TODAY'S IDIOM: QUIET AS A MOUSE

"QUIET AS A MOUSE"

If you're as quiet as a mouse, you're very quiet.

Example: Nadia has been as quiet as a mouse in class since everyone laughed when she said the wrong thing.

Tan silencioso como un ratón.

Example sentences:

• I didn't hear you come in last night. You must have been as quiet as a mouse / No te escuché entrar anoche. Debiste haber sido tan silencioso como un ratón.

• Francine is being as quiet as a mouse. Are you sure she's in her room? / Francine es tan silencioso como un ratón. ¿Estás seguro que está en su habitación?

Additional examples:

• She was as quiet as a mouse. I didn't even know she'd come in.

• The little boy was quiet as a mouse as he moved around the kitchen.

 

 

 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: YOU ASKED FOR IT

"YOU ASKED FOR IT"

You can say "You asked for it!" when you think someone deserves the punishment they're getting or the trouble they're in. 

Example: I knew the risks when I started smoking, so now that I've got lung cancer all I can say to myself is "You asked for it!" 

Te lo buscaste.

Example sentences:

• You asked for it, you know. How can expect to keep your job when you keep coming to work late? / Sabes que te lo buscaste. ¿Cómo esperabas mantener tu trabajo cuando seguías llegando tarde?

• My brother said "You asked for it!" after my wife left me / Mi hermano dijo "Te lo buscaste" después de que me dejó mi esposa.

Additional examples:

• Bill: The tax people just ordered me to pay a big fine. Bob: The careless way you do your tax forms caused it. You asked for it!  

• I'm not surprised she lost her job - she was really asking for it.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: KICK THE HABIT

"KICK THE HABIT"

If you kick the habit, you manage to stop doing something that has become a bad habit.

Example: I wish I could stop smoking cigarettes but I just can't kick the habit.

Dejar el hábito.

Example sentences:

• Rashid used to bite his fingernails but his girlfriend made him kick the habit / Rashid solía morderse las uñas pero su novia lo hizo dejar el hábito.

• If a cigarette smoker says they want to kick the habit, it means they want to stop smoking cigarettes / Si un fumador de cigarros dice que quiere dejar el hábito significa que quieren dejar de fumar cigarros.

Additional examples:

• Some smokers use hypnosis to try and kick the habit.

• She tried and tried to kick the habit.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: COST THE EARTH / CHARGE THE EARTH

"COST THE EARTH / CHARGE THE EARTH"

If something costs the earth, or they charge the earth for it, it's very expensive.

Example: Don't have anything from the little fridge in your hotel room. They charge the earth for that stuff.

Un ojo de la cara.

Example sentences:

• Just having a cup of coffee costs the earth in there. It's ridiculously expensive / Solo tener una taza de café cuesta un ojo de la cara aquí. Es ridículamente caro.

• These Persian carpets cost the earth, so they must be good quality / Esas alfombras Persas cuestan un ojo de la cara, así que deben ser de buena calidad.

Additional examples:

• All these new taxes and service charges are going to cost the earth.

• Your new car looks pretty slick! I should hope so, it cost the earth!

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TODAY'S IDIOM: AS SOON AS POSSIBLE / ASAP

"AS SOON AS POSSIBLE / ASAP"

If you do something as soon as possible (sometimes abbreviated to "asap"), you do it at the first possible opportunity.

Example: She said she'll be here as soon as possible, so there's no point calling her again. She's coming as quickly as she can.

Tan pronto como sea posible.

Example sentences:

• I'm in a meeting now, but I'll call you back asap / Ahora estoy en una reunión, pero te devuelvo la llamada tan pronto como sea posible.

• Teddy says he'll write the report as soon as possible, so he'll do it the first chance he gets / Teddy dijo que escribirá el reporte tan pronto como sea posible, así que lo hará en la primer oportunidad que tenga.

Additional examples:

• We need an ambulance as soon as possible! Someone has been hurt!

• I'm leaving now. I'll be there as soon as possible.  

• Please pay me asap.

 
 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: AHEAD OF THE GAME

"AHEAD OF THE GAME"

You are ahead of the game if you have an advantage over your competitors in any activity in which you try to do better than others, such as in business, academia, sports, etc.

Example: We got ahead of the game by employing the best people in our research laboratories.

La delantera.

Example sentences:

• You'll be ahead of the game when you start at university if you do a lot of preparation before the term begins / Cuando comiences la universidad estarás en la delantera si ya te preparaste mucho antes de que empiece.

• The best way to stay ahead of the game in the fashion business is to do market research and surveys / La mejor manera de estar en la delantera en el negocio de la moda es hacer investigación de mercado y encuestas.

Additional examples:

• Without the full cooperation of my office staff, I find it hard to stay ahead of the game.

• If being ahead of the game is important to you and to your business, lease a mobile phone from us.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING

"A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING"

A wolf in sheep's clothing is someone who seems to be a good person but is really a bad person.

Example: The priest at our church seemed to be a very warm and caring man, but we later found out that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Lobo con piel de oveja.

Example sentences:

• People in our town suspected that Henry was a wolf in sheep's clothing, but I think they were wrong / La gente en el pueblo sospechaba que Henry era un lobo con piel de oveja, pero yo pienso que estaban equivocados.

• We realised the teacher was a wolf in sheep's clothing when he was arrested for abusing one of his students / Nos dimos cuenta que el maestro era un lobo con piel de oveja cuando fue arrestado por abusar de uno de sus estudiantes.

Additional examples:

• Carla thought the handsome stranger was gentle and kind, but Susan suspected he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

• My next boss, on the surface very warm and charming, proved to be something of a wolf in sheep's clothing.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: WEATHER A STORM

"WEATHER A STORM"

If you weather a storm, you survive a dangerous event or deal with a difficult situation.

Example: Everyone waited to see if the president could weather the storm caused by his son's arrest for using illegal drugs.

Superar la situación.

Example sentences:

• We decided to stay in the building and weather the storm there with the other visitors / Decidimos quedarnos en el edificio y superar la situación ahí, con los otros visitantes.

• Bob lost his job, but somehow his family weathered the storm / Bob perdió su trabajo, pero de alguna manera su familia superó la situación.

Additional examples:

• If you weather a storm, you get through something that could have harmed you.

• Poor Mandy had to stand there and weather the storm as her boss shouted insults at her for letting him forget something. 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: LABOUR OF LOVE / LABOR OF LOVE

"LABOUR OF LOVE / LABOR OF LOVE"

A labour of love is work that's done for pleasure or for someone's benefit rather than for money. 

Example: Hiroko's website was a labour of love that he made so that people could learn about jazz and blues music.

Por amor al arte.

Example sentences:

• Bill would never waste his time on a labor of love. He's only interested in making money / Bill nunca perdería su tiempo por amor al arte. El solamente está interesado en hacer dinero.

• Karen's book is a labour of love, so she doesn't really care about making money from it / El libro de Karen es por amor al arte, así que realmente ella no se preocupa por hacer dinero de él.

Additional examples:

• The research took three years but it was a labor of love.

• He coached amateur baseball teams as a labor of love.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: THE PROS AND CONS

"THE PROS AND CONS"

The pros and cons of something are its good points and bad points.

Example: We need to look into the pros and cons of doing business in China before opening an office there.

Pros y contras.

Example sentences:

• Let's have a debate on the pros and cons of using games to learn languages / Vamos a tener un debate de lo pros y contras de usar juegos para aprender idiomas.

• We looked at the pros and cons of changing to a vegetarian diet / Nos fijamos en los pros y contras de cambiar a una dieta vegetariana.

Additional examples:

• We've been discussing the pros and cons of buying a house.

• Should we do it or not? First let's look at the pros and cons.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: PUT YOUR FOOT IN YOUR MOUTH

"PUT YOUR FOOT IN YOUR MOUTH"

If you put your foot in your mouth you say or do the wrong thing and usually make matters worse.

Example: I really put my foot in my mouth when I asked her how her husband was. I forgot that he died last year.

Metí la pata.

Example sentences:

• Every time he speaks he puts his foot in his mouth / Él todo el tiempo mete la pata.

• I really put my foot in my mouth. I felt so embarrassed / Realmente metí la pata. Me sentí avergonzada.

Additional examples:

• When I told Ann that her hair was more beautiful than I had ever seen it, I really put my foot in my mouth.

• Charles put his foot in his mouth when he asked the overweight girl if she was pregnant.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: YOU BET / YOU BET YOUR BOOTS / YOU BET YOUR LIFE

"YOU BET / YOU BET YOUR BOOTS / YOU BET YOUR LIFE"

You can say "you bet", "you bet your boots" or "you bet your life" when you strongly agree with a statement or a suggestion, or to emphasise what you're saying.

Example: Fela Kuti said "Do you want to join my band?" and I said, "You bet I do!"

Seguro / Claro / Por supuesto

Example sentences:

• You can bet your boots that the rent will go up in January. It always does / Puedes estar segurísimo de que la renta subirá en Enero. Siempre lo hace.

• Sheena said "Would you like to go out with me?" and Jamal said, "You bet your life I would" because he really liked her / Sheena dijo "¿Quieres salir conmigo?" y Jamal dijo, "Claro que saldría contigo" porque a él realmente le gustaba.

Additional examples:

• Are you coming to the party? You bet  

• Do you think you can find a home for this puppy? You bet!

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TODAY'S IDOM: DIG YOUR HEELS IN

"DIG YOUR HEELS IN"

 

 

If you dig your heels in, you stubbornly resist something or refuse to change.

Example: Even though the developer offered them more than their houses were worth, the owners dug their heels in and refused to sell up and make way for the office block.

Mantener firme.

Example sentences:

• When their record company told the band to change their style and make more commercial music, the band dug their heels in and refused to change / Cuando la compañía discográfica le dijo a la banda que cambiara su estilo e hiciera música más comercial, la banda se mantuvo firme y se negó a cambiar.

• When her children wanted to move her into an old folk's home, Edith dug her heels in and refused to go / Cuando sus hijos quisieron trasladarla a un asilo, Edith se mantuvo firme y se negó a ir.

Additional examples:

• We suggested it would be quicker to fly, but she dug her heels in and insisted on taking the train.

• The student dug her heels in and refused to obey the instructions.

• I'm digging in my heels. I'm not going back.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: GO OUT ON A LIMB

"GO OUT ON A LIMB"

If you go out on a limb, you put yourself in a risky position in order to support someone or something.

Example: He knew it could damage his career, but Keith went out on a limb and said he supported the anti-war protesters.

Meter la pata.

Example sentences:

• I don't think that saying you support gay rights means you're going out on a limb these days / No creo que eso que dices apoye a los derechos gays, significa que meterás la pata en estos días.

• My sister said that I went out on a limb when I said killing animals for food is murder / Mi hermana me dijo que metí la pata cuando le dije que matar animales para comer es asesinato.

Additional examples:

• He went out on a limb when he asked his boss for a raise.

• I don't think we're going out on a limb in claiming that global warming is a problem that must be addressed.

• Rob Thompson, the producer, admits the series is going out on a limb in that it is quite different to anything else currently on television.

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