TODAY'S IDIOM: SETTLE A SCORE

"SETTLE A SCORE"

If you settle a score with someone who has hurt you or insulted you in the past, you do something to hurt or insult them in return.

Example: Boxing promoters often create the impression that boxers have scores to settle with each other in order to create more drama before a fight and sell more tickets.

Ajuste de cuentas.

Example sentences:

• We think that the fire was lit on purpose to settle a score between rival gangs / Pensamos que el fuego fue encendido a propósito para un ajuste de cuentas entre bandas rivales.

• Johnny said he'd settle the score with Jimmy one day after Jimmy had told the police that Johnny had done the robbery / Johnny dijo que había ajustar cuentas con Jimmy un día después que Jimmy había dicho a la policía que Johnny había hecho el robo.

Additional examples:

• Police believe the killer was a gang member settling a score with a rival gang.

• John wants to settle a score with his neighbor. Tom, it's time you and I settled the score.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: VIM AND VIGOR

"VIM AND VIGOR"

If you have vim and vigor, you have lots of energy and enthusiasm for life.

Example: If you want to have lots of vim and vigor when you get older, you need to eat good food and get plenty of exercise when you're young. 

Energía y vigor.

Example sentences:

• Our grandmother is always full of vim and vigor when we go to visit her / Nuestra abuela siempre está llena de energía y vigor cuando vamos a visitarla.

• Politicians are advised to act as if they are full of vim and vigor so that voters will think they are healthy enough to lead the country / Se aconseja a los políticos a actuar como si ellos estuvieran llenos de energía y vigor por lo que los votantes pensarán que son lo suficientemente sanos como para dirigir el país.

Additional examples:

• Show more vim and vigor!

• Let us know you're alive. She's sure got a lot of vim and vigor. 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: BEAT THE RAP

"BEAT THE RAP"

If someone beats the rap, they avoid being found guilty of a crime.

Example: Everyone knows that Jimmy the Snitch did the robbery in Green St., but he beat the rap because he's in with the cops.


Vencer.


Example sentences:

• Henry was charged with drunk driving, but his lawyer helped him beat the rap on some technical detail / Henry fue acusado de conducir ebrio, pero su abogado lo ayudó a vencerlo en algunos detalles técnicos.

• Sonny was arrested for robbery, but he beat the rap so now he's back home / Sonny fue arrestado por robo, pero logró vencerlo así que ahora está de vuelta a casa.

Addittional examples:

• He was charged with drunk driving, but he beat the rap.

• The police hauled Tom in and charged him with a crime. His lawyer helped him beat the rap.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: RAGS TO RICHES

"RAGS TO RICHES"

If you go from rags to riches, you start out very poor and you become very rich.

Example: My grandfather went from rags to riches when his dishwashing liquid became very popular. He started out making it at home, but in less than a year he had his own factory.

De mendigo a millonario.

Example sentences:

• Most of these young guys in professional basketball came from poor neighbourhoods and they all have the same rags-to-riches story / La mayoría de estos jóvenes en el baloncesto profesional vinieron de los barrios pobres y todos ellos tienen la misma historia de mendigo a millonario.

• This girl I knew in high school has had an unusual life. She went from rags to riches after she became a top international model / Esta chica que conocí en la secundaria ha tenido una vida inusual. Ella pasó de mendiga a millonaria después de que se convirtió en una modelo internacional de primera.

Additional examples:

• People who go from rags to riches are often afraid the good life will be snatched away from them.

• The princess used to be quite poor. She certainly moved from rags to riches.

• After I inherited the money, I went from rags to riches.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: MAKE A SONG AND DANCE ABOUT SOMETHING

"MAKE A SONG AND DANCE ABOUT (SOMETHING)"

If you make a song and dance about something, you make a big deal out of, or a fuss over, something that isn't very important. 

Example: Why are people making such a song and dance about the fact that the health minister used to smoke cigarettes? You'd think he'd worshipped the devil from the way they're carrying on about it!

Hacer escándalo.

Example sentences:

• Carol thinks people should be angry about the injustices in the world, but instead they make a song and dance about things like the high price of bananas / Carol piensa que la gente debería estar enfadado por las injusticias en el mundo, pero en lugar de eso hacen escándalo por cosas como el alto precio de los plátanos. 

• The staff in our company are making a song and dance about how bad the coffee in the canteen is / El personal de nuestra empresa está haciendo escándalo de lo mal que es el café en el comedor.

Additional examples:

• I only asked her to move her car but she made such a song and dance about it. 

• He made a real song and dance about giving up meat.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: YELLOW JOURNALISM

"YELLOW JOURNALISM"

 

 

 
Journalism in which sensational stories are used to boost sales, or biased reporting is used to change the reader's views on an issue. Both of these are unethical.
 
Example: Joe: "Is there any difference between yellow journalism and propaganda?" Kate: "I think yellow journalism can be even more dangerous than propaganda if it's being presented as objective reporting by well-known journalists."
 
Amarillismo / Amarillista
 
Example sentences:
 

• Have you noticed how, during a war, normally trustworthy professionals start writing the worst sort of yellow journalism to justify their government's actions? / ¿Has notado como, durante la guerra, normalmente profesionales de confianza comienzan a escribir la peor especie de amarillismo para justificar las acciones de su gobierno?

 

• Jerry gets angry when he sees yellow journalism. He says journalists who write it are misleading their readers / Jerry se enoja cuando ve un periódico amarillista. Él dice que los periodistas que escriben están engañando a sus lectores.

 
Additional examples:
 

• The paper is practising yellow journalism at its worst with its scandalous stories about the Governor and his family.

 

• This paper is practising yellow journalism with its reports on sex scandals.

 

 

 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: NO WAY!

NO WAY!

You can say "No way!" when you want to strongly reject an offer, a request, or a suggestion.

Example: Hassan's father said he should sell his car to pay off his debts, but Hassan looked shocked at the suggestion and just said, "No way!"

No puede ser.

Example sentences:

• Jamie looked at his brother and yelled "No way!" after his brother had told him to give him one hundred dollars / Jamie miró a su hermano y le gritó "¡No puede ser!" después de que su hermano le había dicho que le daría cien dólares.

• Now he's asking me to lend him my car. No way! / Ahora me está pidiendo que le preste mi coche. ¡No puede ser!

Additional examples:

• There's no way I could have paid for it.

• I love this job and there's no way I'd quit just to make a bit more money.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A RAY OF SUNSHINE

"A RAY OF SUNSHINE"

Something is a ray of sunshine if it brings happiness to someone.

Example: The birth of Debra's first grandchild less than a year after her husband died came as a much-needed ray of sunshine in her life.

Un rayo de sol.

Example sentences:

• After years of struggling to get established as a writer, the publication of her first short story was a ray of sunshine for Ruth / Después de años de luchar para establecerse como escritor, la publicación de su primer cuento fue un rayo de sol para Ruth.

• The kids in the hospital had a ray of sunshine in their lives when some famous footballers visited them / Los niños en el hospital tuvieron un rayo de sol en sus vidas cuando algunos futbolistas famosos los visitaron.

Additional examples:

• Amid all the gloom, their grandchild has been a real ray of sunshine.

• The company's earnings provided a ray of sunshine for investors on Friday.  

• Sara's visit was a ray of sunshine in her grandmother's day.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: VOTE WITH YOUR FEET

"VOTE WITH YOUR FEET"

If you vote with your feet, you show your opinion of something by acting in a certain way, such as by buying something if you like it, or by not buying it if you don't like it.

Example: Opponents of the fur trade are trying to get people to vote with their feet by refusing to buy from shops that sell any clothes that use fur. 

Dar la espalda.

Example sentences:

• When the price of concert tickets nearly doubled, music fans voted with their feet and didn't go to the concerts / Cuando el precio de las entradas para los conciertos casi se duplicó, los aficionados dieron la espalda y no asistieron a los conciertos.

• If people are voting with their feet, they are using their actions to express their preferences / Si la gente está dando la espalda, están utilizando sus acciones para expresar sus preferencias.

Additional examples:

• I think that the play is a total flop. Most of the audience voted with its feet during the second act.

• I am prepared to vote with my feet if the meeting appears to be a waste of time. 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: UP A GUM TREE

"UP A GUM TREE"

If you're up a gum tree, you're in trouble or have a serious problem.

Example: The company is up a gum tree because they broke some laws about polluting the environment, and they'll probably get closed down.

Estar en aprietos.

Example sentences:

• Bazza was driving through the desert from Perth to Sydney, but he's up a gum tree now because / Bazza estaba conduciendo por el desierto de Perth a Sydney, pero ahora está en aprietos porque se ha quedado sin gasolina.

• If the insurance company won't pay for the damage, I'll be up a gum tree / Si la compañía de seguros no paga por el daño, estaré en aprietos.

Additional examples:  

• My mate Bruce is up a gum tree. He got a sheila up the duff and now she's twisting his arm to get hitched.

• My wife caught me buying a drink for my attractive secretary. Oh mate, you are up a gum tree!

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TODAY'S IDIOM: MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES

"MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES"

If you make hay while the sun shines, you make good use of the chance to do something while it lasts.

Example: Jim works too much, but he reckons he's just making hay while the sun shines. He says he'll slow down once he's made his fortune.

Aprovecharse de la ocasión.

Example sentences:

• We've got a few days off work so lets make hay while the sun shines and do some landscaping around the back of the house / Tenemos un par de días sin trabajo por lo que nos permite aprovecharnos de la ocasión y hacer un poco de jardinería en la parte trasera de la casa.

• I'd better make hay while the sun shines and do some work on my book while I have a bit of free time / Será mejor aprovecharme de la ocasión y hacer algún trabajo en mi libro mientras tengo un poco de tiempo libre.

Additional examples:

• While my husband's out of town, I'm going to watch all the movies he wouldn't take me to see. Why not? Make hay while the sun shines.

• I've got a few hours to finish the housework before the kids come home so I might as well make hay while the sun shines.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: TIGHTEN YOUR BELT

"TIGHTEN YOUR BELT"

If you tighten your belt, you try to spend less money.

Example: Pablo says his family have had to tighten their belts because everything costs much more now.

Apretar el cinturón.

Example sentences:

• I'll have to tighten my belt for a while so I can pay off my debts / Voy a tener que apretarme el cinturón por algún tiempo para poder pagar mis deudas.

• Carly will have to tighten her belt because she's lost her job / Carly tendrá que apretarse el cinturón porque ha perdido su puesto de trabajo.

Additional examples:

• Things are beginning to cost more and more. It looks like we'll all have to tighten our belts.

• Times are hard, and prices are high. I can tighten my belt for only so long

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TODAY'S IDIOM: ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE

"ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE"

You can say "all hell broke loose" if a situation suddenly became violent or chaotic.

Example: Everything was fine in the club until someone yelled, "Fire!" and then all hell broke loose as people started running and screaming and pushing each other.

Se armó a gorda.

Example sentences:

• I was walking through the station on my way to work when I heard this huge explosion, and then all hell broke loose / Estaba caminando por la estación de camino al trabajo cuando escuché esta gran explosión, y luego se armó la gorda.

• All hell broke loose after a guy pulled out a gun / Se armó la gorda después de que el hombre sacó un arma.

Additional examples:

• When the boss left early for the weekend, all hell broke loose.

• This big guy walked up to the bar and hit Freddie and suddenly all hell broke loose.

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