miércoles, 25 de noviembre de 2015

TODAY'S IDIOM: UNDER LOCK AND KEY

"UNDER LOCK AND KEY"



If something is under lock and key, it is kept in a very secure place.

Example: Make sure these documents are under lock and key until we need them. 

Bajo llave / Encerrado (a)
 
Example sentences:

  • Poor Josie. Her parents were very strict and they kept her under lock and key throughout her childhood, so she never learned about life's dangers / Pobre Josie. Sus papás fueron muy estrictos y la tuvieron encerrada durante su infancia, así que ella nunca aprendió acerca de los peligros de la vida. 

  • The medicines are kept under lock and key so that the children can't get them / Las medicinas se mantienen bajo llave para que los niños no puedan tomarlas.

Additional examples:

  • This type of deviant behaviour will get you put under lock and key.

  • He's under lock and key after he committed that robbery last year.




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martes, 24 de noviembre de 2015

TODAY'S IDIOM: KEEP YOUR NOSE CLEAN

"KEEP YOUR NOSE CLEAN"
 


If you keep your nose clean, you stay out of trouble by making sure you don't do anything wrong.

Example: It's important for sport's stars to keep their noses clean because they make a lot of money for endorsing products, and they could lose this income if they got into trouble with the law.

No metas las narices.

Example sentences:

  • Our son Michael is in trouble with the police again. I really wish he'd learn to keep his nose clean / Nuestro hijo Michael está en problemas con la policía de nuevo. Realmente me gustaría que aprendiera a no meter sus narices.

  • If George doesn't keep his nose clean he'll go to jail / Si George no deja de meter sus narices, irá a la cárcel.

Additional examples:

  •  I'm trying to keep my nose clean by staying away from those rough guys.

  • John, if you don't learn how to keep your nose clean, you're going to end up in jail.



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viernes, 13 de noviembre de 2015

TODAY'S IDIOM: HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH / HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH

"HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH / HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH"



You can hold your head high, or hold your head up high, if you feel proud of something.

Example: Al said, "Will our generation be able to hold our heads high if we've created serious environmental problems for our grandchildren to deal with? I don't think so!"

Con la cabeza en alto.

Example sentences:

  • The team didn't win, but they can hold their heads up high because they put up a great fight / El equipo no ganó, pero se van con la cabeza en alto porque dieron todo en la pelea.

  • After failing his driving test three times, Shane can hold his head up high now because he has passed it / Después de haber fallado el examen de manejo tres veces, Shane puede irse con la cabeza en alto ahora porque lo ha pasado.

Additional examples:

  • As long you play the best tennis you're capable of, you can hold your head high.

  • When this country has full employment and an education system for all, then we can hold our head up high.





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martes, 10 de noviembre de 2015

TODAY'S IDIOM: A QUICK STUDY

"A QUICK STUDY"



If you're a quick study, you can learn new things quickly.

Example: Albert was always a quick study, except when it came to learning languages.

Aprende rápido.

Example sentences:

  • I only need to show Sue how to do something once, and she gets it. She's a quick study, that girl / Solo necesito mostrarle a Sue una vez cómo se hace y ella lo entenderá. Ella aprende rápido, esa chica.

  • My teachers thought I would be a quick study like my brother and understand things quickly / Mis maestros piensan que aprenderé rápido como mi hermano y entenderé rápido las cosas.

Additional examples:

  • He's a quick study and easily grasps all the details of a discussion.

  • Jane, who is a quick study, caught the joke immediately and laughed before everyone else.




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lunes, 9 de noviembre de 2015

TODAY'S IDIOM: MAKE A KILLING

"MAKE A KILLING"



If you make a killing, you make a lot of money from a sale or a deal of some sort. 

Example: Bill made a killing at the racetrack yesterday.

Hacer una fortuna.

Example sentences:

  • My aunt made a killing when she bought some shares in a company as soon as they were issued, and sold them a few weeks later for three times what she paid / Mi tía hizo una fortuna a cuando compró algunas acciones en una empresa tan pronto como fueron publicadas y las vendió unas semanas después a tres veces de lo que pagó. 

  • After Julie made a killing on the stock exchange, she celebrated in a nightclub / Después de que Julie hizo una fortuna en la bolsa de valores, celebró en un centro nocturno.

Additional examples:

  • Lots of people made a killing when property values went so high back in the nineties. 

  • They made a killing last year buying up apartment buildings.





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jueves, 5 de noviembre de 2015

TODAY'S IDIOM: THE LION'S SHARE

"THE LION'S SHARE"



You can say something is the lion's share if it's the biggest share or portion of something.

Example: The company executives decided to give the lion's share of the company's profits to themselves, in the form of very high salaries, huge bonuses and very generous expense accounts. Not much was left over for staff wages and the shareholders.

La mayor parte.

Example sentences:

  • The lion's share of the government's budget goes to the military, when it could be spent on useful things like education, health care and looking after the environment / La mayor parte del presupuesto del gobierno va a los militares, cuando podría ser gastado en cosas útiles como la educación, la salud y el cuidado del medio ambiente.

  • The lion's share of the zoo's budget was spent on the salaries / La mayor parte del presupuesto del zoológico se gastó en los sueldos.

Additional examples:

  • The lion's share of the museum's budget goes on special exhibitions.

  • Reputable charities spend the lion's share of donations on aid and a tiny fraction on administration.




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martes, 3 de noviembre de 2015

TODAY'S IDIOM: The Real McCoy

"The Real McCoy" 

 

You can say something is the real McCoy if it's genuine, and not a fake or a copy.

Example: The duck liver pate was the real McCoy. It tasted so much better than the stuff in tins they call duck liver pate back home.

Original / Verdadero.

Example sentences:

  • You only paid $50 for a Gucci handbag? Well it's obviously not the real McCoy then, is it / ¿Solo pagaste $50 por una bolsa Gucci? Bueno, obviamente no es verdadera, es eso.

  • I know my new Rolex is the real McCoy because I bought it from the Rolex store in Paris / Sé que mi nuevo Rolex es original porque lo compré en la tienda Rolex en Paris.

Additional examples:

  • Of course it's authentic. It's the real McCoy.

  • Cheap sparkling wines cannot be labelled 'champagne'. It has to be the real McCoy.




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