out of their misery
acabar con los sufrimientos de
alguien oAlmostl,oOO British school
leovers Qwaiting exam results were
today put out of their misery. 0 There
were at least a dozen pills in the bottle,
surely enough to put her out of her
misery.
miss
* miss the boat perder el tren (litera':
perder el barco) 0 Critics would say
that both Congress and the White
House have seriously missed the boat
on this set Of issues over the last few
years.
mockers
put the mockers on something
(sabre toda Brit) dar al traste con
alga 0 Paul put the mocl<ers on the
whole meal by complaining that
everything was under-salted.
~ EI origen de esta expresi6n es
~ incierto, pero se cree que!a
palabra mockers podrfa venir del
~ yiddish.
money
be right on the money (sabre toda
EE UU) dar en el clava 0 His analysis
was right on the money.
~ Esta expresi6n se usaba
~ original mente para describir una
apuesta que acertaba del todo.
have money to burn sobrarte el
dinero (literal: tener dinero para
quemar) 0 It's certainly a ridiculous
figure. I'd expected something like 30 or
40. They must have money to burn,
these people.
make money hand overfist ganar
dinero a espuertas 0 North Carolina
National Bank is making money hand
over fist in Texas.
Esta expresi6n proviene de la
imagen de un marinero que
mueve las manos continual11pn,"
una sabre otra al tirar de una
cuerda a izar una vela.
money for old rope (Brit) dinero
regalado (literal: dinero
viejas) 01 had al",av,; b,/iel'edthatth
fashion mode/'sjob was money for old
rope.
~ Antiguamente, los marineros
~ deshacfan trozos de cuerdas
~ viejas y vendfan las hebras a los
~ astilleros. Estos trozos de cuerda
~ se clavaban en los huecos que se
~ abrfan entre las tablas de las
~ cubiertas de los barcos, y luego
~ cubrfan de brea para sellar las
~ cubiertas y volverlas estancas.
money is the root of all evil el
dinero es la raiz de todos los males
o I believe the amount involved in this
project is a substantial sum, and
is the root of all evil, as they say.
~ Este proverbio tiene su origen en
~ una epfstola de san Pablo a su
discfpuloTimoteo (Primera a
~ Timoteo, 6:10).
* money talks poderoso caballero es
don Dinero (literal: el dinero habla)
oAs far as he is concerned, moneytal/{5
and he can do what he likes.
* put your money where your mouth
is predlcar can el ejemplo (litera':
ponerel dinero donde esta la boca)
o If the minister is 50 keen on the school
he should put his money where his
mouth is and give us more resources.
the smart money is on something
or someone la gente que entiende
apuesta par alga 0 alguien 0 The
smart money is on him losing his seat to
the Labour challenger.
spend money like water tener un
agujero en el bolsillo (literal: gastar
dinero como si fuera agua) oShe
spends money lii<e water to create a
luxurious home far beyond her means.
throw good money after bad echar
la soga tras el caldero 0 We are not
offering any more cash; we don't want
to throw good money after bad.
* throw money at something
inyectardinero en algo 0 The
government's answer to the problem
has been to throw money at it.
monkey
have a monkey on your back (sabre
todo EE UU) tener un problemazo
(literal: tener un mono en la
espalda) 0 The whole medical system
that has become a monkey on the back
of people without an adequate income.
make a monkey out of someone
poner a alguien en ridlculo (literal:
convertir a alguien en un mono)
o Ifit makes any difference, I'm not here
to make monkeys out of the police, I'm a
cop myselF
monkey business tejemanejes
(literal: negocios de monos) 0 You
try any monkey business and you're in
trouble, right?
not give a monkey's (Brit, familiar)
no importar un rabano 0 They said
they would not injure the child, but they
didn't give a monkey's about what they
did to me.
throw a monkey wrench into the
works -+ ver wrench
month
a month of Sundays
1 una eternidad (literal: un mes de
domingos) 0 Torrential rain and jet-
black skies can mai(e each day seem like
a manth a(Sundays.
2 nunca 0 " thinl< I know what you're
about,' he growled, 'but it'll never work
- not in a month o(Sundays.'
motions 187
monty
the full monty (Brit) todo completo
o Ran sang 'MyWay' right thraugh,
from the simple piano intro to the big
orchestral finish, the (ull monty.
moon
askforthemoon pedirlaluna
o We're not asking for the moon, but we
are asking for some help so that we can
continue to progress.
howl at the moon pedirperas al
olmQ (literal: aullarle a la luna)
o You need to adjust your expectations
and stop howling at the moon.
once in a blue moon de Pascuas a
Ramos 0 I only get over to Cambridge
once in a blue moon and I'm never in
London.
~ En algunos lugares, si haydos
~ lunas Henas en un mes, la
~ segunda, muy poco habitual,
~ se denomina blue moon ("luna
~ azul").
* over the moon (sobre todo Brit) loco
de contento (literal: sabre la luna)
o I'm overthe moon about the way this
album turned out.
promise the moon prometer el oro
y el moro (literal: prometer la luna)
oSo many banks try to lure customers
by promising the moon.
moth
like a moth to a flame como
moscas a la miel (literal: como una
mariposa a una llama) 0 The bright
lights o(west London drew Kharin lil<e a
moth to a name.
motions
* go through the motions hacer las
casas par inercia 0 Many of the
students who did attend classes with
any regularity werejust going through
the motions.
188 mould
mould
En estas expresiones mould
significa "molde". Mould suele
escribirse mold en ingles
americana.
* break the mould romper el molde
o His stated ambition is to create a
third party and break the mould of us
two-party politics.
they broke the mould when they
made someone rompieron el molde
despues de hacer a alguien 0 He is a
most remarkable man. They broke the
mould when they made him.
mountain
make a mountain out of a molehill
hacer una montana de un grana de
arena (literal: hacer una montana
de una topera) 0 It's unlikely that
Smith will be punished; you are making
a mountain outofa molehill.
the mountain must go to
Mohammed la montana ira a
Mahoma 0 The mountain must go to
Mohammed; we'll send a man
tomorrow.
Estas expresiones estan basad as
en una historia sabre el profeta
~ Mahoma, a! que pidieron que
demostrara su poder hacienda
~ que la colina de Safa se acercara
~ ael.
a mountain to climb (sabre todo Brit)
un desaffo que hay que superar
(literal: una montana que hay que
escalar) 0 We nearly beat Warrington
in the Cup last season and although it's
a mountain to climb, we can do it.
mountains
move mountains mover montanas
o We should 01/ repeat nve times a day,
'It is possible to change!With this belief,
you can move mountains.
Esta expresi6n viene de! prcJVerbi,
"La fe mueve montanas",
en las palabras de JesCis a sus
discfpulos. (Mateo 1]:20).
mouth
he's all mouth and no trousers
(Brit) se Ie va toda la fuerza par la
boca (literal: es todD boca
pantalones) oMsCul1nil1ahiam
that the FirstMinister had I to
with the matter, and accused him of
being "all mouth and no trousers",
be foaming at the mouth
1 estarespumajeando o ,;telvartw,
foaming at the mouth aa['u[ ,'n
at the hospital t ~ : ~ ; ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ : ; : [ ~ ~ ; : ; ~ : : ,
2 estar entusiasmado
the newspaper had foamed at the
mouth in favour Of agreement with
Fascist countries.
down in the mouth (Brit)
deprimido oAsforGeorge, I hear he's
rather down in the mouth.
laugh out of the other side of your
mouth (EE UU) quitarsete las
de rerr 0 You'll laugh out of the other
side of your goddam mouth afterthis
game.
make your mouth water hacersete
la boca agua oShewas bent down
getting the casserole from the oven. The
fragrant steam made his mouth water.
o The zoo's site in Regent's Park would
make any developer's mouth water.
shoot your mouth off
1 fanfarronear 0 He'd been shooting
his mouth Off saying he could sing,
when of course, he couldn't.
2 hablar mas de la cuenta 0 What if
he decides to try for a little more money.
or to shoot his mouth Off around town?
talk out of both sides of your
mouth (EE lJU) decircosas
contradictorias (literal: hablar por
los dos lados de la boca) 0 One of
Larry's problems is that he spea/(s out of
both sides afhis mouth. At Harvard he
panders to the students with his radical
ideas. But then, in the outer world, he
. has to pull back from these positions.
move
get a move on darse prisa 0 You'd
better get a move on if you're going to
mal(e it back in time for the match.
movers
* the movers and shakers
(Periodismo) los que mueven los
hilos oShe and her husband have
become movers and shakers behind the
scenes of the Labour Party.
Esta expresi6n proviene del
~ poema Ode (Oda) eserito par
~ Arthur O'Shaugnessy en 1874.
mud
be dragged through the mud tener
el nombre ensuciado (Uteral: ser
arrastrado porel barro) oOne
doesn't like to see an admired
institution dragged through the mud
like this.
mud sticks (sabre todo Brit) 10 malo
se peg a 0 Whether he's innocent or
not, some of the mud has stuck.
astick-in-the-mud una persona
poco aventurera (literal: un palo en
el barro) 0 It was such a shame many
of the guests didn't bother to dress up.
What stick-in-the-muds!
* throw mud difamar(literal: lanzar
barro) 0 The newspaper and magazine
articles that followed were especially
vicious, with supporters of both stars
quick to throw mUd.
murder
* she gets away with murder se Ie
consiente cualquier cosa 0 His charm
and the fact that he is so liI<eable often
allow him to get away with murder.
musIc 189
scream blue murder (Brit) poner
el grito en el cielo (literal: gritar
asesinato azul) 0 People are
screaming blue murder about the
amount oftromc going through their
town.
~ Puede que la expresi6n blue murder
~ se derive de ta blasfemia en
~ frances morbleu, la cual es a su vez
una variante de mort Dieu. Bleu es
~ un eufemismo usado en lugarde
~ Dieu, poria que morbleu significa
~ literal mente blue death, 0 "muerte
azul".
muscles
* flex your muscles haceruna
demostraci6n de fuerza (literal:
tensar los musculos) 0 It's time to
flex your muscles and show the world
what you are capable Of
music
* face the music afrontar las
consecuencias 0 The authorities had
found us out and we were about to face
the music.
~ Puede que, en esta expresi6n,!a
~ "musica" se refiera ala orquesta
~ de una opera a de un musical.
~ La orquesta se sienta frente al
~ escenario, de modo que cuando
~ un interprete esta de cara al
~ publico, tambien esta de cara a la
~ orquesta, 0 "de cara a la musica"
~ (facing the music). Asimismo, ta
~ expresi6n podrfa provenirde una
costumbre militar segun la cual
~ un soldado separado del servicio
~ porconducta deshonrosa era
~ expulsado mientras redoblaban
los tambores.
* music to your ears musica celestial
o The judge's words were music to the
ears of the accused.
190 mustard
mustard
not cut the mustard no dar la talla
(literal: no cortar la mostaza) 0 You
have to be on (orm every week and
people soon start noticing i(you're not
cutting the mustard.
~ En Estados Unidos, la palabra
~ mustard se empleaba tiempo atras
~ como terminG arg6tico con el
~ significado de "10 mejor", 0 "10
~ autentico".
muster
* pass muster ser aceptable 0 Only
one country hos yet to fUlfill oil the
membership requirements, but it is
expected to pass muster soon.
En el ejercito y en la marina de
guerra, la palabra muster significa
"revista", 0 inspecci6n de los
uniformes y del equipo de
soldados y marineros.
mutton
mutton dressed as lamb (Brit)
vejestorio emperifollado
(literal: cordero vestido de ovejita)
o This woman is older than me,
heavier than me and ;s mutton dressed
as lamb.
Mutton es la carne de una oveja
adulta, mientras que lamb
designa tantoa la carne de un
cordero como al propio animal.
nail
"* another nail in the coffin otro paso
hacia Ja destrucci6n (litera': otro
clava en el ataud) 0 The vote is
another nail in the cOffin o(the one-
party system which the country has
noW largely renounced.
hit the nail on the head a
hit it on the nail dar en el clava
o I agree with Dr Carey, everything he
says. / think he's hit the nail right on
the head. 0 'It sounds as {(he almost
depended on you as much as you
depended on him.''Youjust hit it on
the nail.'
onthenail
1 (Brit) a tocateja 0 You have to pay
cash on the nail sometimes, and this
was one of them.
2 en punta 0 'When did Captain
Schmidt come to seeyou?"Six o'clock,
just about on the nail.'
~ Puede que esta expresi6n se
@ refiera a 105 mostradores
~ cilfndricos denominados nails que
a veces usa ban 105 comerciantes
~ de Ja Edad Media. Cuando se
~ habra acordado un precio, el
~ dinero se depositaba sabre eJ
~ contador para que todos
~ pudieran ver que se pagaba la
cantidad correcta.
name
* makea name for yourself hacerse
famoso 0 OianeAbbott has made a
name for herself as a hardworking MP.
* the name of the game 10 mas
importante (literal: el nombre del
juego) 0 In the current economic
climate, survival is the name of the
game.
a name to conjure with (sabre todo
Brit) un personaje importante 0 His
partners are serious about his potential
as a name to conjure with in the scent
market.
~ En esta expresi6n, la importancia
~ y Ja influencia asociadas a una
~ persona 0 a un objeto se
~ consideran una especie de poder
~ magico que es posible invocar aJ
~ usare! nombre de dicha persona a
de dicho objeto.
not have a penny to your name a
not have a cent to your name no
tener d6nde caerse muerto (literal:
no tener un penique a su nombre)
o He didn't have a penny to his name.
someone's name is mud alguien
tiene muy mala prensa (literal: el
nombre de alguien es barro) 0 His
name has been mud at the TeJegraph
since he lett to work for a rival
newspaper.
Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera al doctor Samuel Mudd.
JohnWilkes Booth, el asesino de
Abraham Lincoln, se rompi6 la
pierna mientras intentaba
escapar yfue atendido por el
doctor Mudd. Pese a desconocer
10 que habra hecho su pacientey
192 names
obrarde buena fe, Mudd fue
encarcelado y tanto el como su
familia fueron odiados durante
muchos ailos.
take God's name in vain a
take the Lord's name in vain tamar
el nombre de Dios en vano 0 He
persevered, and a/ways gently corrected
us when we tool< the Lord's name in
vain.
take someone's or something's
name in vain faltar al respeto a
alguien 0 alga 0 Let's remember that
what we do (rom this point is being
done in the name ofjustice. Let's not
take her name in vain.
@ Esta expresi6n proviene del
segundo de 105 Diez
Mandamientos, segun el eual no
sedebetomarel nombrede Dios
en vano (Exado 207).
names
* call someone names insultar a
alguien oAt my last school they caJ/ed
me names because I was so slow.
napping
be caught napping ser cogido
desprevenido (literal: ser cogido
durmiendo la siesta) 0 European
firms have been caught napping. As a
result, they now control barely one-
tenth o(the world market while
Japanese firms control nearly half o(it.
nature
that's the nature of the beast asf
son las cosas 0 Baker likes to say that
negotiations always get tougher
towards the end. That's the nature o(
the beast.
navel
navelwgazing mirarse al ombligo
o I'm very good at motivating people to
do things, so I'm a doer rather than a
thin/<er. I've never really done much
navel-gazing!
near
be so near and yet so far fracasar
pesar de haber estado tan
exito 0 It was a crushing exp'eri"nCl'tn
have victory snatched away I such
, desperate manner. It's heartbreaking
be so near and yet so far.
neck
breathe down someone's neck
1 pisarle los taJones a alguien 0 No
doubtJones and Armstrong maintain a
consistently high standard because
both have talented rivals breathing
down their necks.
2 no dejar a alguien ni a sol ni a
sombra oMostfarmers have bank
managers breathing down their necks,
so everything has to have an economic
reason.
dead from the neck up (Brit, familiar)
zoquete ol(you want my opinion, your
lawyer is dead from the neck up.
get it in the neck (Brit, (amiliar)
cargarsela 0 This film is an attack on
the media, especially the television
news media. It's quite nice to see them
get it in the neck (or once.
* neck and neck a la par (literal:
cuello a cuello) 0 The latest opinion
polls show both parties running neck
and neck.
Se dice que dos caballos van
g igualados (neck and neck) cuando
estan exactamente al mismo
nivel y es imposible decircual esta
ganando la carrera.
put your neck on the block .... ver
block
put your neck on the line jugarse el
pelJejo 0 Gere put his necl< on the line
to make Sommersby. It was a gamble,
both in terms o(his public image and
his wallet.
risk your neck jugarse el peUejo
o I won't have him risking his neck on
that motorcycle.
someone could wring sorneone's
. Mecko
someone would like to wring
someone's neck a alguien Je
encantarfa retorcerle eJ pescuezo a
aJguien 0 That crazy Dot! He could
wring her neck (or this! She had no right
to tell tales to his mother!
"* stick your neck out (amiliar)
arriesgarse (literal: sacar el cuello)
oAt the risk ofsticl<ing my necl< out,
I doubt whether the compensation (und
will be needed,
S Esta expresi6n podrfa tenersu
origen en el boxeo, ya que los
boxeadores tienen que protegerse
el cuello y la barbilla para evitar
g los golpes de sus contrincantes.
this neck of the woods (amiliar)
estos pagos 0 What's there to do in
this neck o(the woods?
* up to your neck in something
(familiar) hasta el cuello en alga
o The Prime Minister was up to his neck
in scandal.
your neck of the woods (familiar)
tu zona 0 I discovered, however, that
stone troughs were pretty scarce in my
nec/< o(the woods and expensive as well.
Esta expresi6n se origino en
Estados Unidos. La palabra nec/(
viene de na/ack, que significa
"punta" 0 "esquina" en ellenguaje
de los indios algonquinos.
needle
like looking for a needle in a
haystack como buscar una aguja
en un pajar 0 Police have told Mrs
Barrow that searching for the cat will be
like looldng for a needle in a haystack.
The chances o(recovering the animal
are slim.
nerves 193
nelly

not'on your nelly (Brit, ant{cuado)
ni hablar 0 They finally become adults,
thanks to 01/ your hard work, and do
they turn up rot mum's birthday? Not on
your nellie.
Esta expresi6n proviene quiza
del argot rimado empleado por
los cockneys (habitantes del este
de Londres). Not on your Nellie Duff
qiJieredecirnotonyourpuff,quea
su vez significa "desde luego que
no".
nerve
* touch a nerve 0
touch a raw nerve meter el dedo
en la lIaga (literal: tocar un nervio)
o Buchanan's speech touched a raw
nerve here at the Capitol.
nerves
a bag of nerves (Brit) 0
a bundle of nerves un manojo de
nervios 0 What's the matter?You're a
bundle o(nerves.
* get on someone's nerves poner a
alguien los nervios de punta 0 The
phone used to get on my nerves - people
ringing him at home as if!t was an
extension Of the Office.
live on your nerves (Brit) vivir en
estado de tensi6n constante 0 Once
this is all over and done with I've told
her she's to go into the clinic for a
complete rest to get her strength back,
because she's living on her nerves.
* a war of nerves 0
a battle of nerves una guerra de
nervios 0 In the war o(nerves between
the two sides, it is becoming more and
more difficult to separate their real
intentions (rom their propaganda
tactics.
194 nest
nest
feather your nest hacer su agosto
(literal: emplumarel nido) 0 The
politicians seem anxious to (eathertheir
nests at the expense of the people.
~ Algunas aves recubren sus nidos
~ con plumas suaves que se
~ arrancan de! pecha 0 que recogen
~ del sueJo.
fly the nest 0
leave the nest dejarel nido o When
their children had nown the nest, he and
his wife moved to a thatched cottage in
Dorset.
foul your own nest (litera rio) tirar
piedras contra tu propio tejado
(literal: mancharel nido) oMan has
invented a hundred brilliant ways of
fouling his own nest - the pollution, the
heat, the pOisons in the air, the metals
in the water.
* a nest egg unosahorros(litera': un
huevo en el nido) oAII he wanted was
a few months decent money to help him
retire. He thought this was his last
chance to build a nest egg.
net
* casta wide net ampliarel campo
de acci6n (literal: arrojar una red
mas amplia) 0 The u.s. has casta
wide diplomatic net, asking a variety o(
other nations to deliver the same
message to Iran and to Syria.
"* slip through the net
1 (Brit) colarse 0 It's hard to knock the
selection process because the chances o(
any young talent slipping through the
net are so minimal.
2 (sabre todo Brit) escaparse
o Government officials (ear some o( the
criminals identired by British police
may have slipped through the net.
nettle
* grasp the nettle (sabre todo Brit)
agarrar el taro par los cuernos
(literal: agarrar la ortiga) 0
to grasp the nettle, speak to your
superior and make it clear you regret
your mistake and are determined I
never happen again.
~ 5i se coge una ortiga con fuerza
menos probable que pique quesi
~ se roza ligeramente.
new
.. .is the new ... (Brit, familiar)
nuevo ... 0 Forty is the new thirty.
Everyone knows that. This is boom
for MiddleYouth.
news
* be news to someone pillar a
de nuevas (literal: ser noticia
alguien) 0 When he was told about
story, the governor said it was news to
him.
no news is good news la falta de
noticias es una buena senal 0 I had
heard nothing all week. 'Oh well,'
I thought. 'No news is good news:
nice
nice as pie un en canto (literal:
bonito como una tarta) 0 He is nice
as pie when you meet him, then you hear
he is going around bad-mouthing you.
niche
* carve a niche a
carve out a niche hacerse un hueco
(literal: escuJpir un nicho) 0 He has
carved a niche for himsel( as an ABC
television commentator and is certain
to be I(ept on as long as the network
continues to broadcast Saturday
matches.
nick
* in the nick of time justa a tiempo
o She woke up in the nick o(time and
raised the alarm.
nickel
nickel and dime (EE UU)
1 de poca manta oA lot of American
{(ids run similar nickel and dime ventures,
selling sweet, cool drinks outside their
parents' home in the long, hot summers.
2 exprimir 0 Oakland, like other cities,
has been reeling from rnancial crisis
and consequently has been nickel and
diming essential services for years.
g Nickelydimesignifican,
~ respectivamente, "moneda de
cinco centavos" y "moneda de diez
~ centavos".
a wooden nickel (EE UU) algo falso
o sin valor (literal: una moneda de
cinco centavos de madera) 0 not to
be worth a wooden nickel novaler un
pimiento oHelookedatthecardas
though it were a wooden nickel. That
doesn't prove a thing,' he said.
night
a night owl un trasnochador
(literal: un buha nocturno) 0 The
street noise and late-night parties make
this hotel a haven for night owls.
ninepins
fall like ninepins (Brit) caer como
moscas (literal: caer como bolos)
o Conservative council seats (ell /ike
ninepins.
nines
dressed to the nines a
dressed up to the nines de punta
en blanco 0 Everyone is dressed up to
the nines. Huge hats, (rills, tight
dresses, sequins and high heels.
Existen muchas explicaciones
posibles sabre el origen de esta
expresi6n. La mayorfa guarda
relaci6n can el numero nueve,
pero ninguna ha sido aceptada de
forma generalizada.
nod 195
nineteen
talk nineteen to the dozen (Brit)
hablar par los codas oMs Wallace
visited her on February 28th and (ound
her'vivacious and chatty and talldng
nineteen to the dozen'.
Esta expresi6n sugiere la idea de
~ usar diecinueve palabras para
~ decir algo que la mayorfa de la
~ gente dirfa con dace. No esta
~ claro porque se escogio el
~ numero diecinueve en lugarde
cualquier otro.
nip
nip and tuck muy renido 0 It was
nip and tuck throughout as the players
struc/( the ball with equal venom.
~ Una posible explicacion de esta
~ expresi6n es que viene de los
~ com bates can espada, en los que
nip significa un toque leve y tuc/(
un golpe masfuerte. Otra posible
~ explicacion es que proviene de la
~ hfpica, donde significa 10 misma
que neck and neck.
nits
pick nits ser quisquilloso (literal:
coger liendres) 0 He then spent the
second hal( o(his interview picking nits,
particularly about the environmental
impact on 'the beautifUl' Bluebell Hill.
nod
get the nod recibir !uz verde 0 We'll
hold offinterviewing Hythe any further
until we get the nod (rom you.
* give someone the nod dar luz verde
a alguien (litera': asentir can la
cabeza) 0 0ftheJ5 members of the
committee, 01/ seven Republicans are
prepared to give him the nod.
a nod and a wink (Brit) una sutil
seiial (literal: una senal can la
cabeza y un guina) oA nod and a
196 noises
wink from the chairman is all it takes to
move share prices up or down.
a nod's as good as a wink a buen
entendedor, pocas palabras bastan
o Professor Mason WQS a very shrewd
and skilled operator, and i(he wanted to
get his own way, a nod was as good as a
wink.
~ Esta expresion viene del dicho a
~ nod's as good as Q wink to a blind
horse, que indica que resulta inutil
~ tanto asentircon la cabeza como
~ guliiarel ojo, ya que un caballo
ciego no podrfa ver ninguno de los
g dos gestos.
on the nod (Brit) sin discusi6n
o The party cannot be seen to let the
treaty through on the nod.
~ Esta expresi6n podrfa tener su
~ origen en las subastas, en las que
~ los postores asienten con la
~ cabeza para indicarque quieren
~ comprar alga.
noises
* make noises andarcomentando
(literal: hacer ruidos) 0 Your credit
card is over the limit and the bank
manager is making noises about your
overdraft.
make the right noises decir 10
correcto 0 The President was making
al/ the right noises about multi-party
democracy and human rights.
nook
every nook and cranny hasta el
ultimo rinc6n (literal: cada rincon y
cada grieta) 0 I do love how he knows
every nook and cranny of Venice and
can speak such good Italian.
nooks
* the nooks and crannies los
recovecos (literal: los rincones y
grietas) 0 In the weeks before
Christmas, we would scour the house
searching al/ the nooks and crannies'
trying to find our presents.
nose
cut off your nose to spite your face
tirar piedras contra su propio tejado
(literal: cortarse la nariz para daf'iar
. la' cara) 0 The manager does not Want
to cut offhis nose to spite his face by
leaving Nevil/eout of the match, but he
does want the player to realise the error
orhis ways.
~ En esta expresi6n, spite significa
~ molestar 0 disgustar adrede.
follow your nose
, dejarse guiar por el instinto
(literal: seguirtu nariz) 0 I'd started a
bit of journalism, so I had a source Of
income. And I've just followed my nose
doing that ever since.
2 irtodoseguido oMoreorless
follow your nose till you come to Marks
and Spencer's. Bear right there. And it's
there.
* get up someone's nose (sobre todo
Brit, Familiar) poner negro a alguien
(literal: subirse a la nariz de alguien)
o This producer looks as ifhe's going to
get up everybody's nose. He has only
been here for a few hours and already he
has been babbling about 'discipline' to
Annie.
give someone a bloody nose (Brit)
1 dar un escarmiento a alguien
(literal: hacer sangrar a alguien de la
nariz) oMost are so fed up with this
new tax that they are threatening to
give the Government more than a
bloody nose in the forthcoming by-
election.
2 infligiruna derrota a a!guien
o Giving the national army a bloody
nose is one thing. Taking on its full
might is another.
keep your nose clean no meterse
en Has (litera': mantener lim pia la
nariz) 0 The best advice I can give is tell
you to keep your nose clean.
keep your nose out of something
no meterla nariz en alga 0 Nancy
realized that this was his way of telling
herto keep her nose out of his business.
keep your nose to the grindstone
batir el yunque (literal: mantener la
nariz en la piedra de afilar) 0 There is
more to life than keeping your nose to
the grindstone and saving for a rainy
day.
~ Esta expresion hace referencia a
~ una persona que se inclina sabre
~ la piedra de afHar mientras
~ trabaja, can la nariz cerca de
~ dicha piedra.
lead someone by the nose manejar
a alguien a tu antojo (litera':
conducir a a!guien tirando de su
nariz) 0 The Government has let itself
be led by the nose by the timber trade
into suppressing the report for the
narrow commercial advantage of those
involved.
Los taros yotros ani males a veces
~ lIevan un anillo en el hocico para
~ poder atar una cuerda al anilto y
~ conducirlos. Esta expresi6n
~ aparece en la obra de
Shakespeare Otelo (acto I,
escena III)
* look down your nose at someone or
something mirar a alguien 0 algo
porencima de! hombro 0 The
minister and his intellectual friends still
look down their noses at Disneyland
and theAmerican soap operas such as
Santa Barbara.
* a nose for something olfato para
alga 0 Harry runs his own news agency
in the north. He has a well-trained nose
ror a story.
not see beyond your nose a
not see beyond the end of your
nose 197
nose no vermas alia de tu ombligo
(literal: no ver mas alia de la punta
de tu nariz) 0 Time to act your age.
You're too busy thinking about you and
about everything to do with you that
you don't see beyond the end of your
nose.
on the nose exactamente (literal:
en la nariz) 0 This is Radio One FM.
Precisely on the nose seven sixteen.
~ Esta expresi6n tiene su origen en
:g los programas radiofonicos.
~ Cuando un programa empezaba a
~ su h ~ r a , el productorse lIevaba un
~ dedo a la nariz para indicarselo a
~ los lac uta res.
pay through the nose for
something (familiar) pagar un ojo
de la cara par alga (litera': pagar par
la nariz par alga) 0 It looks as though
those taldng out new insurance policies
on their houses, cars, boats and planes
will be paying through the nose.
* poke your nose into something a
stick your nose into something
meter las narices en alga 0 If anyone
should be apologizing, it should be me
for poking my nose into other people's
business.
put someone's nose out of joint
molestar a alguien 0 Gillian's sons
were resentful of their new step-sisters.
Barry had his nose put out of joint by
Lucy's aloof sophistication, although
she was hisjunior.
* rub someone's nose in it
restregarselo a alguien 0 You
obviously delight in the dereot or a
fellow perFormer!And proceed to rub his
nose in it, don't you?
* thumb your nose at someone or
something burlarse de alguien 0
alga 0 There is a hard-core oFyoung
persistent offenders, and too many of
them are simply laughing at authority
and thumbing their noses at the court.
198 nowhere
~ To thumb your nose at someone
~ significa literal mente hacer un
~ gesto grasero que consiste en
~ coleear la punta del pulgar en el
~ extrema de la nariz, abrir los otros
dedos y moverlos.
* turn up your nose at something
hacerle ascos a alga (litera': torcer fa
nariz ante alga) 0 Even in the United
States top-night university graduates
turned up their noses at businessjobs
and tried instead to get into government
service.
* under your nose delante de las
narices 0 Then suddenly I knew what
had been going on here al/ along, right
under our noses.
nowhere
* from nowhere 0
out of nowhere de la nada 0 I
remember looking both ways before
crossing and seeing nothing. The car
came from nowhere and hit me.
nuclear
go nuclear (sabre todo Brit, familiar)
ponerse hecho una Furia (literal:
usar armamento nuclear) o Since I
dropped the pictures oft I've been
wearing Q crash helmet in case you go
nuclear. On a scale Often, how angry
are you at me (orthem?
nudge
a nudge and a wink a
nudge-nudge, wink-wink tu ya me
entiendes (literal: un codazo y un
guino) 0 The article then listed a series
o{nudge-nudge, wink-wink rumors that
insinuated that the Prime Ministerwas
having an affair.
Esta expresi6n se hizo popular
debido ala serie camica britanica
de la decada de los setenta
tituladaManty Python's Flying
Circus. Uno de los personajes de
un episodio hada comentarios
insinuantes y despues decfa
nudge-nudge, wink-wink, say no
more. A veces la gente se da
codazos (nudge each other) 0 se
guina e! ojo (wink at each other)
para insinuar algo.
number
be a back number ya no s-ervir
o Lester is 55 in November, but I don't
think that will make much difference.
He's a great jockey and won't be a bac/(
number even at that age.
~ Back numbersignifica "numero
~ atrasado" de una revista 0 de un
~ peri6dico.
do a number on someone (familiar)
montarsela a alguien (literal:
hacerle un numero a alguien) 0 The
Irish team are looking to do a numh'mm;
England in Dublin tomorrow.
have someone's number tener
calado a alguien (literal: tener el
numero de alguien) 0 If they have
your number (rom the start, and it is a
small hotel, you are bound to get extra
attention.
look after number one 0
look out for number one anteponer
el propio interes (literal: cuidar del
numero uno) oMypriority is to loa/(
atter number one- to create a lifestyle I
am happy with.
someone's number is up Ie ha
lIegado la hora a alguien (literal: ha
salido e! numero de alguien) 0 'Oh,
Nancy, we're safe!' breathed Bess. "
thought {or a while our number was upI'
Esta expresi6n proviene de la vida
en la marina de guerra 0 en el
ejercito. Se decfa que un sold ado
o un marinero que hubiera
muerto perdfa ellugarque se Ie
habfa asignado en el comedor
("su numero en el comedor").
numbers
* play the numbers game dar cifras
(fiteral:jugar aljuego de los
numeros) oSince everyone plays the
numbers game differently, there is hot
debate about the real volume ofsales.
En Estados Unidos, las frases
number's gamey number's racket se
~ refieren a una loterfa ilegal. Dicha
loterfa consiste en apostar
~ pequenas cantidades a una serle
~ de numeros que aparecen en
~ determinadas secciones del
~ peri6dico del dfa en que se
~ apuesta, como porejemplo las
cifras de la Boisa.
nut
do your nut (Brit,familiar) salirte de
tus casillas (literal: hacertu nuez)
0' wanted to ask Lorraine out and I
knew that Wendy would do her nut if
she round out.
a tough nut to crack un hueso duro
de roer(literal: una nuez dura de
cascar) 0 Despite not having won Q
title o(note, Harrington has taken 17-5
points {rom a possible 20 in
nutty 199
international singles, making him a
tough nut to crael<.
nuts
* the nuts and bolts of something
los aspectos practicos de algo
(literal: las tuercas y tornillos de
algo) oSure/y you have to work out the
nuts and bolts Of something before you
can commityoursei(to it? 0 I'm a nuts
and bolts politician. I always have been.
nutshell
* in a nutshell en pocas palabras
(literal: en una cascara de nuez)
oShe wants meto leave the company.
I wantto stay. That's it in a nutshell.
nutty
nutty as a fruitcake (Brit, (amiliar)
como una regadera (literal: con mas
nueces que una tarta de frutas)
o Despite his maddening fidgeting, the
man is a charmer - intense, funny, and
nutty as a fruitcake.
Nutty a nuts son palabras
coloquiales que significan "loco".
Nutty tambien significa "que !leva
muchas nueces", como suele
suceder con las tartas de frutas.
oaks
great oaks from little acorns grow
a
mighty oaks from little acorns
grow las grandes cosas siempre
suelen comenzar de forma modesta
(literal: los majestuosos robles
crecen a partir de pequefias
bellotas) 0 Henry Ford did not start his
operations by opening hundreds of
factories in his ffrst year. Remember,
mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow.
oar
put your oar in (sabre todo Brit)
entrometerse (literal: meter el
remo) 0 He let them say their piece
without putting his oar in; he is
obviously a good listener.
~ Esta frase viene de la antigua
~ expresion have an oar in every man's
boat, que significa "entrometerse
~ en los asuntos de los de mas".
odds
* at odds with something sin
corresponderse con alga 0 His
out/ool< on life was pessimistic, quite at
odds with his wife's out-going
personality.
at odds with the world
descontento 0 We are more inclined
to blame a feeling of being at odds with
the world on a headache or upset
stomach, ratherthan the other way
round.
* be at odds with someone estar en
desacuerdo con alguien
has reportedly been at odds
central government both militari/v' an"
politically.
* pay over the odds (Brit) pagaren
demasfa (literal: pagar mas que I
apuestas) 0 Over the years, LO/lan'n',
home owners have got used to having
pay over the odds for their property.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere al
~ de pagar mas del precio aC("d"do
~ al apostar a un caballo en una
s carrera.
off-chance
* on the off-chance por si acaso
o One American visitor had turned up
on the off-chance of catching a
of the princess.
oil
like oil and water como agua y
aceite 0 He and the General did
along. The two were like oil and
together.
he's no oil painting (Brit) no es
ninguna belleza 0 I started seeing a
guy who was no oil painting but
wonderfully bright and interesting.
pour oil on troubled waters
los animas (literal: echar aceite en
aguas turbulentas) 0 He is an
extremely experienced politician, who
some diplomats believe may be able to
pour oil on the troubled waters.
~ Echar aceite en aguas agitadas
~ puede calmarlas. EI autor 9 I
~ Plutarco 10 mencion6 hacia el ana
~ 9s d. de c.:"lPorqueecharaceite
~ en el mar 10 apacigua y 10 calma?"
strike oil encontrar petr61eo oA
neW generation of high-tech billionaires
struc/( oil in the information industries
..: computers, microchips and software.
Esta expresi6n se emplea a
menudo en su senti do literal.
old
old as the hills de los tiempos de
Maricastana (litera': tan viejo como
las colinas) 0 Theirequipment may be
modern, but the techniques remain as
old as the hills,
olive
* an'olive branch una rama de olivo
o 'We are holding out an olive branch,
inviting the landowners to talk. We are
trying to break the deadlock.'
En la historia del Diluvio Universal
~ (Genesis 8:11) se relata c6mo Noe
solt6 una paloma para ver si
~ encontraba alguna porci6n de
~ tierra. 5i la paloma encontraba
g la tierra, ello significarfa que Dios
~ habfa perdonado a 105 hombres.
~ Cuando la paloma volvi611evaba
g un ramo verde de olivo en el pica,
~ de modo que Noe supo que las
g aguas habfan disminuido.
Omelette suele escribirse omelet en
ingles america no.
you can't make an omelette
without breaking eggs no se puede
hacer una tortilla sin romper huevos
o You can't make an omelette without
breaking eggs - you just have to break
as few as possible. Even so, it seems
wrong to put a major road through such
beautiful countryside.
open 201
omnibus
the man on the Clapham
omnibus .... ver man
oncecover
give someone the o n c e ~ o v e r echar
un vistazo a alguien o Penny gives me
the once-over. I'm wearing a bright
jacket that'll go down well with
European viewers, she says.
one
be one up on someone !!evar
ventaja a alguien 0 Just because you
met somebody doesn't mean you know
anything about them."No, but you're
oneup on the person who hasn't met
them.'
get it in one (Brit) acertar ala
primera 0 'Is that a Birmingham
accent?' I asked, explaining that all my
family were originally from that part Of
the world. 'You got it in one. I grew up in
Birmingham.'
put one over on someone meterle
un gol a alguien 0 Clarf< insisted: 'It's
nice to put one over on your old boss but
I don't hold any grudges.'
onions
know your onions (Brit, anticuado)
conocer a fonda tu oficio (literal:
conocer tus cebollas) 0 It shows she
really knows heronions in the historical
field toa,
~ Puede que esta expresi6n se
derive del argot rimado empleado
~ por 105 cockneys (habitantes del
este de Londres). En dicho argot,
onion rings significa things.
open
be wide open estar completamente
abierto 0 The Tories breathed a sigh of
relieflast night as two polls showed the
election race was still wide open.
blow something wide open
l
I
202 order
1 revolucionaralgo oPameia has
blown the old newsreader image wide
open.
2 destapar algo 0 Has it occurred to
you that he can blow the operation wide
open?
leave yourself wide open 0
lay yourself wide open dejarte
completamente expuesto 0 The
statement leaves us wide open to
attack.
open-and-shut claro (literal: abriry
cerrar) 0 The prosecution behaved as if
they had an open-and-shut case.
~ En esta expresi6n, la palabra and
~ significa and then, 10 que indica
~ que el caso en cuesti6n se abri6 y
~ luego se cerro nuevamente casi
~ de inmediato porquefuefaci! de
~ resolver.
order
* the order of the day la orden del dfa
o Wage cuts were the order of the day
owing to the government's deflationary
policy.
* a tall order un logro casi
inalcanzable 0 I've got to beat him by
four shots tomorrow, and that's a very
tall order.
~ Un antiguo significado de la
~ palabra tall es "grande" 0
~ "excesivo".
orders
* marching orders (EE UU)
instrucciones oAs one mid-level
White House official put it, 'We're still
waiting for our marching orders.'
* give someone their marching
orders (Brit) mandar a alguien a
paseo 0 What does it take for a woman
to say 'that's enough' and give her man
his marching orders?
Esta expresi6n guarda relaci6n
con el ejercito. Cuando a un
soldado se Ie ordena ponerse en
marcha, se dice que Ie han dado
marching orders.
organ
the organ grinder's monkey (Brit)
un mandado (litera': el mono del
organiliero) 0 'Do you feel that
been squeezed out?' 'Well, I feel
the organ grinder's monkey, actually.'
~ Antiguamente, algunos
organilleros solfan lIevar un
~ que se movfa al son de la musica.
out
* out-and-out absoluto a This was
almost certainly an out-and-out lie.
overdrive
Overdrive significa "marcha
superdirecta" (de un vehfculo).
* go into overdrive empezar a
funcionar a toda marcha 0 When
bodies were discovered, th" m"di<, w,'nt
into overdrive.
overtime
work overtime esforzarse al
maximo (litera': hacer horas
o This might explain why people sleep
longer when the immune mechanisms
are working overtime to fight off
infections.
own
* get your own back (Brit) vengarse
oA11 you're interested in is in getting
your own back on Terence.
* hold your own defenderse o$ome
areas of heavy industry, such as
shipbuilding, were able to hold their
own in international markets.
P mind your piS and q's tener mucho
cuidado de no meter la pata (,itera':
tener cuidado con las letras p y q)
aShe a/ways put on her best act and
minded her p's and q's in front o(the
queen, but their relationship wasn't
that close.
Puede que, original mente, esta
~ expresi6n fuera una advertencia
~ dirigida a los ninos para que no
g confundieran la pyla q al
~ aprender el alfabeto. Asimismo,
p's and q's podrfa significar pleases
and thank yous, 0 expresiones de
~ cortesfa.
pace
* set the pace marcar la pauta
o The consensus is that Versace has got
it right this season and has set the pace
for mainstream fashion.
Esta expresi6n se refiere al hecho
~ de que un corredor rapido
~ determina la velocidad a la que
~ tienen que correr los demas
g participantes en la carrera.
someone can't stand the pace 0
someone can't take the pace
alguien no cons/gue seguir el ritmo
o They were constantly testing me, as if
to prove I couldn't take the pace.
paces
* put someone through their paces
poner a alguien a prueba a The
eleven boxers on the British team are in
the hands of the British coach, Ian
Irwin, who is putting them through
their paces.
~ To put a horse through its paces
significa poner a prueba a un
~ caballo para comprobar si esta
bien adiestrado.
pack
ahead of the pack a !a cabeza del
pelot6n 0 This new management
system has kept the company far ahead
of the pack in terms ofproduct
development.
3 Aquf pack significa "manada de
~ lobos" 0 ']aurfa".
page
on the same page (EE UU) en la
misma sintonfa (litera': en la misma
pagina) 0 We're all on the same page in
our careers, we all have the same
professional needs.
turn the page pasar pagina
o Shareholders at Fiat's annual meeting
will be looking (or signs that the
troubled company really does mean to
turn the page.
paid
* put paid to something (sobre todo
Brit) acabar con algo 0 Great Britain
gave a limp performance here last night
that put paid to their chances of
reaching the Olympic finals.
pain
* a pain in the neck (familiar) un
pefiazQ (literal: un dolor en e! cuello)
o He was a pain in the neck. I WQS glad
when he left my department.
pains
growing pains dificultades en el
desarrollo 0 The country is now
(acing some troublesome growing
pains. The economy is still expanding,
but at a slower rate than in the recent
past.
~ Growing pains significa "dolores
~ del crecimiento". Mucha gente
cree err6neamente que estan
~ causados par un crecimiento
~ demasiado rapido en los nifios.
paint
something is like watching paint
dry alga es para morirse de
aburrimiento (literal: alga es como
ver secarse la pintura) 0 'We've done
one shot since nine this morning,'
complains Donna, a student who has
taken the day off to be an extra. 'It's like
watching paint drv.'
pale
* beyond the pale inaceptable
(literal: mas alia de las estacas)
o There will be no more compromises
with people whose views are beyond
the pale.
~ Paleviene de la palabra latina
~ palum, que significa "estaca".
~ En Ingles acabarfa refiriendose a
~ un limite territorial seliaJado can
~ una hilera de estacas. La zona que
estaba dentro de los Ifmites se
~ consideraba civilizada, pero la
~ zona que estaba mas alia de las
~ estacas se consideraba territorio
barbaro.
palm
grease someone's palm untar la
mane a alguien 0 Files do not
government offices unless you grease
the palms of officials.
~ Esta expresi6n sugiere que, al
~ igual que la grasa y el aceite
~ mejoran el funcionamiento de
~ las maquinas, sobornar a
~ nos permitira obtener 10 que
~ queremos.
pan
be going down the pan ... ver
down
go down the pan .... ver down
Pandora
* open a Pandora's box abrir la caja
de Pandora 0 This latest controversy
has opened a Pandora's box of intrigue
amongst the coalition government's
different factions.
~ Segun la mitologfa romana,
~ Prometeo ofendi6 a los diosesy,
~ como venganza, Jupiterorden61a
~ creaci6n de Pandora, la primera
~ mujer.)Upiter Ie dio a Pandora
~ una caja que debfa ofrecer al
~ hombre con eJ que se casara.
~ Pandora se cas6 con Epimeteo,
~ hermano de Prometeo. Cuando
~ Epimeteo abri61a caja, salieron de
~ ella todos los problemas y los
~ males que ahora afllgen a la
humanidad yfue imposible
~ volverlos a guardar.
pants
beat the pants off someone
(familiar) dar una paliza a alguien
o Devlin indicated the chess table
beside the SOfa. f\ny excuse to get away
from that. He was beating the pants
affme.'
bore/scare/charm the pants off
someone (familiar) aburrir un
mant6n a alguien/dar un susto de
6rdago a alguien/llevarse a alguien
de calle o When I was a kid, circuses
bared the pants off me, but I'd always
wanted to be a performer.
someone is caught with their pants
down a alguien'le pillan
desprevenido ('itera': a alguien Ie
pillan con los pantalones bajados)
o In 1997, the Department of Transport
was caught with its pants down and
tool< seven months to produce the
document needed to change legislation.
wear the pants ... verwear
paper
it isn't worth the paper it's written
on no vale para nada 0 If consumers
do not know they can get compensation
when a service breaks down, these
service standards will not be worth the
paper they are written on.
a paper tiger un tigre de papel
o Unless the assembly has the power to
pre the mayor, it will prove to be
nothing but a paper tiger.
a paper trail (EE UU) pruebas
documentales (litera': un rastro de
papeles) 0 The criminal proceedings
were raised after investigations found a
paper trail of checks that were written
on dummy banl( accounts.
someone can't fight their way out
of a paper bag alguien es un
debilucho (literal: alguien no
conseguirfa escaparse luchando de
una bolsa de pape!) 0 We've already
shown you that they are no use to you
as allies. They couldn't rght their way
outafa paper bag.
* something looks good on paper
algo tiene buena apariencia sobre el
papel 0 This system looks good on
paper but It is expensive and, in my
view, still of very limited value.
parker 205
papers
get your walking papers 0
be given your walking papers
(EE UU) ser mandado a paseo
o It wasVoge/'s turn to get his walking
papers from the board Of directors.
~ Esta expresi6n proviene de las
~ instrucciones que se dan a los
~ soldados de infanterfa sobre la
~ duraci6n y el destino de una
marcha.
p a ~ r ______________ ~
En el golf, parsignifica "par" (0
numero de golpes que se espera
que de un buenjugador para
recorrer un campo 0 cada uno de
sus hoyos).
* belowparo
under par
1 inferior a la media 0 The recession
has left sales a little below par in the
past two orthree years.
2 indispuesto 0 Women who feel
be/ow par are unlikely to perform at
their best.
* par for the course 10 mas normal
o He said long hours are parforthe
course. 'I'm up every morning at six,
or even earlier.'
parade
rain on someone's parade
(Periodismo) aguar la fiesta a alguien
(litera': 1I0ver en el desfile de alguien)
o It's irritating that he could rain on my
parade by stealing the record before me.
parker
a nosey parker (Brit) un
metomentodo 0 Thevl//age's resident
nosey parker, Olive, likes to spy on her
neighbours with binoculars.
~ A veces nosey se escribe nosy.
206 parrot
2 EI apellido Pari<erpodrfa referirse
~ a Matthew Parker, el cual se
~ convirti6 en arzobispo de
~ Canterbury en 1559. Parkertenra
~ fama de entrometido.
parrot
learn something parrot fashion
(Brit) aprender alga repitiendo
como un loro 0 There are no books,
pens orchairs here,just a blackboard
and a dirt roor where 150 dusty children
sit in rows, learning their words parrot
fashian.
part
* look the part
1 vestir el cargo 0 You look the part of
an English gentleman, so he is half
ready to believe you as soon as you
meet.
2 (sabre toda Brit) ser espectacular
o I don't /(nowwhat it's like to drive but
it certainly looks the part.
~ Esta expresi6n probablemente
~ hace referencia a un actor que va
~ caracterizado con un traje
~ apropiado para el pape! que
~ interpreta.
* part and parcel parte integrante
(literal; parte y paquete) 0 There
comes a time during every player's
season when his form dips and the goals
don't go in. It's part and parcel of being
a professional.
take someone's part (Brit,
anticuado) tamar partido par
alguien 0 It seemed to me that she
should have tal<en my part, should
somehow have defended me from my
father.
take something in good part
(Brit) tomarse alga bien oOneor
two comments were made about his
clothes but he took it 01/ in good part.
party
bring something to the party
aportar algo (literal; traer I
fiesta) 0 Johnson asked, 'What
bring to the party?''They bring a
the party: Cahen replied, 'principally
$3 billion in capital.'
past
be past it 0
be getting past it (Brit) estar D'ar,
el arrastre oMy husband Eric
with another second-hand car. The
we've got atthe moment is getting
past it.
I wouldn't put it past her no me
extranarfa en ella 0 I wouldn't PUt I
past him to double-cross Schrader,
especially after the rumour I heard the
ather day.
pasture
put someone out to pasture
a alguien al pasta (como a
viejo) 0 I'm retiring next month.
putting me out to pasture.
~ Cuando los caballos son
~ demasiado viejos para trabajar a
~ veces se los suelta en un campo
~ para que pasten.
pastures
greener pastures una vida mejor
(literal: pastas mas verdes) 0 There
are drawbacks for nurses seeking
greener pastures overseas, and many
are put affby the lengthy process
involved in going to work in the US.
* pastures new (Brit) nuevas
horizontes (literal: pastas nuevas)
o Ifthejob doesn't meet my ambitions
I'll be off to pastures new. J want to go
to the tap.
Esta expresion es una cita
extra ida del poema lycidas (1638),
del poeta inglesJohn Milton.
a pat on the back una felicitacion
(literal: una palmada en la espalda)
oAny mail order shop that gives such
rapid response to a customer's
complaint deserves a pat on the back.
stand pat (sabre toda EE UU)
mantenerse firme 0 There are certain
issues on which Britain would stand pat
and insist on unanimity.
. En el p6quer, si unjugadoresta
g satisfecho con las cartas que Ie
~ han repartidoy no quiere cambiar
~ ninguna, se dice que dicho
~ jugador stands pat.
patch
* not a patch on someone or
something (Brit) ni punta de
comparacion can alguien 0 alga
o Of course, the facilities aren't a patch
on those of richer schools, but the boys
think they're terrific.
puede que esta expresion sea una
~ version abreviada de not fit to be a
~ patch on, frase que sugiere que
~ cierto trozo de tela no es 10
~ suficientemente bueno como
~ para remendar can el un agujero
en una tela de caUdad.
path
beat a path to someone's door
asediar a alguien 0 Fashion editors
now beat a path to Mugler's door and
thausands affallowers nacl< to get into
one of his events.
~ Esta expresion se Ie atribuye al
~ escritorestadounidense Ralph
~ Waldo Emerson (1803-82).
* cross someone's path to parse can
alguien 0 The bao/ds full af cutting
criticisms of the celebrities who crossed
her path.
path-breaking (sobretodo EE UU,
pearls 207
Periodismo) revolucionario 0 Russia's
Parliament today approved a path-
breaking measure that gives individual
farmers a right to buy and sell the;rown
land.
pay dirt
A menudo pay dirt se escribe
paydirt.
hit pay dirt 0
strike pay dirt (sobre todo EE UU)
hallar un filon (literal: dar can paiva
que paga) 0 'Let's not give up on the
courts: Millard says. 'We still might hit
pay dirt with one of the issues.'
En esta expresion pay dirt se
~ refiere probablemente a un
terreno que contiene el suficiente
~ oro en paIva como para que
~ merezca la pena buscar en el.
peanuts
if you pay peanuts, you get
monkeys (Brit) si pagas una
mise ria, no encontraras buenos
trabajadores (literal: si pagas
cacahuetes, conseguiras monos)
o The new pay policy will dernitely
have an effect on quality. The truth of
the matter is that if they pay peanuts,
they will get manl<eys.
pearls
cast pearls before swine (litera rio)
echar margaritas a los cerdos (literal:
echar perlas a los cerdos) 0 I have
wonderful costumes, with feathers and
top hats, but it's lil<ecasting pearls before
swine, they don't core what you wear.
Esta expresion proviene del
Sermon de la Montana (Mateo
]:6), en el que Jesus aconseja a sus
discfpulos como deberfan vivir.
Les dice que no den 10 que es
santo a los impuros, yque no
echen perlas a los puercos.
l
I
208 pear-shaped
pearls of wisdom perl as de
sabiduria o J'm sure we're all very
grate(ul (orthe pearls o(wisdom that
(all (rom Mr. Greenberg's /ips.
pear-shaped
* go pear-shaped irse a la parra
(literal: adoptar forma de pera)
o We started well, top o(the table, but
it all went pear-shaped and we lost ffve
matches in a row.
peas
like two peas in a pod como dos
gotas de agua (literal: como dos
guisantesen unavaina) oSheis
convinced the men are brothers. She
said: 'It was uncanny. They were like
two peas in Q pod.'
pebble
he isn't the only pebble on the
beach (sobretodo Brit) no es el Clnico
(literal: no es el unico guijarro en la
playa) 0 You should encourage him to
understand that he is very definitely not
the onlV pebble on the beach.
peeker
keep your pecker up (Brit) no
desanimarse 0 ,/,1/ give you a ring later
because I mustgo now,"Fine. Well, keep
vour pecker up.' 'I'll trv.'
Peeker era un termino argotico
para referirsea la nariz, a la que se
campara can el pica de un pajaro.
Si alguien es infeliz suele bajar la
g mirada, de modo que su nariz
senale al suelo.
pecking
* the pecking order lajerarqufa,
o Offices came in 29 sizes, which varied
in accordance with the occupant's place
in the corporate pecking order.
En los grupos de gallinas suele
establecerse ciertajerarqufa, a
pecking order. Esto significa
gallina mas fuerte puede
otra mas debil sin que esta Ie
devuelva los picotazos,
pedestal
knock someone off their pedestal
b.;tjar los humos a aJguien (literal:
. derribar a alguien de su pedestal)'
o The tabloids had been trying for
several years to knockjackson offhis
pedesta/.
* put someone on a pedestal
alguien en un pedestal 0 I putmy
own parents on a pedestal, I felt they
could do no wrong.
peg
a peg on which to hang som.tthina
un punto de apoyo para algo
una pinza en la que colgar algo)
o He rarely discusses the book, using it,
as a peg on which to hang his opinions',
- and not necessarily those related to
the boo/<.
a square peg in a round hole un
pulpo en un garaje (literal: una
clavija cuadrada en un agujero
redondo) 0 Taylor is cJearlythe wrong
man forthejob - a square peg in a
round hole,
take someone down a peg or two
bring someone down a peg
bajar los humos a aJguien (literal:
a alguien una clavija ados) 0 I
he needed taking down a peg or two.
Puede que esta expresi6n hag a
referencia a la afinaci6n de
instrumentos musicales como las
guitarras a los violines, que
cuentan can c!avijas para
mantenertensas las cuerdas.
Tambien podrfa referirse aljuego
de naipes denominado cribbage,
en el que se usan clavijas para
anotarla puntuaci6n.
pegged
, have someone pegged encasillar a
aJguien 0 Those who have her pegged
as fragile singer-songwriter should hear
her touring bond at (ull tilt blasting out
the No No Song.
pennies
not have two pennies to rub
together no tener d6nde caerse
muerto (literal: no tener dos
peniques que poder frotar entre sf)
oAnd from all those interviews her family
gave to the Press they sounded as if they
hadn't two pennies to rub together.
pinch pennies ahorrar hasta el
ultimo centimo (literal: pellizcar los
peniques) o States and the federal
government are pinching pennies
everywhere they can and often cutting
arts programs rrst.
penn'orth
your two penn'orth (Brit) mi
opini6n (literal: mis dos peniques)
o I'mjust putting my two penn'orth in,
that's all. The same as you are.
Two penn'orth significa two pennies'
worth.
penny
in for a penny. in for a pound (sabre
todo Brit) de perdidos, al rio 0 In for a
penny, in for a pound. I tool< the jacket
to the counter.
not have a penny to your name
-+ vername
* the penny drops (sobre todo Brit)
cae en la cuenta (literal: se cae el
penique) o It seems the penny has
ffnally dropped - house prices won't
budge until rrst-time buyers are
tempted into the market.
Esta expresi6n se refiere
probablemente a las maquinas
tragaperras, que solo funcionan
petard 209
cuando se les introduce una
moneda,
and pound-foolish
(sobre todo Brit, anticuado) se mira
tanto el dinero que se acaba
gastando un dineral 0 lfwe had
auditors to go out and check on this, we
would have saved billions of dollars. In
other words, we have been penny-wise
and pound-foolish here.
turn up like a bad penny (Brit,
anticuado) estar hasta en la sopa
o Her h.usband was able to trace her, to
turn up again on her doorstep like the
proverbial bad penny.
two a penny a
ten a' penny (Brit) a montones
o Gloomy economic forecasts are ten-a-
penny in Europe.
perch
La palabra perch se reflere a los
lugares donde suelen posarse los
pajaros para descansar (una
rama, una percha, un paste, etc.),
fall off the perch (Brit, anticuado)
estirar la pata (literal: caerse de la
percha) 0 He (ell affthe perch vears
ago.
fall off your perch fracasar 0 There'll
be no end of people ready to knock you
down or grin with glee when vou (all off
your perch.
knock someone off their perch (Brit)
bajar los humos a alguien (literal:
derribar a alguien de su percha)
o For the leading regional ffrms this is
an excellent time to knocl< London rrms
off their perch and seize the advantages
of I ower fees and local contacts.
petard
he was hoist by his own petard
(culto) Ie sali6 e! tiro par la culata
o His plans backffred terribly and in the
end he was hoist by his own petard.
210 Peter
Las bolas metalicas lIenas de
polvora que se usa ban para volar
muros 0 puertas se denominaban
petards. La p61vora se encendfa
con una mecha que se quemaba
g lentamente, perc siempre existfa
eJ peligro de que el artilugio
estalfara demasiado pronto y
elevara (hoisted) a la persona que
10 encendfa. Es decir, que Ie
hiciera volar parlos aires.
Peter
rob Peter to pay Paul desnudar a
un santo para vestir a atro (literal:
robar a Peter para pagarJe a Paul)
o His mortgages ran into arrears and he
borrowed (rom loan companies. He
started robbing Peterta pay Paul.
phrase
to coin a phrase 5i se me permite la
Frase o Stunned Jackson WQS, to coin a
phras.e, 'sick as Q parrot',
Coin a phrase significa "acunar una
frase", En este casa la expresi6n se
usa de forma ir6nica.
picnic
be no picnic se las trae (literal: no
ser ningCtn picnic) 0 'Poor little mites,'
she said o(the evacuees. 'It's no picnic
(or them being taken away (rom their
homes.'
picture
* get the picture entender 0 They
smoke, they play snooker, they do the
pools. You get the picture, I'm sure.
in the picture
1 de par media 0 He thought there
was a boyfriend in the picture.
2 candidato 0 He told me that
Annabella was back in the picture.
She was the best one they could find.
3 al tanto 0 I was completely in the
picture (rom the beginning.
keep someone in the picture
mantener a alguien al tanto
changed so many things - too many
mention. But he's always kept me in
picture.
out of the picture
1 fUera de escena 0 Once Derek
out o(the picture, however, Meller,lm'"
visits to the Swires became more
(requent.
2 descartado 0 But I've been
n(th-choice striker, so I'm totally out
the picture.
* put someone in the picture (Brit)
ponera alguien al tanto 0 I believe
that I could now produce evidence to
prove my case, if you are prepared to
listen. I brought you here (orthot
reason, to put you in the picture.
pie
eat humble pie tragarse el orgullo
pedir perdon (literal: comer pastel
de humildad) 0 The Queen's Press
secretary resigned over his personal
attack on the duchess. He was (orced
eat humble pie and publicly apologise
the duchess.
2 Umbles es una palabra antigua
para referirse a las entranas y los
despojos de los ciervos. Cuando
los nobles camfan venado, con
despojos se hacfa un pastel para
los criados. Dado que el pastel de
umbles era comido par personas
humildes (humble), las dos
palabras se fueron canfundienda
con el tiempo. La expresion
humble pie acabarfa usandose
para referirse a algo humillant" 0
desagradable.
* pie in the sky castillos en el aire
(literal: pastel en el cielo) a Ideally
what I would lil<e to see would be (ree
childcare, but I think that's a bit pie in
the sky at the moment. 0 Changes are a
real possibility. This is not pie-in-the-
slW stu(r
'" Esta expresion viene de la canci6n
The Preacher ond the Slave CEI
predicadory el esc!av?", de
Joe Hill, cantautor y
estadounidense: "Te daran pastel
en el cielo cuando te mueras. (Es
mentira.)"
piece ., .
all of a piece un conJunto
o Thus the biosphere is all o( a pIece, an
immense, integrated, living system:
a piece of the action ....
*" a piece of cake pan camldo (literal.
una porci6n de tarta) 0 'It's not .
exactly a stress(u/job is it?' 'I(it's qUIet,
it's a piece o( cake. It'sjust a bit boring.'
say your piece dar tu opini6n.
o Each preacher stood for two minutes
on a box, said his piece, and stepped
down.
pieces,
* go to pieces .,
1 desmaronarse 0 Every tIme he s
(aced with a problem he goes to pieces.
2 irse al garete oMywork is all going
to pieces. .
* pick up the pieces rehacer su Vida
(literal: recoger los 0 People
in the high desert communitIes near
Palm Springs, Cali(ornia, are picking up
the pieces after last night's earthquake.
shot to pieces hecho trizas 0 When I
came here my confidence was shot to
pieces.
pig
eat like a pig comer como un cerda
aShe could heorthe part o(herselrthat
was self-critical say, 'You eat like a pig.
I can't stand looking at you. You're (at.'
make a pig of yourself (amiliar)
darse un atracon (literal: convertirse
en un cerda) 0 I'm afraid I madea pig
pike 211
o(mysel( at dinner.
make a pig's ear of something (Brit,
(amiliar) hacer algo fatal (literal:
hacer!a oreja de un cerda de alga)
o I made a pig's earofit last time and
I'm going to make sure that won't
happen again.
move like a greased pig (sabre todo
EE UU) moverse a teda pasti!!a
(literal: moverse como un cerdo .
grasiente) oHe is agodofrock musIc
- even though rock can be hard and
heavy, it can move like a pig
through a cocktail party, Imocklng over
everything it doesn't slide past.
squeal like a stuck pig chillar como
un condenado (literal: chillarcomo un
cerdo atascado) oAlan tried to calm
him while Miller continued to scream
like a stuck pig.
sweat like a pig (familiar) sudar
cemo un cerdo 0 The two ofncers
standing just out of camera shot were
sweating like pigs in the studio lights.
piggy "
the piggy in the mIddle (Bnt)
atrapado entre dos fueges 0 When
the men arrived on Doug's cruiser it was
not to service his engine. He (ound
himse/(piggy in the middle o( an ivory
smuggling outfit and Customs.
': Piggy in the middle es unjuego
infantil en el que dos ninos se
pasan una pelota sabre la cabeza
de un tercer nino, que intenta
cogerla.
pigs
pigs might fly (Brit) eso no te 10
crees ni tu (literal: los cerdos vue Ian)
o There's a chance he isn't involved in
this, o( course.'l\nd pigs might ny.'
pike
come down the pike (EE UU)
acercarse (litera': venir par la
212 pile
carretera) 0 There may be some new
treatments coming down the pi/<e.
There's a new medicine cal/ed tacrine or
THA that was recently made available.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
alguien que circula par una
autopista de peaje.
pile
at the bottom/top of the pile en 10
mas baja/alto de la escala 0 I'm more
concerned about the people at the
bottom of the pife who don't havejobs
and who don't have houses.
pill
a bitter pill to swallow un trago
amargo (literal: una pastilla amarga
que hay que tragar) 0 Gordon
Hodgson, Cowie's chief executive, said
the failure to win was '0 little bit Of a
bitter pill to swallow'.
* ,ugarth.pill (Brit)o
sweeten the pill (Brit) 0
sugar-coat the pill (EE UU) dorar la
pfldora oMinisters may reprieve
Harefield hospital to sugar the pill of a
further round ofhospitai cuts and
closures in London and the South-east.
* swallow a bitter pill pasar un trago
amargo (literal: tragarse una pfldora
amarga) 0 Our people have swallowed
a bitter pill in accepting this peace
agreement.
pillar
from pillar to post (sobretodo Brit)
de la Ceca a la Meca 0 I didn't want
the children pushed from pillar to post.
Esta expresi6n proviene de una
versi6n temprana del tenis que se
jugaba bajo techo. Los jugadores
solfan intercambiartiros de un
lado a atro de la pista, desde los
pastes que sujetaban la red hasta
las columnas situadas al fondo de
la pista.
pillar to post (Brit, Periodismo)
principia a fin o Sally Prosser
the best of the Far East to top
circuit, thanks largely to a piilarto
victory in theJAL Malaysian Open.
Puede que esta expresi6n se
@ refiera a los postes de salida y
lIegada en un hip6dromo.
pilot
* on automatic pilot 0
on autopilot con el piloto
automatico puesto n
be on automatic n;J.n"m"
driving without a word t'F comp/olintot'
apparent (atigue.
' A menudo autopilot se escribe
auto-pilot en ingles britanico.
pinch
* at a pinch (Brit) 0
in a pinch (EE UU) en caso de
apuro o Six people, and moreata
pinch, could be seated com(ortably at
the table.
* feel the pinch pasar apuros (/il:.",/:.
sentir el pellizco) 0 Poor households
were still (eeling the pinch and the
imposition o(VAT on (uel mode ,mm"",.
worse.
pink
in the pink (anticuado) rebosando
salud (literal: en el rosa) 0 'HeJJo.
Good evening. How are you?' 'Very well.
And you?' 'Oh, in the pink.'
Aquf pin/( significa "10 mejor".
Esta palabra se deriva de la flor
del mismo nombre ("clavel" en
castellano), que tambien dio su
nombre al color rosa.
tickled pink encantado 0 Her
dressmaker, NicoleMarnier, wouldjust
be tidded pink i(we put one other
outfits in the magazine.
puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera al hecho de quealguien se
sonroje si Ie hacen cosquillas.
pins
. be on pins and needles 0
sit on pins and needles (sobre todo
EE UU) estar sobre ascuas (litera':
estar sobre alfileres y agujas)
01 thinl< we all have been sitting on pins
and needles and anxious for something
to happen.
. e
that in your pipe and smoke it
chupate esa (literal: ponlo en la pipa
yfumatelo) oAsForrules, the only
person who mal<es rules in this house is
me. 50 you can tell Miss Underwood
from me: she can put that in her pipe
and smoke it.
pipeline
* in the pipeline en proyecto (literal:
en la tuberfa) oOver350 major
hospital schemes have been completed.
There are nearly 300 more in the
pipeline.
piper
he who pays the piper calls the
tune quien paga, manda (literal: el
que paga al gaitero elige la canci6n)
o The ancient law that he who pays the
piper calls the tune has not been repealed
even in this permissive democracy.
Puede que esta expresi6n
provenga de la costumbre del
siglo XVII de contratar a musicos
ambulantes para tocar en fiestas
yen bodas. Los que pagaban a los
musicos podfan elegirlas
g melodfas que querfan escuchar.
pitch
* make a pitch
1 intentarvender 0 The president also
place 213
used his remarks to make a pitch (or
(urther space exploration.
2 intentarconseguir 050 (arFederal
Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan
hasn't made a pitch (or the job.
queer someone's pitch (sabre todo
Brit) fastidiar el plan de alguien
o We did everything (or you here, and
you repay the school by doing your best
to queer the pitch (or us at a college to
which we normally send our best boys.
Antiguamente, ellugaren el que
un artista ambulante colocaba su
carpa 0 su puesto se denominaba
pitch. 5i alguien, especial mente la
polida: estropeaba a interrumpia
suo espect<3.culo, se deda que
habfan queered his pitch. El antiguo
verba queer significa "enganar" 0
"estropear".
place
* fall into place
1 empezar a tenersenrido 0 Bitso(
the puzzle (ell into place. He knew now
who had written the letter summoning
Father Benjamin.
2 encajar 0 During February
everything will start to (all into place,
leaving you with a satisfied (eeling that
you're living liFe to the Full.
* out of place fuera de lugar
o Everything was neatly arranged.
There was no sign o( anything out o(
place. 0 The man seemed somehow out
ofp/ace at a gal/ery opening. He looked
more earnest than elegant.
a place in the sun una posici6n
envidiable (literal: un lugar bajo el
sol) 0 I've done what everybody's done.
I've (ought my way in. I think I've earned
my place in the sun.
El canciller aleman Bernard von
Bulow emple6 esta Frase en un
discurso dirigido al parlamento
aleman en 1897, en el que se refiri6
214 places
al deseo de su pars de tamar parte
en la colonizaci6n deAsia
~ oriental: "No queremos obligar a
E nadie a ponerse a la sombra, pero
~ exigimos nuestro lugar bajo el
sol",
* put someone in their place poner a
alguien en SU lugar 0 In a few words
she had not only put him in his place,
but delivered a precise and damning
assessment of his movie.
* take second place quedaren un
segundo plano aMy persona/life has
had to take second placeta my career.
places
* be going places Ilegar lejos olfwe
can play like that every week, then this
club is going places.
* in high places bien situados (literal:
en lugares altos) 0 You do not rise so
high, so fast, without having a few
friends in high places.
plague
avoid someone or something like
the plague huirde alguien oalgo
como de la peste 0 I normally avoid
cheap Chianti like the plague.
~ Aquf la palabra plague se refiere
~ ala plaga bubonica, una
enfermedad que mate a mas de
~ 50 mil!ones de personas en
~ Europa yenAsia durante el siglo
~ xfvyfue bautizada como la Peste
Negra (the Blacl< Death).
plain
plain as day bien a la vista (literal:
daro como el dfa) 0 He was lying
there plain as day, a starchy sheet
covering the lower half of his hospital
gown.
plain as the nose on your face mas
claro que el agua (litera': claro como
la nariz de tu cara) 0 It's plain as the
nose on your (ace tlwtthis c"m,Dariy i,;:'
wildly undervalued.
planet
* what planet is someone on? 0
what planet does someone come
from! (Brit, (amiliar) ite falta algun
tornillo? (literal: (de que planeta
viene alguien?) 0 What planet are
they on?The Government could easily
do something about bank charges,
they won't because that might Offend
their supporters in the banking
industry.
plank
walk the plank (Periodismo)
la responsabilidad (literal: i
por el tablon) 0 I(they thinl< that the
President is gOing to lose, they might
decide, '01(, why should I wall<
(or him!'
~ Mucha gente cree que los i
~ solfan matar a sus prisioneros
~ obligandolos a caminar sobre
~ una tabla que sobresalfa del
~ borde de un barco hasta que
~ (afan al mar.
plate
* have enough on your plate 0
have a lot on your plate estar muy
atareado (literal: teller mnnroe,p<pn
el plato) o He'sgotenough on .
without worrying about tactics and
performances of others.
* something is handed to someone
on a plate (sobre todo Brit) algo se I
pone a alguien en bandeja 0 He
conveyed the untortuncltetimf<ressiol" of.
never having had to fight (or anything
in his life: even the presidency was
handed to him on a plate.
step up to the plate (EE UU) dar la
cara 0 He's got to step up to the plate
and deal with these accusations.
::i cuando los jugadores de beisbol
~ se dirigen a la base meta para
~ batear, se dice que they step upto
~ the plate.
platter
hand someone something on a
silver platter 0
hand someone something on a
platter poneralgo a alguien en
bandeja de plata 0 You act like a five-
year-Old. You expect meto hand you
everything on a silver platter, and when
you don't get it, you stamp your little
(oot and cry.
play
make great play of something
(Brit) hacer hincapie en algo 0 The
Conservatives made great play of the
defection to them Of 20 former members
o(theSDP.
make a play for something intentar
conseguir algo oAnalysts say the
company could soon be making a play
(or properties around the world.
makea play for someone intentar
conquistar a alguien oAIl the girls
made a play (or him.
play someone for a fool tratar a
aJguien como a un tonto ojohn, do
not play mefora (001. You owe me better
than that.
playing field
* a level playing field igualdad de
condiciones (literal: un terreno de
juego nivelado) oAt the moment we
are not competing on a level playing neld.
plot
* lose the plot (Periodismo) frsele la
olla 0 Vikram's working so many hours
asjuniordoctor he's losing the plot
completely and keeps mumbling about
the peaple he's killed by (ailing asleep on
the job.
poacher 215
the plot thickens la cosa se
com plica (litera': la trama se hace
mas espesa) oAt this point the plot
thickened further. A link emerged
between the attempt to kill the Pope
and the kidnapping o(theAmerican.
~ Esta frase seus6 muy a menudo
~ en los melodramas del siglo XIX
~ en los que se representaban
~ situaciones y emociones
~ extremas. Actualmente se usa
de forma humorfstica.
plug
* pull the plug on something dejar
de apoyar algo (literal: desenchufar
alg'o) 0 The Government has set out
detailed conditions under which it
would pull the plug on the sale.
plum
a plum in your mouth (Brit) acento
de c1ase alta (literal: una ciruela en
la boca) 0 I heard Mr Downer speaking
on the radio on the previous day. I was
not conscious of the 'plum in the mouth',
but I was aware of his clear diction.
~ Esta expresion se basa en la idea
~ de que los britanicos de clase alta
pronuncian las palabras como si
tuvieran una ciruela en la boca.
plunge
* take the plunge aventurarse
(literal: zambul!irse) 0 Helen decided
to take the plunge and turned
pro(essional in 1991.
poacher
poacher turned gamekeeper (Brit)
persona que abandona una
actividad para hacertodo 10
contrario (literal: cazadorfurtivo
convertido en guarda forestal)
o Gary Mason, boxing's poacher turned
gamel<eeper, will make his managerial
debut tomorrow.
216 pocket
pocket
* dip into your pocket 0
dig into your pocket rascarse el
bolsillo 0 Potential lenders will need to
be persuaded that the government is
taclding its economic problems before
they dig into their pockets again.
in someone's pocket metido en el
bolsillo de alguien 0 The Labour party
suffered badly in the election from
Conservative claims that it was in the
pockets of the unions.
* out of pocket perdiendo oThe
promoterc/aims he was left 36,000
out of pocket.
* out-ot-pocket expenses
gastos varios 0 I charge twenty
dollars an hour plus out-oF-pocket
expenses.
pockets
* line your pockets forrarse
o He has been lining his pockets (Of27
years while his country has festered in
poverty.
live in each other's pockets (sabre
todo Brit) no dejarse ni a sol ni a
sombra (literal: vivir en eJ bolsillo del
otro) 0 Just because you're married
doesn't mean you have to live in each
other's pockets.
point
* be a sore point with someone
ser un tema delicado para alguien
o The continuing presence of(oreign
troops in their country remains a very
sore point with these students.
* boiling point aJ rojo vivo (literal:
punta de ebullicion) 0 Tempers were
already close to boiling point as the
dispute remained deadlocked for the
ninth day.
not to put too fine a point on it
(Brit) hablanda sin rodeos 0 We
didn't meet. In fact, not to put too fine a
point on it, J was warned off.
* a sticking point un escollo
say a Republican call for a cut in the
capital gains tax is the main sticking
point in budget negotiations.
points
* score points
1 sacar ventaja 0 They're not
concerned about the disabled.
off Willie Brown, the Democratic
speaker of the State Assembly.
o We can see our leaders looking
in close-up every night on television.
There is no frankness, only point-
scoring.
2 apuntarse tantos oAgain,
Laine paused, clearly confident in his
arguments. He was scoring points
thejudge and the spectators.
kept nodding in agreement.
pole
in pole position (sobretodo Brit)
en una pOSicion muV ventajosa
(litera': en la pole position) 0 They've
been favourites all season and are in
pole position now.
someone wouldn't touch
something or someone with a
barge pole (Brit) 0
someone WOUldn't touch
something or someone with a
tenRfoot pole (EE UU) alguien no
querrfa alga oa alguien ni regalado
(literal: alguien no tocarfa alga a a
alguien ni can una pertiga de una
barcaza) 0 The history of the place
I(ept the price down. No one would
touch it with a barge pole.
s Barge pole significa "pertiga"
~ (para impulsaruna barcaza).
up the greasy pole (Brit) el dificil
camino (litera': subiendo par una
cucaAa) 0 The way has now been
eased to aI/ow other women Of courage
and commitment to follow me up the
greasy pole of pro motion.
::: Antiguamente, trepar par una
~ cucaAa para conseguir el premia
~ atado en su extreme era una
~ competicion muy popular en las
~ ferias.
poles
* poles apart polos opuestos 0 The
East seemed to be poles apart from the
capitalist West.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere al polo
g norte y al polo sur.
poor
poor as a church mouse
(anticuado) mas pobre que las ratas
(literal: mas pobre que una rata de
iglesia) 0 I was as poor as a church
mouse, but I bought that wreck of
a car.
oS No es probabJeque las ratas que
~ vivan en una iglesia encuentren
~ demasiada comida, va que en las
~ iglesias no havcocina ni
~ despensa.
pop
take a pop at someone (Brit,
Periodismo, familiar) golpear a
alguien oAndywasjust having a quiet
meal with some of his pals when this
guy took a pop at him.
* take a pop at someone or
something (Brit, Periodismo, familiar)
criticar a alguien 0 algo oSheena
couldn't resist taking a pop at the
revival of Scots culture abroad.
port
a port in a storm un refugio en
tiempos turbulentos (literal: un
puerto durante una tormenta)
oShe was sweet to ta/(e me in the way
she did, hardly any notice at all,just
postal 217
told meto come right to her. A port in a
storm is a welcome thing.
possum
play possum (literario) hacerse el
dormido, hacerse el muerto
o 'Playing possum, huh?' said joe.
'Right: said Fran/<. 'I rgured it might be
interesting to hear what they had to say
to each other when they thought I was
unconscious.'
2 La zarigueva (possum) es un
animal quevive en Norteamerica
~ yen Australia. Cuando la
~ zarigueva se sieme amenazada
porotro animal, a veces yace
~ inmovi! como si estuviera muerta
~ para que su agresor pierda el
interes.
post
Las expresiones siguientes se
refieren al poste de lIegada en
una carrera de caballos.
first past the post el primero
o First past the post was Kenyan
othleteJohn Mutai, who pipped
Irishman Jerry Healy by just 20
seconds.
~ Esta expresion suele usarse al
~ hablar sobre sistemas electorales.
~ E! sistema electoral denominado
~ prst-past-the-post es aquel en el
que gana las elecciones el
~ candidate que obtiene mas votos,
~ 0 e! partido mas votado en la
mavorfa de zonas.
pip someone at the post 0
pip someone to the post (Brit)
ganar a alguien par un pelo 0 They
were concerned that their rivals might
pip them to the post.
postal
go postal (familiar) subirse porlas
218 posted
paredes 0 When he saw the sign he
went postal.
posted
* keep someone posted mantener a
alguien al corriente aShe made me
promise to keep her posted on
developments.
poster
poster child (Periodismo) icono
o Eikenberry has led Q campaign to
ma/<e Lowry the poster child (or tax
increases and everything wrong with
government.
La Frase poster child se refiere, en
~ su sentido literal, a un nino que
aparece en un cartel anunciando
algo.
pot
gotopot irsealtraste o The
neighbourhood really is going to pot.
keep the pot boiling mantener las
casas en marcha (literal: mantener
la cazuela hirviendo) 0 I threw in a
question/just to keep the pot boiling
while my brain caught up.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n se
~ refiera a un trozo de carne
g cortada en pedazos y cocinada en
una cazuela. La cazuela (pot)
~ podrfa habersido un crisol en el
que sefundfan objetos de metal.
the pot calling the kettle black
mira quien fue a hablar(literal: la
alia lIamando negro al hervidor) 0 In
a prime case of the pot calling the kettle
blacl(, 48-year-old lan, whose recent
loves included two 22-year-olds, asked a
friend: 'Why must she go for on older
man? She should know better than
that:
Antiguamente, tanto las alias
como los hervidores se colgaban
sabre e! fuego y se ponlan negros.
the pot of gold at the end of the
rainbow un EI Dorado (litera': la
de oro al final del arcofris) 0
rather be honest with people than
mislead them that there is going to be
some pot of gold atthe end of the
rainbow.
~ Segun reza una antigua leyenda,
hay una alia de oro enterrada
~ ellugaren que el extrema de un
~ arcofris roza el suelo.
a watched pot never boils
(anticuado) el que espera. desespela
(literal: una olla a la que miras
nunca hierve) 0 This strategy is
doomed from the start because it
too public: a watched pot never boils.
potato
drop something or someone like
a hot potato ... ver drop
a hot potato una patata caliente
o When she is confronted with a
political hot potato such as abortion or
tightening the gun laws, she is not
beyond voicing heropinion.
potatoes
small potatoes poca cosa ('itera':
patatas pequenas) 0 While a total
tour attendance of around 20,000 is
small potatoes by British standards,
it is very big in this country.
pot luck
Pot lucl( suele escribirse potlucl( en
ingles americano.
be pot luck ser improvisado 0 'We'll
just be casual and eat in the Idtchen. It's
just pot luck,' Moira said. 'Hope you
don't mind.'
~ Potlucl( significa "comida 0 cena
~ en la que cada invitado aporta un
~ plato".
* take pot luck probar suerte 0 We'd
tal(e potluck at whatever restaurants
might still be open. 0 Travel firms stuck
with hundreds of unsold package
holidays are offering great breal(s on a
pot-luck basis.
pound
your pound offlesh !o que Ie .
corresponde a uno (literal: tu libra
de carne) 0 Banks are quick enough to
demand their pound afresh from the
small businessman and other regular
customers when overdrafts run a little
overthe limit.
; Esta expresion proviene de la obra
~ de Shakespeare EI mercaderde
~ Venecia (acto IV, escena I). Antonio
~ Ie debe dinero a Shylock, quien
~ intenta que se cumpla el trato
segun el cual podra cortaruna
~ libra de la carne deAntonio si este
~ no Ie devuelve el dinero.
powder
keep your powder dry no gastar
p61vora en salvas (litera': mantener
la polvora seca) 0 The only course
upon which the government could agree
was to move cautiously, keep its powder
dry, and await the outcome of events
abroad.
~ Aquf powdersignificagunpowder,
~ 0 "p6Ivora". La expresi6n proviene
de una historia ace rca dellfder
@. ingles OliverCromwe!!. Se dice
~ que Cromwell acabo una arenga
~ dirigida a sus soldados, los cuales
~ estaban a punto de cruzar un rio y
entrar en batalla, con estas
~ palabras: "Depositad vuestra
~ confianza en Dios, muchachos,
g y mantened seca la po!vora".
powder keg
Powder keg significa "barril de
polvera".
praise 219
sit on a powder keg estar en un
polvorfn 0 The Prime Minister was all
too aware that he was sitting on a
powder keg which could explode at any
moment.
power
all power to your'elbow 0
more power to your elbow
(Brit, anticuado) que tengas exito
(litera': toda la fuerza para tu coda)
o Bobby Gould is a good man and he's
now paving the way for a very good
third division campaign. So all power
to his elbow.
g Con esta frase se desea a a!guien
~ la fuerza suficiente para seguir
g levantando el vasa y poder
g continuar bebiendo.
the power behind the throne
la eminencia gris (literal: el poder
pordetras del trono) oShewas
the real power behind the throne, a
strong and single-minded woman
manipulating a wea/(er husband for
her own ends.
practise
EI verba practise se escri be practice
en ingles americano.
* practise what you preach
predica con el ejemplo 0 Blundell
practised what he preached; having
declared himself to be a Kenyan, he was
the first British-born resident to apply
for Kenyan citizenship.
praise
damn with faint praise despachar
con falsos elogios 0 In recent months
he has consistently damned the
government with faint praise, but
earlier this week he issued an appeal
forcontinuity.
~ Esta expresi6n apareci6 por
~ primera vez en la obra del escritor
220 praises
~ inglesAlexander Pope titulada
~ Ep(sto/a a Arbuthnot, de 1735.
praise someone or something to
the skies poner a alguien 0 alga par
las nubes 0 /fyou area famous
sportsman, you have got to get used to
hearing yourself praised to the skies but
only minutes later reading about how
you afe a disaster.
praises
* sing the praises of someone or
something cantar las alabanzas de
alguien oalgo 0 This may sound like
we're singing our own praises here, but I
honestly think most people find our
music irresistible.
prawn
come the raw prawn (sabre toda
Australia) intentar metersela a
alguien 0 I'm afraid to say they were
caught trying to come the raw prawn,
as it were.
prayer
someone does not have a prayer of
doing something alguien no tiene
la menor posibilidad de hacer algo
(literal; alguien no tiene una oracion
de hacer algo) 0 He did not seem to
have a prayer o(regaining the world
title.
pregnant
you can't be half pregnant un
compromiso tiene que ser total
(literal; no se puede estar
embarazada a medias) 0 We did,
however, pick up a valuable lesson: you
can't be hal(-pregnant. An entrepreneur
must be able to give his enterprise a (ull
commitment.
press
a fuliMcourt press (EE UU) una
presion intensa 0 The
administration's (ull-court press on
economic remedies also '"CIlia e., move,
by the Treasury Secretary.
~ En el baloncesto, (ull-court press
~ significa "presion defensiva en
~ toda la pista".
* get a bad press tener mala
o So-called 'arranged I
. common in many cultures, W"lt" no'.
bad press in the West.
pretty
sit pretty estar bien colocado
o When the war started, they thought
they were sitting pretty, because they
had all that extra surplus grain.
price
* at any price a toda costa 0 There's
likely to be more violence (rom rebel
groups that are determined to stop the
peace process at any price.
* at a price
1 pagando caro 0 Guests can always
find a meal o(sorts in the hotel
restaurant, but at a price.
* come at a price
2 tener un precio 0 Fame comes at a
price.
* everyone has their price a
every man has his price todos
tenemos un precio 0 While it
be true that every man has his price,
there are always those who have.
pricks
kick against the pricks (sobretodo
Brit, literario, anticuado) darcoces
contra el aguijon 0 Kicking against
the priC/(s when you're 30 or 40 or more
stri/(es me as a better test o( one's
convictions.
Esta expresion aparece en la
Biblia (Hechas de lasApostales
9:5). Se refiere a las coces que dan
las reses cuando alguien intenta
que se muevan empujandolas con
un palo.
pride
"* swallow your pride tragarse el
orgullo 0 However, i(political
compulsions demand, he can swallow
his pride and ally himselfwith his
political enemies.
print
* the small print 0
the fine print la letra pequeAa
o patients who thought they were (ully
covered are being hit by huge bills
because they did not read the small
print on their insurance (arms.
prisoners
take no prisoners (Periodismo) no
andarse con miramientos (literal: no
hacer prisioneros) 0 You will have to
fight for what you want and what you
believe in and you should assume the
attitude that you're taking no prisoners.
production
make a production of something
montarun show haciendo alga
o He made a production o(brushing his
hands clean on his pant legs.
~ Aquf la palabra production se
~ refiere a una obra de teatro a a un
~ musical.
profile
* have a high profile seruna figura de
relieve 0 He will bethinking about his
(uture now that he has such a high
profile in the cycling world.
* high-profile prominente 0 She
works three days a week in a high-
profile job as communications director
(or a top advertising agency.
* keep a low profile tratar de pasar
desapercibido 0 The Home Secretary
was keeping a low profile yesterday
when the crime figures were announced
in the House o(Commons.
pump 221
proof
the proof of the pudding is in the
eating para saber si alga es bueno
hay que probarlo (literal: un pudln
se prueba comilndolo) oA year after
the changes were implemented, perhaps
we can now apply the old saying that
'the proof of the pudding is in the
eating'.
~ Esta expresion sugiere que la
~ mejor manera de probar la
~ calidad de un pudfn es
~ corniendolo, y no admirando
~ su aspecto.
pudding
overMegg the pudding (sobre todo
Brit) exagerar 0 The movie obviously
over-eggs the glowing childhood
pudding with lots o( cuddles, warm mill<
and snow pattering against the window
panes.
pull
pull the other one a
pull the other one, it's got bells on
it (Brit) icuentase!o a tu abuela!
o 'The Duchess gave it to me.' Thin/< I'd
believethat? Pull the other one, it's got
bel/son it.'
~ En esta expresion, la palabra one
~ se refiere a la pierna de alguien.
~ Ver la explicacion de pull someone's
leg en leg.
pulp
beat someone to a pulp a
beat someone to pulp hacer papilla
a alguien o Motorists were pulled (rom
their cars, beaten and kicked to a pulp,
and left to die in the road.
pump
* prime the pump (Periodismo) sacar
las cosas adelante o Spring is the
time when the government primes the
222 punch
pump to help farmers prepare their
relds.
Prime a water pump significa cebar
una bomba hidraulica hasta que
se Ilene deagua ytodo el aire
haya salido, de modo que este
lista para usarse.
punch
* pack a punch pegarduro oArthur
Miller's classic p/ay'Death of a
Salesman' still packs a punch.
pleased as punch como unas
Pascuas (literal: contento como
Polichinela) 0 Branfoot announced he
was as pleased as punch with his team's
performance.
Punch es Lin personaje de los
espectaculos tradicionales de
g tfteres conocidos como Punch and
Judy shows que disfruta causando
problemas. Esta marioneta suele
tener pintada una gran sonrisa
bur/ana.
punches
* not pull your punches 0
pull no punches no morderse la
lengua 0 He had never lied to me in the
past and he didn't pull his punches now.
He told me that in his opinion, Robin
would be dead in nine months.
g 5i 105 boxeadores no golpean a
sus contrincantes con toda la
fuerza de que sedan capaces se
@ dice que they pull their punches.
roll with the punches sobrevivir
o He has impressed al/ sides by his
ability to negotiate and willingness to
roll with the punches.
5i 105 boxeadares mueven la
cabeza y el cuerpo hacia atras
para evitar 105 puFietazos de sus
contrincantes, se dice que they roll
with the punches.
pup
be sold. pup (Brit) ser dado
gato par liebre (literal: comprar
un cachorro) 0 No-one is being
sold a pup. What vou see is what you
get.
Puede que en esta expresi6n los
cachorros se comparen a 105
animales adultos que no preciSi,",
ser adiestrados.
purposes
we are at cross purposes ha
habido un malentendido 0
been tall<ing at cross purposes
Enron realized. The Hungarian hadn't
been offering him a slice of the deal
at all.
purse
* hold the purse strings administrar
el dinero (literal: sostener la cuerda
del monedero) 0 Six out often women
think that rnancial institutions treat
them like simpletons, even though
they usually hold the domestic purse
strings.
push
at a push en el peor de los casas
o The anly thing yau didn't get in
the village was mil/( and you could
always, at a push, get some from the
Farm.
get the push 0
be given the push (Brit, familiar) ser
puesto de patitas en la calle 0 The
boss has been given the push in favour
of his current numbertwo.
* when push comes to shove 0
if push comes to shove en el peor
de los casas 0 They knew they could
sit back, and when push came to shove
I'd do al/ the work.
pusher
* a pen pusher (sobre todo Brit) a
a pencil pusher (EE UU) un
chupatintas oManyofthe men who
noW sit on company boards are pencil
pushers with PhOs and MBAs from top
schools, but lacl< operating experience in
business.
putty 223
putty
be putty in your hands ser un
muFieco de alguien (litera': ser
masilla en las manos de a!guien)
01 was completely in awe Of him, I was
putty in his hands.

de
Itunarnako
quantity
* an unknown quantity una
incognita (literal: una cantidad
desconocida) 0 She had known Max
(or some years now, but he was still
pretty much an unlmown quantity.
quart
fit or squeeze or put a quart into a
pint pot (Brit) intentar meter alga
donde no cabe 0 In putting together
the article, I was faced with the problem
offitting a quart into a pint pot, there
being so much material available.
~ La unidad de medida equivalente
a 1,141itras se denomina quart.
quarterback
a Monday morning quarterback
(EE UU) alguien que se aprovecha
de la ventaja de saber como
ocurrieron las casas para criticar a
105 otras a posteriori (literal: un
mariscal de campo de lunes por la
manana) oSomeMonday-morning
quarterbacks said the initial lower bid,
without junk bonds, was a factor in his
losing thecompany.
En el futbol americana, el
mariscal de campo suele ser el
jugador que grita consignas al
resto del equipo. En Estados
Unidos, la mayorfa de partidos de
futbol profesional sejuegan en
domingo. Un "mariscal de campo
de tunes par la manana" es
~ alguien, normal mente un
~ hombre, que Ie dice a la gente 10
~ que el entrenador deberfa haber
~ hecho para ganar el partido.
question
"* beg the question
1 lIevar a preguntarse 0 Hopewell's
success begs the question, why aren't
more companies doing the same?
2 (culto) plantear la pregunta
o The New York Times stated that 'the
warming of the earth's climate is no
longer in dispute', somewhat begging
the question o( whether or not that
warming is a greenhouse effect or,
indeed, necessarily part of a continuing
long-range trend.
Esta expresion es una traduccion
~ apraximada de la Frase latina
~ petitio principii, un term ina tecnico
~ empleado en la logica para describir
~ una situacion en la que se da par
sentado la verdad de algo antes
de haberse demostrado.
* a question mark un interragante
oMulti-party democracy has arrived
- albeit with many question marks
about its eventual (orm.
quick
cut someone to the quick herir a
alguien en 10 vivo 0 Thattoneofhers
always cut him to the quiclc
The quick es la carne que esta
debajo de las unas de las manos y
de los pies.
quick as a flash como un, rayo
o Harrison responded as qUIck as a
rash.
quids
quids in (Brit, familiar) habiendo
ganado mas pasta de la esperada
o Workers at a window factory were
furious when they found German money
in their wage packets. But they soon
cheered up when they realised it left
them quids in.
~ Quid es una palabra informal que
~ significa "libra esterlina".
. quiet
quiet as a lamb muytranquilo
quote 225
(litera': tranquilo como un cordero)
aShe's fine, quiet as a lamb. You really
mustn't worry.
quiet as a mouse sin hacer ruido
(literal: callados como un rat6n)
o We were quiet as mice, hiding in
there.
quits
call it quits darse porvencido
o There is a disco cal/ed the Club Coqui,
which stays open until the last
customer is ready to call it qUits.
quote
"* quote.unquote entre comillas
o 'Even though I'm this big, huge
superstar quote unquote, I have (amily
problems, insecurities about my body,'
she says.
rabbit
like a rabbit caught in the
headlights pasmado (literal: como
un conejo al que Ie han dado las
luces de un coche) 0 He just sat
there, like Q rabbit caught in the
headlights.
~ Algunos animates, como los
~ conejos 0 los ciervQs, a veces
~ permanecen inm6viles porque no
~ saben en que direcci6n correr
~ cuando los faros de un vehfcuto
~ los deslumbran par la noche.
* pull a rabbit out of the hat
(Periodismo) sacar un conejo de la
chistera 0 I cannot pull a rabbit out
of a hat every time I go into the boxing
ring. Alii can do is do my best.
race
* a race against time una carrera
contra reloj 0 The paramedics were in a
race against time to treat a six-year-old
girl suffering with breathing difficulties
in Crawley, West Sussex.
rack
on the rack (sobretodo Brit) en
ascuas 0 They put us on the rael< when
we were 2-1 up but we came back well
and it was great to win with such a late
goa/.
~ En esta Frase rack significa "potro
(de tortura)".
rack and ruin venirse abajo 0 The
country is going to rack and ruin under
this government.
La forma antigua de escribir rack
wrack, significa 10 mismo que '
wreck: algo que se ha destruido.
radar
drop off the radar caer en el olvido
(literal: desaparecerdel radar)
o Stories in the news drop off the radar
with people after a couple of wee/<s.
rag
lose your rag (Brit) perder los
estribos (literal: perder el trapo)
o Everyone said Wright did well simply
because he didn't lose his rag with
anyone.
a red rag to a bull .. ver bull
ragged
run someone ragged hacer sudar
tinta a alguien 0 He tends to produce
his best football before half-time,
though often coming back to run
defenders ragged in the closing minutes.
rags
* rags to riches de pabre a rica
(literal: de harapas a riqueza) 0 His
life sounds to me like the classic rags to
riches story. He married some money, I
gather, but he made a lot more himself.
rails
* go off the rails (sobretodo Brit)
1 descarriarse (literal: descarrilar)
o Ourfamilywas so happy until our
daughter went off the rails. She lett school
at 15, left home, and now lives rough.
2 perder el norte 0 By the spring, the
project seemed to be going Off the rails.
No major sponsor had come forward
with the extra f1 million or so needed.
jump the rails (Brit, Periodismo)
estropearse (literal: descarrilar)
o There is a point in the movie where it
seems to jump the rails.
on the rails (sobre todo Brit)
encarrilado a Co-ordinated action is
needed more than ever to put the
European economy back on the rails.
o I was released from prison last year. I
have managed to get part of my life
back on the roils by finding a rat and a
part-timejob.
rain
come rain or shine pase 10 que pase
(literal: lIueva a haga sol) 0 He ploys
golf, come rain or shine, every Monday.
it never rains but it pours las
desgracias nunca vienen solas
(literal: nunca Ilueve sina que
diluvia) a He had a -legitimate goa/
disallowed for 'handball' and later had a
shot handled by a defender, only to see
no penalty given. It never rains but it
pours.
I'll take a rain check de momento,
paso aShe says she'd like to take a rain
check on it and do it in May.
Esta expresi6n provlene del
~ beisbol. 51 un partido de beisbol
~ se cancelaba a causa de la lIuvia,
~ los espectadores tenfan derecho a
~ verotro partido si mostraban la
g entrada del que se habfa
~ cancela do. Esta entrada se
~ denominaba rain check.
rainbows
chase rainbows intentar la
cuadratura del cfrculo (literal:
perseguir arcos iris) a Kemp could see
why there had been that open verdict,
rap 227
and why the police were having
difficulty finding proof; they might as
well be chasing rainbows.
ranch
bet the ranch (EE UU) jugarse el
todo par el todo (literal: apostar el
rancho) aWethoughtthatifwecould
do it, it would give us an important lead
over our competition in future years.
We've taken risl<s before and so we bet
the ranch.
rank
pullrank aprovecharse de tener
un rango superior 0 The Federal
Government threatened to pull ranI<
ana override the states with its own
legis/ation.
ranks
A ranI< of soldiers significa "una fila
de soldados".
* break ranks desmarcarse (literal:
romperfilas) 0 Would you break ranks
with your party and vote against the
president's tax bill?
* close ranks cerrarfilas oMaiaysian
Cabinet ministers have closed ranks
behind Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad, saying there was no
question of his stepping down.
ransom
* hold someone to ransom (Brit)
poner a alguien entre la Espada y la
pared (literal: pedirun rescate por
alguien) 0 But who are the powerful
men at the Bundesbank who have the
powerto hold Europe to ransom?
a king's ransom .... ver king
rap
take the rap pagar los platos ratos
a He had tried, and failed, to get
someone to take the rap fora corruption
scandal.
228 rat
Rap es un terminG argotico que
significa "acusacl6n criminal",
rat
look like a drowned rat ir calado
hasta los huesos (literal: parecer
una rata ahogada) 0 By the time I got
there I looked like a drowned rat.
* the rat race la lucha poria
supervivencia (literal: la carrera de
las ratas) 0 I had to get out o(the rat
race for Q while and ta/<e a /00/< at the
real world again.
* smell a rat oler algo sospechoso
(literal: oler una rata) 0 If only I'd
used my head, I'd have smelt a rat
straight away and never touched the
proposition.
rate
at a rate of knots (Brit) a toda
pastilla o By 1935, Blytonwas
publishing at a rate ofknots-
adventures, (airy tales, mysteries.'
La velocidad de los barcos se
g mide en nudos, a knots. Un nuda
@ equivale a una milia nautica par
hora.
ray
a ra'yofsunshine un sol, una
alegrfa (literal: un rayo de sol)
o I am looking forward to the wedding,
it's the one ray Of sunshine forthe
future. 0 The midwife who delivered
Jamie was a real ray Of sunshine-
she couldn't have been more
helpful.
reap
reap the harvest recoger 10 que uno
ha sembrado 0 Tonight we reap the
bitter harvest of a decade of national
indulgence.
Reap a crop significa "cosechar un
cultivo".
reap the whirlwind (litera rio)
10 que uno ha sembrado 0 We are
reaping the whirlwind from parents
who grew up in the sixties, and who
themselves were encouraged to
question everything.
Esta expresi6n es una cita bfblica
8:7). Se refiere al castigo
infligido a los israelitas
desobedecer aDios. SegOn dicha
cita, quien siembrevientos
recogera tempestades.
you reap what you sow recoges 10
quesiembras o It seems to me that if
we create areas of such bleakness and
social deprivation we should expect to
reap what we sow.
Esta expresi6n esta basada en
una cita bfblica (Galatas 6:7).
rearguard
* fight a rearguard action resistiren
la medida de 10 posible (literal:
combatir para cubrir la retirada)
o National telephone companies are
fighting a rearguard action against
competition from beyond their frontiers.
La retaguardia de un ejercito es la
unidadqueseseparadelrestoy
cubre la retirada.
record
* be on the record as saying ...
declarar publicamente ... 0 We are on
the record as saying we will protect our
friends in the war zone, and we mean
that.
* off the record extraoficial oThat's
off the record. Don't go repeating what
I've said, you hear.
* set the record straight poner las
casas en claro 0 But a company seeing
wrong information about itself on a
report can have a frustrating time
setting the record straight.
red
* in the red en numeros rojos 0 The
company was already in the red to the
extent of more than three million
paunds.
Esta expresi6n proviene de la'
antigua costumbre de usartinta
roja para anotar asientos en el
debe de un libro de contabilidad.
red as a beetroot (Brit) mas rojo
que un tomate (literal: rojo como
una remolacha) 0 He turned as red as
beetroot when I told him.
a red letter day un dfa senalado
(literal: un dfa de letra roja) 0 Back in
1986 Jim hod his first picture published
in BBCWildlife Magazine. That was a
real red letter day for mel' he confesses.
En algunos calendarios, las
g festividades religiosas
importantes se imprimen en rojo.
* see red sulfurarse (litera': ver rojo)
o The programmes so far have simply
reinforced negative stereotype images of
young Black people. It makes me see
red.
g Mucha gente cree que e! color
rojo enfurece a los taros. En una
corrida de taros, el torero agita
una muleta para que el tore la
embista.
red-handed
* catch someone red-handed coger a
alguien can las manos en la masa
o In fact, the burglar wasn't inside the
nat, but on the roof, and was caught
red-handed by the police.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda al
culpable de algun delito cuyas
manos estan cubiertas de sangre.
reed
a broken reed (Brit, literario) una
rhyme 229
persona quemada (literal: una (ana
rota) 0 They recognized that their allies
were a broken reed.
reign
* a reign of terror un regimen de
terror 0 The president last night
dismissed the g'overnment, accusing it
of having unleashed a reign of terror
against its political opponents.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda al
periodo de la Revoluci6n francesa
denominado "el Terror" (the Reign
of Terror); quetuvo lugarentre
abril de 1793 y julio de 1794. En
dicho periodo miles de personas
fueron ejecutadas.
rein
* give someone free rein dar rienda
suelta a alguien 0 Hewas given free
rein to manage the cavalry as he
wished.
* keep a tight rein on someone or
something atar corto a alguien a
controlar algo de cerca 0 Other grave
errors were made as wel" such as not
providing proper civilian government
and failing to keep a tight rein on the
troops. 0 The recession has forced
people to keep a very tight rein on their
finances when on holiday.
Estas expresiones hacen
referencia a unjinete que usa las
riendas (reins) para controlar a
un caballo.
rest
the rest is history -+ ver history
rhyme
without rhyme or reason sin ton ni
son (litera': sin rima ni raz6n) 0 Cuts
are being made without rhyme or
reason. The only motive is to save
money to meet Treasury targets.
230 rich
rich
be as rich as Croesus (Brit) nadar
en la abundancia (literal: ser rico
comoCreso) oHemavbenearlyas
rich as Croesus, but that's still not rich
enough for him.
~ (reso fue el reyde Lidia, un reino
~ deAsia Menor, en el siglo VI a. C.
~ Fue famosa por SU riqueza.
strike it rich hacerse rico 0 I've been
thinking, prospecting might be just
what we've been loo/(ing for: a quick
way to strike it rich.
riddles
talk in riddles hablar en clave 0 For
several days, he dropped enigmatic
clues to Ann, and talked in riddles about
his unpredictable absences of the past
months.
ride
* a free ride un beneficia sin esfuerzo
01 never wanted anyone to thin/< 1 was
getting a (ree ride or special treatment
from the boss.
go along for the ride apuntarse por
hacer alga 0 Your boyfriend is not
likely to be serious about anything this
week except having a good time. Go
alang far the ride.
* a rough ride un mal rato 0 The
government is lil<elyto face a rough ride
in parliament.
* take someone for a ride engafiar a
alguien como a un chino 0 You've
been taken for a ride. Why did you give
him five thousand francs?
Esta expresi6n proviene del argot
empleado por los gangsters
estadounidenses. Cuando los
gangsters "lIevaban a alguien a
dar un paseo" (tool< someone for a
ride), se lIevaban a dicha persona
en un coche para secuestrarla 0
matarla.
right
right as rain perfecta mente
recto como la lIuvia) 0 We
bandage on his knee, gave him a I
and a-cup of tea and he was right as
rain.
rights
bang to rights
1 con las manos en la masa 0 You've
got your man - got him bang to rights -
- evidence, witnesses, the lot.
2 con acierto 0 I read "'1atthew ~ ; u n l ' c
piece on you last month and I thought
he gat yau bang ta rights.
Es probable que esta Frase este
~ relacionada con la expresi6n
~ bang-on 0 dead-on, que significa
~ "exactamente".
ringer
* a dead ringer for someone el vivo
retrato de alguien oAn ordinary guy
from Baltimore, Dave Kovic is
extraordinary in one respect: he's a dead
ringer for the US President.
~ Puede que la palabra ringer
~ proviniera inicialmente del
~ nombre dado a los comerciantes
deshonestos quevendfan anillos
~ de laton en las ferias afirmando
~ que eran de oro. En la hfpica
~ estadounidense, al caballo
~ sustituido porotro deforma
~ fraudulenta en una carrera
~ tam bien se Ie denomina
~ ringer.
rings
run rings round someone dar mil
vueltas a alguien oMental/y, he can
still run rings round men ha/(his age.
ringside
a ringside seat una vision muy
cercana (literal: una butaca de
primera fila) 0 The first US
presidential election for which I had a
ringside seat was that which brought
Jahn F. Kennedy to office over30 years
aga.
En el boxeo, los asientos que
~ estan mas cerca del cuadrilatero
~ y tienen la mejor vista se
denominan ringside seats.
riot
read the riot act leer la cartilla
(literal: leer la ley sobre desordenes)
o The president read the riot act to his
party, warning those who sought to
preserve the old system that power was
already slipping from their grasp.
:g The RiotActfue una ley aprobada
~ en Gran Bretafia en 1715 segun la
~ cual se consideraba ilegal que un
~ grupo de doce 0 mas personas se
~ negaran a dispersarse cuando
~ alguna autoridad les lefa el
artfculo pertinente de la ley.
* run riot
1 desmandarse 0 There can be no
parts afBritain which are no-go areas,
where gangs run riot terrorising the
innocent while the police stay safely
away.
2 dispararse oWe have no proofand
when there is no proof, rumour runs
riot.
En la caza, cuando lajaurfa sigue
~ la pista de un animal que no es el
~ que deberfan perseguirse dice
~ que they run riot.
rip
* let rip
1 desenfrenarse 0 I give a dinner
party for ten people about every three
weeks. It's a big number where I can
really let rip and make things 1001<
beautifu/.
road 231
2 soltar de todo 0 He sometimes
wondered ifit WOUldn't be better ifshe
let rip as she used to do over his
inadequacies in the past.
rise
get a rise out of someone chinchar
a alguien 0 Johnson stopped bothering
him once he saw he couldn't get a rise
out of him.
take the rise out of someone tomar
el pelo a alguien 0 They had thegame
won by half-time but they weren't
satisfied with that. They were taking
the rise out of us and we wan't forget
that in a hurry.
~ Estas expresiones hacen
~ referencia a un pez que sube
~ hasta la superficie para picar en
~ el anzuelo.
river
sell someone down the river
traicionar a alguien (literal: vender a
alguien rio abajo) 0 Hehas been sold
down the river by the people who were
supposed to protect him. It had a
devastating effect on his health.
~ Esta expresion hace referencia a
~ la venta de esclavos problematicos
~ a propietarios de plantaciones
~ situadas al sur del rfo Mississippi,
~ donde las condiciones de vida
~ eran peores.
road
* down the road despues 0 Twenty-
five years down the road from
independence, we have to start making
some new priorities.
* hit the road ponerse en camino
o Urban commuters are having to hit
the road earlier to be sure of beating the
jams and finding a parking space.
take the high road (EE UU) seguirel
camino mas etico 0 US diplomats say
232 robbery
the president is ii/<ely to take the high
road in his statements about trade.
robbery
daylight robbery (Brit) 0
highway robbery (EE UU) atraco a
mana armada 0 They are charging
three bucks (orthe comics, which
sounds like highway robbery to us,
rock
between a rock and a hard place
entre la espada y la pared
(literal: entre una roea V un Jugar
duro) 0 We're caught between a roel<
and a hard place. Either we spend two
months planning the operation and end
up being late, orwe come in right now
and risk making mistakes.
* hit rock bottom haber tocado
fondo 0 The UK motor industry
slumped to one orits blackest days
yesterday as new car sales hit roel<
bottom. 0 When my girlfriend asked me
to move out of Durf/at and end our
relationship, I hit rock bottom.
Esta expresi6n proviene de la
~ minerfa, y se refiere a la capa de
~ roca a la que se lIega cuando los
~ minerales que se extraen de la
~ mina se han agotado.
rocker
off your rocker (familiar) majareta
oMrs. Stevens will think I'm offmy
rocker handing out my money like that
before the bankruptcy business is even
settled.
rocket
it isn't rocket science no tiene
mucha cienda (literal: no es
ingenierfa espacial) 0 In 1981, it didn't
tal(e long for our people at CBS to learn
these techniques. As I'd told Sauter, this
isn't rocket science.
rocks
on the rocks fatal 0 Their marriage
was on the rocks, but they had
determined not to divorce until the
children were grown up.
Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
de un barco encallado en las
. Tocas.
rod
make a rod for your own back I
cavartu propia tumba (literal: hacer
una vara para tu propia espalda)
o If you give in to your children, you'll
just be making a rod for your own back.
g Esta expresi6n se refiere a alguien
g que propordona a sus agresores
~ el palo con el que van a pegarle.
roll
* be on a roll estar en racha 0 We're
on a roll and we're winning, which gives
the players that extra belief in
themselves.
~ Es probable que esta expresion
@ provenga del surf.
be rolling in it (familiar) estar
forrado o She's only 25 and she's rolling
in it.
Rome
fiddle while Rome bUrns perder el
tiempo con nimiedades e ignorarel
verdadero problema (literal: tocar
mientras arde Roma) 0 Fighting with
one another over small details is like
fiddling while Rome burns: it is a
distraction from the main issue.
Se dice que el emperador Neron
incendi6 Roma y a continuacion
se puso a tocar la lira y a cantar
mientras contemplaba las llamas.
Despues neg6 haberlo hecho, y
culpo a los cristianos de Ja
destruccion de la ciudad.
Rome was not built in a day no se
gan6 Zamora en una hora (litera':
Rama no se construy6 en un dfa)
o Ilwow Rome wasn't built in a day but
i don't want to wait 200 years.
when in Rome donde fueres, haz 10
que vieres (literal: cuando estes en
Roma) 0 We had a leisurely lunch,
(allowed by a little sleep - when in
Ramel
Puede que esta expresi6n la
~ empleara por primera vez san
~ Ambrosio (0. 340-397d. de c.) en
~ respuesta a una pregunta sobre si
~ el ayuno religioso debfa seguirse
~ en el dfa designado en Milan a en
~ el designado en Roma.
roof
* go through the roof
1 estar por las nubes (litera': salir
par el tejado) 0 House prices were
going through the roOf
2 subirse por las paredes 0 I admitted
I had ordered a racing car, and found
myselfin terrible trouble. He went
through the roo(!
* raise the roof armar un estruendo
(literal: levantar el tejado) 0 Best
audience I've ever had in my life - they
practically raised the roof
rooftops
shout something from the rooftops
proclamar alga a los cuatro vientos
(/iter.': gritar algo desde el techo)
o I would love to be able to shout our
results from the rooftops.
room
* a smoke-filled room un petit
co mite (literal: una habitacion lIena
de humo) 0 Richards doesn'tthinl<
that a return to the smoke-riled room,
in which a few bosses make the
decision, would be possible.
root 233
Esta expresi6n se uso por primera
~ vez en referenda a la suite del
Hotel Blackstone de Chicago en la
~ que Warren Harding fue elegido
~ candidato presidencial de los
g republicanos en 1920.
roost
* come home to roost producir un
fruto amargo (literal: volver a casa a
dormir) 0 You ought to have Imown
that your lies would come home to roost
in the end.
2 Esta expresi6n proviene del
~ poema titulado The Curse Of
/(ehorilO (La rnoldici6n de /(ehorno),
del poeta ingles Robert Southey.
* rule the roost lIevar la batuta 0 In
Germany, scientists will be found at the
top of many manufacturing companies;
in Britain, accountants rule the roost.
Esta expresi6n parece referirse al
~ galla dominante de un gallinero.
~ Sin embargo, puede que rule the
~ roost sea una variante de la
~ expresi6n anterior rule the roast,
~ referida aljefe de familia que
trincha y sirve el asado (roast).
root
* root and branch completamente
(literal: rafz y rama) 0 These measures
should change our economic system
root and branch.
~ En 1641 se presento ante el
parlamento ingles el "proyecto de
~ ley de Erradicaci6n" (Root and
~ Branch Bill) para impedirque los
~ obispos gobernaran la iglesia.los
que apoyaban dicho proyecto de
~ ley eran conocidos como root-and-
~ branch men, terminG que se ha
~ usado desde entonces para hacer
referencia a cualquier reforma.
* take root arraigar 0 The idea of
234 roots
starting up his own picture library
began to take root.
roots
put down roots
1 echar rafces 0 Servicemen and
women are seldom in the same place
long enough to put down roots and buy
their own home.
2 arraigar 0 Not only did the party
increase its share of the poll but it a/so
put down roots in areas where it had
previously been wea/< or even non-
existent.
rope
be at the end of your rope (EE UU)
no poder aguantar mas (litera':
estar al final-de la saga) 0 Everything
is dreadful and I am at the end of my
rope.
~ Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
~ de un animal que no puede irmuy
lejos porque esta atado a algo con
~ una cuerda.
give someone enough rope to hang
themselves dejar a alguien actuar
que se condenara el mismo (literal:
dar a alguien suficiente cuerda que
se ahorcara el mismo) 0 The King has
simply given the politicians enough rope
to hang themselves: once the party
system has been discredited by pOlitical
in-fighting, he will present himself once
again as an absolute ruler.
ropes
* learn the ropes ponerse al tanto
(literal: aprender los cabos) 0 By the
time he was 34, he had learnt the ropes
of the jewellery trade.
EI origen de esta expresi6n viene
de los veleros, en los que los
marineros tenfan que aprender e!
complicado sistema de cuerdas
queformaban lasjarcias.
'* on the ropes contra las cuerdas
o The Denver-based de;'eloperha:; be'en
on the ropes because Of depressed
housing markets in Denver, Texas and
Arizona.
Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
~ de un boxeador a! que han
~ empujado contra las cuerdas que
rodean los lados del cuadrilatero.
show someone the ropes mostrar a
alguien c6mofuncionan las casas
(literal: ensefiar a alguien los cabos)
o We had a patrol out on the border,
breaking in some young soldiers,
showing them the ropes.
~ EI origen de esta expresi6n viene
de los ve/eros, en los que los
~ marineros tenfan que aprender e!
~ complicado sistema de cuerdas
~ que formaban las jarcias.
roses
come up smelling of roses salir bien
parada (literal: aparecer oliendo a
rosas) 0 Ellis, who was sacked on
Monday, has come up smelling of roses.
He has been taken on by a rival
company and his financial package is
even healthier.
everything is coming up roses todo
estasaliendoa pedirde boca o For
Rachel Ashwell, everything's coming up
roses both in her home and herworldng
life,
~ Este era el tftulo de una cand6n
~ del musical Gipsy (1959), con letra
~ de Stephen Sondheim.
rough
cut up rough (Brit) ponerse hecho
unafuria oWetookapoliceofficerin
case he cut up rough.
* rough and ready
1 improvisado 0 The rough and ready
method used to limit total costs worked
reasonably wel,.
2 tosCO oAt first the rough and ready
sailors did not know what to make Of
the young cleric.
* rough and tumble rifirrafes
o Whoever expected leaders in the rough
and tumble of electoral politics to be
niceorfair?
Originalmente, un combate de
~ boxeo sin reg/as ni restricciones
~ se denominabaa rough and
tumble.
take the rough with the smooth
(Brit) tamar las duras can las
maduras (literal: tamar 10 aspero
can 10 suave) 0 You have to take the
rough with the smooth. I never
promised there would be no risk.
roughshod
* ride roughshod over someone
pisotear a alguien 0 Bosses nowadays
seem to think they can ride roughshod
over unions and I like to see them
fighting baclc
~ Antiguamente algunos caballos
~ were roughshod, 0 se herraban con
g herraduras de ramplones, piezas
~ pequefias de hierro que
sobresalfan para que el animal no
~ resbalara en el hielo. Estas
herraduras podfan causar heridas
g terribles si el caballo pisaban a
~ una persona 0 bien en una batalla
0 por acddente.
roulette
* play Russian roulette jugara la
ruleta rusa o America's space agency
has been accused ofmismanagement
and playing Russian roulette in
launching some of its missions.
Eljuego de la ruleta rusa consiste
en dispararse varios jugadores en
la cabeza con un rev61verque
contiene una unica bala.
Rubicon 235
row.
a tough row to hoe un huesa duro
de reer (literal: una fila dura de
sachar) 0 I think, however, that in
a criminal prosecution against the
police, the prosecutor has a very tough
row to hoe.
rub
don't rub it in (hob/ado) no se 10
restriegues par las narices 0 Of
course too much good fortune could give
rise to someone else's envy, so don't rub
it in by boasting.
the rub of the green (sobretodo Brit)
el santo de cara 0 Providing we have
the rub of the green, there is no reason
why we can't do really we!! in the
summer.
~ Esta expresi6n viene
probablemente del golf 0 del
~ juego de bochas. La palabra rub se
~ refierea!a direcci6n en que se
inclina la hierba al segarse, 10 cual
~ afecta al movimiento de la pelota.
* there's the rub ahf esta e[ problema
o 'J am definitely not part of the club.
They think I am this ferocious feminist
who doesn't approve of them.' And
there's the rub. Women are much more
like/yto imagine they are being
criticised even when they are not.
~ Esta expresi6n proviene del
~ conodda soliloquia que empieza
~ con la Frase lOser 0 no serIO en la
~ obra de Shakespeare Hamlet,
~ e[ (acto Ill, escena I), cuando
~ Hamlet se pregunta si debe 0 no
~ suicidarse.
Rubicon
cross the Rubicon pasar e!
Rubic6n 0 Today the Government
has crossed the Rubicon in favour Of
the furo.
,
236 rug
~ EI Rubic6n era un pequeno rro que
~ separaba la Italia romana de la
~ Galia, fa provincia gobernada par
~ Julio C E ~ s a r . Cesarcruzo el Rubicon
~ en el ana 49 a. de c., invadi61a
Italia romana y desato una guerra
~ civil. La expresion the die is cast
~ esta basada en el mismo
~ incidente.
rug
* pull the rug from under someone's
feet dejar a alguien en la estacada
(literal: tirar de la alfombra debajo
de 105 pies de alguien) 0 Every time
we have been close to saving the
shipyard, the Government has pulled
the rug from underourfeet.
sweep something under the rug
(EE UU) ocultar alga (literal: barrer
alga debajo de la allombra) 0 BV
sweeping the wrongdoing under the
rug, executives seek to avoid being
accused of mismanagement by directors
and shareholders.
rule
* a rule of thumb [a regIa general
(literal: una regia de pulgar) oA
good rule o(thumb for any type Of
studio. phatagraphy is to. use no. mare
light saurces than are strictly necessary.
~ Esta expresion se remonta
~ probab[emente a[ uso de [a
~ primera falange del pu[gar como
unidad de medida.
rules
* bend the rules adaptar [as normas
(literal: doblar [as reg [as) 0 The river
autharities said they were willing to.
bend the rules (ar us and allowed us to.
go through the rrst loci<.
run
a dummy run (Brit) un ensayo
o Be(are we started we did a dummy
run, checking out all the streets and
affices we would use, and planning OUr
escape route.
* give someone a run fortheir
money hacer sudar a alguien
o The British team gave the hast side
a run (or its maney to. finish a clase
second in the team cam petit ian.
have someone on the run tener a
a[guien contra [as cuerdaso It is
clear that the Oppositian thinks it has
him an the run.
run before you can walk (Brit)
empezar [a casa pore[ tejado
(literal: correr antes de saber
caminar) 0 They tried to. run befo.re
theycauld walle They made it too.
camplicated.
runaround
give someone the runaround
traer a a[guien a[ retortero 0 In early
August, sameone close could give you
the runaround, especially where it
concerns maney or ather joint
matters.
runes
read the runes (Brit,literario) saber
interpretar [as senates (literal: leer
[as runas) 0 The management has
proved itselfinnavative and
imaginative. They read the runes and
knew what would happen.
Las runas eran un conjunto de
g caracteres que formaban un
~ a[Fabeto usado par [as antiguos
~ escandinavos hasta [a epoca
~ medieva[.A[gunos crefan que
. estes caracteres posefan
~ propiedatles magicas.
running
* be in the running tener
posibilidades 0 The US needs a win
tanightta still be in the running (ar
the gold.
Se dice que un caballo is in
the running cuando tiene
posibilidades de ganar una
carrera.
rush 237
rush
a rush of blood un arrebato (litera':
un charro de sangre) 0 Hughes' rush
o(b/oad may have cost Manchester
United a couple a(millian pounds.
sabre
La palabra sabre significa "sable".
Sabre se escribe saber en ingles
americana.
* sabre-rattling bravuconerfa oAfter
more than a week Of sabre-rattling, the
two countries have agreed to ta/!< about
their differences.
sack
hit the sack echarse a dormir 0 It
was raining and we were tired, so we
only hal(-unpacked the car and .then hit
the sacl<.
Antiguamente, la gente a veces
usaba sacos y heno como cama.
saddle
in the saddle en el poder (literal: en
la silla de montar) 0 It is his bad luck
to be in the saddle when his country has
to decide which road it is now going to
(aI/ow.
ride high in the saddle atravesar un
buen momenta 0 The Australian
cricl<et team are riding high in the
saddle after their recent victory against
England.
safe
* play it safe ir a 10 segura 0 The pilot
decided that Christchurch was too for
away, and played it safe, landing at
Wellington.
safe as houses (Brit)
completamente segura (literal:
seguro como las casas) 0 Both
managers can count on one thing-
their jobs are safe as houses.
sailing
* plain sailing (Brit) 0
smooth sailing (EE UU) cosery
cantar (literal: navegaci6n
tranquila) 0 Once I got used to the
diet it was plain sailing. I lost 2 stones
in weight over a four month period
and the weight loss has been
maintained.
~ Plain sailing significa navegaren
~ condiciones favorables, sin que
5urjan dificultades. Sin embargo,
~ puede que esta expresi6n venga
~ de la Frase pJane sailing, un
metoda empleado para
~ determinar la posicion de un
~ barco y para planear SU ruta
~ empleando calculos basad as en
~ que la Tierra era plana en lugar de
~ redonda. Setrata de un metoda
~ faeil y senciHo que resulta
~ bastante preciso en distancias
~ cortas, especial mente cerca del
s ecuador.
sails
trim your sails apretarse el
cintur6n (literal: orientar las velas)
o Mr Lee, for his part, has already
begun trimming his sails in
preparation for dealing with the new
government.
salad
someone's salad days (litera rio) la
juventud de alguien (literal: los dfas
de ensaladas de alguien) 0 The
Grand Hotel did not seem to have
changed since her salad days.
~ Esta expresi6n es una cita sacada
~ de la obra de Shakespeare Antonio
~ yCleopatra (acto I, escena V), en la
que Cleopatra habla de su
~ juventud.
saloon
the last chance saloon for someone
(Brit) la ultimfsima oportunidad para
alguien (literal: el sal6n de la ultima
oportunidad para alguien) 0 The
boxers understand one thing clearly. As
far as the world title goes, Saturday is
the last chance saloon for both of them.
salt
* no-one worth their salt would do
something nadie que se precie
harfa alga (literal: nadie que valga
su sal haria algo) 0 No player worth
his salt wants to play in the lower
divisions.
Antiguamente, la sal era cara y
escasa. A los soldados romanos se
g les pagaba un solarium, a dinero
~ para sal, a fin de que pudieran
s comprar sal y mantenerse sanos.
* rub salt into the wound poner sal
en la Ilaga o Compensation paid to
criminals is rubbing salt into the
wounds of victims of serious crimes.
the salt of the earth la sal de la
tierra 0 These are good people, rather
rough-and-ready, but the salt o(the
earth.
~ Esta expresi6n proviene de la
~ Biblia. Jesus dice a sus discfpulos:
~ "Vosotros so is la sal de la tierra".
(Mateo 5:13).
sands 239
* take something with a pinch of salt
(sabre todo Brit) a
take something with a grain of salt
(EE UU) no tomarse alga al pie de la
letra (literal: tomarse alga con una
pizca de sal) 0 You have to tal<ethese
questionnaire results with a pinch of
salt because respondents in such
surveys tend to give the answers they
(eel they should.
Hay quien cree que esta expresi6n
se refiere al rey de Ponto
@ MitridatesVI, que vivi6 en el siglo
I a. de c. Se dice que Mitrfdates se
~ inmuniz6 al veneno tragando
,pequenas cantidades con un
~ grana de sal. Sin embargo, otros
~ creenquesetratadeuna
~ expresi6n medieval inglesa que
sugiere que es preciso desconfiar
~ de las historias inverosfmiles, al
~ igual que es preciso anadirsal ala
comida.
sand
be built on sand tener pies de barre
(litera': estar construido sobre
arena) 0 He moved into the newspaper
business in the Seventies. It was an
empire built on sand. The newspapers
(olded, and by 1981 he was bankrupt.
~ Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
~ un relata biblico (MateoT24-27)
~ en el que Jesus campara a los
~ disdpulos que siguen sus
enseiianzas con un hombre
~ prudente que edifica su casa
~ sobre la roca. AI lIegar las
~ inundaciones, la casa cimentada
~ sobre roca no se derrumb6, a
diferencia de aquellas construidas
~ sobre la arena.
sands
shifting sands arenas movedizas
o Even his critics in theWest have
240 sandwich
acknowledged his shrewd tactical skills
in the shifting sands of Arab politics.
sandwich
someone is one sandwich short of
a picnic alguien esta mal de la
azotea (literal: a aJguien Ie falta un
bocadillo para eJ picnic) 0 His
daughter confirmed that her father was
definitely one sandwich short of a
picnic.
sardines
be packed like sardines estar como
sardinas en lata o The people are in
appalling conditions. They're packed
like sardines on the ship. They can
barely move so the sanitary conditions
are very, very bad.
sauce
what's sauce for the goose is sauce
for the gander (anticuado) 10 que es
buena para uno es buena para el
atro (litera': 10 que es buena para la
Dca es bUena para el ganso) 0 Unless
Washington acknowledges that what is
sauce (or the goose is sauce (or the
gander, these talks with Russia and
China are unlikely to make progress.
say
it goes without saying ni que decir
tiene aAnd o(course it goes without
saying that i(there's anything you
should need while you're out here,
please don't hesitate to call me here at
the embassy.
scales
the scales have fallen from
someone'seyes (literario) a alguien
se Ie ha cafdo la venda de los ojos
(litera': a alguien se Ie han cafdo las
escamas de los ojos) a The scales
have rnallv fallen fram his eves and he
realises that he's made a dreadful
mistal<e.
Esta es una referencia al relato
bfblico sobre Saul, el cual qued6'
ciego tras aparecersele Dios en
una visi6n de camino a Damasco'
(Hechos de losApostoles 9:18).
Saul se convirti6 al cristianismo
despues de que un discfpulo de
Jesus Ie devolviera la vista. Segun
la Biblia, cuando Saul
vista fue como si Ie hubieran
cafdo escamas de los ojos.
scene
* set the scene for something
1 (Periodismo) situar la escena de
algo a To set the scene for this latest
programme exploring the improvement
in East-West relations, here's Kevin
Connolly from Moscow.
2 crear el ambiente para algo a The
nrst hour's cricket set the scene fora
superbly entertaining day as England
and South Africa battled to win the
match.
scenes
* behind the scenes entre bastidores
a The Prime Minister's remarks put in
the public arena a debate which has
been going on behind the scenes for
months. a The debate was postponed
for a third time after another day of
intensive behind-the-scenes
negotiations.
scent
throw someone off the scent
despistar a alguien a The murderer
tried to throw the cops off the scent by
claiming that he saw another man
attacking the woman.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a los
perras de caza que pierden el
rastra del animal al que
persiguen, por ejemplo a causa
de otra olor.
school
*" olthe old school de la vieja escuela
oAs a builder of the old school, he did
not always see eye to eye with designers
of new houses. aShe is very much an
old-school nurse and her outlook leads
to clashes with other staff
the old school tie (Brit) las ayudas
que se dan los que estudiaron en el
mismo colegio privado aMostof
these men claim that school made little
difference to the professional paths they
fallowed and try to denvthe notion Of
the old school tie.
the school of hard knocks la
escuela de la vida a He graduated
from the school o(hard knocks as well
- most of his family perished in the war.
Otra frase similar es the University
ofUfe.
science
blind someone with science
impresionar a alguien citandole
muchos datos cientfficos (literal:
cegar a alguien con ciencia) aAs a
teenage, amateur photographer,
I learned all the technicaljargon so I
could impress people by blinding them
with science.
score
* know the score estar al cabo de 10
que pasa (literal: conocer el
marcador) a Taylor knows the score
now, and what will happen ifhe foils.
"* settle a score 0
settle an old score saldar las
cuentas pendientes a The ethnic
groups turned on each other to settle
old scores, leaving millions dead.
scratch
* something or someone is not up to
scratch 0
something or someone does not
screws 241
come up to scratch (Brit) algo 0
alguien no da la ta!!a o Athletes have
no one to blame but themselves if their
performances are not up to scratch.
Tiempo atras, los boxeadores
empezaban un combate con el
pie izquierdo colocado sobre una
Ifnea marcada en el suelo,
conocida como the scratch.
Cuando un boxeadorera
noqueado, se Ie permitfan treinta
g segundos de descanso antes de
volver a colocarse sobre la Ifnea
(come up to the scratch). Los
g boxeadores que no Ilegaban a
tiempo a esta lfnea perdfan el
combate.
* start from scratch empezar desde
cero a She moved to a strange place
where she had to make new friends and
start a new life from scratch.
Tiempo atras, la lfnea de salida en
las carreras solfa seruna Ifnea
marcada en el suelo conocida
como the scratch.
screw
have a screw loose (amiliar)
faltar!e un tornillo (literal: tener un
tornillo suelto) aMy sister looked at
meas if I had a screw loose.
* turn the screw on someone 0
tighten the screw on someone
apretar las clavijas a alguien a NATO
is turning the screw on the president
and piling on the pressure.
Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
uninstrumentodetortura
conocido como "empulgueras"
(thumbscrew) que se utllizaba para
apretar los pulgares de un
prisionero.
screws
put the screws on someone apretar
242 sea
las clavijas a alguien 0 They had to
put the screws on Harper. So far, he was
the only person who might know
something.
~ Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
~ un instrumento de tortura
~ conocido como "empulgueras"
~ (0 thumbscrew); ver la explicacion
en turn the screw on someone.
sea
* all at sea (Brit) a
at sea perdido (literal: en el mar)
o When he was in prison, he knew at
least where he stood. Now that he's
been released, he's all at sea.
~ Esta expresion hace referenda a
un barco 0 a una barca que se ha
~ perdido.
* a sea change (/iterario) un cambia
radical (literal: un cambia de mar)
oSupermarkets have Q huge innuence
on what we eat and will continue'to do
so until there is a sea change in political
thinking on food.
~ Esta frase proviene de la obra de
Shakespeare la tempestad (1611,
~ acto I escena II), que empieza con
~ una tormenta en el mary trata
sabre la magia y las
transfarmacianes.
seams
La palabra seams significa
"costuras" (de una prenda).
* burst at the seams a reventar
(literal: a punta de reventar par las
casturas) 0 If your shed is bursting at
the seams or you can't get your car into
the garage because of the clutter, it's
time to get organised.
come apart at the seams
desmoronarse (literal: descoserse)
o University lecturers have given a
warning that Britain's I I
is in danger of coming apart at
seams because Of cuts in government
funding. 0 He stood for a moment.
breathing deeply; he was coming
at the seams. something he had never
thought would happen to him.
season
* open season on someone or
something veda de algo a alguien
abierta 0 It seems that, as far as the
media are concerned, it's open season
on the rayal (amily.
~ Open season significa ""1:ennOlmn,:
~ de caza".
seat
fly by the seat of your pants hacer
algo por instinto 0 The truth is that
neither experts nor mothers know as
much as each might wish; to a great
extent, all o(us ny by the seot o( our
pants and try to learn quickly from
experience.
Fly an aircraft by the seat of one's
~ pants significa pilatar un avion sin
usar mapas a instrumentas.
* in the driving seat (Brit) 0
in the driver's seat (EE UU) al
manda (litera': en el asiento del
conductor) 0 Politically, the radicals
were in the driving seat, much to the
anxiety of the moderates.
* in the hot seat como responsable
(litera': en el asiento caliente) 0 The
club was formed in 1900 and since 1902
they have had only seven managers. Syd
King was the longest-serving with 30
years in the hot seat from 1902.
* take a backseat quedarse en
segundo plano (literal: sentarse en
el asienta trasero) 0 You will be aware
that there are some situations when it is
wise to take a back seat and some where
it is appropriate to fight for your, and
others', rights. 0 Dr Mclaren's own
private life takes a back seat to the
problems and difficulties Of his patients.
security
a security blanket una manta de
seguridad 0 To small chfJdren,
teachers are security blankets -loved.
respected. trusted.
La manta de seguridad (security
~ blanket) de un nino es cualquier
~ prenda 0 trozo de tela que dicho
~ nino suele sujetary a menuda
~ marder en busca de consuela.
. seed
go to seed
1 if a menos 0 Once he had carried a
lot of muscle but now he was going to
seed.
2 echarse a perder 0 The report
painted a grim picture of an America
going to seed, its bridges and roads
falling apart. its national parks
neglected.
Cuanda una verdura como la
~ lechuga grana (goes to seed),
~ significa que produce flares y
~ semi1!as yya no resulta
~ comestible.
seed corn inversi6n de futuro
(literal: trigo de siembra) 0 I regard
the teachers as the people who are
planting the seed corn for the future and
therefore I regard their work as crucially
important.
~ Seed corn significa "triga de
siembra", 0 grana que se usa para
~ plantarlo y no para venderlo a
~ comerla.
seeds
* sow the seeds of something a
plant the seeds of something
sembrar las semillas de algo
o Shortly after that came foreign
shadow 243
armies, foreign settlers and foreign
apartheid, which planted the seeds of
today's crises in Africa.
send
* send someone packing mandar a
alguien a frefr esparragos (litera':
mandar a alguien a hacer las
maletas) 0 We hod an idyllic H(e in the
country until I decided I wanted to live
alone forthe first time in my life and I
sent my boyfriend pac/<ing.
shade
put someone in the shade hacer
sombra a alguien oAlthough nowin
her seventies,joan Collins always stuns
the crowds with her chic outfits and still
manages to put younger women in the
shade.
shades
shades of someone or something
recordando a alguien a alga (litera':
fantasmas de alguien 0 algo)
oAndie Mac Dowel/stars in the bizarre
mystery thriller Ruby Cairo, as the wife
0(0 crook who hos (aked his death
(shades o(TheThird Mon, perhops?).
~ Shadees una palabra antigua que
significa "fantasma".
shadow
afraid of your own shadow con
miedo hasta de su propia sambra
o They're all afraid of their own
shadows. Can't say I blame them. After
ali, this is a police state.
* cast a long shadow over something
ensombrecer alga (litera': proyectar
una larga sombra sabre algo)
o Cancer has cast its long shadow over
almost every family in the country.
* a shadow of someone's or
something's former self la sombra
de 10 que alguien 0 algafue 0 Kevin
dreaded going downhill os 0 (ootball
244 shake
plover. He hated the thought or ending
up a shadow of his former self
shake
shake like a leaf temblarcomo un
flan oAt three o'clock in the morning
she sat up suddenly in bed, shaking like
a leaF.
shakes
in two shakes of a lamb's tail
(anticuado, hablado) en un periquete
(literal: en dos sacudidas del rabo de
un cordero) 0 I'll be bacf< in two sha/(es
Of a lamb's tail.
no great shakes nada del atro
mundo 0 This restaurant is no great
sha/<es gastronomically, but the
portions are huge.
~ Puede que esta expresion se
~ refieraaagitarlosdadosy
~ obtener un mal resultado,
aunque hay otras explicadanes
~ posibles. .
shape
* knock something into shape a
whip something into shape poner
algo a punta oAttera successful
career at the Italian central bank, few
people doubt his ability to whip the
economy into shape.
shape up or ship out 0 te pones las
pilas 0 te Jargas 0 The message to
every player in the team is clear - shape
up or ship out.
shave
have a close shave salvarse por 105
pelos (literal: tener un afeitado
apurado) 0 Gingrich had a close shave
in the 1990 general election.
sheep
* the black sheep 0
the black sheep of the family la
oveja negra (de Ja familia) oMyaunt
was very famous in those days, but
because she was the black sheep
family I was never encouraged to
about her.
~ Las ovejas negras san menos
~ valiosas que las blancas porque .
~ no es posible teFiir su lana.
~ Asimismo, la gente sona asocial"
~ el color negroa la rnaldad.
separate the sheep from the
separar e! grana de Ja paja (literal:
separar las ovejas de las cabras)
is getting harder and harderto
the sheep from the goats among the
4,000 or so titles for children that are
published every year.
~ SegCm consta en la Biblia, el Dla '
~ del Juicio FinalJesus separara a
@ ovejas de las cabras (Mateo
25:32). Las ovejas representan a
~ aquellos que iran a! cielo,
~ mientras que las cabras
representan a los que iran a!
~ infierno.
I might as well be hanged for a
sheep as a lamb de perdidos, al rfo
(literal: mas vale que me cuelguen
por una aveja que par un cordero)
o This seductive thought process-/
might as well be hanged
lamb - is a trap which awaits al/
dieters. After succumbing to one biscuit
you feel such a failure you consume the
whole packet.
~ Antiguamente, en Inglaterra se
~ condenaba a muertea 105
~ ladrones de ovejas.
sheet
keep a clean sheet (Brit, Periodismo)
mantener la porterfa imbatida
(litera': mantener una sabana
limpia) 0 Tottenham's most successful
season was 1944-1945: on twelve
occasions they kept a clean sheet.
start with a clean sheet hacer
barron y cuenta nueva (literal:
empezarcan una sabana limpia)
o The Christmas break has erased
unhappy memories and allowed the
Government to start the new year with
a clean sheet.
shelf
on the shelf (Brit) que se ha
quedado para vestir santos (litera':
en el estante) 0 I certainly don't
equate being single with being on the
shein
shelf life vida util oA large
proportion of small businesses have a
short she/(lire.
shell
* come out of your shell salir del
caparazon 0 She used to be very timid
and shy but / thin/< she's come out of her
shell.
playa shell game (sabre todo EE UU)
embaucar (literal: jugar unjuego de
trileros) 0 The union accused the mine-
owners ofp/aying a shell game,
planning to open mines in the future
with the intention o(hiring non-union
miners.
~ Puede que la raz6n de que a este
~ truca se Ie conozca coma shell
g game sea porque en un principio
~ se lIevaba a cabo con cascaras de
~ nuez en !ugardevasos.
shine
take the shine off something (sabre
todo Brit) deslucir algo (literal:
quitarel brilloaa!go) o There are two
(actors which mayta/(e the shine off the
immediate euphoria following the end
arthecoup.
take a shine to someone (Brit)
tamarsimpatfa por alguien 0 Laura
took a shine to her at the interview and
orrered herthejob on the spot.
shirt 245
ship
abandon a sinking ship abandonar
un barco que se hunde 0 When the
party leader resigned, opposition MPs
accused him Of abandoning a sinl<ing
ship.
* jump ship marcharse (literal: saltar
del barco) a The Liberal Democrat
government lost a vote of conrdence
last week. Some ruling party members
immediately jumped ship and created
new parties.
~ 51 los marineros "saltan de! barco"
~ (jump ship), abandonan e! barco
sin permisoyya novuelven a el.
runa tight ship Ilevarel tim6n con
mana firme o Andy, ourteam coach, is
very organized and conrdent. He runs a
tight ship and he does a great job.
when someone's ship comes in
cuando alguien se haga rico (literal:
cuandovenga el barco de alguien)
o When my ship comes in, I'll buy a big
house in the country.
~ Esta expresion hace referenda a
~ un barco rnercante que regresa a
~ puerto cargado de mercancfas.
shirt
keep your shirt on (sobretodo
EE UU) calmarse (literal: no quitarse
la camisa) 0 'For heaven's sa/(e, hurry
up, Pete!' - 'All right. Keep your shirt on!
I'mjustcoming.'
lose your shirt (sobretodo Brit)
perder hasta la camisa 0 If you play
cards with these guys, you can lose your
shirt.
put your shirt on something (sabre
todo Brit) apostar todo por algo
(litera': ponertu camisa en alga)
01 wasjust thinking you might put your
shirt on Go/den Boy in the next race. It's
bound to be a winner, isn't it?
a stuffed shirt un petulante (literal:
246 shoe
una camisa rellena) 0 His seminars
work because he keeps things simple.
He walks around talking like an
ordinary person, ratherthan a stuffed
shirt.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a la
camisa que exhibe un maniquf en
una tienda de ropa. EI maniquf
esta hueco y solo sirve para lIenar
el espacio que oeupa la camisa.
shoe
drop the other shoe (EE UU)
completar la faena 0 Last week, Time
Warner Inc. dropped the ather shoe in
its two-step $13.86 billion acquisition
ofWarnerCommunications Inc.
if the shoe fits (EEUU) elquese
pica, ajos come (literal: si cabe el
zapata) oAlthough I trained as an
architect, I have always been interested
in interior design too. So, when people
saw my work and said 'You're an interior
designer', I thought 'IFthe shoe nts:
the shoe is on the other foot
-+verfoot
shoes
dead men's shoes (Brit) situaci6n
en la que no se puede progresar en
un trabajo hasta que alguien
superior sejubile a fallezca (litera':
loszapatos de un hombre muerto)
oAt that particulartime,jobs were very
difficult to obtain. It was more or less
dead men's shoes.
fill someone's shoes reemplazar a
alguien (literal: lIenar los zapatos de
alguien) 0 It'll take a good man to nil
our old boss's shoes.
* put yourself in someone's shoes
ponerse en ellugar de alguien
(literal: ponerse en los zapatos de
alguien) 0 You should be kinder when
considering others, and put yourselfin
their shoes once in a while.
quake in your shoes estar muerto
de miedo (literal: temblar en tus
zapatos) 0 The prospect of having to
give evidence against him in coe'rt ''''"".
the witnesses quake in their shoes.
smudge your own shoes (Brit)
perjudicarse a sf mismo (literal:
manchar tus propios zapatos)
0 He dishes the dirt on his buddies
smudges his own shoes with
oFgombling.
someone wouldn't like to be in
another person's shoes a alguien
no Ie gustarfa estar en el lugar de
otra persona (literal: a alguien no Ie
gustarfa estar en los zapatos de
persona) 0 He hasn't made any .
and has upset a lot of powerful V""V"'.'
wouldn't like to be in his shoes ifhe
comes back to work
* step into someone's shoes pasar a
ocupar el puesto de alguien (literal:
meterse en los zapatos de alguien)
o In America, if a president resigns or
dies in office, the vice-president steps
into his shoes.
shoestring
* on a shoestring con 10 justo
o Newly divorced with two children to
raise, she was living on a shoestring.
oA British science fiction film made on
a shoestring budget is taldngAmerica
by storm.
En ingles americano, los cordones
de los zapatos se lIaman
shoestrings. Esta expresi6n hace
referenda a la minuscula
cantidad de dinero que se precisa
para comprar cordones.
shoo-in
( A veces shoo-in se escribe shoe-in. )
be a shoo-in for something ser el
favorito para alga 0 The president
loo/<s as though he's a shoo-in for
another four years.
over the shop (Brit) portodas
partes (literal: portoda la tienda)
o When the pipe in the kitchen burst
this morning, it sprayed water all over
the shop.
shut up shop (Brit) 0
close up shop (sobre todo EE UU)
cerrar (litera': cerrar la tienda)
o Unless business picks up soon, some
of the 245 foreign-owned banl(s in
switzerland may have to shut up shop.
* a talking shop (sobretodo Brit) una
reuni6n donde se habla mucho pero
no se hace nada 0 Governments
which used to dismiss the UN as a mere
'talking shop' now see possibilities for
the international body to act more as a
world policeman.
talk shop hablar de trabajo (literal:
hablar de la tienda) oAlthaugh Iget
on well with my colleagues, if you hang
around together all the time you just
end up talking shop, which gets boring.
shopping
a shopping list una lista de
peticiones (litera': una lista de la
compra) 0 Mr Baker presented a
shopping list of additional help the
United States was requiring from its
allies.
short
have someone by the short and
curlies (Brit) tener a a!guien en un
pUfio 0 The unions' chief negotiator
last night said: 'We had the company by
the short and curlies.'
@. En esta expresi6n, puede que
short and curlies hag a referencia al
vella pubico, a! pelo de la nuca 0 al
pelo de la barba de alguien.
sell someone short engafiar a
shot 247
alguien 0 The president accused his
former aides offailing to support him,
of selling him short.
Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
alguien a quien engafian dandole
unacantidad menordealgoque
ha pagado.
sell yourself short subestimarse
o Be confident in your ideas and ability,
and don't sell yourself short.
Esta expresi6n hace referencia a
alguien a quien engafian dandole
unacantidad menordealgoque
, ha pagado.
shot
by a long shot ni de lejos (literal:
porun tiro largo) 0 We have to know
what is going on, and we don't, not yet,
not by a long shot.
do something like a shot hacer algo
rapidamente (litera': hacer algo
como un disparo) 01(1 won the
lottery, I would give up my job like a
shot.
* fire a warning shot across
someone's bows 0
fire a shot across someone's bows
lanzar una advertencia contra
a!guien (litera': disparar un
cafionazo de advertencia contra la
papa de alguien) 0 Britain's
agriculture minister departed from his
prepared speech to (ire a shot across
Norway's bows.
:: La pa!abra bows significa "proa".
get shot of something or someone
(Brit) deshacerse de alga 0 alguien
o He didn't want to talk to me, and
didn't invite me into the house. He
COUldn't wait to get shot of me .
* give something your best shot
intentar hacer alga 10 mejor posible
(literal: darle a algo tu mejor
disparo) 0 Igove it my best shot, but I
248 shots
wasn't quite good enough to win.
have one shot in your locker tener
un ultimo as en la manga (literal:
tener un ultimo disparo en la
taquilla) o They had one hapele(t-
one shot in their locker- an appeal to
the Supreme Court.
~ En este casa, la taquilla (locker)
~ podrfa ser un pequeno armaria en
~ el que se guardaban las
~ municiones.
a long shot una posibilidad remota
(literal: un disparo largo) 0 You could
try to find her. It's Q long shot but you
could look in the phone book.
o Observers say a deal between the
White House and Congress is a long
shot in an election year, when both
political parties are trying to get the
upper hand.
Esta expresi6n se refiere a alguien
g que dispara a un blanco desde
muy lejos.
* a shot in the arm un bal6n de
oxfgeno (literal: un disparo en el
brazo) 0 The remaining problems can
be dealt with in weeks, and to risk
(urther delay would beta deny the world
economy a desperately needed shot in
the arm.
Aquf shot significa "inyeccion".
~ En estecaso,setratadela
~ inyeccion de alguna sustancia
estimulante.
someone's best shot at something
la mejor posibilidad que tiene
alguien de alga (literal: el mejor
dispara de alguien contra alga)
oMazankowski and other analysts say
Canada's best shot at economic recovery
is continued growth in the United
States.
shots
* call the shots Ilevaria voz cantante
o Is the military really the power
the President now? Who really
shots?
.@ Puede que esta expresion se
~ refiera a alguien que, al disparar,
~ dice en que parte del blanco
~ piensa dar. Porotra parte,
~ referirse a unjugador debiillle",,,",
~ dice que bola piensa golpear, 0
~ que tronera piensa meterla.
shoulder
come straight from the shOUlder
serfranco y directo (literal: venir
directamente del hombro) 0 His
opinions about top politicians in
Washington and NelNl'<Jrkcanlestraliah{
from the shoulder. 'The president,' he
says, 'was out of touch with reality.'
En el boxeo, los golpes dados
~ desdeel hombro son golpes
directos y potentes, asestados
can el brazo recto.
* give someone the cold shoulder
hacer el vado a alguien (literal:
alguien el hombrofrfo) 0 He
the cold shoulder at the party;
tal/< to me at all.
~ Aqur shouldersignifica "paletilla".
~ Esta expresion se refiere a la
g costumbre medieval de dar
~ carneasada a los invitados
importantes, mientras que a los
~ menos importantes se res daba
~ unicamente lacarnefrfa que
~ habra sobrado de comidas
anteriores.
put your shoulder to the wheel
arrimar el hombro (literal: poner el
hombro en la rued a) 0 These hard-
working and decent people are prepared
to put their shoulders to the wheel, to
build a better society.
~ En la epoca en que se viajaba en
carruajes 0 en carras nor r;,mino',X'
que solfan estar lIenos de barra,
la gente ayudaba a mover los
vehfculos atascados apoyandose
contra una rueda y empujando.
'* a shoulder to cry on alguien con
quien desahogarse(literal: un
hombro en el que poder lIorar)
o For a lot of new mums the health
visitor becomes a real friend, full of
sound advice and the perfect shoulder
to cryan when it all gets too much.
* stand shoulder to shoulder estar
hombro con hombro 0 The prime
minister said that Britain stood
shoulder to shoulder with the US in
response to the terrorist atrocities.
shoulders
* rub shoulders with someone (sobre
todo Brit) codearse con alguien
(literal: frotarse los hom bros con
alguien) 0 johnson had always loved
rubbing shoulders with celebrities.
show
En las expresiones siguientes, la
palabra show hace referencia a un
espectaculo teatral.
get the show on the road ponerse
en marcha (literal: poner el
espectaculo en la carretera) 0 He
checked his watch. 'Shouldn't we get
this show on the road, now that Rolfe's
here?'
keep the show on the road
asegurarse de las cosas continuan
funcionando (literal: mantener el
espectaculo en la carretera) 0 The
government is going to have to find
something to offer the unions during
theseta/ks ifit is to keep the show on
the road.
* run the show mandar (literal:
contralar e! espectaculo) 0 The fear
is that you have on paper the
restoration of democracy, but in reality
shuffle 249
the military still run the show.
* steal the show acaparar toda
la atencion (litera': robar el
espectaculo) 0 It was the Chinese
swimmers who stole the show on the
first day of competition. They set new
Asian records in almost every race.
* stop the show arrasar (literal: parar
el espectaculo) 0 Twelve-year-old
Reggiejaci<son stopped the show last
night, singing 'America the Beautiful'.
oShe got a standing ovation for her
show-stopping number at the concert
yesterday evening.
showers
send someone to the showers
(EE UU) mandar a alguien a la ducha
o Within the first 15 minutes, four
players had been sent to the showers for
rghting.
~ En el beisbol y en otros deportes
~ los jugadores expu!sados no
~ tienen permitido volver al campo,
por 10 que pueden ducharse antes
~ de que acabe el partido.
shrift
* get short shrift recibir muy poca
atencion 0 Employees' complaints are
getting short shrift.
Shriftes una palabra antigua
~ que significa "confesion a un
g sacerdote". Antiguamente, a los
~ delincuentes condenados a
~ muerte solo se les concedfan unos
minutos para confesarse antes de
~ la ejecucion.
shuffle
get lost in the shuffle (sobretodo
EE UU) ser dejado de lado (literal:
perderse al barajar) 0 He worries
campaign finance reform will get
lost in the shuffle ofWhite House
priorities.
-
250 sick
~ Cuando se barajan bien las cartas,
~ es imposible saber d6nde esta
~ una carta en concreto.
sick
be sick as a dog echar las tripas
(literal: estar enfermo como un
perro) 0 In the children's story The
Choco/ateWedding, the main character,
Lulu, eats 16 chocolate eggs and is as
sic/( as a dog.
sick as a parrot (Brit) fatal (literal:
enfermo como un lora) 0 I can't
believe Ronaldo missed the goal with
that shot. He must be sick as a parrot
about it
j@ EI origen de esta expresi6n es
~ incierto. En el sigle XVII ya se decfa
que una persona era "tan
~ melanc61ica como un loro
~ enfermo" (as melancholy as a sick
parrot). En la decada de '970 se
~ produjo en Africa occidental un
~ brote de psitacosis 0 fiebre del
~ loro, enfermedad que los pajaros
g pueden contagiar a las personas.
~ Hacia esa epoca los futbolistas V
~ sus entrenadores empezaron a
~ usar con frecuencia esta
expresi6n para explicarc6mo
~ se sentfan tras perder un
~ partido.
sickasapig (Brit) muvcabreado
(literal: enfermo como un cerdo)
o Les has just been sacked from hisjob.
He's as sick as a pig.
side
* be on the safe side estarseguro
(literal: estaren ellado seguro)
o You probably won't need to apply for
planning permission to build a shed in
your gorden, but to be on the safe side,
check with your local planning
department.
be on your side estar de tu lado
o The law is not on our side.
have time/youth/money on your
side terlertiemr,oiJiuvenl:ud/diner.,)
de tu lado 0 Having time and money
on your side always helps, of course.
give someone the rough side of
your tongue -+ vertongue
laugh out of the other side of
. your mouth ... ver mouth
let the side down (Brit)
decepcionar 0 The workers are the
best in the world - it is the managers
who let the side down.
En esta expresi6n, side significa
g "equipo" (en un partido 0 en una
competici6n).
* look on the bright side ser
optimista (literal: mirar allado
brillante) 0 I tried to 1001< on ,h,' hr.inht
side, to be grateful that I was
I didn't talk to other people at all about
my disastrous relationship with my
boyfriend.
be on the side of the angels -+ ver
angels
sunny side up
1 (sabre todo Brit, Periodismo) risuefio
o It's not always easy to be sunny side
up.
2 (sobretodo EE UU) frito solo
par un lado (literal: con ellado
soleado hacia arriba) 0 Nicole cooked
his eggs the way he liked them - sunny
side up with a drizzle of melted butter
on top.
sides
talk out of both sides of your
mouth -+ ver mouth
two sides of the same coin a
opposite sides of the same coin
dos caras de la misma moneda
o He says he draws no line between
tragedy and comedy. 'I've always felt
that they are inseparable, that they are
two sides of the same coin.'
sight
* at first sight a primera vista
o Nothing is ever quite as good or
quite as bad as it looks at first sight.
look a sight (sabre todo Brit, familiar)
tener un aspecto horrible 0 By the
time we got to the restaurant, I was
soal<ing wet and I must have looked a
sight.
* lose sight of something no tener
presente alga oAs so Often happened,
peter, Tommy and Henry had totally lost
sight of their real objective.
out of sight, out of mind ojos que
no ven, coraz6n que no siente
(literal: fuera de la vista, fuera de
la mente) 0 My boyfriend and I broke
up when he went to work in China-
it was a case Of out of sight, out Of
mind.
a sight for sore eyes un placer
para la vista (literal: una vista
para ojos doloridos) 0 The sunset
over the Strait of Mal ace a is a sight
for sore eyes.
sights
La palabra Sights signiflea "mira"
(de un arma defuego).
* have something in your sights
tener las miras puestas en algo
oMonroe had more important game
in his sights. 0 I am studying at
university, with goodjob prospects
firmly in my Sights.
~ Esta expresi6n se usa a menudo
2 en su sentido literal.
* set your sights on something tener
las miras puestas en algo oAlthough
she came from a family of bankers,
Fiona set her sights on a career in
medicine.
H Esta expresi6n tambien se usa en
~ su sentido literal.
sing 251
signed
* signed and sealed firmado V sellado
o Well, the agreement is signed and
sealed, and there's nothing you can do
or say about it.
~ Antiguamente los documentos se
sellaban con cera. La marca 0 el
~ diseno en la cera demostraba que
~ el documento era autentleoy no
~ habra sido abierto.
silk
you can't make a silk purse out of a
sow's ear no se puede pedir peras al
olmo (literal: no se puede hacer un
monedero de seda con la oreja de un
cerdo) 0 Well, thisjust goes to show
that you can't make a silk purse out of a
sow's ear. It's a truly awfUl novel, and
even when you throw famous stars at it,
you can't make it into a great movie.
silver
born with a silver spoon in your
mouth nacido con un pan debajo
de! brazo (literal: nacido can una
cuchara de plata en la boca)
oSamantha was born with a silver
spoon in her mouth; there's always
someone to pay her bills ifher
inheritance isn't enough.
~ Esta expresi6n se remonta al siglo
~ XVII. Hace referencia a los ninos
de las familias ricas que eran
~ alimentados con cucharas de
plata.
hand someone something on a
silver platter ... ver platter
sing
sing the same tune 0
sing the same song entonar la
misma melodfa 0 The president keeps
singing the same tune he's been singing
for years, which presumably he believes.
o Everyone was Singing the same tune
252 sink
- one politician after another stood up
to dec/are that there was only one
solution to the crisis.
sink
leave someone to sink or swim
abandonar a alguien a su suerte
(literal: dejar quealguien se hunda 0
nade) 0 The sad part is that many of
these wounded soldiers have been left to
sink or swim on their own after serving
their country.
sitting
* do something in one sitting 0
do something at one sitting hacer
alga de una sentada oShecan easily
go through a box of chocolates in one
sitting.
six
be six of one and half a dozen of
the other dar 10 mismo (literal: ser
seis de uno y media docena de atro)
o To me it was six of one and half a
dozen of the other. They were both at
fault.
* knock someone for six (Brit) dejar
pasmado a alguien (literal:
golpearle seis carreras a a!guien)
oMany people are very positive and see
redundancy as a chanceto start a new
career, but the emotional impact Of
being made redundant can knock other
people for six.
~ En el crfquet, un equipo se anota
~ seis carreras cuando el bateador
~ golpea la pelota de modo que
~ esta no bote dentro del terreno de
~ juego. Cuando esto sucede, puede
~ decirse que el lanzador has been
~ hit for six.
sixes
at sixes and sevens (sobre todo Brit)
hecho un no (literal: en seis V sietes)
o Everything in the office is at sixes and
sevens. None of us knows what we
should be doing.
~ Se han sugerido dos posibles
~ orfgenes de esta Frase. EI primero
~ se refiere a un juego de dados, y el
~ segundo a la disputa que surgi6
~ entre dos gremios del Londres
. ~ medieval sobre quhn iba a iren
~ sexto y en septimo lugar en la
~ procesi6n anual que recorrfa la
~ ciudad. La disputa se resolvi6 COn
~ la decisi6n de que los dos'gremios
se turnaran, 10 que han seguido
~ hacienda hasta hoy.
size
* cut someone down to size bajar los
humos a alguien 0 It may bethat
people are drawn to work injournalism
because of the chance to cut everyone
else down to size.
try something on for size estudiar
algo (literal: probar la talla de algo)
o 'Jarvis /<illedMrRownall?' he said
slowly, trying on the idea for size and
seeming to find it plausible.
skates
get your skates on (sabre todo Brit)
darte prisa (literal: ponerte los
patines) 0 Bargain hunters had better
get their skates on - the best properties
are selling fast.
skeleton
* have a skeleton in the closet 0
have a skeleton in the cupboard
(Brit) tener un secreta vergonzoso
(literal: tener un esqueleto en el
armaria) 0 But everybody's got secrets,
haven't they? Everybody has a skeleton
in the closet.
skid
be on skid row haber perdido todo
(literal: estar en los barrios bajos)
o Gamblers can get through huge
amounts of money. They spend their
savings, then the mortgage payments
stop. It's a downhill spiral and soon
they're on Skid Row.
g La Frase skid road se usa,
~ especiaJmenteen Ingles
~ americano, para referirse a los
~ barrios bajos de una ciudad en los
~ que viven muchos borrachos y
~ personas sin techo.
skids
* on the skids yendose al garete
oMy marriage was on the skids.
put the skids under something or
someone (Brit) ponerlazancadilla
aalgooalguien o Two new witnesses
in the murder case have putthe skids
under the accused man's alibi.
skin
* be skin and bone(s) estar en los
huesos (literal: ser piel V huesos)
oMany villages are deserted. In one we
found nomads looldng for water. They
were skin and bones. They had no food.
* do something by the skin of your
teeth hacer algo por los pelos
(literal: hacer algo por la piel de los
dientes) 0 Chelsea won the title by the
skin of their teeth.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n
~ provenga dellibro de Job en la
~ Biblia, aunque su significado ha
cambiado total mente. Job 10
~ pierde todo y entonces dice "He
~ escapado con la piel entre los
~ dientes" (/ am escaped with the skin
~ ofmyteeth,Joblg:20), loque
~ significa que la piel de los dientes
~ es todo 10 que Ie queda.
get under someone's skin
1 irritar a alguien (literal: meterse
debajo de la piel de alguien) 0 The
continuing criticism of his behaviour is
getting under his skin a little bit.
sky 253
2 encantar a alguien o Atter a slow
start, the film gets under your skin
because of its affection for its characters
and sympathy with the frustrations of
smal/-tawn life.
3 meterse en la piel dealguien
o It is only through getting right under
the skin of your colleagues and loved
ones that you will be able to relate to
them as equals.
* have a thin skin ser muy
susceptible (literal: tener una piel
fina) 0 He has a thin skin and lacks
determination - he's certainly not cut
out to be ajournalist.
it's no skin off my nose (Brit,
familiar) a mf ni me va, ni meviene
(literal: no es piel de mi nariz)
o When I heard she'd got the sac/(,
I thought, it's no sldn offmy nose.
She's not what you'd call a mate,
and losing a lousy job like that's no
big deal, is it?
jump out of your skin lIevarse un
susto tremendo (literal: salir
saltando de tu piel) 0 When I heard
gunshots, Ijumped out army sldn.
make your skin crawl poner Ja
carne de gallina oHegavea laugh
that made my skin crawl.
* save your own skin salvarel pellejo
o The government is trying to save its
own skin ratherthan trying to help the
victims of the disaster.
* a thick skin mucho aguante (literal:
una piel gruesa) oA woman politician
needs a thick skin.
sky
blow something sky-high hacer
saltar algo par los aires oAII our
hopes, plans and dreams havejust been
blown sky-high.
out of a clear blue sky
inesperadamente (litera': de un
cielo azul despejado) 0 Out of a
clear blue sky and atter34 months of
254 slack
successive increases, unemployment
has dropped by 22,000.
~ Esta expresi6n compara un
suceso inesperado a un rayo
~ procedente de un (iela azul. Las
expresiones out o(the bluey a bolt
~ from the blue estan basadas en la
~ misma idea.
* the sky's the limit el ciela es el
Ifmite 0 'How much are you hoping to
mal<eforthis charityofyours?,'Well, loads
hopeFully I mean the sky's the limit.'
slack
cut someone some slack dar un
respiro a alguien 0 When you're new
at ajob, colleagues and bosses cut you Q
little slack. They forgive minor mistakes
because you're new.
*: take up the slack a
pick upthe slack emplearse a fondo
o Losing one of our best plavers was
tough. However, the rest of the team
came together and picked up the slack.
~ Take up the slack in a rope significa
@ "tensar una cuerda".
slap
* a slap in the face una afrenta
(literal: una bafetada) 0 The
daughter of a murdered terrorist victim
said that it is a slap in the face when
convicted terrorist killers are being
treated like national heroes.
a slap on the wrist un tir6n de
orejas (literal: un manotazo en la
muneca) 0 Other than a fews/aps on
the wrist, the General went unpunished.
slate
Tiempo atras, se usaban pizarras
para escribir en colegios, tiendas
y pubs. Los tenderos y los duenos
de los pubs anotaban las deudas
de sus clie'ntes en una pizarra,
y la borraban cuando los clientes
pagaban.
put something on the slate (Brit)
apuntar alga en la cuenta (literal:
poner alga en la pizarra) 0 'Give me
another coffee and put it on the slate:
* wipe the slate clean
1 hacer borron y cuenta nueva
o There's a strong desire among the
public to wipe the slate clean and to caf!
for early presidential and legislative
elections. .
2 acabarcon los numeros rojos
o Over a decade he wiped the,rrm's
slate clean Of debt and brought it into
healthy prort.
3 pagar por sus pecados o Serving a
prison sentence ma/<es some people
believe they have wiped the slate
clean.
sledgehammer
La paJabra s/edgehammersignifica
"mazo".
be a sledgehammer to crack a nut 0
use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
(Brit) matar moscas a canonazos
(literal: ser 0 utiHzar un mazo para
cascar una nuez) 0 Bankers say that
the proposed law is a sledgehammer to
crac/< a nut.
sleep
* not lose any sleep over something
no perder el sueno por alga 0 Well,
don't lose any sleep over it.
sleep on it consultar can la
almohada 0 Don't make any promises
today. We'll tall< about it tomorrow
when you've had a chance to sleep on it.
sleeve
* have something up your sleeve
tener algo escondido en la manga
o The company's strategy for
improvement is simple, according to Mr
Pearse: 'We've got nothing fancy up our
sleeves. We just have to be better.'
Si alguien quisiera hacer trampas
en unjuego de naipes, podrfa
esconderse una carta buena en la
manga para sacarla en el
momenta oportuno.
laugh up your sleeve refrte
disimuladamente 0 He wondered just
how smugly she was laughing up her
sleeve at his ineptitude.
Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
~ de alguien que intenta ocultar sus
~ risas tapandose la boca can la
mana a can el brazo.
sleeves
roll up your sleeves poner toda
Ja carne en el asador (literal:
arremangarse) 0 He was very much a
team player, rolling up his sleeves and
getting down to work.
slice
a slice of the action ... ver action
slings
the slings and arrows of something
(sabre todo Brit) las adversidades de
alga (literal: la honda y las flechas de
alga) oShe was very ill at that time,
which reduced her ability to cope with
the slings and arrows of life.
~ Esta expresi6n es una cita
procedente del famoso soliloquio
~ de la obra de Shakespeare,
~ Hamlet, en el que Hamlet
considera si debe 0 no suicidarse
~ (acto III, escena I)
slip
a slip of the tongue un lapsus
(linguae) 0 The interviewer asl<ed Mr
Clarke about the time he said that The
Mirrorwas read by morons. MrClarke
replied that the comment was a slip of
the tongue. He added: 'I meant to say it
was written by morons.'
smoke 255
there is many a slip twixt cup and
lip (literario) de la mana a Ja boca se
pierde la sopa (literal: hay muchos
errores entre taza y labia) 0 Joe must
be a hot favourite to win in Belfast,
but there's many a Slip twixt cup and
lip.
~ Twixt es una palabra anticuada
2 para between ("entre").
slippery
slippery as an eel mas escurridizo
que.una anguila 0 His opponent in
the boxing ring was as slippery as an
eel, as cunning as a fox and as quick as
lightning.
slope
* on a slippery slope en terreno
resbaladizo 0 These young people are
already on the slippery slope to criminality.
small
make someone feel/look small
hacer sentir insignificante a
alguien/rebajar a alguien 0 He made
me feel small, like an idiot. 0 I could see
he was going to do whatever he could to
make me look small.
smoke
blow smoke (sabre todo EE UU)
levantar una cortina de humo
(literal: soplar humo) 0 It was time to
see ifSam was just blowing smol<e or if
he actually had some useful information
for us.
* go up in smoke quedaren agua de
borrajas 0 But with just eight minutes
to go, their dreams of glory went up in
smoke. Liverpool scored twice within
minutes and went three-two ahead.
send out smoke signals enviar
senales de humo 0 I'll tell you exactly
what I think we ought to do, but what
Idnd ofsmoke signals ought to be sent
by the White House is up to them to
figure out.

256 smooth
smoke and mirrors (sabre toda
EE UU) artificios 0 The president
claims that his economic plan is free of
the smoke and mirrors that have
characterized earlier budget plans.
s Los magos a veces usan humo y
espejos al realizar sus trucos de
magiaafindeconfundirode
enganar al publico.
there's no smoke without fire
cuando el rfo suena, agua [leva
(literal: no hay humo sin fuego)
o I was incredibly upset by the story.
It was the main item on the news and
people were bound to think there was
no smoke without (ire.
smooth
* smooth the way preparar el terreno
(literal: alisar el camino) 0 For several
weeks now, the president has been
trying to smooth the way for this
package of spending cuts and tax
increases.
snail
* at a snail's pace a paso de
tortuga (literal: a ritmo de
caracol) a The economy grew at a
snail's pace in the rrst three months
o(this year.
snake
a snake in the grass un traidor
(literal: una serpiente en la hierba)
a He's just a snake in the grass. You
can't trust that guy.
EI poeta romano Virgilio us6 por
primera vez esta frase en su obra
Buc6licas para referirse a un
g peligro oculto.
snake oil (sobretodo EE UU)
remedios de charlatan (literal:
aceite de serpiente) a He said he was
in the oil business. Hejust omitted to
say it was the snake oil business.
En Estados Unidos, el aceite de
serpiente se solfa elaborar con la
pianta lIamada ageratina
(snal<eroot). Los vendedores
deshonestos intentaban
persuadir ala gente para que 10
compraran, afirmando que era
una medicina que curarfa todas
sus enfermedades.
snow
a snow job (sabre todo EE UU)
camelo, intento de embaucar
a He called the report a snow job.
a They have the experience to know the
difference between getting information
and getting a snow job.
snowball
not a snowball's chance in hell
-+ ver chance
snug
be as snug as a bug in a rug
(Brit, anticuado) estar bien comodo
(literal: estar comodo como una
chinche en una alfombra)
a Jamieson sat down beside McKinnon.
'Ideal worldng conditions, you said.
Snug as a bug in a rug, one might say:
soap
no soap (EE UU) no hubo forma
(literal: sinjabon) a I looked
everywhere for him, then finally I went
home. I called him at home this
morning. No soap.
sober
sober as ajudge (Brit, anticuado)
perfectamente sobrio (literal: sobria
como unjuez) a 'Have you been
drinking?' the policeman asked. Les
looked up at him and shook his head.
'No. Sober as ajudge, officer:
sock
put a sock in it (Brit, anticuado)
callarse (literal: meterle un calcetfn)
a 'put a sock in it, all of you. I need to
tell you something.'
socks
pull your socks up (Brit) poner
empeno (literal: levantarse los
calcetines) a Listen, it's about time
you pulled your socks up and worked a
bit harder because you're falling behind
in your school work.
someone or something will knock
your socks off alguien a algo es
para quitarse el sombrero (literal:
alguien 0 algo te quitaran los
calcetines) a This band will knock
your socks off!
work your socks off trabajar como
un animal a We've all worked our
socks off to produce this show.
song
* be on song (Brit, Periodismo) estar
inspirado a It only needs one or two
players to ploy badly and we'll be in
trouble. The whole team must be on
song.
* go for a song venderse a precio de
saldo (literal: venderse por una
canci6n) a / bought this rug (rom a
second-hand shop. I couldn't resist it
when I saw it- it was going fora song.
Puede que esta expresi6n haga
referencia a las partituras
impresas de canciones, las cuales
eran muy baratas.
podrfa referirse a las pequenas
cantidades de dinero que los
transeuntes dan a alguien que
canta en la calle.
make a song and dance about
something (sabre todo Brit) hacer
aspavientos par algo (literal: hacer
una canci6n y un baile sobre algo)
a Jan made a great song and dance
about the change a(plan at rest, but
spade 257
she calmed down soon enough.
sing the same song -t ver sing
sorrows
drown your sorrows ahogar las
penas a His girlfriend hasjust dumped
him so he's gone off to the pub to drown
his sorrows.
soul
bare your soul to someone abrir el
coraz6n a alguien (literal: desnudar
el alma a alguien) a We all need
someone we can bare our souls to,
someone we can conrde in.
* sell your soul for something vender
el aJma par algo a They have sold
their soul to the devil; they do anything
for money.
Existen muchos relatos sobre
personas que vendieron su alma
al diablo a cambio de riqueza,
exito a placer. La mas famosa esla
de Fausto, narrada porprimera
vez en un libro publicado en
Alemania en 1587, y mas tarde por
escritores como el autor ingles
Marlowe y e! poeta aleman
Goethe.
sound
sound as a bell en perfectas
condiciones (literal: s61ido como
una campana) a The doctor says that
granddad's heart's as sound as a bell.
En esta expresi6n, sound significa
"entero y sin desperfectos". Una
campana que tenga una grieta no
g repicara con claridad.
soup
in the soup en apuros (literal: en la
sopa) aShe has a Imack of landing
herse/(right in the soup.
spade
call a spade a spade Ilamar al pan
258 spades
pan y al vinovino (literal: Hamar a
una pala para) 0 I'm not at all
secretive, and I'm not afraid to call a
spade a spade.
~ En una cora del autor griego
~ c!.3.sico Menandro, uno de los
~ personajes dice "Llama higo al
higo y pala a la pala",
spades
* have something in spa(ies tener
algo en cantidades industriales
o This Glaswegian band have got talent
in spades.
spanner
* throw a spanner in the works (Brit)
meter un palo en la rueda (literal:
lanzar una !lave en la fabrica) 0 If
Britain objects, this would throw a
spanner in the works and could damage
the prospects orthetreaty being
successfully concluded.
spare
spare no expense no reparar en
gastos 0 Their stadium is magnipcent
and the club is ambitious and they plan
to spare no expense to catch up with
Celtic once more.
spark
a bright spark (sabre todo Brit)
una lumbrera (literal: una chispa
brillante) oOurpoorexam results
were totally demoralizing because in the
third form we'd been real bright sparks.
sparks
sparks fly saltan chispas 0 From
what I have seen of this TV discussion
programme, the presenters are not
afraid to tackle serious issues or let the
sparks nV when necessary. 0 Whenever
two such temperamental artists meet,
you know sparl<s will nY.
strike sparks off each other (sabre
todo Brit) hacer saltar el ingenio por
efecto mutua 0 It was a productive
partnership, the two designers striking
creative sparks off each other, ensuring
whatever they worked on was fresh and
edgy.
spectacles
*, look at something through rose-
tinted spectacles ver solo la parte
buena de alga (literal: ver alga a
traves de gafas con cristales de color
de rosa) 0 He accused dip/om'ats of
looking at the world through rose-
tinted spectacles.
spectre
( Spectresignifica "espectro".
the spectre at the feast (Brit) el
aguafiestas (literal: el espectro en
la fiesta) 0 The overwhelming good
humour was only marred by some
catcalls when the US delegation arrived,
but no one directly criticised the spectre
at the (east.
@ Segun el autorgriego Plutarco,
~ los antiguos egipcios solfan
sentar a un esqueleto a la mesa
~ durante un banquete para
g recordarse a sf mismos que un dfa
~ morirfan ellos tam bien.
speed
bring someone up to speed poner a
alguien al dfa 0 I guess / should bring
you up to speed on what's happened
since I came to see you yesterday.
bring something up to speed poner
alga a punto 0 The fear is that the
system will not be cheap to bring up to
speed.
spick
( A veces spicl< se escri be spic. )
spick and span como los charros
del oro 0 When she arrived, she found
Ann dusting the furniture, mal<ing sure
the house was spicl< and span.
g Esta expresi6n es una variante de
~ la antigua frase spicl< and span-
~ new, que significa "muy nuevo".
~ Spicl< probablementevenfa de una
~ palabra holandesa que significaba
~ "nuevo", mientras que span-new
~ significaba"completamente
g nuevo".
spin
in a spin (sabre todo Brit) muy
confundido (literal: en barrena)
o This news came right out of the blue
and it's lett me in a spin.
~ 5i un avi6n entra en barrena,
~ se dice que it goes into a spin.
spit
be the spitting image of someone
serla viva imagen de alguien oSam
is the spitting image of his father. He's
tall and dark,just like his dod.
. EI origen de esta expresi6n es
~ incierto, pero puede que sea
~ una variante de la frase spirit and
~ image ("espfritu e imagen"). 51 una
~ persona era e! espfritu y la imagen
~ de otra, ambas eran similares en
. cuanto a caracter y aspecto flsico.
spit and polish muy limpio 0 The
bar, which had been open for two
months now, was 0/1 spit and polish.
spit and sawdust (Brit) lugarde
mala muerte 0 There's Hogan's Bar in
the High Street if it's spit and sawdust
you're otter.
Tiempo atras, muchos bares
echaban serrfn en e! suelo para
absorber los escupitajos y las
bebidas derramadas de los
clientes.
spot 259
splash
* make a splash causar sensaci6n
(literal: salpicar) 0 She made quite a
splash at the party with her outspoken
views and colourful and expensive clothes.
spoke
put a spoke in someone's wheel
(sabre todo Brit) ponertrabas a
a!guien (literal: meterun radio en!a
rueda dealguien) 0 Ifshe had Imown
he was seeing Tinsley, she undoubtedly
would have tried to put a spoke in his
wheel.
g Las ruedas de carro solfan estar
hechas de madera maciza y
~ tenfan agujeros a traves de los
cuales era posible introducirun
~ radio (spoke) para hacer que el
~ carro fuera mas despacio a para
~ que se detuviera.
spoon
* get the wooden spoon (Brit) ser
el farolillo rojo (literal: !Ievarse la
cuchara de madera) 0 England must
beat Scotland today to avoid getting the
wooden spoon.
. Tiempo atras, el estudiante que
sacaba la nota mas baja en su
~ examen final de matematicas
de la Universidad deCambridge
recibfa una cuchara de madera.
spot
* be on the spot estar en ellugar de
los hechos 0 He likes to deal with
emergencies promptly ifhe's on the
spot. 0 Ironically, the (frst that
reporters on the spot Imew about the
release of Mr Mann was when they
heard a news nash on a local radio
station.
* a blind spot un punto flaco (literal:
un punta ciego) 0 Computers are a
blind spot with me.

260 spots
* do something on the spot hacer
algo en el acto 0 Watch out tor sales
sta((who say yau'li get a special
discount or prize {(you sign on the
spot.
* have a soft spot for someone
tener debilidad par alguien (literal:
tener un punta suave par alguien)
o It looked to me as if Tom had a soft
spot (ar Emily.
hit the spot dar en el clava 0 The
company's new advert really hits the
spot.
* put someone on the spot poner a
alguien en un aprieto 0 You shouldn't
have asked Gary whether he's asked
Linda to marry him. You put him on the
spot and that's very unfair.
spots
knock spots off something or
someone (Brit) dar ciento y raya a
algo 0 alguien 0 I'm looking forward
to the return of their chat show. It
knocks spots off all the others.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n haga
referenda a alguien que dispara
tan bien que es capaz de derribar
~ las marcas (spots) del naipe al que
~ esta apuntando.
spout
up the spout (Brit, familiar)
1 haberse ido al garete 0 The
economy's up the spout.
2 estarcon bombo olnthevillage
where I grew up, there was always
somebody up the spout.
Originalmente, esta expresi6n
hada referencia a articulos
empenados. EI montacargas
en el que un articulo era
transportado desde la casa de
empenos hasta el almacen de la
planta superior se denominaba
spout.
spring
no spring chicken ningun nino
(literal: ningun polluelo) oAt 85, he
is no spring chicken, but Enrico Cuccia
is busierthan ever.
spur
* do, something on the spur of the
moment haceralgo sin pensar
o He had decided on the spur Of the
moment to make the journey south to
Newcastle. 0 Judges currently cannot
renect in their sentencing the difference
between a planned killing and a spur-of-
the-moment emotional crime.
spurs
* earn your spurs (sobre todo Brit)
demostrartu valla (litera': ganarte
las espuelas) 0 How did he earn his
spurs for the toughest policejob in the
country?
~ En la epoea medieval, cuando
hadan a un hombre caballero a
~ veces Ie entregaban unas
~ espuelas de ora.
square
* be back to square one volver a
empezar desde cera (litera': volver a
la primera casilla) oSo weare back to
square one. Their costly intervention
has been for nothing, a carefully-
constructed peace process lies in ruins.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n se
~ refiera a los juegos de mesa en
que losjugadores mueven las
~ fichas por una serie de casillas y a
~ veees tienen que empezar de
~ nuevo desde el principia.
on the square (sobre todo EE UU) de
fiar oAre you sure this guy's on the
square?
Puede que esta expresi6n
pravenga del usa de una escuadra
(square).
squib
* a damp squib (sabre todo Brit) un
fiasco (literal: un petardo mojado)
oAs political scandals go it was a damp
squib, and in Central Office it was
greeted with hilarity and relief rather
than indignation.
~ Un petardo pequeno se denamina
squib. 5i el petardo esta mojado
~ no esta!!ara, 10 que supondra una
decepci6n.
stable
close the stable door after the
horse has bolted at ver door
stack
blow your stack (sobre todo EE UU)
ponerse hecho una furia 0 My father
really blew his stack overthis.
stack the deck (EE UU) manipular
la situaci6n (literal: amontonar la
baraja) 0 The President is doing
everything in his power to stack the
deck in his favour and guarantee his
regime's return to power.
~ En su sentido literal, esta expresi6n
~ significa "hacertrampas al barajar"
~ (coloeando la baraja de tal forma
~ que benefieie al que baraja).
stage
* set the stage for something
crear el marco id6neo para algo
ojamaica's prime minister set the
stage fora snap election this month by
announcing candidates for his People's
National Party.
stake
go to the stake to defend
something (sobre todo Brit,
anticuado) dar la eara para defender
algo 0 English biologist Thomas Henry
Huxley was prepared to go to the stake
to defend Darwin's theory of evoiution.
state 261
Stake significa "estaea".
Antiguamente, a veees ataban a
una persona a una estaea via
quemaban viva por negarse a
rechazar creencias que la Iglesia
consideraba heretieas.
stall
set out your stall (Brit) presentar
tus razones (litera': montartu puesto)
o He has set out his stall to retain his
place in Europe's Ryder Cup team.
stand
* stand up and be counted hacerse
ofr (literal: levantarse y ser contado)
o We must have the courage to stand up
and be counted on this issue.
standard
* the standard bearer of something
el abanderado de algo 0 Inevitably,
the public perception of her is that Of a
standard bearerforwomenjockeys.
stars
have stars in your eyes estar
ilusionado (literal: tener estrellas en
los ojos) 0 We had stars in our eyes last
weekend. Now we understand the
reality of the situation.
* reach for the stars apuntarmuy
alto (literal: intentar alcanzar las
estrellas) 0 If you're ready to move on
in your career, keep your feet firmly on
the ground while reaching forthe stars!
starter
under starter's orders (Brit) estar
esperando la orden de comenzar
o TheVice-President is under starter's
orders - his job exists to provide a
legitimate successor if a president dies.
state
* the state of play (Brit) la situaci6n
o Ben Willmott gives you the state of
play on marijuana and the law.
262 steam
steam
Las expresiones siguientes se
refieren al usa de vapor para
proporcionar potencia a una
maquina, especial mente a una
maquina de vapor.
do something under your own
steam hacer alga par tus propios
medios 0 He lett the group convinced
he could do better under his own steam.
go full steam ahead avanzar a toda
marcha 0 The prime minister declared
it was full steam ahead for a fourth
term of government.
go somewhere under your own
steam ira algun lugarportus
propios medios oMost hotels
organise tours to inland beauty spots,
but car hire is cheap enough to consider
taking off into the hills under your own
steam.
* let off steam (sabre todo Brit) 0
blow off steam (sobretodo EE UU)
desahogarse (litera': soltar vapor)
o I was so upset that I pulled the car
over to the side of the road, got out, and
tool< a long walle Ijust had to let 0((
steam.
~ Esta expresi6n hace referencia al
~ vapor que sale ruidosamente par
~ la valvula de seguridad de una
~ m.3quinadevapor.
pick up steam empezar a tamar
impulso (literal: (alentar calderas)
o Baskin said the economy should pick
up steam next year.
run out of steam perderfuelle
(literal: quedarse sin vapor)
o The US is in a triple dip of recession.
The promised recovery ran out of steam,
the economy is slowing sharply and
consumer spending is falling.
stew
in a stew (anticuado) hecho un
manojo de nervios (literal: en un
estofado) 0 He's been in a stew ever
since he tool< that phone call early this
morning.
let someone stew 0
let someone stew in their own juice
dejar que alguien se (ueza en su
propia salsa 0 He was very nasty to
.everyone and now no one will speai<to
him; let him stew in his own jUice.
stick
carry a big stick tener mucho poder
(literal: lIevar un palo grande) 0 The
company carries a big stick. Overthe
past 107 years it has built itself up into
the biggest brand in the world and now
controls 44 per cent of the global
marl<et.
Esta expresi6n viene de un dicho
~ que se hizo muy popular a ra!zde
~ un discurso pronunciado por
~ Theodore Roosevelt en 1903: "Hay
g un sencillo adagio antiguo que
~ dice as!: 'Habla en voz baja y lIeva
~ un palo grande; lIegaras lejos:"
* get a lot of stick (Brit) lIevarse
muchos palos 0 The cricket team got
a lot Of stick when they returned from
their tour of India, butthey deserved it
as they had played so badly.
get the short end of the stick
(sabre todo EE UU) tocar la peor
parte oAs usual it's the consumer
who gets the short end Of the stick.
get the wrong end of the stick
coger el rabano por las hojas (literal:
coger el extrema equivocado del
palo) 0 People are so easily confused,
and so Often get the wrong end of the
stick.
have more things than you can
shake a stick at tener montones de
cosas oMy daughter has more pairs Of
shoes than you can shake a sticl( at.
in a cleft stick (Brit) entre la espada
y la pared (literal: en un palo
hendido) 0 Debbie now nnds hersel(in
a cleft stick If she pays her rent, she
won't have any money to buy food.
puede que esta expresion se
~ refiera ala costumbre de atrapar
~ serpientes sujetandolas detras de
la cabeza can un palo hendida.
* a stick to beat someone with (Brit)
un arma can la que atacar a alguien
(literal: un palo can el que pegarle a
alguien) oSurprisingly, the opposition,
usually eager to find any stick to beat
the government with, is refusing to
comment on the affair.
stiff
be as stiff as a board estar mas
tieso que un palo 0 When you start to
do yoga, you can gain flexibility very
quickly - even if you are as stiff as a
board at your first session.
sting
"* something has a sting in the tail
(Brit) alga tiene algo nada
agradable al final (literal: algo tiene
un aguijon en la cola) 0 The
agreement had a sting in the tail. It said
that the entire aid package would be
suspended if the country did not make
progress on the economic front.
Esta expresion hace referencia a
~ un escorpion. Pese a ser pequeno
~ y parecer inofensivo, tiene un
~ aguijon venenoso en la cola.
take the sting out of something
restarfuerza a algo (litera': quitar el
aguijon a alga) 0 The most serious
situation can be viewed with humour
and that always helps to ta/(ethe sting
out o(hard (acts.
stitch
a stitch in time 0
a stitch in time saves nine mas vale
stools 263
prevenir que curar (literal: un punta
dado en su momento evita nueve)
o The saying'a stitch in time saves nine'
is never more true than with a boat's
paintworlc one must be immediately
ready to touch up the chips that occur in
order to prevent a, bigger job later.
stitches
someone or something has you in
stitches alguien oalgo te hace
partirte de risa 0 The outrageous
comedienne plans to have the north Of
England in stitches when she performs
at the Liverpool Festival of Comedy.
stone
* leave no stone unturned no dejar
piedra par mover 0 In the diffiCUlt
weeks ahead, we'll leave no stone
unturned in our search for a peaceful
solution to the crisis.
a rolling stone gathers no moss
piedra movediza nunca moho cobija
o He said that a rolling stone gathers no
moss, that I'd never have a family if I
spent my life touring with the band.
I was determined to prove him wrong.
something is not set in stone algo
no es para toda la vida (literal: algo
no esta tallado en piedra) 0 Promises
made two orthree years before an
election are not set in stone and can
be changed.
* a stone's throw from somewhere
a un tiro de piedra de algun lugar
o Burke found employment and rented a
flat a stone's throw from his new office.
stools
fall between two stools (sabre todo
Brit) quedarse nadando entre dos
aguas (literal: caerse entre dos
taburetes) 0 Labour says that young
people on waiting lists for youth
training fall between two stools. They
can't get unemployment benefit, nor
264 stops
can they get the allowance for the
scheme they're waiting to get on.
stops
* pull out all the stops tocartodos
los registros 0 The government has
pulled out all the stops to try and ensure
an election victory.
~ Aquf stop significa "registro" (de
~ un 6rgana). EI6rgano toea mas
~ alto cuando se sacan todos los
: registros.
storage
put something into cold storage
aparcar alga (literal: refrigerar alga)
o The author's illness means that he has
put completion of his fourth novel into
cold storage.
storm
a storm in a teacup (Brit) una
tormenta en un vasa de agua
(literal: una tormenta en una taia
de te) 0 I know how much Ella II/<es
you. I'm sure this disagreement is all a
storm in a teacup. It'll blow over in no
time.
* take somewhere by storm cautivar
a un lugar(litera': tomar al asalto un
lugar) 0 The rim has taken America by
storm.
~ Originalmente esta expresion
~ significaba capturar un fuerte 0
~ un puesto militar mediante un
~ ataque repentino y violento.
* weather the storm capear el
temporal 0 The company has
weathered the storm of the current
recession better than most. As car sales
have plummeted, it's seen its share of
the market actually increase.
story
* to cut a long story short (Brit) 0
to make a long story short (EE UU)
en resumidas cuentas (literal: para
abreviaruna larga historia) 0 I met
Paul at a party two years ago - he Was
the most handsome man I'd ever seen
- and, to cut a long story short, we're
getting married next year.
straight
* keep someone on the straight and
narrow manteneraalguien porel
buen camino 0 Our goal is to keep
these vulnerable young people on the
straight and narrow.
~ La forma original de la palabra
~ straight era strait, que significa
g "estrecho". La expresion se refiere
~ probable mente al siguiente
~ pasaje bfblico: "jQue estrecha la
~ entrada yque angosto el camino
~ que lIeva a la Vida! V-pocos son los
~ que 10 encuentran" (Because strait
~ is the gate, and narrow is the way
g which leads to life, and there are few
" that rnd it. .)(Mateo 7:14).
straight as a die
1 (Brit) muy honrado (literal: recto
como un troquel) 0 Tom's not the
devious type - he's as straight as
a die.
2 recto como una vela 0 The streets
are lined up, straight as a die, along the
le(t bank o(the Guodiono estuory.
~ Die significa "troquel" (de metal).
g Puede que esta expresion se
~ refiera a los troqueles que se
~ usa ban para acuflar monedas.
~ Los obreros metalurgicos tenfan
~ que darle un martillazofuerte aJ
~ troquel a fin de dejar una
~ impresion clara en la maneda.
straw
draw the short straw (sabre todo
Brit) tocarle la china (literal: sacar el
palito mas corto) 0 Jim drew the
short straw: he had to drive (orty miles
to the airport at midnight to picl< up
Elizabeth.
'* the final straw el colma (literal:
la paja final) oMrElton was already
distraught over his mother's death.
When his wife asked him (or a divorce,
it was the rnal straw.
a man of straw (Brit, culto) un
hombre de paja 0 The problem o(the
Labour Party is that it is once again
remlyin the grip o(men o(straw
without guts and without principles.
the straw that breaks the camel's
back la gota que colma el vase
(literal: la paja que rompe ellomo
del camello) 0 Lastweel<, I broke my
wrist skateboarding for the second
time. That was the straw that broke the
camel's back. My dad has told me to
give up the sport.
Esta expresion hace referencia a
un animal queya !leva una gran
~ eargasobreellomoyquese
~ desmorona cuando alguien Ie
afiade un objeto mas.
straws
clutch at straws agarrarse a un
clavo ardiendo (literal: agarrarse a
pajas) 0 This extraordinary speech was
made by a man clutching at straws to
gain much-desired pUblicity.
? Esta expresion sugiere la imagen
~ de una persona que se esta
~ ahogando yque intenta
desesperadamente agarrarse a
~ eualquier cosa para salvarse,
incluso a una paja.
straws in the wind (Brit, Periodisma)
indicios (literal: pajas al viento)
o There is new evidence that the
economy is starting to climb out o(
recession. The latest straws in the wind
are improved retail sales and an increase
in property sales.
streets 265
Hay quien echa al suelo pajitas
para ver hacia d6nde se mueven
al eaer, de modo que sea posible
adivinaren que direeeion sopla el
viento.
streak
talk a blue streak (EE UU) hablar
par los codas (literal: hablar un rayo
aZUl) oAlthough I'm usually shy, that
night I talked a blue streak from the
moment I arrived at the party.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere al
~ resplandor instantaneo de un
relampago azulado queaparece
g er] el cielo.
stream
* come on stream (sabre tado Brit)
entrar en funcionamiento 0 Faults
at Romania's rrst nuclear power plant
must be repaired before it comes on
stream.
street
* the man in the street el hombre de
lacalle oButhowdothesemassive
changes appear to the man in the
street?
something is right up your street
(sobre todo Brit) alga es 10 tuyo
(literal: algo esta en tu calle) oActor
Roy Barraclough has taken on a role
that's right up his street, as Sherlock
Holmes' bumbling sidekickWatsan.
streets
* be streets ahead of something
or someone (Brit) dar ciento y
raya a algo 0 alguien (literal: estar
muchas calles pordelante de algo
o alguien) 0 Bill had a great
imagination and was always streets
ahead of his fellow-teachers in seeing
children's needs and in arranging ways
to meet them.
266 stretch
stretch
* be at full stretch (Brit) estar
empleandose a fonda (litera': estar
completamente estirado) 0 Police
are warning that emergency services afe
at full stretch and they are advising
motorists to travel only iFtheir journey
is absolutely necessary.
stride
* hit your stride 0
get into your stride coger el ritma
o The Government is getting into its
stride and seems, (or the moment, to be
fUlfilling its promises.
put someone off their stride (Brit)
hacer perder los papeles a alguien
(literal: sacar de su paso a alguien)
o The player's bad behaviour is a tactic
designed to put his opponent offhis
stride.
* take something in your stride (Brit)
o
take something in stride (EE UU)
tomarse algo con calma 0 Ridley
didn't start shouting, o(anything like
that. In foct, right until the end he
seemed to be taking it all in his stride.
strikes
En el beisbol, la palabra strike
significa "golpe". EI bateadores
eliminado despues de tres golpes.
three strikes against someone or
something (sobre todo EE UU) tres
cosas en contra de alguien 0 algo
o He said to me, 'Listen, you've got three
strikes against you. You're poor, you're
uneducated and you're homeless.'
three strikes and you're out tres
de!itos V te caera todo el peso de la
lev 0 California has recently introduced
a law known as three stri/(es and you're
out, meaning that atter a third
conviction, you are put in prison.
string
have another string to your bow
(Brit) tenervarios recursos (literal:
tener otra cuerda en e! arco)
oStephanie has another string to her
bow. Before her career in interior design,
she was a photographer.
. Los arqueros solfan lIevar una
. ~ cuerda de repuesto para Su arco
~ por si la primera se les rompfa,
have someone on a string tener a
alguien en un puno 0 Forthe rest of
his life he had heron a string, spending
her money and controlling every aspect
of her life.
strings
* pull strings moverhilos oManyof
Anna's colleagues felt that she was
pulling strings to advance her career.
* pull the strings mover los hilos
o Having engineered many of these
political changes and pulled the strings
from behind the stage, he now feels it's
his due, as it were, to become national
leader.
:@ Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
g un tftere controlado mediante
~ hilos.
* with no strings attached sin
compromiso alguno 0 This Isan
extremely generous offer, which comes
with no strings attached. I think that
we should accept.
with strings attached con
condiciones 0 The charity has a very
strict rule that it refuses to accept any
donations with strings attached.
strip
tear a strip off someone 0
tear someone off a strip (Brit)
echar una bronca a alguien (literal:
arrancaruna tira de alguien) 0 We
were sent to the headmaster's office and
he tore strips off both of us.
stroke
different strokes for different folks
cada cual tiene sus gustos (literal:
diferentes golpes para diferentes
personas) 0 The federal government
has always been respectful of local
customs in local communities, and
therefore you had different strokes for
differentfoll<s .
put someone off their stroke (Brit)
hacer perder la concentraci6n a
alguien o'Youwantedtoseeme?'-
'What?Oh, yes, Sorry, everything that's
been happening has quite put me offmy
stroke.'
Esta expresi6n hace referenda al
~ deporte del remo, en el que todos
~ los miembros de un equipo tienen
~ que remarexactamenteal mismo
~ tiempo. Cada remada se
~ denomina stroke.
strokes
in broad strokes a rasgos generales
(literal: a grandes trazos) 0 The speech
will lay out in broad stro/(es the two
candidates' differing approaches towards
how best to stimulate the economy.
Esta expresion sugiere fa imagen
~ de un pintorque pinta un cuadro
a grandes trazos.
strong
strong as an ox fuerte como un
toro 0 Big Beppe, as everybody calls
him, is enormous and as strong as
an ox.
stubborn
stubborn as a mule mas terco que
una mula 0 He is, without question,
a man of his word, but he can certainly
be stubborn as a mule.
stuff
* strut your stuff pavonearse 0 He
suit 267
was the type of guy who lil<ed to show
Off and strut his stuff.
stuffing
knock the stuffing out of someone
dejar a alguien para el arrastre 0 The
opposition knocked the stuffing out of
us early on and we never got into the
game.
stump
* be on the stump (sobretodo EE UU)
hacer campana electoral 0 Despite
his fa/ling populority, the president
braved it on the stump today on behalf
of his fellow Republicans.
~ Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
g de un polItiCO que se sube al toc6n
~ de un arbor (tree stump) al
~ pronundarun discurso al aire
~ libre.
style
cramp someone's style cortar
las alas a alguien (literal: poner
obstaculos al estilo de alguien)
o Like many women with goodjobs,
independent spirits and high standards,
she believes marriage would cramp her
style.
suck
suck it and see (Brit) probar aver
(literal: chuparlo y ver) 0 These
results do not mean that theJapanese
will like these Western products. The
only sure way to prove that is to suc/( it
and see.
suit
Las expresiones siguientes se
refieren a los cuatro palos de
ciertas barajas: diamantes,
corazones, treboles V picas.
* follow suit seguirel ejemplo (literal:
seguir el palo) 0 If Tim decided to have
268 summer
pancakes for breakfast, Pam would
follow suit.
~ En un juego de naipes, jugar una
~ carta de! mismo palo que ha
~ jugado antes atro jugador se
~ denomina (ollow suit.
something is not someone's long
suit alga no es el fuerte de alguien
(literal: alga no es el palo mas
numeroso de alguien) 0 Looking
after children is not her long suit. She's
dennitelya career woman.
g Si muchas de las cartas de un
~ jugador pertenecen al mismo
: palo, dicho palo se denomina
~ their long suit.
summer
an Indian summer (sobretodo Brit)
un exita tardio (literal: un veranillo
de San Martin) 0 The recent revival in
international fashion is proving an
Indian summer for Mr Rabanne, better
known for his perfumes in the Seventies
and Eighties.
supper
sing for your supper (anticilado)
trabajarselo (literal: cantar durante
la cena) 0 'You're going to have to sing
foryoursupper,' said the organizer. 'While
the guests are eating, I want you to sit at
the end of the table and perform for us.'
sure
sure as eggs is eggs (Brit) como
que dos y dos son cuatro (literal: tan
seguro como que los huevos son
huevos) 0 He'll be bacl< later on. Sure
as eggs is eggs.
Puede que esta expresi6n sea
una corrupci6n a un error de
comprensi6n de as sure asx isx,
frase que se refiere al usa de la
letra equis para representar una
variable en el algebra y en la 16gica.
surface
* scratch the surface of something
tocar superficial mente alga
o Ofrcials say they've only scratched
the surface of the city's pOlitical
corruption.
swallow
. one swallow doesn't make a
summer una golondrina no hace
verano o Sales are up bYl%, which isa
vast improvement on the last six
months. One swallow, however,
make a summer and business could stUl
be better.
swear
swear up and down ... ver up
sweat
do something by the sweat of your
brow (literario) hacer alga con el
sudor de tu frente oMost people are
no longer earning their bread by the
sweat of their brow.
in a cold sweat can un sudorfrfo
o It was a terrifying experience, a
nightmare. I still come out in a cold
sweat thinking about it.
sweep
make a clean sweep hacertabla
rasa 0 The new CEO made a clean
sweep of longtime employees, rring the
managers, one by one.
* make a clean sweep of something
arrasar con algo 0 The USA has made
a clean sweep of all 5 titles in the
Women's Gymnastics event.
sweet
cop it sweet (sobretodoAustralia)
aguantar sin reaccionar 0 Bullies
tend to lose interest in a victim very
quickly i(that victim refuses to 'cop it
sweet'.
* keep someone sweet (Brit) tener a
alguien contento oSomerrms
reserve boxes at football grounds and at
theatres that can be used by high-nying
staff they want to keep sweet.
sweet as pie (sobre todo Brit) como
un angelito (literal: dulce como una
tarta) oShe really is sweet as pie, as
well as being original, honest and very
funny.
swing
"* be in full swing estar en plena
apogeo 0 Twelve days after Hurricane
Andrew left its trail of destruction and
misery across South Florida, ofrcia/s say
recovery efforts are at last in full swing.
get into the swing of something
coger el tranquillo a alga (literal:
meterse en el ritmo de algo) 0 I
assumed everything would be okay once
I got into the swing of college but I had
no idea how lonely I would be.
go with a swing (Brit) ir a las mil
maravillas 0 These impressive recipes
are guaranteed to make the party go
with a swing.
swings
it's swings and roundabouts (Brit)
10 que se gana por un lade se pierde
por el otro (literal: son columpios y
tiovivos) 0 When it rains, high-street
pubs will do better than country pubs
because people may not want to leave
town. When the sun shines, pubs with
gardens benert. It's very much swings
and roundabouts.
sword
* a double-edged sword un arma de
doble fHo 0 The strong currency is a
double-edged sword. It helps the
nation's banks, but it also raises the
costs of exports for ear and electronics
manufacturers.
have the Sword of Damocles
hanging over your head la Espada
de Damocles pende sobre tu cabeza
system 269
oAs a Grand Prix driver you have the
Sword ofDamocles hanging over your
head at every moment.
~ Esta expresi6n viene de una
~ leyenda griega. Dionisio, el
~ gobernante de Siracusa, no
~ soportaba a Damocles, quien no
~ dejaba de adularia y de mostrarle
~ su admiraci6n. Dionisio invit6 a
~ Damocles a un banquete y Ie pidi6
~ que se sentara en su asiento. AI
~ levantar la mirada durante el
banquete, Damoc!essefij6en
~ una Espada que pendfa de un pel a
~ de crin sabre su cabeza, por 10 que
~ va no pudo disfrutar del festfn. La
Espada simbolizaba tanto los
~ temores V los peligros que
~ acechan a los dirigentes como los
~ privilegios de los que gozan.
swords
beat swords into ploughshares
forjar de las espadas azadones
o For Ukrainians, beating swords into
ploughshares and turning rocket plants
into car factories is an economic
necessity.
~ Ploughshares se escribe plowshares
~ en ingles americano.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n venga
~ de la Biblia (Isaias 2:4). donde se
dice que las gentes deberfan forjar
~ de sus espadas azadones. Es decir,
~ deberfan dejar de combatirv
~ empezar a trabajarjuntos de
g forma productiva.
cross swords with someone
haberselas con alguien (literal:
cruzar espadas can alguien) 0 These
two politicians have crossed swords on
many occasions.
system
* get something out of your system
270 systems
sacarse algo de la cabeza (litera':
sacarse alga de tu sistema) 0 If
something Qwful happens to you at
least you can write about it. I'm sure
you feel better if you get it out of your
system.
systems
it's all systems go estartodo en
marcha 0 Work started on the indoor
sports arena at the beginning of the
year and it's now all systems go, with a
huge team of builders working on the
project.
Esta expresi6n se hizQ popular a
raiz de su usa durante el
lanzamiento de naves espaciales
en Estados Unidos en las decadas
delg60 Y1970. Indicaba que una
nave funcionaba correctamentey
estaba lista para el despegue.
tab
* pick up the tab pagar la cuenta
o pollard picked up the tab for dinner.
table
can drink someone under the table
dar den vueltas a alguien bebiendo
o Donna is the only person / know who
can drinl< me under the tab/e.
do something under the table
(sabre todo EE UU) hacer alga bajo
mano (literal: hacer algo debajo de
la mesa) 0 Some staf(made deals
under the table with freight companies
by charging extra money for express
delivery when sometimes the express
service did not exist.
* put something on the table poner
algo sobre el tapete 0 The United
States said Europe must put a new offer
on the table to save the talks.
tables
* turn the tables on someone volver
las tornas contra alguien 0 The
Prime Minister has turned the tables on
his many enemies and has given them
something to worry about for a change.
~ Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
~ de unjugadorde unjuego como
~ el ajedrez, el eual da un giro de180
~ grados al tablero para que las
~ respectivas situaciones de los dos
~ jugadores se inviertan.
tabs
* keep tabs on someone vigilara
alguien 0 The FBI kept close tabs on
the novelist, at times opening his mail
and recording his conversations.
~ Original mente, en esta expresi6n
~ se usaba la palabra tab en su
~ sentido americano, con el
~ significado de "cuenta" 0 "factura"
que puede emplearse para anotar
10 que gasta alguien.
tail
chase your own tail 0
chase yourtail caminaren cfrculos
(literal: perseguirtu rabo) 0 It feels
great to be making some progress on
this project at last, and not just chasing
my own tail.
go off with your tail between your
legs irse con e! rabo entre las
piernas 0 I ran out of money, lost my
job, my house, my girlfriend. I came
home to Sydney with my tail between
my legs, absolutely broke and shattered.
* on someone's tail pisandole los
talones a a!guien (literal: en el rabo
de alguien) o}uarez entered the
finishing lap with Zodrobilel< right on
his tail. Only three kilometres remained.
the tail wags the dog elmundoal
reves (literal: e! rabo menea al perro)
o To avoid the Impression of the tail
wagging the dog, the prime minister
cannot be seen to be giving in to the
wishes of a minority party.
turn tail salir eorriendo 0 Rebels
were forced back from position after
position until they turned tail and fled.
with yourtail up sin dejarse abatir
272 tale
(literal: con el rabo levantado)
o We'll go to court with our tails up.
tale
live to tell the tale vivi r pa ra
(ontario a Michael Sproule was
attac/(ed by a shark. He lived to tell the
tale but underwent emergency surgery
for multiple injuries.
something tells its own tale alga
habla par sf solo 0 The fact that we
originally bool<ed for only one night but
ended up staying eight tells its own tale.
We can't recommend the hotel highly
enough.
tales
tell tales chismear 0 She had no right
to tell tales to his mother!
talk
someone is all talk 0
someone is all talk and no action
alguien habla mucho pero no hace
nada 0 No wonder people no /(jnger
believe a word he says. He's alJ tall< and
no action. No matter what he promises,
nobody will be able to trust him.
tall
* tall tales cuentos chinos 0 Pollard
was described as someone whose rich
imagination and keen intellect were
convincing; some of his college chums
believed his tall tales.
~ La palabra tall solfa usarse para
~ describir un lenguaje considerado
extremadamente formal 0
exagerado.
tangent
( Tangent significa "tangente". )
go off on a tangent irseporlasramas
o Our teacher occasionally goes off on a
tangent, talking about things totally
unrelated to ourtextboo/{s orthe
curriculum.
tango
it takes two to tango es cosa de
dos (literal: para bailar el tango
hacen falta dos) 0' trlEl 'a everyth'ina'
to stop our marriage falling apart. But
it takes two to tango and, so far, my
husband has made no effort to save OUr
relationship.
~ Esta expresi6n es e! tftulo de una
~ canci6n de Hoffman y Manning,
~ compuesta en1952.
tank
someone or something is built like'
a tank alguien 0 alga es fuerte
como un rable (literal: alguien 0
algo esta construido como un
tanque) 0 Nick's built like a tank and
lots of people are ofroid of him when
they first meet him, but he's actually a
really friendly. gentle guy,
tap
* on tap
1 disponible 0 The enterprise agency's
close links with both the university and
several business institutions provides
local businesses with a wealth of
knowledge on tap.
2 (EE UU) en el orden del dia 0 More
military and medical experiments are 0/1
tap for Atlantis astronauts today.
~ En su senti do literal, la expresi6n
~ on tap, referida a una bebida como
S la cerveza, significa "de barril".
tape
* red tape tramites burocraticos
(literal: cinta roja) 0 Two lawyers
have written a book in a bid to help
people cut through the red tope when
dealing with British immigration and
nationality laws.
Los abogados y los funcionarios
solfan atar los documentos con
cinta raja 0 rosa.
taped
have got something taped (Brit)
tener cogido el tranquiHo a alga
(literal: tener alga grabado) 0 The
one certainty of parenthood is that
whenever you feel you've got it taped,
something will happen and prove you
wrong!
target
be shooting for the same target
estar apuntando al mismo objetivo
(literal: estar disparando al mismo
blanco) 0 We'll only succeed ifwe're
both shooting for the same target.
task
take som'eone to task reprender a
alguien 0 One day she tool< me to task
for never using her name when I was
talking to her.
taste
something leaves a bad taste in
your mouth a
something leaves a nasty taste in
your mouth algo deja malsabor de
boca o$ome people are abusive in
shops, in buses and on trains. They seem
to think it is smart. For the victim it
leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.
tea
someone would not do something
for all the tea in China alguien no
harfa algo ni portodo elora del
mundo (literal: alguien no harfa alga
portodo el te de China) 0 Hewould
not change hisjob for all the tea in
China.
s Antiguamente, todo el tevenfa de
~ China.
tee
*toateeo
to a T que ni pintado 0 His job suits
him too tee.
teeth 273
''T'' significa tittle, una pequena
marca -como e! punta sabre la
i- usada en la imprenta. Esta
expresi6n hace referencia a la
escritura que es muy clara y
exacta.
teeth
armed to the teeth armado hasta
los dientes 0 The police are grossly
underpaid and underequipped while the
criminals are armed to the teeth with
the latest weapons.
* cutvourteeth doing something
dar los primeras pasos con alga
o Dennis cut his teeth with theatre roles
before taking on parts in N series and
rims,
~ Cuando' a los ninos les salen los
~ dientes, se dice que they are
~ cutting theirteeth
fed up to the back teeth with
something a
sick to the back teeth of something
(Brit) hasta la coronilla de alga 0 I've
always supported the Conservative
Party but I'm fed up to the bacf< teeth
with them at the moment.
* get your teeth into something
hincarle el diente a algo 0 Half the
trouble is having nothing interesting to
do. We've not had a project to get our
teeth into for weeks.
gnashing of teeth rechinado de 105
dientes
* gnash your teeth rechinar los
dientes 0 He stood glaring at me,
gnashing his teeth. 0 In times of
widespread strife and much gnashing of
teeth, a sense of community is needed to
stop everyone plummeting into the dark
depths of despair,
Las frases weeping and gnashing of
teeth y wailing and gnashing of teeth
("can Iloras y rechinar de dientes"
y "can lamentos y rechinar de
274 teething
g dientes") aparecen varias veces en
~ la Biblia en descripciones de
~ personas enviadas at infierno.
grind your teeth rechinar los
dientes 0 Lucy appeared to think this
over for Q moment and then walked
away, grinding her teeth in frustration.
* grit your teeth apretar los dientes
o He says that there are no simple
solutions and that it will be hard work,
but wejust have to grit ourteeth and
get on with it.
kick someone in the teeth humillar
a alguien (literal: dar una patada a
alguien en los dientes) 0 The union
expected that the coalreld would be
given favourable treatment: 'Instead we
have been kicked in the teeth,'
lie through your teeth mentir
descaradamente 0 It's clear that the
government are lying through their
teeth.
like pulling teeth dificHfsimo
(literal: como sacar muelas)
a Getting this information out of him
was like pulling teeth.
set your teeth on edge darte
dentera a His casual arrogance never
foiled to set my teeth on edge.
show your teeth enseiiar los
dientes 0 We need to show our teeth if
we are going to overturn thecounciJ's
plan to build new houses in our village.
something has teeth alga tiene
recursos para hacerse valer (literal:
alga tiene dientes) 0 The prison
operates under a contract service level
agreement which has teeth - financial
penalties can be imposed and it's
independently monitored.
teething
* teething problems (Brit) problemas
iniciales 0 The company conceded
there have been teething problems with
the new system but said that these were
now being corrected.
tell
tell someone where to get off
mandar a alguien a paseo (literal:
deckle a alguien donde se puede
bajar) 0 If somebody said that to me
I'd tell them where to get Off
tempest
. a tempest in a teapot (EE UU)
una tormenta en un vasa deagua
(literal: una tormenta en una t e l ~ e " ' H
a 'It's a tempest in a teapot,' he said Of
the controversy over the painting.
tenterhooks
on tenterhooks sobre ascuas
o 'It was a good match wasn't it?Very
exciting.' 'Yes, we were on tenterhooks.'
~ Antiguamente, despues de tejer
una tela se estiraba en un
~ bastidor denominado tentery se
sujetaba con ganchos (hooks).
~ Aquf el estado emocional de una
persona se com para a la tension
~ de la tela.
territory
something goes with the territory
alga son gajes del aficio (literal: algo
va con el territorio) 0 People often
point me out and ask me for photos and
autographs, but that goes with the
territory. I chose to become an actor and
I'm not going to complain about that.
test
* something has stood the test of
time algo ha resistido el paso del
tiempo a Since it began
manufacturing in 1933, Gossen has built
easy-to-use, reliable equipment that
has stood the test of time.
tether
* be atthe end of your tether (sabre
todo Brit) no aguantar mas (literal:
estar al final de la soga) aShe was at
the end of her tether. She needed
someone she could tall< to, someone she
could trust.
' Tether significa "soga". Esta
@ expresion sugiere la imagen de un
@ animal que no puede ir muy lejos
~ porque esta atado a algo con una
~ soga .
Thames
not set the Thames on fire no ser
nada del otro mundo (literal: no
hacer arder elTamesis) 0 They both
had reasonably successful careers in
London, without exactly setting the
Thames on fire.
there
* be there for someone (hablado)
estar allado de alguien o)immy's a
good friend to me - he's always been
there for me with support and advice.
someone is not all there a alguien
Ie falta un tornillo (literal: alguien no
esta del todo ahi) 0 You could tell thot
she wasn't all there. You could see it in
her eyes.
thick
* do something through thick and
thin haceralgo a las duras y a las
maduras (literal: hacer algo a traves
del grueso V del delgado) 01'11 love
you through thick and thin, no matter
what happens.
~ Esta Frase viene de una expresion
~ tfpica de la caza, through thicket
~ and thin wood, a "a traves de
@ matorrales y de bosques poco
~ poblados".
* in the thick of it metido en el ajo
oA fight broke out in the bar and he
suddenly found himselfin the thick of it.
lay it on thick recargar las tintas
a Sue was Jaying it on a bit thick when
she said that Tom was the best dancer
thorn 275
she'd ever seen.
thick as mince (sabre todo Escocia)
mas carta que las mangas de un
chaleco (literal: grueso como la
carne picada) 0 He's bound to fail the
exam - he's thick as mince.
thick as thieves ufiaycarne o)ones
and Cool< have lmown each other since
the age often - they're thick as thieves.
thick as two short planks (Brit) mas
carta que las mangas de un chaleco
(literal: grueso como dos tablas
cortas) a His people regarded him as a
great and wise monarch. In fact he was
as thick as two short planks.
thin
spread yourself too thin intentar
abarcar mas de la cuenta (literal:
untarte demasiadofino) a The
company grew too fast and spread itself
too thin across too many diverse areas.
thin as a rake en los huesos (litera':
delgado como un rastrillo) 0 I'd
always been as thin as a rake but in
London my weight went up to more
than 12 stone.
thing
* do your own thing iratuaire o Her
parents let herdo her own thing as long
as she keeps in touch by phone to say
she is okay.
* one thing led to another una cosa
Ilevo a la otra a Elsa got in with the
wrong crowd ofpeopJe. They were bad
news. One thing led to another and she
started Shoplifting.
thorn
* a thorn in someone's side una
espina para alguien (literal: una
espina que alguien tiene clavada)
o She has become a thorn in the side of
the government since publishing a
number of reports pointing out that
public cash was being mishandled.
276 thread
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere a un
~ pasaje de la Biblia (Segunda a los
Corintios 127), en el que san Pablo
@ afirma que el diablo Ie diD "un
~ aguij6n en la carne" (0 a thorn in
~ his nesh) para hacerle sufrir e
impedirle valverse demasiado
orgulloso.
thread
hang by a thread pender de un hila
o It's clear that the ceaseffre is hanging
by a thread and may be broken at any
time.
someone's life hangs by a thread Ja
vida de alguien pende de un hila
o The baby was delivered by emergency
Caesarean and the life of her mother
hung by a thread.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n este
relacionada con la historia de la
~ espada de Damocles: ver la
explicaci6n en sword.
throat
cut your own throat ti rar pied ras
contra tu propio tejado (literal:
cortarte el cuello) 0 I thin/, the union
is cutting its own throat because, if the
company can't reduce its costs, then
even morejobs will be lost
grab something by the throat
tamar el control de alga (literal:
agarrar alga par la garganta)
a Instead of being passive and waiting
for things to happen, you must get out
there and grab lire by the thraat.
jump down someone's throat
arremetercontra alguien sin mas
(literal: saltarle a alguien a la
garganta) a Even ifljust asked her
how she was, she'd jump down my
throat, as if I were interrogating her.
* ram something down someone's
throat meter algo a alguien par
narices (litera': meter alga a alguien
a la fuerza por la garganta) a
was a kid, my parents rammed religion
down my throat.
something grabs you by the
alga se apodera de ti (literal: algo te
agarra por la garganta) a Fifty years' ;
after it was made, the film still grabs
you by the throat.
something sticks in yourthroat
, alga te irrita a It sticks in 'my throat
thot politicians think that they still
have something to tell the rest of us
about morality.
2 alga no consigue salir aShe found
it impossible to utter the usual '"rI'HS<",
maternal endearment: words such as
'darling' or'pet' stuck in her throat
throats
* be at each other's throats estar
atacandose a He and Stevens didn't
get on; they'd been at each other's
throats for years.
throes
* in the throes of something estar en
medio de alga a The newspaper's
future looks bleak. It's in the throes of a
four-month-old strike and is losing
nearly a million dollars a day.
throttle
do something at full throttle hacer
alga esforzandose al maximo a She's
a high-powered businesswoman who
always goes at things at full throttle.
~ Cuando un motor funciona a toda
~ marcha, se dice que it is operating
atrull thrattle.
throw
throw a wobbly 0
throw a wobbler (Brit) ponerse
histerico a I can't even lie in the bath
without him throwing a wobbly
because there are a few shampoo
battles with the lids aff
thumb
"* beundersomeone'sthumb estar
dominado par alguien (literal: estar
bajo el pulgarde alguien) a Ian was
completely under his wife's thumb. She
controlled the money, told him what to
do and wouldn't aI/ow him to have any
friends of his own.
have a green thumb (EE UU) tener
buena mano con las plantas (literal:
tener un pulgarverde) aShe had a
green thumb and, using only instinct
and loads of manure, casually grew
huge crops offruit.
someone or something sticks out
like a sore thumb alguien 0 algo
llama la atencl6n (literal: alguien 0
algo sobresale como un pulgar
dolorido) 0 'First impressions are very
Important,' says Baines. 'You don't want
a new house to stick out like a sore thumb;
it should blend into its surroundings.'
thumbs
be all fingers and thumbs 0
be all thumbs ser un manazas
(literal: ser todD dedos y pulgares)
o (an you open this pacl<et for me? I'm
all fingers and thumbs.
* give something the thumbs down 0
give the thumbs down to
something rechazar alga (literal:
mostrar el pulgar hacia abajo a algo)
o Out Of58,000 replies to the
questionnaire, 79 per cent gave the
thumbs down to the proposa/.
~ En!a antigua Rama, se dirigfa el
pulgar hacia abajo para indicar a
~ un gladiador victorioso que no
matara a su rival.
* give something the thumbs up 0
give the thumbs up to something
aprobar algo (literal: mostrar el
pulgar hacia arriba a alga) aA big US
oil company has given the thumbs up to
the president's energy plan.
tide 277
En la antigua Roma, se colocaba
el pulgarderecho para indicar a
un gladiador victorioso que
matara a su rival.
twiddle your thumbs estar sin
hacer nada (literal: darvueltas a
los pulga res) O-Graduates who have
invested time and their parents' money
to go to university do not want to sit
twiddling their thumbs on the dole.
thunder
steal someone's thunder robar el
exito' a alguien (litera': robar los
truenos a alguien) 0 He's a very
insecure boss - he's always afraid that
his staffmight steal his thunder.
Puede que esta expresi6n provenga
~ de un incidente que tuvo lugar a
~ principios del siglo XVIII. Un autor
~ teatral britimico, John Dennis,
~ invent6 una nueva forma de imitar
~ el son ida de los truenos para su obra
Appius and Virginia, pero la obra no
~ tuvo exito y dej6 de representarse
enseguida. Poco despues, Dennis
~ asisti6 a una produccion de
~ Macbeth representada par otra
companfa y descubri6 que Ie
~ habfan robado la idea de como
imitarel sonido de los truenos.
~ Se dice que Dennis se levant6 de
~ un salta V los acuso de "robarle
~ los truenos", 0 stealing his thunder.
ticket
a one-way ticket to something un
camino que conduce a alga (literal:
un billete de ida a algo) a Having
strong feelings for someone when those
feelings aren't returned is a one-way
ticket to unhappiness.
tide
* stem the tide of something
detener el curso de algo 0 The
authorities seem powerless to stem
278 tight
the tide orviolenee.
swim against the tide nadar contra
corriente oAdenauer generally
appeared to be swimming against the
tide in international pOlitics.
tight
* sit tight no hacer nada 0 In a
recession, the message is that those
who wantto sell their houses should sit
tight for 0 couple ofyeors if they con.
tightrope
* walk a tightrope andar en la cuerda
floja 0 He is walking a tightrope
between the young activists and the
more traditional elements within the
democracy movement.
tiles
be out on the tiles (Brit) salirde
juerga (literal: salir a las tejas) 0 You
look as though you've been out on the
tiles, Ken.
~ Esta expresi6n podrfa hacer
g referencia a los gatos que pasan
~ la noche en los tejados.
time
* be living on borrowed time tener
los dfas contados (literal: estar
viviendo en tiempo prestado)
o From this moment onwards, this
government is Jiving on borrowed time.
big time a 10 grande 0 With a little
luck we could make this plan work, and
work big time.
* call time on something (sabre todo
Brit, Periodismo) poner punto final a
algo (literal: decirle a alguien que es
la hora) 0 Scott Hastings has called
time on his international rugby career
by cutting short his contract.
~ Esta expresi6n se origin6 en los
~ pubs britanicos, en los que el
dueno anuncia la hora para que
sus clientes sepan que el pub esta
a punta de cerrar.
* have time on your hands tener
todo el tiempo del mundo (literal:
tener tiempo en tus manos)
o Children need discipline and planned
activities. Irthey have too much time on
their hands, they can get into trouble.
* hit the big time alcanzar el
estrellato 0 The rash ion deSigner hit
the big time in 1935, when he was
chosen to design the Duchess or
Gloucester's wedding dress.
in no time en un abrirycerrarde
ojos 0 You're going to be OK, buddy.
We'l/get some back-up out here and
you'll be on your way to hospital in no
time at all.
* mark time dejar pasar e! tiempo
o We reel we'rejust marking time until
our new boss arrives.
~ En el contexto militar, mark time
2 significa "marcar el paso".
* play for time tratarde
o He poured himsel( a drink,
time, giving himsel( a
berore he answered her question.
tin
behave like a little tin god a
behave like a tin god (sobre todo
Brit) ser un endiosado (literal:
comportarse como un dios de
hojalata) 0 He accused the officials
behaving liI(e tin gods.
have a tin ear for something no
tener ordo para algo (literal: tener
un oido de hojalata para algo) 0 For
a playwright specializing in characters
who use the vernacular, he has a '
for diologue.
tip
* just the tip of the iceberg la punta
del iceberg 0 We get about 2,000
complaints isjust
the tip ofthel'ceb'erg. M,ny more f'eop'le!
just surrer in silence.
something is on the tip of your
tongue tienes algo en la punta de la
lengua 01 know the answer to this
question. No, no, don't tell me. Oh, it's
on the tip of my tongue.
something was on the tip of your
tongue estar a punto de decir alga
0'00 you Imow anything about this?' he
asked arter a while. It was on the tip or
my tongue to tell him what I'd seen but,
in the end, I said nothing.
* tip the balance 0
tip the scales inclinar la balanza
oAs the election looms, the two main
parties appear so evenly matched that
just one issue could tip the balance.
toast
someone is toast (ramiliar) alguien
es historia 0 'Hit your sales targets
next year or you're toast,' my manager
told me.
tad
on yourtod (Brit, ramiliar, ant;cuado)
a salas 0 I can't believe that you
managed to work this out on your tad.
~ Esta expresi6n viene del argot
~ rimado empleado por los
~ cockneys (habitantes del este de
~ Londres). On yourTod Sloan
~ significa mark on your own ("a
~ solas"). Tad Sloan fue un famoso
~ jockey estadounidense de
~ principios del siglo xx.
today
here today, gone tomorrow se
cambia constantemente (literal:
hoy aquf, manana ya no) oMost
gang members live day to day and their
philosophy is 'Heretoday, gone
tomorrow.'
toe
dip your toe in the water 0
dip a toe in the water (sabre todo
Brit) tantear un nuevo terreno
toffee 279
(literal: meter un dedo del pie en e!
agua) o After yeors of selling her
jewellery through rash;on stores, she
finally dipped a toe in the water and
opened her own jewellery shop in
London.
go toe to toe with someone (sabre
todo EE UU) enfrascarse en una
pelea con alguien 0 They're confident
that the company is now strong enough
to go toe to toe with its rivals.
toes
* keep-someone on their toes
mantener a alguien sobre ascuas
o Our new boss has kept us on our toes
right rrom the moment she took overthe
job.
make your toes curl hacer que te
mueras de verguenza (literal: hacer
que se ricen !os dedos del pie)
o There are moments ortenderness and
some very runny scenes in Nigel
Charnock's direction. And there are
scenes, too, that make your toes curl.
o Movies about ramous explorers rarely
work, as some recent toe-curling efforts
show.
* step on someone's toes a
tread on someone's toes meterse
en e! terreno de alguien (literal:
pisar en los dedos del pie a alguien)
o Women often reel ridiculously
inhibited and duty-bound notto
antagonize the men they work with or
tread on too many toes.
turn up your toes (Brit) estirar la
pata 0 I've discovered that all myoid
admirers have turned up their toes to
thedoises. Now I feel old!
toffee
someone can't do something for
toffee (Brit) alguien notiene ni idea
de c6mo hacer alga (literal: alguien
no sabe hacer alga ni porcaramelos)
o She can't sing rortoffee.
280 Tom
Tom
every Tom, Dick, and Harry un
fulano cualquiera (literal: todos los
Tom, Dicky Harry) 0 This hotel used
to be exclusive. Nowadays they let in
every Tom, Die/< and Harry.
2 Todos estos nombres eran muy
g comunes, par 10 que empezaron a
~ usarse para referirse a la gente
~ normal en general.
tomorrow
like there's no tomorrow como si Ie
fuera la vida en ella (litera': como si
no hubiera manana) 0 In the
property boom orthelg8os, the banks
lent to property companies in Britain
like there WQS no tomorrow.
tomorrow is another day manana
sera atro dfa 0 Everything went
wrong. I didn't play well. However,
tomorrow is another day.
ton
come down on someone like a ton
of bricks echar una bronca
descomunal a alguien (litera': caerle
a alguien como una tonelada de
ladrillos) 0 If you make even the tiniest
mistake, they a/I come down on you like
a ton ofbricl<s.
like a ton of bricks como unjarro de
agua frfa (literal: como una tonelada
de ladrillos) 0 The reality of the
situation hit her like a ton ofbricl<s.
tongue
be unable to get your tongue round
something (Brit) no conseguir
pronunciar alga (literal: no poder
rodear alga can la lengua) 0 When
my brother was little, he couldn't get his
tongue round the word 'bicycle'; it
always came out as 'bi-ci-c/ick'.
* bite your tongue morderse la
lengua 0 I wanted to tell him how
much I would miss him, but I bit my
tongue.
find your tongue recuperarel habla
o After a long silence, Tom eventually
found his tongue.
give someone the rough side of
your tongue a
give someone the rough edge
. of your tongue (Brit, anticuado)
echar una buena bronca a alguien
(literal: dar a alguien ellado aspero
de la lengua) 0 He's really going to
give the boy the rough side ofhis
tongue.
give someone a tongue-lashing
poner aalguien como un trapo
(litera': dar a alguien latigazos con
la lengua) 0 The President afthe EU
Commission was given a tongue-
lashing from Mr Major and told to drop
his objections to a world trade deal.
speak with forked tongue hablar
con dobleces (literal: hablar con
lengua bffida) 0 He speaks with
tongue. I don't trust him and I
him.
* tongue in cheek en tono de burla
(literal: lengua en la mejilla) 0 I
people are taking 0/1 this morn"n,ouslV
than we intended. It was supposed to
tongue in cheel<.
tongues
tongues are wagging las rna/as
lenguas estan hablando (literal: las
lenguas se estan meneando)
spent an evening together at his
I<nightsbridgenat. He said they talked
and played cards but added: 'No doubt
tongues will be wagging.'
tools
down tools (Brit) declararse en
huelga (literal: bajar las
herramientas) 0 In August 1980, the
workers at this shipyard downed tools
and went on strike for pay increases.
the tools of the trade las
herramientas del trabajo oAs a
pianist, Grace's fingers were the tools Of
her trade.
tooth
be long in the tooth tener muchos
anos a cuestas (literal: tener los
dientes largos) 0 'Why don't you enrol
in the University and take a course?'
tl.ren't I a bit long in the tooth to start
being an undergraduate?,
Esta expresi6n se refiere al hecho
@ de que es posible determinar la
~ edad de un caballo al mirarle los
~ dientes.A medida que los caballos
envejecen, parece que tienen los
~ dientes mas largos porque sus
~ encfas se retraen.
fight tooth and nail luchar can
unas V dientes 0 The prime minister
let it be known that she would fight
tooth and nail to stay in omce.
* have a sweet tooth ser goloso
(literal: tener diente dulce) 0 She has
a sweet tooth; she can't resist chocolate
cake and peppermint creams.
red in tooth and claw (litera rio)
lucharcon uiiasydientes oHis
intention was to demonstrate that
Labour is no longer red in tooth and
claw, but a serious and sober political
party.
~ Esta expresi6n es una cita del
~ poema In Memoriam (1850) del
~ poeta ingJesTennyson.
top
at the top of the heap'" ver heap
blowyourtop estallar 0 I never
asked her personal questions because,
for some reason, she'd always blow her
top and tell me I was being nosy.
* from top to bottom de arriba abajo
o She cleaned the house from top to
bottom.
torch 281
* from top to toe (sobre todo Brit) de
la cabeza a los pies oShewas
trembling from top to toe.
get ~ n top of you desbordarte
(litera': ponerse encima tuyo)
o Most of us are irritable or bad-
tempered when things get on top of us.
off the top of your head ... ver
head
* on top of something cuidandode
algo 0 With two young children and a
full-timejob, I'm so busy that I'm not
keeping on top of the housework.
on top of the world ... ver world
* over the top 0
OTT excesivo 0 I'm sorry. I realize now
that I was a bit over the top, accusing
you of being a traitor. 0 Each design is
very different in style. Some are subtle,
some gloriously OTT.
@ Durante la Primera Guerra
Mundial, go over the top significaba
salirtrepando de las trincheras V
~ correr hacia tierra de nadie a fin
de atacar al enemigo.
push someone over the top (EE UU)
lIevar a alguien al liderazgo 0 The
advertising campaign pushed the
company over the top, allowing them to
replace their rivals as the number-one
soft drink in supermarl<ets.
torch
En las expresiones siguientes, la
palabra torch significa "antorcha".
carry a torch for someone estar
enamorado de alguien (literal:
lIevarle una antorcha a alguien)
o What makes a woman so special that
a man will carry a torch for her all his
life?
carry the torch for something
mantenerviva la llama de algo
(literal: lIevar la antorcha de algo)
o This group carries the torch forthe
282 toss
millions of people who demonstrated
against the regime, and the thousands
who died.
toss
argue the toss (Brit) discutir
inutilmente (literal: dis(utir el
resultado del cara 0 cruz) 0 Arguing
the toss over whether Sydney or
Melbourne is a better place to live is an
Australian pastime.
~ Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a alguien que lanza una
~ moneda al aire a fin detomar una
~ decisi6n.
* not give a toss about something
(Brit, familiar) no importarte un
bleda alga 0 'We don't give a toss
whatjourna/ists think about us,' says
Dave Chambers, the band's drummer.
toss-up
* it's a t 0 5 S ~ U p las dos casas son
igualmente probables (literal: es un
cara a cruz) 0 It's a toss-up whether
oil prices will go up or down overthe
days ahead.
Allanzaruna moneda al aire,
~ existen las mismas posibilidades
~ de que salga cara 0 cruz.
touch
be kicked into touch (sobre todo Brit)
ser abandonado (literal: ser enviado
fuera de banda) 0 Trish Johnson's
challenge forthe USWomen's Open
Championship was kicl<ed into touch by
a foot injury yesterday.
~ En el rugby, cuando la pelota es
~ enviada fuera de banda se dice
~ que it is kicked into touch.
* the common touch el don de gentes
o Yudhoyono is seen as a politician with
the common touch, who sings, writes
poetry and plays guitar in a band.
* it's touch and go todavla no esta
decidido (literal: es tocar e irse)
o I thought I was going to win the race,
but it was still touch and go.
"* someone is a soft touch alguienes
facil de convencer (literal: alguien es
un toque suave) 0 Pamela was
a/ways a soft touch when Michael
needed some cash.
: Touch a person for money sjgnifica
g "darle un sablazo a alguien".
touch paper
light the blue touch paper a
light the touch paper (Brit)
encender la mecha 0 This kind of
remark is guaranteed to light the blue
touch paper with some Labour
politicians.
g La mecha de papel azul oscuro de
~ un petardo se denomina touch
~ paper. AI encenderla, se va
~ quemando lentamente hasta
~ hacer estallar el petardo.
tough
tough as old boots (Brit) 0
tough as nails fuerte como un
(literal: fuerte como botas viejas,
fuerte como unas) 0 He was a very
easy-going type of person in a large
group, but across a negotiating table,
he was tough as nails.
towel
* throw in the towel tirarla toalla
o It seemed, initially, as if the police
had thrown in the towel and were
planning to abandon the investigation,
butthe following day the interviews
resumed.
En el boxeo, el entrenadorde un
boxeador a veces tira una toalla 0
una esponja al cuadrilatero en
senal de derrota para detener el
combate antes de que se
produzcan mas heridas.
tower
* a tower of strength una gran ayuda
(literal: una torre de fortaleza)
o In herterrible sadness she has found
Charles to be a tower of strength.
town
go to town on something dedicarse
can entusiasmo a algo (literal: ir ala
ciudad en algo) 0 They really went to
town on the decorations for the party.
paint the town red irsedejuerga
(literal: pintar la ciudad de raja)
o Let's go out and paint the town red!
Parece ser que esta expresion se
~ remonta al Oeste america no.
~ puede que se usara para describir
~ a grupos de indios americanos
que incendiaban las ciudades.
~ Tambien es posible que se
~ refiriera a unos vaqueros que
~ amenazaban con "pintar de rojo la
g ciudad" (paint the town red) can la
~ sangre de cualquiera que
~ intentara ponerfreno a su
comportamiento de borrachos.
traces
kick over the traces rebelarse
(literal: dar patadas a los tirantes)
o Young people a/ways want to kick
over the traces, refusing to accept old
values without question.
Cuando un caballo que tira de un
~ carro a de un carruaje salta sobre
~ los tirantes sujetas al ames para
~ que el cachero ya no pueda
~ controlarlo, se dice que dicho
~ caballo kicks over the traces.
track
* the fast track to something el
camino mas rapido hacia algo 0 Like
many of his classmates, Chris Urwin
believes a university degree will be the
fast tracl< to corporate success. 0 The
track 283
company offers fast-track promotion
schemes for promising young
executives.
~ Aquf la palabra track se refiere a
~ una pista de atletismo, a un
~ hipodroma 0 a un circuito de
~ autamovilismo.
* have the inside track (sobre todo
EE UU, Periodismo) estaren una
posicion de ventaja (literal: correr
por la calle de dentro) 0 Denver has
the inside trac/( among 10 sites being
considered for the airline's new $1 billion
maintenance facility.
~ En un hipodromo a en circuito de
~ automovilisma, la calle interior es
~ la mas corta, de modo que todos
~ los participantes en la carrera
quieren aprovechareste hecho.
* keep track of something or
someone seguir la pista a algo 0
alguien 0 I could never keep track of all
the visitors to the mansion.
* lose track of someone or
something perder la pista de alga 0
alguien 0 You may wonder how the
administrators of this fund can lose
track of 20 million meant to help the
poorest citizens.
* off the beaten track apartado
(literal: lejos del camino trillado)
o The village is sumeiently affthe
beaten track to deter all but a few
tourists.
S Aquf la palabra track se refiere a
~ un sendero a a un camino
estrecho.
* on the right track porbuencamino
o Guests are returning to our hotel in
increasing numbers - a sure sign that
we are on the right track.
* on the wrong track parmal camino
o Polls show that around 55 percent of
voters believe the country is headed on
the wrong trac/e
284 tracks
* a track record un historial 0 This
corporation has a high-quality
management team with a good trac/(
record.
tracks
come from the wrong side of the
tracks venirde los barrios bajos
(literal: venirdellado malo de las
vias) a Here are two sisters who come
from the wrong side of the tracks in Los
Angeles and have come to dominate the
world of women's tennis.
E Las vfas ferreas a veces senalan
~ los I(mites entre distintas partes
~ de una ciudad, porejemplo entre
zonas ricas V pobres.
* cover your tracks borrar las huellas
a The killer may have returned to the
scene of the crime to cover his trael(s.
make tracks empezar a irse a Webb
looked at the barcloele 'Ten past nine.
We must make tracks or we'll be late for
the meeting.'
~ En esta expresi6n, tracks significa
~ "huellas".
* stop someone in their tracks 0
stop someone dead in their tracks
parar a alguien en seco a The sound
of gunfire stopped them dead in their
tracks.
* stop something in its tracks 0
stop something dead in its tracks
parar algo en seco a If the Chancel/or
pulls the plug on the 22 billion
programme, the resulting job losses
could stop Britain's economic revival
dead in its tracks.
trail
* blaze a trail abrir camino (literal:
seilalar un camino con marcas en
los arboles) a The party is blazing a
trail for the advancement of women in
pOlitics. aA trailblazer in the treatment
of mental illness, Bateman has served
as a psychiatrist, administrator and
teacher.
trap
* fall into the trap of doing
something caer en la trampa de
hacer alga 0 School administrators
a(ten (all into the trap a(thinldng that
. discipline problems, not unsatisfying
education, are the cause of/ow levels Of
achievement among pupils.
tree
bark up the wrong tree i r m uy
descaminado (literal: ladrar en el
arbol equivocado) 0 If you plan to
become a writer because it will make
you lots of money, you're barking up the
wrong tree.
Esta expresi6n viene de la caza del
~ mapache, que tiene lugar durante
~ la noche. Los perras adiestrados
~ para indicar mediante ladridos
~ d6nde se esconden los mapaches
a veces senalan el arbol
equivocado.
* be at the top of the tree (Brit) estar
en la cumbre de su carrera (literal:
estar en la copa del arbol) aShe has
been at the top of the acting tree for35
years.
out of your tree (familiar) como una
cabra (litera': fuera de tu arbol) a It
was obvious they had been drinking.
They were both out of their tree.
trees
someone cannot see the wood for
the trees (Brit) a
someone cannot see the forest for
the trees (EE UU) a a!guien los
arboles no Ie dejan ver el bosque
a The staff here are working so hard and
are so tired that they can't see the wood
for the trees.
something or someone does not
grow on trees (sabre todo Brit) algo
a alguien no cae del dela (literal:
alga 0 alguien no crece en los
arboles) 0 Mitchell will not be replaced
in a hurry: managers with his expertise
do not grow on trees.
trial
* a trial balloon (sobre todo EE UU)
un globo sonda a Theadministration
has not officially released details of the
economic plan, although numerous trial
balloons have been floated and hints
have been dropped.
Ailos atras se usaban globos
sonda para recogerinformaci6n
~ sobre las condiciones
meteorol6gicas.
trick
* do the trick servir (literal: hacer e!
trueo) 0 I(these self-help remedies
don't do the trick, consult a qualified
homoeopath.
it's the oldest trick in the book es
un trueD muy viejo a Well, that's the
oldest trick in the book - to blame
someone else for your problems.
* not miss a trick no perderse nada
(literal: no perderse un truco)
aMy assistant, Eileen, has a good eye
fordetail and never misses a trick
Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
~ unjugadorque gana todas las
bazas enjuegos de naipes como
g el whist 0 el bridge.
use every trick in the book emplear
todos los trucos a Companies are
using everytricl( in the book to stay one
step ahead of their competitors.
tricks
* be up to your old tricks volver a
hacer de las tuyas (litera': volver a
tus viejos trucos) a They're up to their
old tricks of promising one thing and
doing the opposite.
truck 285
trim
in fighting trim (sabre toda EE UU)
en perfecto estado 0 The company
needs to be in fighting trim (or the next
decade, when domestic competition
may increase.
~ Cuando un boxeadoresta en
~ forma y listo para boxear se dice
~ que esta in fighting trim.
trolley
off your trolley (Brit, familiar)
chiflado (literal: fUera de tu
carrito) a She has decided to leave
London to go and live on a remote
island. Most people thinl< she's Off her
trolley, but she's never been so sure of
anything in her life.
trooper
swear like a trooper jurar como
un carretero (literal: jurar como un
soldado) aMo was rude and abusive
and swore like a trooper.
trot
* on the trot (Brit,(omiliar) seguido
(literal: al trote) a It was the team's
fifth win on the trot, a elub record.
trousers
wear the trousers -+ ver wear
trowel
lay it on with a trowel (Brit)
recargar las tintas (literal: ponerlo
can una paleta) a To make sure the
significance of his remarks was not
missed, the Prime Minister laid it on
with a trowel.
truck
* have no truck with something no
tener nada que ver con alga aSmith
stated clearly that his party will have no
truck with any extremist attitudes or
views.
286 true
Truc/( es una palabra antigua
@ que se referfa al trueque de
: mercancfas. Have no truck with
someone significa, literal mente,
: "no tener tratcs con alguien".
true
ring true sonar a cierto 0 He said he
was sorry for upsetting me but his
apology just didn't ring true.
trump
play your trump card jugartu
mejor baza (literal: jugartu trjunfo)
o If she wished, she could threaten to
play her trump card, publishing an
autobiography of embarrassing
disclosures.
@ Enjuegos de naipes como el whist
vel bridge, uno de los cuatro
palos se elige comotriunfo para
cada mana. Las cartas de dicho
palo puntuan mas alto que las
cartas de 105 otros tres.
* a trump card una baza oOnlytwo
days into the strike, the distribution of
goods was sUffering: and that, ultimately
is the rai/waymen's trump card.
trumpet
* blow your own trumpet (Brit) darte
bombo (litera': soplartu propia
trompeta) a The three candidates
traded insults and blew their own
trumpets yesterday as each one claimed
to be heading for victory.
Antiguamente, la Ilegada de
g gente importante a algun sitio se
g anunciaba tocando trompetas.
trumps
* come up trumps (Brit)
1 tenerun exita inesperado
aSylvesterStallone came up trumps at
the US box office with his movie
Cliffhanger.
2 serunbaluarte olnmomentsof
crisis for me, you a/ways come up
trumps!
s Enjuegos de naipes como el whist
g y el bridge, uno de los cuatro
palos se elige como triufo para
cada mano. Las cartas de dicho
palo puntuan mas alto que las
cartas de los otros tres. ES,ta
expresion hace referencia al
jugadorque saca un triunfo de la
baraja.
truth
* be economical with the truth
no decirtoda la verdad (litera': ser
economico con la verdad) aShe
asked repeated questions but only
received answers which were at best
economical with the truth, at worst
deliberately designed to deceive.
tub
(Brit, Periodismo)
demagogico (litera': que da
pWletazos en el pulpito) a Recovery
does not depend on tub-thumping
speeches from politicians, but on the
Government creating jobs.
Algunas personas se referfan a los
pulpitos como "cubas" (tubs),
especial mente al hablar de forma
g humorfstica sabre los
predicadores no conformistas.
Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
de un predicador que da
punetazos en ei"pulpito para
enfatizar su mensaje.
tubes
be going down the tubes ... ver
down
go down the tubes ... ver down
tune
"* call the tune Ilevar la voz cantante
aMy husband spends lotsofmoneyon
his hobbies but moans when I want to
buy anything. He thinks he has the right
to call the tune as he earns more money
than Ida.
2 Esta expresi6n viene del proverbio
g he who pays the pipercal/s the tune
("quien paga, manda").
"* change your tune cambiarde
parecer (litera': cambiar!a melodfa)
o He had maintained for many years
that the Earl was dead. But these days
he has changed his tune.
dance to someone's tune bailar al
son que toca alguien oSupermarkets
buy huge quantities of meat from
farmers, but at the lowest possible
price. So farmers have, unfortunately,
been forced to dance to theirtune.
sing a different tune
1 ver las cosas de otro color a She
declared herself at peal, fitness. Just 24
hours later, she was singing a different
tune after losing badly in her match
against Williams. '/ wasn't prepared,'
she said.l\nd I was suffering (ramjet
lag.'
2 tener discursos diferentes
o The problem of homeless ness is great
enough without two Government
departments singing different tunes.
sing the same tune ... versing
tunnel
* have tunnel vision concentrarse en
Ja meta (litera': tener vision de
tunel) a They always say that you have
to have tunnel vision to be a champion.
You can't have anyoutside distractions
at all.
En el contexto medico, tunnel
g vision significa "vision periferica
g reducida".
turkey
talk turkey (sabre toda EE UU)
hablar en serio (litera': hablar pavo)
turn 287
oSudden/y government and industry
are talking turkey. Last month the Prime
Minister promised a partnership to
improve the climate for business.
s Parece ser que esta expresi6n
proviene de!a historia
estadounidense sabre un hombre
blanco quefue de caza con un
indio americano. Los dos
compaAeras cazaran varios pavos
: salvajes, as! como algunas aves
@ mas. Despues del viaje, el hombre
blanco dividiolas presas de forma
injusta, quedandose elias pavos y
dando al indio americana las aves
menDs sabrasas. EI indio
americana pratest6, diciendo
que querra "hablarde los pavos"
(talk turkey).
a turkey shoot un combate
desigual aAfterweeksofbombing,
it was a one-sided battle. The fighting
stopped earlier than expected partly
because of public disquiet at the 'turkey-
shoot'.
s Turkey shoot significa "cacerfa de
pavos", unas aves muyfaciles de
cazar.
turkeys
like turkeys voting for Christmas
(Brit) como tirar piedras contra tu
prapio tejado (litera': como pavos
votando a favor de la Navidad) a If
we accept this proposal, it would be like
turkeys voting forChristmas.lt'sjust
not going to happen.
En Gran BretaAa yen algunos
g parses mas, existe la tradici6n de
g comer pavo par Navidad.
turn
* at every turn a cada paso (litera': a
cada giro) oAlthough the government
has had a coherent economic plan,
288 turn-up
parliament has set out to block it at
every turn.
turn-up
a turn-up for the books (Brit) un
acontecimiento inesperado 0 'This
is Q real turn-up forthe books for me,'
he chuckled, leaning on his bike at the
rnish. 'I've never won a race before:
~ Esta expresion hace referenda a
~ un caballo que gana
~ inesperadamente una carrera.
~ La palabra books significa las
~ anotaciones de los (arredores de
~ apuestas sabre las apuestas
~ aceptadas.
turtle
turn turtle volcar (literal: vo1car
como una tortuga) 0 The dinghy
nearly turned turtle twice, but I
managed to I(eep her upright.
~ Las tortugas quedan indefensas
~ cuanda estan boca arriba.
twain
never the twain shall meet 0
ne'er the twain shall meet (/iterario)
estan condenados a no entenderse
(literal: 105 dos nunca se
encontraran) 0 The education system
is notorious for separating the sciences
and the humanities. This academic
'ne'er the twain shall meet' policy
unfortunately does not always reRect
the needs of the real world.
~ Twain es una palabra anticuada
~ que significa two. Esta expresi6n
~ es una cita de The Ballad of East
1 and West (188g) del poeta ingles
~ Rudyard Kipling.
twist
round the twist (Brit) chiflado
o This man's clearly round the twist.
two
be two ofa kind sertal para cual
(literal: ser dos del mismo tipo)
o We're two of a kind, Ed. That's
prabably why our Friendship's lasted
this long.
it takes two to tango ... vertango
* put two and two together atar
cabos (literal: juntar dos y dos) 0 It's
not going to be long before the police
put two and two together and come
looking (or you.
unbowed
bloodied but unbowed (literario)
maltrecho pero en pie 0 He went out
there and worked for every single vote. It
was a narrow victory but an important
one. He is bloodied but unbowed.
~ Unbowed significa "erguido, sin
~ darmuestrasdetemorode
~ dolor".
unglued
come unglued (EE UU)
1 desquiciarse 0 She had apparently
come unglued since losing her job.
2 fracasar 0 Their marriage rnally
came unglued.
unstuck
* come unstuck (Brit) fracasar
oAustra/ia's Greg Norman came badly
unstuck in the third round of the
Memorial gOlf tournament yesterday.
up
* on the up and up
1 (Brit) cada vez mejor 0 Their career
path has nattened aut slightly rather
than still being on the up and up.
2 (EE UU) recto 0 /Fyou're honest and
on the up and up, I'll be able to tell it,
feel it. If you're hiding something, I can
tell that too.
swear up and down (EE UU) jurar y
perjurar (literal: jurar arriba yabajo)
o He'd sworn up and down he was going
to get the cash and bring it right bacle
* up and coming pro meted or 0 He
was one of our very up and coming
young ministers and I feel he had a great
future in front ofhim.
* up and running en funcionamiento
o l(IIe've invested in the people, tools,
and technology to get your system up
and running quicl<ly and keep it that
way.
uppers
on your uppers (Brit) sin un duro
o The company is on its uppers and
shareholders can forget about receiving
dividends for a couple of years.
~ Aquf upper significa "pal a" (parte
~ superior de un zapato). SI lIevasla
~ suela y el tac6n de los zapatos
~ desgastados, 5010 te queda la
~ pala (you are on your uppers).
upstairs
kick someone upstai'rs (Brit)
ascender a alguien para que no
moleste (literal: dar una patada a
alguien hacia el piso de arriba)
o The radicals /<;ci<ed him upstairs to
the ceremonialjob of president.
use
it's no use crying over spilled
milk ... ver milk
no use to man or beast ... ver
man
vacuum
* in a vacuum en un vado oSuch
decisions do not occur in a pOlitical
vacuum, but have serious political
implications both at home and abroad.
variety
variety is the spice of life en la
variedad esta el gusto 0 It is
important to vary the training program
so that boredom is avoided. Exercise
should be fun and variety is the spice of
life.
veil
draw a veil over something correr
un tupida vela sabre alga 0 Most of
us have something in our past career
over which we choose to draw a veil.
vessels
empty vessels make the most
sound (anticuado) mucha ruida y
pocas nueces (literal: las
embarcaciones vadas san las que
hacen mas ruida) 0 There's a lot of
truth in that old saying, 'Empty vessels
make the most sound'. 0 The trouble is
that empty vessels seem to be making
the most sound and getting the most
words in print.
~ Aquf la palabra vessel significa
~ "recipiente".
view
a bird's-eye view una vision de
conjunto (literal: una vista de
pajaro) 0 Before I left England, I was Q
parliamentary lobby correspondent,
getting a bird's eye view Of the way
politicians encourage people to believe
in dreams.
* take a dim view of something
ver algo con malos ajas 0 Back in
1989 he took a dim view of lotteries,
and wrote to a proposer: 'I do not
support your proposal for a lottery
and would wish not to be involved at
this stage.'
a worm's eye view una vision
humilde de las casas (literal: una
vista de gusana) o They were
considered to be leaders who, for the
most part, 'were complete fools, with a
worm's eye view of the world and a poor
underst'anding of their jobs'.
villain
* the villain of the piece (Brit) el
malo de la pelfcula 0 Ifhe is indeed
the villain of the piece, as the pOlice
claim he is, he should have been more
carefully watched.
~ En esta expresi6n, piece significa
~ "pieza (teatral)".
vine
wither on the vine 0
die on the vine (litera rio)
marchitarse (literal: marchitarse en
la vid) 0 I talked to senior citizens and
ordinary people al/ overthis state who
are worried that theAmerican dream is
dying on the vine.
violet
a shrinking violet un vergonzoso
(literal: una vialeta que se encoge)
o None of the women he paints could
be described as shrinking violets.
Antiguamente se consideraba
que las vialetas simboHzaban la
modestia, debido a su pequeno
tamana y aJ hecho de que las
volumes 291
~ flores permanecen ocultas entre
las hojas hasta que se abren.
volumes
* speak volumes decir mucho (literal:
hablar volumenes) 0 What you wear
speaks volumes, and it can lie, too.
~ En esta expresi6n, volume significa
"volumen" (libra).
wagon
be on the wagon no beber (literal:
estar en la carreta) 0 He was an
alcoholic, but he's been on the wagon
for more than 10 years.
~ Original mente, la expresion era
~ "en la carreta del agua" (on the
~ water wagon) 0 "en el carro del
~ agua"(onthewatercart). Los
~ carras del agua eran carras
~ tirados par caballos que se
usaban para transportar agua 0
~ para rociarlas calles. Si alguien
bebfa agua en lugarde alcohol,
~ se decfa que dicha persona was on
~ the wagon.
hitch your wagon to someone
subirse al carro de alguien (literal:
enganchartu carro a alguien)
o The increasing power of the Pacine
rim provides a reason why Russia
should not hitch its wagon too closely
toAmerica.
Esta expresi6n es una cita del
~ ensayo titulado Civilization (1870),
g del escritarestadounidense Ralph
Waldo Emerson.
wagons
circle the wagons cerrarfilas
(literal: poner las carretas en un
cfrculo) oSomeA(rican-Americans
who initially opposed Thomas
because o(his politics are circling
the wagons to support him because
o(his race.
Segun algunos relatos sobre'el
Oeste americano, cuando 105
indios atacaban las caravanas de
carromatos, los colonos
colocaban los carromatos en
cfrculo para paderdefenderse
mejor.
wake
Wake significa "estela" (de un
barco).
* in something's wake en la estela de
alga oA deadly cloud o( gas swept
along the valleys north o(Lake Nyos in
western Cameroon, leaving a trail o(
death and devastation in its wake.
* in the wake of something tras algo
o The trouble at Shotts prison (allows in
the wake o(unrest at several prisons in
England.
wake-up
* a wake-up call una lIamada de
atenci6n (literal: una Ilamada para
despertar) 0 Thejury said the
damages were intended to send a wake-
up call to the firm and other big
companies that sexual harassment
would not be tolerated.
walk
take a walk i rse a paseo 0 The
Coastguard bro/<e in almost immediately,
asking i(we required any assistance.
Tell him to take a wall<,'said Steve.
a walk in the park cosery cantar
(literal: un paseo en el parque)
o I thought marriage was tough, but
that's a wall< in the park compared to
gol(
walk the walk (amiliar) hacer 10
que se predica (literal: caminarel
camino) o Butthetime has come (or
MrColeman to prove that hecan walk
the walk to the same level as he can talk
the toile
wall
drive someone up the wall saca r
de quicio a alguien (litera': conducir
a alguien pared arriba) 0 He's so
uncooperative - he's beginning to drive
me up the wall.
* go to the wall (Brit) ir ala
bancarrota (literal: ir al muro)
oA total 0(1,776 companies went to
the wall in the three months to March
- a drop 0(14 percent on the first three
months 0(1992.
hit the wall meterse en un callej6n
sin salida (literal: golpear la pared)
o To ensure their businesses do not hit
the wall, operators must ensure their
financial management is strong and
streamlined.
nail someone to the wall
hacerselas pasar canutas a alguien
(litera': c!avar a alguien a la pared)
o I(he could not pay o((his debt, they
would nail him to the wall.
* off the wall fuera de serie 0 The new
channel is so off the wall and unlike
anything we see at the momentthat
you really have to watch it to appreciate
how it will be. oAt other times the
band plays a kind o( o((-the-wall/ounge
music, a kind o( soundtrack to a hip
science fiction movie.
Puede que esta expresi6n se
refiera a un tiro en unjuego como
el squash 0 el balonmano, en el
que la pelota rebota contra la
pared desde un angulo inesperado.
walls 293
someone will go to the wall for
someone or something (Brit)
alguien 10 darfa todo por alguien 0
algo oAbove all, he prizes loyalty. He'll
go to"the wall (or someone or something
he believes in.
~ Una explicac;i6n de esta
~ expresi6n es que hace referencia
~ a alguien atrapada de espaldas a
~ la pared, sin posibilidad de
~ escapar. Otra posible explicaci6n
~ es que se refiere a las capillas
~ medievales en las que las
pe"rsonas sanas solfan estar de
~ pie, perc que tenfan asientos
~ colocados junto a las paredes
~ para los enfermos. Una tercera
@ explicaci6n es que se refiere a
~ alguien que esta de pie frente
a una pared antes de ser
@ ejecutado par un pelot6n de
g fusilamiento.
* the writing is on the wall (sobre
todo Brit) a
the handwriting is on the wall
(sobretodoEEUU) sevelaquese
avecina (literal: la escritura esta en
la pared) 0 The writing is clearly on the
wall./(wedo nothing about it, we shall
only have ourselves to blame.
~ Esta expresi6n proviene de un
relata biblico (Daniels) en el
~ que aparece una mana misteriosa
~ yescribe un mensajeen Ja pared,
anunciando que el reino de
~ Baltasar pronto tocara a su fin.
walls
climb the walls subirse por!as
paredes 0 I'm climbing the walls now
because I have not got ajob. I have been
searching hard (or six months without
success.
walls have ears las paredes oven
o Take care. This place is like a vii/age.
Assume all walls have ears.
294 war
war
a war of nerves -+ ver nerves
* a war of words (Periodismo) una
guerra de palabras oAwarofwords
has blown up over who is to blame for a
confrontation between pOlice and fans
outside the venue.
warpath
on the warpath en pie de guerra
o StVincent and Grenadines' biggest
businessmen are on the warpath atter
claims that foreign nationals are trying
to con them out of thousands of dollars.
En su sentido literal, esta expresi6n
~ se refiere a los indios americanos.
wars
in the wars herido, lesionado
o Charlotte's four-year-old brother, Ben,
has a/so been in the wars. He is still in
plaster atter breaking a leg.
warts
* warts and all con todas sus
imperfecciones (literal: verrugas y
todo) 0 judith would not bethe first
wife to have got the measure of her
husband and decided that he is still the
man for her, warts and all.
Se dice que ellfder ingles del siglo
~ XV!! Oliver Cromwell Ie pidio al
~ pintorque pintaba su retrato que
no 10 favoreciera y que pintara
~ "todas las asperezas, granos,
~ verrugas y cualquier otra cosa tal
~ y como me ves, de otro modo no
~ te pagare ni un cuarto de penique
par el retrato".
wash
everything will come out in the
wash al final todo se arreglara
o That will be the end of that.
Everything will come out in the wash-
I promise you.
something will come out in the
wash alga se aclarara 0 It will mal(e
great listening at an industrial tribunal.
Everything will come out in the wash,
and Flashman will deserve it all.
waste
a waste of space (Brit) un inutiJ
(literal: un desperdicio de espacio)
oEven Sarah, a taIl13-year-old with a
white face and black-ringed eyes,
treated him as ifhe were a waste Of
space.
watch
* on someone's watch bajo la
vigilancia de alguien oMistakeswere
made on my watch, and accordingly I
believe my decision to retire, while
painful, is appropriate.
~ Be on watch significa "estar de
~ guardia".
water
* be dead in the water (Periodismo)
haberse ida al garete (literal: estar
muerto en el agua) 0 People are not
spending money: they're not buying
housesithey're not going into stores.
This economy is dead in the water.
~ Esta expresion sugiere la imagen
de un velero que rio puede
navegar porque no hay viento.
blow something out of the water
hacer saltar alga en pedazos (literal:
volar alga fuera del agua) 0 The
government is in a state of paralysis. I t ~
main economic and foreign policies have
been blown out of the water.
~ Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
~ de un barco compJetamente
~ destruido par un misil 0 parun
~ torpedo.
in deep water hasta el cuello
(literal: en aguas profundas) 0 You
certainly seem to be in deep water and
doing your utmost to reverse the
negative trends of the past couple of
months or so.
* in hot water metido en un 110
(literal: en agua caliente) 0 Debbie is
in hot water when RiC/( discovers her
attempt to sabotage his relationship
with Sarah.
like water off a duck's back como si
nada (literal: como agua en la espalda
de un pato) 0 Every time you discipline
him he will smile sweetly so that you
maythinl< your rebukes are streaming
away like water Off a duck's bac/e
s Las plumas de la espalda de un
~ pato estitn cubiertas de una
~ sustancia aceitosa que las
impermeabiliza.
* pour cold water on something 0
throw cold water on something
echar unjarro de agua frfa sobre
algo 0 They poured cold water on the
French proposal for a peace conference
involving both the EU and the UN.
someone can talk under water
(sobretodoAustralid) alguien habla
par los codas (literal: alguien sabe
hablar bajo el agua) oMy friends tell
me that I can tal/( under water.
* something does not hold water
alga carece de fundamento (litera':
alga no aguanta el agua) 0 They
mal(e it clear that the British
Government's argument does not hold
water.
* test the water 0
test the waters tantear el terreno
(litera': probar el agua) 0 I was a bit
sceptical. I decided to test the water
before committing the complete
management team.
* tread water estar en un punto
muerto 0 I could either tread water
until I was promoted, which looked to
be a few years away, or I could change
what I was doing.
waters 295
(uando los nadadores mueven
los brazos y las piernas a fin de
mantenerse a flote sin moverse,
se. dice que they tread water.
water over the dam (EE UU) 0
water under the bridge algo que ya
ha pasado a la.historia oMr Bruce
said that he was relieved it was over and
that he regarded his time injai/ as water
under the bridge.
waterfront
cover the waterfront (sobre todo
EE UU) cubrir todo 0 We have five
employees looldng after this whole
project. They cover the entire
waterfront: oil, real estate, high-tech,
and everything else.
Waterloo
meet your Waterloo [Jegar tu San
Martin (literal: encontrartu
Waterloo) oAtthefootofcliffl met
my Woterloo. The face of the cliff rose
sheer above us, and it was clear even to
methat we would not be able to climb it.
~ En 1815 Napoleon Bonaparte
~ sufri6 su ultima derrota en la
~ batalla de Waterloo, en Belgica.
waters
fish in troubled waters pescar en
rfo revuelto 0 They had had boundary
disputes with their previous neighbours,
and did not want to appearto be fishing
in troubled waters.
muddy the waters enredar las
cosas (literal: enturbiar el agua)
o This ruling seems only to have
muddied the waters. It seems a bit
confusing and we are seeking
clarification.
still waters run deep las
apariencias engafian 0 He's
extremely shy and withdrawn, though it
may be that still waters run very deep.
test the waters ..... ver water
296 wave
wave
catch the wave subirse a! tren
(literal: coger la ala) 0 With
parliamentary elections still officially
scheduled for October, pOliticians are
hoping to catch the wave of rising
discontent.
~ Los surfistas tienen que "coger la
~ ala" (catch the wave) justa cuando
~ esta rompe para poder montarla
con exito.
wavelength
En el contexte de las emisiones
radiof6nicas, wavelength significa
"Iongitud de onda". _
* on the same wavelength en la
misma onda 0 We could complete
each other's sentences because we were
on the same wavelength.
waves
* make waves causar sensaei6n
oMaathai has a historyormaking waves.
In 1971 she became the prst woman in
East and Central Arrica to earn a PhD.
way
* the easy way out !a soluei6n mas
faei! 0 It is the easy way out to blame
others ror ourrailure, and this is bad
practice.
go back a long way (sobretodo Brit) 0
go way back (sabre todo EE UU)
conocerse desde hace mucho 0 We
go bacl< a long way, and she's a/ways
kept in touch, always been there ror me.
* look the other way mirar para otro
lado o Stolen goods are sold
unashamedly in broad daylight but you
tend to 1001< the other way and mind
your own business.
* pave the way for something
preparar el terreno para algo (literal:
pavimentarel camino para algo)
oA peace agreement last year paved the
way for this wee/('s ejections.
rub someone up the wrong way
(Brit) a
rub someone the wrong way
(EE UU) irritar a alguien (literal:
acariciar a alguien a contrapelo)
o Ella had an uncommon knack of
rubbing everyone up the wrong w ~ y .
@. A los gatos no res gusta que los
~ acaricien a contrapelo (the wrong
~ way).
someone can't fight their way
out of a paper bag ... ver paper
ways
cut both ways tener doble filo
o For Britain, the impact cuts both
ways. The immediate e(fect or cheaper
oil is to reduce North Sea oil revenue.
But it also produces lower domestic
innation and stronger export markets.
* mend your ways enmendarse
o He seemed to accept his sentence
meekly, promising to wor/< hard in
prison and to mend his ways.
set in your ways con costumbres
profundamente arraigadas 0 Try not
to become set in your ways. It's very
easy to develop personal routines and
not to accept that other people have
other ways of doing things.
wayside
* fall by the wayside
1 quedarse en aguas de borraja
(litera': caerse en el borde del
camino) 0 The average player's
lifespan at the top is pve years. You
either play well, deal with the pressure,
ar yau fall by the wayside.
2 quedarse por el camino 0 Each
year our birthday parties grow more
and more polite. We still have a birthday
cake and give presents, but dancing
seems to have faJ/en by the wayside.
Esta expresi6n viene de la
parabola del sembrador relatada
por Jesus en [a Biblia (Marcos 4A).
Las semillas que caen al borde del
camino representan a las
personas que no prestan atenei6n
a las ensenanzas de Jesus.
wear
wear the trousers (Brit) 0
wear the pants (EE UU) lIevar los
pantalones oShe may give the
impression that she wears the trousers
but it's Tim who makes the final decisions.
weather
keep a weather eye on something
or someone (Srit) observar a[go 0 a
alguien con atenei6n 0 It is necessary
a/ways to keep a weather eye on your
symptoms and stay alert to the changes
which occur.
~ En un principio esta expresi6n
[a usa ban [os marineros, los
~ cuales tenfan que vigilar
constantemente el tiempo y la
~ direcci6n del viento.
make heavy weather of something
(Brit) hacer algo mas diffcil de 10 que
es 0 To an outsider, though, the
surprising thing is not that Spain's
conservatives are inching ahead but
that they are maldng such heavy
weather or it.
~ En sentido literal, make heavy
~ weather se usaba en referencia a
~ los barcos diffciles de controlar en
~ aguas agitadas.
* underthe weather indispuesto
(literal: bajo el tiempo) o If you're
feeling a bit underthe weather but can't
work out what's wrong, try our DIY
guide to self-diagnosis.
web
a tangled web una marana 0 It is
weight 297
sometimes difficult to cut through the
tangled web of government information
in order to Imow the benepts you can
claim.
wedge
* drive a wedge between people
abrir una brecha entre dos personas
o I did try to reassure her, but that only
seemed to irritate her more. That made
me upset, and I started to feel Toby was
driving a wedge between us.
the thin end of the wedge (Brit) e!
principio de much os males (literal:
el extremo delgado de la cuna)
o I think it's the thin end Of the wedge
when you have armed po/ice
permanently on patrol round a city.
weight
be worth your weight in gold valer
10 que pesa en oro 0 Successrul
television is about having ideas. People
with ideas are worth their weight in go/d.
* carry weight influir(litera': Ilevar
peso) 0 EI Tiempo is Colombia's
leading newspaper. Its opinions carry
considerable weight in the country.
carry the weight of the world on
your shoulders estar abrumado
(literal: lIevar el peso del mundo a
tus espa!das) 0 You loa/( as if you're
carrying the weight of the world on
those lovely shoulders.
~ Esta expresi6n tiene
~ probablemente su origen en e!
g mite de Atlas, un titan de la
~ mitologfa griega que fue
~ castigado por Zeus a cargar los
g cielos sobre sus hombros. A
~ menudo se 10 suele representar
~ sosteniendo un globo terraqueo
~ sobre la espalda.
a dead weight un peso muerto
o It's time for him to see that Labour
must be free of the dead weight of union
power.
298 west
"* pull your weight hacer tu parte
(litera': tirar detu peso) 0 Your
performance will bejudged by the
performance of your team, and you
cannot afford to carry members who are
not pulling their weight.
punch above your weight (Brit,
Periodismo) ser mas fuerte de 10 que
aparenta 0 The small Florida city of
Tallahassee has a/ways considered itself
to punch above its weight when it
comes to sport.
punch your weight (Brit, Periodismo)
tener la influencia que te
corresponde 0 There are some North-
Easterners who feel that the North will
never be able to punch its weight
against the affluent South-East.
"* throw your weight about (Brit) 0
throw your weight around ir de
sargento 0 Jonathon Rose, defending,
told the jury: My client is the sort of
person who likes to throw his weight
around after he's been watching rugby
with the lads.'
* throw your weight behind
someone or something apoyar a
alguien 0 alga can toda tu fuerza
(literal: lanzartu peso atras de
alguien 0 algo) 0 The U.S. government
is promising now to throw its weight
behind the peace negotiations.
west
go west (anticuado)
1 estirar la pata (literal: iral oeste)
o When he went west, he wanted to be
remembered.
2 irse al garete 0 His hopes of a
professional singing career went west
long ago.
EI sol "va hacia el oeste" (goes
~ west) cuando se oculta bajo el
~ horizonte en e[ oeste al final del
~ dfa. La comparaci6n entre el sol
~ poniente y la muerte se ha usado
en infinidad de lenguas y culturas
a 10 largo de 105 siglos. Par
ejemplo, hay quien asocia esta
expresi6n a 105 indios americanos,
quienes solfan decirque un
moribundo iba hacia el oeste para
encontrarse can e! sol poniente.
whale
have a whale of a time pasarlo'
bomba (litera': pasarlo tamano
ba[lena) 0 I had a whaleofa time in
Birmingham.
wheat
separate the wheat from the chaff
separar la paja del buen grana
o The reality is often blurred by the
propaganda. It is becoming more and
more diffiCUlt to separate the wheat
from the chaff.
~ Chaffsignifica "cascarilla del
~ trigo". En [a Biblia (Mateo 3:12;
~ Lucas 3:17), Juan el Bautista usa la
~ imagen de alguien que separa la
~ paja del grano para describir la
forma en queJesus separara a los
~ que iran al cielo de los que iran al
infiemo.
wheel
a big wheel un pez gordo (literal:
una rueda grande) 0 They new Robin
to NewYorl<, where George's uncJewas
a big wheel at Memorial Hospital.
a fifth wheel 0
a third wheel (EE UU) un estorbo
o Women really do suffer more as
widows. The fifth woman at a couples
dinner party is a fifth wheel; the fifth
man is a social coup.
Una quinta rueda en un coche 0
~ una tercera rueda en una bicicleta
serfan innecesarias.
reinvent the wheel reinventar la
rueda 0 learn from Scandinavia. We
have created foundations for other
countries to follow. Each country's
organization does not need to reinvent
the wheel.
wheels
oil the wheels (Brit) 0
grease the wheels allanarel
terreno (literal: engrasar las rued as)
o Credit cards greased the wheels of the
consumer boom by aI/owing us to buy
what we want, when we want.
set the wheels in motion ponerse
manos a la obra (literal: poner [as
ruedas en movimiento) 0 I have set
the wheels in motion to sell Endsleigh
Court: the sooner / get out of this bloc/<,
the better.
spin your wheels (sobretodo EE UU)
perder el tiempo (literal: girar las
rued as) 0 He is not getting anywhere.
He's just spinning his wheels.
the wheels are turning esta en
marcha (literal: las ruedas estan
girando) 0 The wheels are turning on
plans to convert the building into a
bookstore.
wheels within wheels mas
complicado de 10 que parece (litera':
ruedas dentro de ruedas) 0 Our
culture is more complex than he knows.
Wheels within wheels. Hierarchies.
Esta expresi6n viene de [a Biblia:
~ "Ten fan las cuatro la misma forma
~ y parecfan dispuestas como si una
~ rueda estuviese dentro de la otra"
(Ezequieln6).
whip
crack the whip apretar las clavijas
(literal: restaliar ellatigo) 0 They run
the chapel, I don't. They cracl< the whip
and I have to jump to it.
a fair crack of the whip (Brit) la
oportunidad de demostrar 10 que se
vale 0 Noneofthem is expecting any
whistle 299
favours,just a faircrac/< of the whip.
have the whip hand 0
hold the whip hand tener la sarten
par el mango (literal: sostener la
mana dellatigo) 0 The biggest party
in that government should have the
whip hand in decision-making.
whirl
give something a whirl intentar
algo (literal: dar un giro a algo)
o Why not give acupuncture a whirl?
whirlwind
reap the whirlwind .. ver reap
whisker
be Within a whisker of something
faltarle un pe/o para alga (literal:
estar a un bigote de algo)
o Unemployment, at 6.4 percent of the
labour force, is now within a whis/<erof
the rate at which inflation has otten
started to climb.
by a whisker por un pelo (literal:
par un bigote) oAttheendwe lost by
a whis/<er and I feel terribly
disappointed.
* come within a whisker of doing
something quedarse a un pelo de
hacer algo (litera': lIegar a un bigote
de hacer algo) 0 He came within a
whisl<erof scoring a spectacular goa/.
whisper
whisper sweet nothings decir
ternezas oSomewomen are turned on
by romantic men who'll hold their hand
in the street and whisper sweet
nothings in their ears.
whistle
* blow the whistle on someone or
something denunciar a alguien a
alga (literal: soplar el silbato)
o Members of Queensland coastal
communities are being asked to blow
the whistle on activities that damage
300white
the marine environment. 0 The
department needs to protect whistie-
blowers, health professionals who want
and [Qreta ma/<e a change in the system.
_ ~ En deportes como el futbol, el
~ arbitro toea un silbate para
detener el juego cuando un
~ jugador ha cometido una falta.
someone can whistle for
something alguien esperara
sentado par alga (litera': alguien
puede silbar alga) 0 She refused to
open her books to the Quditors, closed
the show and told the city it could
whistle for its money.
~ Segun una antigua superstici6n
~ entre marineros, silbanda podfan
conseguir que soplara el viento.
white
white as a sheet 0
white as a ghost palido como la
muerte (literal: blanco como una
sabana 0 un fantasma) 0 There was
another lady lorry driver who pulled in
in front afme, who it affected badly.
She was as white as a sheet.
white as snow blanco como la
nieve 0 When it's warm enough to go
bare-legged but your skin's as white as
snow, a fake tan's the answer.
whiter than white irreprochable
(literal: mas blanco que el blanco)
o He is prepared to forgive Atherton's
deceit this time, but it has left him in no
doubt that his behaviour must be
whiter than white in future.
whys
the whys and wherefores el porque
o Even successful bosses need to be
queried about the whys and wherefores
of their actions.
Whereforees una palabra
anticuada que significa for what
a why.
wick
get on someone's wick (Brit,
familiar) hacer que alguien se suba
par las paredes (literal: subirse a la
mecha de alguien) 0 Let's face it,
after three or four songs that voice really
does get on your wiele
wicket
be on a sticky wicket 0
bat on a sticky wicket (Brit) estar
en un aprieto oMrHughes is batting
on a very sticky wicket indeed. Should
he succeed in proving his outrageous
claims, he would lay himself open to a
charge of treason.
En un campa decrfquet, el area de
hierba situ ada entre los dos palos
~ se denamina wicl(et. Cuando ha
~ lIovido mucho dicha area se
~ ablanda y se vuelve pegajosa
~ (sticky), y en estas condiciones a
los bateadores les cuesta predecir
~ c6mo botara fa pelota.
wilderness
* in the wilderness (Brit, Periodismo)
en el ostracismo 0 He is delighted to
get another chance to represent his
country after a period in the wilderness.
a voice crying in the wilderness a
a lone voice in the wilderness
una voz que predica en el desierto
o For years, he was a lone voice in the
wilderness, and a lot of it came across
as self-serving. But I'll tell you, the man
was right.
~ Esta expresi6n viene de la Biblia
~ (Mateo 3:3)Y se refiere aJuan el
~ Bautista, el eual anunei61a
~ lIegada del Mesfas pero pocos Ie
~ hicieron caso.
wildfire
* spread like wildfire eorrercomo un
reguero de p61vora (literal:
extenderse como un ineendio)
o When ffnal conffrmation of his release
came, the news spread like wildffre.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiera la
~ rapida propagaci6n de 105
~ ineendios que empiezan en el
eampoy aiD diffeil que resulta
controlarlos.
willies
give you the willies darte harror
o Living on the mountainside is enough
to give anyone the willies - especially
when the wolves how/like the wind at
night.
wind
blow in the wind estar bajo
diseusi6n (literal: saplar al vienta)
o The agreement blowing in the wind
at Montreal signalled a change in
business conditions, and du Pont
decided to jump in.
* get wind of something enterarse
de alga (literal: eonseguirviento de
alga) 0 I want nothing said about this
until I give the word. I don't want the
public, and especially not the press,
to get wind of it at this stage.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere a los
. ani males que son capaees de oler
~ aiDs eazadores 0 a atros ani males
desde cierta distancia, porque el
viento les lIeva el aiDr.
in the wind eociendose (literal: en
el viento) 0 Change is in the wind and
this England team will alter as the year
unfolds.
it's an ill wind 0
it's an ill ~ i n d that blows nobody
any good no hay mal que par bien
no venga 0 It's an ill wind, of course,
and what is bad for the oil companies is
good for the consumer and inflation.
like the wind como el viento 0 Out
on the water, the boat goes lil<ethe wind.
wind 301
put the wind up someone (sobre
todo Brit) dar un susto a alguien
o The front door was jammed and they
couldfJ't open it. The delay put the wind
up me because, by then, Il<new
something was very wrong.
sail close to the wind (sabre todo
Brit) pisarterreno peligroso
(literal: navegar cerca del viento)
o Max warned her she was sailing
dangerously close to the wind and
risl<ed prosecution.
~ Nayegar en un velero demasiado
~ eerca del viento (too close to the
~ wind) significa intentar navegar
~ en Ja direcci6n en que sopla el
~ viento, 10 que puede provoearque
2 el barco se detenga a zozobre.
a second wind fuerzas (literal: un
segundo viento) 0 It was great tennis
and it was fun. I gota second wind
midway through the fourth set.
2 Si 105 corredores que estan sin
~ aliento corisiguen reeuperar las
~ fuerzas y respirar mejor, se dice
~ que they get their second wind.
see which way the wind is blowing
a
see how the wind is blowing
esperar para ver par d6nde van 105
tiros (literal: ver hacia d6nde sopla
el viento) 0 He wasn't one to make
pronouncements before he had seen
which way the wind was blowing.
spit in the wind escupircontra el
viento 0 But the idea that you can tall<
about a sing Ie currency today is to spit
in the wind of economic reality.
take the wind out of someone's sail
(EE UU) a
take the wind out of someone's
sails cortar alas a alguien (literal:
quitarle el viento de las velas a
alguien) 0 We hit a bad patch after
losing in the semi-ffnal. The effort and
302 windmills
disappointment tool< the wind out of
our sails fora while.
twisting in the wind 0
swinging in the wind (sobretodo
EE UU) en la estacada 0 The Prime
Minister left the minister swinging in
the wind, neither giving him his
support, nor being prepared to end the
agony by saC/<ing him.
whistle in the wind soltar palabras
vadas (literal: silbar al viento)
o Prior to going out, he had confided to
some Spanishjourna/ists that he was
going to win the tournament, but that
turned out to be whistling in the wind.
windmills
tilt at windmills arremeter contra
molinos de viento 0 I have spent my
life tilting at windmills. Willi never
Jearn?
Esta expresi6n hace referenda a
la novela Don Quijote (1605) de
Cervantes.
window
* go out the window 0
fly out the window irse al traste
(literal: salir por la ventana) 0 Three
years later she met Mici<, and her good
intentions out the window.
wing
do something on a wing and a
prayer hacer algo a la buena de
Dios 0 Whatever the cause, large parts
o(the government seem to be running
on a wing and a prayer.
Esta expresi6n se basa en el trtulo
de una canci6n de H.Adamson
compuesta en 1943, que hacfa
referenda al aterrizaje forzoso de
un avi6n.
* take someone under your wing dar
amparo a alguien (literal: redbir a
alguien bajo tu ala) 0 Ilet him tag
along because he had not been too well
recently. I took him under my wing and
looked after him.
Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
de una gallina que protege a sus
poHuelos bajo el ala.
under the wing of someone bajo el
control de alguien (literal: bajo el ala
de alguien) 0 If their problems are
picked up at school and they come under
the wing Of an educational
psycho/agist, they may be found a place
in a special school.
Esta expresi6n sugiere la imagen
de una gallina que protege a sus
polluelos bajo el ala.
wings
* clip someone's wings cortar las
alas a alguien a The opposition has
been trying to clip his wings by making
his actions and his appointments
subject to parliamentary approval.
Algunas personas les recortan las
alas a los p.3jaros cautivos para
impedirqueseescapen.
* spread your wings emprenderel
vuelo (literal: extender las alas)
a J've always had a very strong musical
direction and I was ab/eto really
and spread my wings.
try your wings probar suerte
(litera': probar las alas) a Hewas very
keen to try his wings and be a deputy on
his own.
* wait in the wings esperar entre
bas tid ores a He was one o( a number
of young, up and coming American
players who were waiting in the wings
(orthe next MajorChampionship.
wink
not sleep a wink 0
not get a wink of sleep no pegar ojo
a This was my first Grand Prix win o(
the season and I was so excited I
COUldn't sleep a wink that night.
tip someone the wink (Brit,
anticuado) avisar a alguien
secretamente a The commission may
tip him the wink that certain
compromises might prove acceptable to
EU governments.
winks
forty winks (anticuado) una
cabezada (literal: cuarenta
pestafleos) a There's nothing like (arty
winks to ease away the tension and
stresses of a hard day.
wire
* down to the wire (sabre todo EE UU)
hasta e! ultimo momento aAs
Congress worked down to the wire to
reach a compromise, the president
lectured a group Of White House interns
on the budget crisis.
get in under the wire (sabre todo
EE UU) entrar por los pelos a On
first reading it looks like they'll get in
under the wire because they have a US
partner on the team.
Aquf "el alambre" (the wire) es un
alambre imaginario bajo el que
pasan los caballosal final de una
carrera. 5i un caballo consigue
pasaraotroyacabarenunode
los puestos ganadores, se dice
que dicho caballo ha entrado
underthewire.
a live wire un torbellino (literal:
un cable con corriente) aShe is a
wonder(ul girl, a real live wire and (ull
offun.
wires
get your wires crossed tener un
malentendido a Despite hertoneo(
voice, she still looked vaguely confused.
He began to wonder if they'd got their
wires crossed.
wobbly 303
witless
scare someone witless dar un susto
mortal a alguien a The door used to
blow-open and scare me witless.
wits
* at your wits' end desesperado
o People are at their wits' end about
crime and they want to do something.
They want action.
collect your wits 0
gather your wits (/iterario)
reconcentrarse a Fora bone-jarred
moment all he knew was the shocked
terror of being left in a hail of gunfire;
then he collected his wits, scrambled up
and ned.
have to have your wits about you 0
have to keep your wits about you
need your wits about you no
perder la cabeza a You've got to have
your wits about you when you're driving
a car.
pit your wits against someone
(Brit) medir tu ingenio con alguien
a He has to pit his wits against an
adversary who is cool, clever, cunning
and desperate not to be caught.
scare someone out of their wits 0
scare the wits out of someone dar
un susto mortal a alguien a The tree
crashed through the conservatory and
set off all the alarms, which joined with
the sound Of the gale to scare me out o(
my wits.
wives
* an old wives' tale un cuento de
viejas aMy mother used to tell meta
feed a cold and starve a (ever. Is it just
an old wives' tale?
wobbler
throw a wobbler -+ ver throw
wobbly
throw a wobbly -+ ver throw
304 wolf
wolf
* cry wolf dar una falsa alarma
(literal: gritar lobo) 0 Knowing when
to order an evacuation is crucial. lfit is
issued too early, the storm could veer off
in another direction, then officials could
be accused of crying wal( and future
orders might not betaken seriously.
En una de las fabulas de Esopo,
un pastorcillo se divierte pidiendo
ayuda a gritos a los aldeanos para
que corran a rescatarlo pese a no
encontrarse el en peligro. Un dfa
Ilega un loboy ataca a las Dvejas,
pero los aldeanos no creen al
pastorcillo cuando este les vuelve
a pedir ayuda a gritos.
keep the wolf from the door
defenderse contra la miseria (literal:
mantener allobo lejos de la puerta)
o Your pension will keep the wolffrom
the door, but (ora comfortable old age
you need to make maximum use of the
pnancial choices now open to you.
los lobossimbolizaron el hambre
durante muchos siglos.
a lone wolf un lobo solitario
oAmong his peers, heis something ofa
lone wolf.
a wolf In sheep's clothing un lobo
disfrazado de cordero oMajor's grey
image may disguise a wOlfin sheep's
clothing.
En una de las fabulas de Esopo, un
lobo se disfraza con una piel de
g cordero V consigue entrar en un
redil sin que 10 vean.A continuacion
ataca a las ovejas V se las come
todas. Esta imagen tam bien
aparece en un pasaje de la Biblia
(Mateo ]:15) en el que se aconseja
ala gente que se guarde de los
falsos profetas; pueden parecer
g inofensivos, pero en realidad son
g peligrosos V destructivos.
wolves
throw someone to the wolves
arrojar a alguien a los lobos 0 What
I fear most is the thought of being
released into the general prison
population. I don't know what will
happen if they throw me to the wolves.
wonder
a wonder 0
a wonder flor de un dfa
(literal: un milagro de un dfa 0 nueve
dfas) 0 If the goa! was simp!yto make
people aware of environmental
problems it was a great success. The
fear of environmentalists, though, is
that this may prove to be a one-day
wonder.
La expresion a nine-day wonder
g se refiere probablemente a las
g novenas de la religion catolica.
wood
deadwood alga 0 alguien que sobra
(litera': ramas secas) 0 Now is the
time (or the dead wood at the top o(the
party to be cut away. Since the
electio'ns, the leadership has received a
great deal Of criticism.
someone cannot see the wood
for the trees -+ ver trees
* touch wood (sabre todo Brit) a
knock on wood (sabre todo EE UU)
knock wood (sabre todo EE UU)
tocar madera 0 She's never even been
to the doctor's, touch wood. She's a
healthy happy child and anyone con see
that.
Esta expresi6n tiene su origen
probable mente en la antigua
creencia de que los espfritus
benignos vivfan en los arboles,
par 10 que la gente solfa dar golpes
en el tronco para pedir avuda 0
protecci6n a estos espfritus.
Tambien podrfa guardar relaci6n
con la costumbre cristiana de
tocar un rosario 0 un crucifijo. Hay
quien incluso toea una superficie
de madera al decir esta frase.
woods
* not out of the woods nofuerade
peligro (literal: no fuera del bosque)
o One economist warns the nation's
economy is not out of the woods yet,
that there has to be concern about
rnancial shocks coming from abroad.
Parece ser que el origen de esta
expresi6n es el proverbio Don't
halloo till you are out of the wood
("No grites hasta que no havas
salida del bosque"), can el que se
advierte que no debe celebrarse
alga antes de haberlo conseguido.
woodwork
come out of the woodwork
aparecer de no se sa be d6nde
(literal: salir del enmaderado)
o People are starting to come out of the
woodwork to tal/< about fraudulent
practices in the industry.
wool
* acerrimo (literal:
tenido en la lana) oMrPurves has
made Hong Kong his homeforthe past
38 years but he remains a dyed-in-the-
woo! Scotsman.
En la epoca medieval, la lana salia
tenirse antes de hilarla y tejerla.
Asf el colorse distribufa mejorv
duraba mas.
pull the wool over someone's eyes
dar a alguien gato por liebre (literal:
poner la lana por encima de los ojos
de alguien) 0 'I just told them I was
ten years younger than I really was,'
says Liliana, speaking yesterday about
how she pulled the wool over the
medical profession's eyes.
words 305
Antiguamente, las pelucas
masculinas recibfan a veces el
nombre de wool ("lana") porque
parecfan un vell6n. Era facil
bajarle a alguien la peluca para
taparle los ojos, a bien como
broma 0 para robarle.
word
* a dirty word una palabrota (litera':
una pa!abra sucia) oAtthe root of
their problems was the misplaced belief
that good products sell themselves.
Marketing became a dirty word at the
company.
* from the word go desde el principia
mismo (litera': desde la palabra va)
o Right (rom the word go, monyo(the
players looked out of breath and out Of
their depth.
get a word in edgeways (Brit) 0
get a word in edgewise (sabre todo
EE UU) meter baza (literal: meter
una palabra de lado) 0 For heaven's
sake, Sue, will you let me get a word in
edgeways!
not breathe a word no deck nada
(literal: no respirar una palabra)
o Don't breathe a word of this to
anyone.
someone's word is law la palabra
de alguien es lev 0 His father was the
kind of parent who saw no reason to
discuss anything with his son; his word
was/aw.
a word in someone's ear (Brit) una
conversaci6n en privado con alguien
01'11 goand see him. It won't beofrcia/,
mind. Just a word in his ear over lunch.
words
* eat your words tragarse las
pa!abras 0 England made Denmark
eat their words with a brilliant victory
in the European championship. The
Danish coach had criticised England
prior to their semi-rnal clash.
30Gwork
famous last words me parece a mf
que no (literal: famosas Oltimas
palabras) 0 'All under control,' said
Bertie. 'Famous last words,' added Idris
with a wide grin.
in words of one syllable como a un
niiio (litera': en palabras de una
sllaba) 0 I'm sure I don't have to spell
things out in words of one syllable to
you.
* lost for words 0
at a loss for words sin palabras con
que expresarse 0 I had the feeling
they were all waiting for me to say
something. But forthe first time in my
lire I (elt at a lass (arwards.
* not mince your words no tener
pelos en la lengua (litera': no picar
las palabras) aShe did not mince her
words when she came to the platform to
demand a vote of no confidence in the
president.
put words into someone's mouth
referirse a casas quealguien no ha
dicho (literal: poner palabras en la
boca de alguien) a You're trying to get
me to say things! You're putting words
into my mouth which have got nothing
to do with me or my book!
take the words out of someone's
mouth quitarle la palabra de la boca
a alguien a 'Well, it's been amazing,'
she said in closing. 'You tool< the words
right out of my mouth, Lisa.'
work
* do someone's dirty work hacer el
trabajo sucio de alguien a He's
always got other people to do his dirty
work for him.
* have your work cut out teneri a
bastante diffcil (literal: tener el
trabajo recortado) a The Prime
Minister has his work cut out for him as
most analysts see little chance Of
resolving the constitutional crisis.
a nasty piece of work un canalla
(literal: un trabajo asqueroso)
a What about the husband, then. He's a
real nasty piece of work.
a piece of work (EE UU) un
personaje a Her next role is to play the
most highly decorated policewoman in
New York City. She's a real piece ofwork
- very controversial.
works
* in the works (sobre todo EE UU) en
proyeeto 0 The Ofree a(Develapment
for the city says that a shopping center
is in the works.
the works 0
the whole works toda la pesca
a Amazing place he's got there - squash
courts, swimming pool, jacuzzi, the
works.
world
come down in the world 0
go down in the world (anticuado)
venir a menos a Young women Of
middle class families which had come
down in the world also found work in
the upper ranges of domestic service.
come_up in the world 0
go up in the world (anticuado)
prosperar aA well brought-up young
man: hewas said to have been an
ordinary worker who had come up in the
warld.
dead to the world dormido como
un tronco (literal: muerto para el
mundo) aSarah was dead to the world
and would probably sleep for twelve
hours.
it's a small world 0
small world el mundo es un
panuelo (literal: es un mundo
pequeno) a I'm only just recovering
from the surprise of running into you
like this. Small world.
not long for this world con un pie
en la tumba 0 Peter asked Ian to
become his assistant earlier that year,
perhaps knowing that he was not long
for this world. When he died in June, Ian
became chairman.
not set the world on fire no
comerse el mundo (literal: no
prenderlefuego al mundo)
oMunton is a good bowler, but hardly
likely to set the world of cricket on (ire.
* on top of the world demaravilla
(litera': en la cima del mundo)
o When she came back from that
haliday she was sa happy, an tap a(the
warld.
* out of this world una maravi!la
(literal: de otro mundo) 0 The show
was rea/ly good. The music was great
and the costumes were out of this
world.
think the world of someone tener a
alguien en gran estima (litera':
pensarel mundo de alguien) 0 He is
an involved and caring father, and Sam
thinks the world of him.
the world is your oyster tienes el
mundo a tus pies (literal: el mundo
es tu ostra) 0 You've got a wonderful
watershed in your Iife,Johnny. You're
young, you've got a lot of opportunity.
The world is your oyster.
~ Esta expresi6n indica que el exito
puede obtenerse en el mundo asf
~ como las perl as pueden obtenerse
~ de las ostras. Esta idea aparece en
~ Las a/egres comadres de Windsor, de
~ Shakespeare (acto II, escena II).
worlds
* the best of both worlds todas las
ventajas (literal: 10 mejor de ambos
mundos) 0 These locations combine
the best a(bath warlds. They're in the
town yet close to the beautifUl
countryside ofWorcestershire and
Warwickshire.
* the worst of both worlds todas las
desventajas (literal: 10 peor de
wounds 307
-ambos mundos) 0 Fans got the worst
of both worlds: higher prices and more
law-quality (oatball.
worm
the worm has turned !a paciencia
tiene un limite (literal: el gusano se
ha dado la vuelta) 0 Then my mother
came home and started bossing us
around. She said, 'The worm has turned.
Things are going to be different around
here.'
worms
* a can of worms 0
a bag of worms un asunto
peliagudo (literal: una lata/balsa de
gusanos) 0 Now we have uncovered a
can of worms in which there has not
only been shamefUl abuse of power, but
a failure of moral authority of the worst
kind.
worried
worried sick preocupadfsimo
o Where have you been? I've been
worried sick about you.
worse
* the worse for wear desmejorado
o He turned up at important functions
two hours late and noticeably the worse
for wear.
worst
the worst of both worlds -+ ver
worlds
wounds
* lick your wounds lamer tus heridas
o England's cricketers are licking their
wounds after being soundly defeated in
the second Test against Australia at
Melbourne.
~ Algunos animales, como los
~ gatos, se [amen las heridas.
open old wounds abrirviejas
heridas 0 Butthat afternoon my world
308 wraps
was overturned. Ted's diagnosis had
opened old wounds and I no longer felt
secure.
wraps
* keep something under wraps
mantener alga en secreta (literal:
mantener alga bajo un envoltorio)
o The official report has been kept under
wraps for months by legal objections
From BA.
take the wraps off something
desvelar alga (literal: quitar el
envoltorio a alga) 0 Later this year,
Porsche will take the wraps off their
Ferrari-bashing 911 Turbo.
wrench
throw a wrench into the works a
throw a monkey wrench into the
works (EE UU) meter un palo en la
rueda (literal: tirar una Ilave inglesa
en la maquinaria) 0 When Elton WQS
robbed it threw a monkey wrench into
treworks.
wringer
go through the wringer 0
be put through the wringer pasar
las de earn (literal: pasar par el
escurridar) 0 I felt as though I'd been
through the wringer. My life seemed a
wreck.
yards
go the whole nine yards (EE UU) ir
hasta el final o She's been the whole
nine yards with the disease, has come
through it, and has now taken up sailing.
~ Esta expresi6n se refiere a la
cantidad de cementa (nueve
yardas cubicas) que contiene
~ una hormigonera.
yesterday
I wasn't born yesterday no nad
aver 0 He was rewarded with a
disbelieving smirk 'Now you really do
sou-nd like my father. I wasn't born
yesterday, you know.'
yonder
into the wide blue yonder a
into the wild blue yonder
(literario) hacia el mas alia
oSailing into the wide blue yonder,
Colin discovers his very own Treasure
Island.
zero-sum
a zero-sum game (Periodisma)
:3 sumen cero se denomina
~ zero-sum game.
una situaci6n en la que las
ganancias de unos son las perdidas
de otros 0 In New York people pursue
money, which is not a zero-sum game.
No one has to lose money for you to
make money.
zone
~ Unjuego en el que las ganancias y
~ las perdidas de todos los jugadores
be in the zone estaren plena
forma (literal: estar en la zona)
o I remember riding back to the stables
on a rising tide of emotion and hugging
my dad. By now I was in the zone and
brimming with confidence.
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