TODAY'S IDIOM: SAVE THE DAY

"SAVE THE DAY"

 

If you save the day, you do something to ensure success or to solve a serious problem. 

Example: It looked like we were going to lose the game, but Ronaldo saved the day by kicking two late goals. 

Salvar.

Example sentences:

• Then a guy rides in on a white horse and saves the day by killing the bad guys and rescuing the girl / Entonces un hombre cabalga en un caballo blanco, matando a los malos y salvando a la chica.

• The character in a movie who saves the day is the hero / El personaje de una película, quien salva es el héroe.

Additional examples:

• The team was expected to lose, but Sally made three points and saved the day.

• Your excellent speech calmed the crowd and saved the day.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

"LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL"

 

If you can see light at the end of the tunnel, you can see some sign of the end of a difficult period.

Example: After the leaders met for talks, people are seeing light at the end of the tunnel for the first time since the war began.

Una luz al final del camino.

Example sentences:

• Even if you can't see any light at the end of the tunnel yet, don't give up. Things will eventually get better / Si tu no puedes ver una luz al final del camino todavía, no te rindas. Las cosas eventualmente irán mejorando.

• Gillian's business has been losing money for years, but there's light at the end of the tunnel now because she's starting to get more orders / El negocio de Gillian ha estado perdiendo dinero por años, pero hay una luz al final del camino ahora, porque ha estado obteniendo más órdenes.

Additional examples:

• At this point, there is no light at the end of the tunnel because we have to start over.

• Once I could see light at the end of the tunnel, writing the last part of the book wasn't so hard.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: PULL YOUR SOCKS UP

"PULL YOUR SOCKS UP"

You can say "pull your socks up" to someone if you think they should improve the way they are behaving or the way they are doing something.

Example: He'll lose his job unless he pulls his socks up and starts doing a lot better.

Ponerse las pilas.

Example sentences:

• The coach said I have to pull my socks up or I'll lose my spot on the team / El entrenador dijo que tengo que ponerme la pilas o perderé mi lugar en el equipo.

• His teacher told Jason to pull his socks up because his grades weren't good enough / Su maestro le dijo a Jason que tenía que ponerme las pilas porque sus calificaciones no van  muy bien. 

Additional examples:

• I need to pull up my socks and work a little harder and be more organized!

• She pulls up her socks when her test scores are low.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A NEW LEASE OF LIFE

"A NEW LEASE OF LIFE"

 

If someone has a new lease of life, they have a new enthusiasm for living.

Example: When my uncle quit drinking it gave him a new lease of life and he started doing things he hadn't done for years.

Una nueva oportunidad de vida.

Example sentences:

• After recovering from her illness, Kathy had a new lease of life and made lots of plans for the future / Después de recuperarse de su enfermedad, Kathy tenía una nueva oportunidad de vida e hizo muchos planes para el futuro.

• After winning her battle with cancer, Misha had a new lease of life. She was going to live her life to the full / Despúes de que ganó la batalla contra el cáncer, Misha tenía una nueva oportunidad de vida. Ella iba a vivir su vida al máximo.

Additional examples:

• The operation was such a success it really has given her a new lease of life.

• The heart operation was a complete success and has given her a new lease on life.

• His grandchildren have given him a new lease of life.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: UM AND AH (FILLER SOUNDS)

"UM AND AH (FILLER SOUNDS)"

If you "um and ah" you're having trouble deciding what to say, or you're having trouble telling somebody something.

Example: James ummed and ahed for a while, but he eventually agreed to help us get the deal.

Um y ah

Example sentences:

• Sharon always ums and ahs when she can't make up her mind / Sharon siempre ums y ahs cuando no puedo hacerse a la idea. 

• Stop umming and ahing and just get on with it / Deja los um y ah y sigue adelante con esto.

Additional example:

• Stop um and ah and come here.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: DRAW A BLANK

"DRAW A BLANK"

If you draw a blank, you get no response when you ask for something, or get no results when you search for something.

Example: I searched in my computer for an hour, but I drew a blank so I can't give you the details.

Quedarse en blanco.

Example sentences:

• I did a search on the web for information about the company, but I drew a blank / Hice una búsqueda en la web para obtener información acerca de la compañía, pero me quedé en blanco.

• He said he tried to remember the date of the meeting, but he drew a blank and couldn't tell us / Dijo que trataría de acordarse del día de la reunión, pero se quedó en blanco y no podía decirnos.

Additional examples:

• I tried to remember her telephone number, but I could only draw a blank.

• It was a very hard test with just one question to answer, and I drew a blank.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: TAKE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT / TAKE WITH A PINCH OF SALT

"WITH A GRAIN OF SALT / TAKE WITH A PINCH OF SALT"

If you take what someone says with a grain of salt, or with a pinch of salt, you have doubts about the truth or accuracy of what they say.

Example: Sue says the internet is great, but she takes a lot of the information there with a pinch of salt until she sees the same information on a few different websites. 

Creeer la mitad.

Example sentences:

• Uncle Bill tells some great stories, but we take what he says with a grain of salt because he sometimes exaggerates or makes things up / El tío Bill cuenta algunas historias, pero le creemos la mitad de lo que dice porque algunas veces exagera o inventa cosas.

• When your grandma tells stories about the past, you should take what she says with a grain of salt because she doesn't always remember things accurately / Cuando tu abuela cuenta historias acerca del pasado, deberías de creerle la mitad de lo que dice porque ella no siempre recuerda las cosas con precisión.

Additional examples:

• Steven's known to exaggerate: I'd take anything he says with a grain of salt.

• I've read the article, which I take with a grain of salt.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: EASIER SAID THAN DONE

"EASIER SAID THAN DONE"

To say that something is easier said than done means that what is suggested sounds easy but it is more difficult to actually do it.

Example: Put the TV aerial on the roof? Easier said than done!

Es mas fácil decirlo que hacerlo.

Example sentences:

• The doctor says I should stop smoking but that's easier said than done / El doctor dijo que debería dejar de fumar, pero es mas fácil decirlo que hacerlo.

• However, achieving these goals has been easier said than done / Sin embargo, el lograr estos objetivos ha sido más fácil de decir que de hacer.

Additional examples:

• Finding a good job is easier said than done

• We agree that that is easier said than done.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A KNUCKLE SANDWICH

"A KNUCKLE SANDWICH"

If you give someone a knuckle sandwich, you punch them.

Example: Simon said he'd give me a knuckle sandwich if I wasn't careful, so I said "Come on then, let's go outside!"

Un golpe.

Example sentences:

• If you say that again you'll get a knuckle sandwich! / Si vuelvesa decir eso, te daré un golpe.

• Kenny gave me a knuckle sandwich and I said, "Ouch! That hurt!" / Kenny me dio un golpe y dijo, "¡Ouch! ¡Eso duele!"

• You'll get a knuckle sandwich if you don't shut up / Obtendrás un golpe si no te callas.

Additional examples:

• If you don't stop bothering me, you're going to get a knuckle sandwich.

• Sabah gave Peter a knuckle sandwich when she caught him looking at other girls.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: WEAK AT THE KNEES

"WEAK AT THE KNEES"

If you go weak at the knees, you feel an emotion so strongly that it makes you feel unstable on your feet. 

Example: When he looked at me and smiled, I felt weak at the knees. He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen!

Me temblaron las piernas.

Example sentences:

• Just thinking about getting up in front of a thousand people makes me weak at the knees. It's terrifying! / Sólo de pensar en estar frente a millones de personas hace que me tiemblen las piernas. Es aterrador! 

• Carlos gasped and went weak at the knees when he realised he had lost his passport, money and credit cards / Carlos se quedó sin aliento y le temblaron las piernas cuando se dió cuenta de que había perdido su pasaporte, el dinero y la tarjeta de crédito.

Additional examples:

• The very thought of jumping out of an aircraft with a parachute made him go weak at the knees.

• He was so gorgeous, I felt weak at the knees every time he spoke to me.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT

"SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT"

If you shoot yourself in the foot, you harm yourself in some way by doing something stupid or making a silly mistake.

Example: The Minister of Agriculture shot himself in the foot by saying that farmers couldn't understand economics because they weren't educated. He resigned soon after

Cavar su propia tumba.

Example sentences:

• Why does Kerry always shoot herself in the foot by saying the wrong thing? / ¿Porque Kerry siempre cava su propia tumba cuando se equivoca en algo?

• The head of the football association shot himself in the foot by telling a racist joke / El jefe de la asociación de futbol cavó su propia tumba al contar una broma racista.

Additional examples:

• He shot himself in the foot by suggesting that women politicians were incompetent.

• My brother has shot himself in the foot twice by turning down buyers for his house.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: THE GIFT OF THE GAB / THE GIFT OF GAB

"THE GIFT OF THE GAB / THE GIFT OF GAB"

If you've got the gift of the gab, or the gift of gab, you have the natural ability to talk in a way that people find entertaining or persuasive.

Example: All good salespeople have the gift of the gab, so people trust them and believe whatever they say.

Labia / El don de la palabra.

Example sentences:

• Tim has the gift of the gab, he can sweet-talk anybody / Tim tiene labia, puede convencer a quien quiera de lo que él quiera.

• If you want to be a politician, you'll do much better if you were born with the gift of gab / Si quieres ser político, lo harás mucho mejor si hubieras nacido con el don de la palabra.

Additional examples:

• Sally's got the gift of the gab, so she'd make a good high school teacher.

• An Irishman, he had the gift of the gab. You might hate what he said but you had to listen.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: NEVER SAY DIE!

"NEVER SAY DIE!"

 

You can say "Never say die!" if you want to tell someone to keep trying while there's still a chance of success.

Example: We were two goals down with only a few minutes to go, but our captain wouldn't give up. He was shouting, "Come on, guys! Never say die!"

¡No darse por vencido!

Example sentences:

• After falling off his surfboard for the hundredth time, Craig climbed back on and said with a laugh, "Never say die!" / Después de caerse de su tabla de surf por centésima vez, Craig se subió de nuevo y dijo con una sonrisa, ¡No me daré por vencido!

• David said, "Never say die!" after failing his driving test again / David dijo, ¡No me daré por vencido! después de fallar de nuevo en su examen de conducir.

Additional examples:

• I don't think I can finish this project in time. Never say die!.

• It's no use. I can't make my checkbook balance. Never say die!

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TODAY'S IDIOM: FEEL ON TOP OF THE WORLD

"FEEL ON TOP OF THE WORLD"

 

To feel very good, as if one were ruling the world. 

Example: I feel on top of the world this morning.

Sentirse muy bien / Sentirse en la cima del mundo.

Example sentences:

• I do not actually feel on top of the world, but I have felt worse / No me siento muy bien pero me he sentido peor.

• I'm in a really good mood, I actually feel on top of the world / Estoy de muy buen humor, en verdad me siento en la cima del mundo.

Additional examples:

• My job is going well and I have a wonderful family: I feel on top of the world!

• I feel on top of the world and I plan to go dancing tonight. 

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