TODAY'S IDIOM: SICK AS A DOG

"SICK AS A DOG"

If you're as sick as a dog, you're very sick.

Example: I've been as sick as a dog since I ate those sausage rolls.

Muy enfermo/a

Example sentences:

• Helen hates to miss work, so she really must be sick as a dog if she isn't here / Helen odia faltar al trabajo, así que realmente debe estar muy enferma para no ir.

• Gerry is as sick as a dog, so he should go to a hospital / Gerry está muy enfermo, así que debería de ir al hospital.

Additional examples:

• We've never been so ill. The whole family was sick as dogs.

• Sally was as sick as a dog and couldn't go to the party.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A SHOT IN THE ARM

"A SHOT IN THE ARM"

You can say something is a shot in the arm if it gives a person or an organisation renewed energy or enthusiasm.

Example: Getting a grant from the Arts Council was a much-needed shot in the arm for the orchestra.

Inyecta energía.

Example sentences:

• We all agree that the economy needs a shot in the arm, but we can't agree on exactly what it should be / Todos estamos de acuerdo en que la economía necesita una inyección de ánimo pero no estamos seguros en exactamente dónde debería de ser.

• After a terrible start, the team was ready to quit. But after getting a shot in the arm from their coach's half-time team talk, they came back and won the game / Después del terrible comienzo, el equipo iba a renunciar. Pero después de recibir una inyección de ánimo en medio de la plática del entrenador, volvieron y ganaron el juego.

Additional examples:

• The additional money was a real shot in the arm for us.

• The opening of a new research centre will give a much-needed shot in the arm for science in Britain.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: EAR TO THE GROUND

"EAR TO THE GROUND"

If you have your ear to the ground, you know what's really going on in a situation.

Example: If we want to market to teenagers, we need someone with an ear to the ground who really knows what they want these days.

Parar la oreja.

Example sentences:

• I've got this great stockbroker who's got his ear to the ground and always knows when to buy or sell stocks / Tengo este corredor de bolsa quien para oreja y siempre sabe cuando comprar o vender acciones.

• We need someone who has an ear to the ground in Washington to report on American politics / Necesitamos a alguien quien pare oreja en Washington para informar sobre la política estadounidense.

Additional examples:

• John had his ear to the ground, hoping to find out about new ideas in computers.

• His boss told him to keep his ear to the ground so that he'd be the first to know of a new idea.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

"NEW KID ON THE BLOCK"

Someone new to the group or area.

Example: It's easy to get nervous when you're the new kid on the block.

El recién llegado / El nuevo

Example sentences:

• Let me introduce you to Tim,he's the new kid on the block / Permíteme presentarte a Tim, él es el recién llegado.

• The new kid on the block ha started with the left foot / El nuevo ha empezado con el pie izquierdo.

Additional examples:

• The new kid on the block is going to work on the sales department.

• The new kid on the block turned out to be a really good baseball player.    

• I'm just the new kid on the block. I've only been working here for a month.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: BLOW YOUR OWN HORN / BLOW YOUR OWN TRUMPET

"BLOW YOUR OWN HORN / BLOW YOUR OWN TRUMPET"

If you blow your own horn, or blow your own trumpet, you proudly boast about your own talents and successes.

Example: I hate the way Barry always blows his own horn, and I get sick of hearing about all the amazing things he's done. 

Echarse flores.

Example sentences:

• Lorraine says that if you want to be successful in the fashion business, you really have to blow your own trumpet / Lorraine dice que si quieres ser exitoso en el negocio de la moda, realmente tienes que ser echarte flores.

• Georgina says she finds it difficult to blow her own horn because she is a very shy person / Georgina dice que tiene dificultades para echarse flores porque es una persona muy tímida.

Additional examples:

• Anyone will tell you she's one of the best journalists we've got, although she'd never blow her own horn.

• He spent the first hour of class blowing his own horn by talking about his degrees, his books, his sports car and his beautiful wife. I dislike him a lot!

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TODAY'S IDIOM: YOU CAN'T WIN THEM ALL

"YOU CAN'T WIN THEM ALL"

Something you can say after you, or someone else, loses a contest or fails to achieve something (said to make losing seem not so bad).

Example: When it was clear that we hadn't won the contract, I tried to hide my disappointment by saying, "Oh well. You can't win 'em all." 

No siempre se gana.

Example sentences:

• After Terry had lost the match, his wife said, "Never mind, dear. You can't win them all." / Después de que Terry había perdido el partido, su esposa dijo, "No te preocupes, amor. No siempre se gana."

• I looked at my tennis partner and said, "You can't win 'em all" after we'd lost our match / Miré a mi compañero de tenis y le dije, "No siempre se gana" después de que habíamos perdido nuestro partido.

Additional examples:

• I'm a bit disappointed I didn't get the job. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

• "Can't win 'em all," muttered Alice as she left the boss's office with nothing accomplished.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: READ BETWEEN THE LINES

"READ BETWEEN THE LINES"

When you read between the lines you try to understand what someone implies, but doesn't openly state, when they say or write something.

Example: I got a letter from Robyn and she isn't happy. She didn't say anything but I could tell by reading between the lines that something's wrong.

Leer entre líneas.

Example sentences:

• A good writer doesn't tell the reader everything directly but leaves it up to the reader to figure things out for themselves by reading between the lines / Un buen escritor no le dice todo directamente al lector pero le deja en sus manos entender las cosas por si mismos mediante la lectura entre líneas.

• If you read between the lines, you will know what the writer really thinks / Si tu lees entre líneas, sabrás que es lo que el escritor realmente piensa.

Additional examples:

• After listening to what she said, if you read between the lines, you can begin to see what she really means.

• Don't believe every thing you read literally. Learn to read between the lines.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: "MAKE ENDS MEET"

"MAKE ENDS MEET"

If you make ends meet, you earn just enough to pay for a place to live and your daily expenses.

Example: Does the government really think elderly people can make ends meet on their pensions?

Sobrevivir.

Example sentences:

• My wife and I both have to work full-time just to make ends meet these days / Mi esposa y yo tenemos que trabajar tiempo completo solo para sobrevivir en estos tiempos.

• Fiona earns just enough to make ends meet, so she's looking for a better-paying job / Fiona gana solo lo suficiente para sobrevivir, así que está buscando un empleo mejor pagado.

Additional examples:

• I have to work at two jobs to make ends meet.

• Through better budgeting, I am learning to make both ends meet.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: THE RAT RACE

"THE RAT RACE"

The rat race is the highly competitive and stressful world of work and business.

Example: Sally is sick of the rat race. She's going to quit her job in London and move to a quiet village and open a small cafe.

Ajetreo.

Example sentences:

• Harry wants to get out of the rat race because he doesn't like the person he's becoming / Harry quiere salir del ajetreo porque no le gusta la persona en la que se está convirtiendo.

• Bob got tired of the rat race. He's retired and gone to the country / Bob se cansó de tanto ajetreo. Así que se retiró y se fue del país.

Additional examples:

• My uncle says that success in the rat race can make you rich, but it can also turn you into a self-centred and shallow person. 

• The money market is a rat race, and many people who work in it get out quickly because of the stress.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: UPPER CRUST

"UPPER CRUST"

If you are one of the upper crust, you are a member of society's highest class.

Example: If Laura was really part of the upper crust, she wouldn't need to borrow money all the time, would she?

Alta sociedad.

Example sentences:

• Only children from the upper crust go to that school / Sólo los niños de la alta sociedad van a esa escuela.

• Ralph wants people to think he's in the upper crust, so he wears expensive clothes / Ralph quiere que la gente piense que él es de la alta sociedad, así que usa ropa costosa. 

• James is from the upper crust, but he is penniless / James es de la alta sociedad, pero está sin dinero.

Additional examples: 

• Marge does a great imitation of an upper-crust "society queen". It's really funny, and her upper-crust accent is perfect.

• Jane speaks like that because she pretends to be from the upper crust, but her father was a miner.  

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TODAY'S IDIOM: PAINT THE TOWN RED

"PAINT THE TOWN RED"

If you paint the town red, you visit bars, nightclubs and other nightspots to have a good time.

Example: It's Ian's birthday so he's going out with some friends tonight to paint the town red

Salir de fiesta.

Example sentences:

• Going out and painting the town red is great fun, but you can't do it every night / Salirse de fiesta es muy divertido, pero no puedes hacerlo todas las noches.

• We're heading out to paint the town red tonight, so don't forget to bring plenty of cash / Nos iremos de fiesta esta noche, así que no olvides llevar mucho dinero en efectivo.

Additional examples:

• To celebrate their win, the whole football team went out to paint the town red.

• Jack finished his exams today so he's gone out to paint the town red.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: RUB IT IN

"RUB IT IN"

If you rub it in, you keep talking about something that embarrasses or upsets someone.

Example: We all know that Jenny was stupid to quit her job, but you don't have to rub it in every time you see her.

Restregar en la cara.

Example sentences:

• I know I made a silly mistake, but do you have to rub it in by talking about it all the time? / Yo sé que cometí un error tonto, ¿pero tienes que restregármelo en la cara hablando de eso todo el tiempo?

• If you make a mistake, and then someone rubs it in by talking about it, it'll make you feel worse about it / Si cometiste un error y luego alguien te lo restriega en la  cara hablando de eso, te hará sentir peor al respecto.

Additional examples:

• Don't say anything to Jack about Sarah getting the promotion instead of him. He feels bad about it, so don't rub it in.

• The situation was embarrassing enough without having you rub it in.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: PUT YOUR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER / GET YOUR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER

"PUT YOUR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER / GET YOUR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER"

 

 

If you say to someone "put your own house in order", or "get your own house in order", you think they should solve their own problems before telling someone else how to solve theirs.

Example: Ian has plenty of problems of his own, so he needs to get his own house in order before he starts telling other people how to live their lives. 

Primero arregla tus problemas.

Example sentences:

• You should put your own house in order before telling other people what to do / Deberías primero de arreglar tus problemas antes de decirle a la demás gente qué hacer.

• Karen says I should put my own house in order before I tell other people what they should do / Karen dijo que primero debería arreglar mis problemas antes de decirle a las demás personas que deben de hacer.

Additional examples:

• There was some trouble in the department office and the manager was told to put his house in order. 

• You should put your own house in order before you start giving me advice.

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