TODAY'S IDIOM: IN TWO MINDS

"IN TWO MINDS"

If you're in two minds about something, you can't decide what to do, or you can't decide which option is the best.

Example: Kenny is in two minds about what to study at university. He's interested in history, but he also likes the idea of being a lawyer.

Estoy indeciso / a.

Example sentences:

• We're in two minds about what to do during our vacation. We could go travelling somewhere, or we could stay home and fix up the garden /  Estamos indecisos sobre qué hacer durante nuestras vacaciones. Podríamos viajar a algún lugar o podríamos quedarnos en casa y arreglar el jardín.

• Bella's in two minds about keeping her job. She says she's tired of working as a waitress, but she isn't sure if she can get another job / Bella está indecisa acerca de mantener su trabajo. Dice que está cansada de trabajar como mesera, pero no está segura de que puede obtener otro trabajo.

Additional examples:

• I was in two minds whether or not to come this morning. 

• I’m in two minds about accepting the job.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A FLASH IN THE PAN

"A FLASH IN THE PAN"

You can say something or someone is a flash in the pan if they're popular or effective for a short time only. 

Example: Dave says he doesn't mind being called a flash in the pan because he still gets money for the book he wrote, even though he never wrote another one.

Flor de un día / Un fiasco

Example sentences:

• After four weeks of rain we had a sunny morning yesterday, but it turned out to be just a flash in the pan / Luego de cuatro semanas de lluvia, ayer tuvimos una mañana soleada, pero resultó ser un fiasco.

• Her first song was a big hit, but when Debbie's next song didn't do so well people started calling her a flash in the pan / Su primera canción fue un gran éxito, pero cuando la siguiente canción de Debbie no estuvo tan buena la gente comenzó a llamarla flor de un día.

Additional examples:

• The company hopes that their new computer game won't just be a flash in the pan, but that it'll be popular for a long time.

• I'm afraid that my success as a painter was just a flash in the pan.

• Tom had hoped to be a major film star, but his career was only a flash in the pan.

El blog "La cultura del Inglés" es patrocinado por:

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TODAY'S IDIOM: ADD INSULT TO INJURY

"ADD INSULT TO INJURY"

Someone adds insult to injury if they say or do something to upset you a second time, after you've already been upset somehow. 

Example: He said my clothes didn't suit me, and then to add insult to injury he said I needed to lose some weight!

Para colmo de males / Peor todavía / Poner sal a la herida.

Example sentences:

• The bank took back my car, and then added insult to injury by cancelling my credit cards! / El banco se llevó mi coche y para colmo de males me canceló las tarjetas de crédito.

• After saying Beverly made too many mistakes, Bob added insult to injury by saying she worked very slowly / Después de decirle a Beverly que hizo demasiados errores, Bob le puso sal a la herida diciendo que trabajaba muy lento.

• First, the basement flooded, and then, to add insult to injury, a pipe burst in the kitchen / Primero el sótano inundado y luego peor todavía una tubería estalló en la cocina.

Additional examples:

• They got lost in the woods. Then, to add insult to injury, they were out of food.

• My car barely started this morning, and to add insult to injury, I got a flat tire in the driveway.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A NIGHT OWL

"A NIGHT OWL"

You're a night owl if you like to stay up and do things late at night.

Example: She's always been a night owl. Even when she was a student she'd study late at night and get up as late as possible the next day.

Un ave nocturna.

Example sentences:

• I don't know why I'm a night owl. I just seem more alert at night, and even if I go to bed early I can't get to sleep till about 3 in the morning / Yo no sé por qué soy un ave nocturna. Solo parece que estoy más alerta de noche, e incluso si me voy a la cama temprano no puedo dormir hasta las 3 de la mañana.

• Cassandra is a night owl, so she doesn't usually get up until about 11 a.m. / Cassandra es un ave nocturna, así que no suele levantarse hasta las 11 am.

Additional examples:

• I am at my best in the morning, but my husband is a night owl.

• My roommate is a night owl and usually reads until 5:00 A.M.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: FEATHER YOUR OWN NEST

"FEATHER YOUR OWN NEST"

If you feather your own nest, you use your position or your job illegally for personal gain.

Example: Kelly says it's accepted in many developing countries that a government official will use their position to feather their own nest, and this is why government salaries are kept so low.

Llenarse los bolsillos.

Example sentences:

• In some countries a person who feathers their own nest isn't seen as being dishonest or corrupt; they're seen as being clever / En algunos países la persona quien se llena los bolsillos no es visto como deshonesto o corrupto; son vistos como personas inteligentes.

• Government officials in the Republic of Amoralia feather their own nests by taking bribes / Los funcionarios de gobierno de la República de Amoralia se llenan los bolsillos aceptando sobornos.

Additional examples:

• The mayor seemed to be helping people, but she was really feathering her own nest.

• The building contractor used a lot of public money to feather his nest.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED

"LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED"

If you leave no stone unturned, you look everywhere in order to find something, or try everything in order to achieve something.

Example: Ari has left no stone unturned in her search for a job in television, but so far she hasn't had any luck.

Mover cielo, mar y tierra.

Example sentences:

• Henry said he'd leave no stone unturned in his search for a woman to marry. He will try everything to find a wife / Henry dijo que movería cielo, mar y tierra en su búsqueda de una mujer para casarse. Intentará todo para encontrar una esposa.

• In the investigation to find the missing child, the police have left no stone unturned / En la búsqueda para encontrar al chico perdido, la policía movió cielo, mar y tierra.

Additional examples:

• The leaders of the countries involved in the dispute claim they've left no stone unturned in their quest for a peaceful solution. 

• Don't worry. We'll find your stolen car. We'll leave no stone unturned.

• In searching for a nice place to live, we left no stone unturned.

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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: 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.

El blog "La cultura del Inglés" es patrocinado por:

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TODAY'S IDIOM: YELLOW STREAK

"YELLOW STREAK"

If someone has a yellow streak, they can sometimes act in a cowardly way and not be very brave. 

Example: Some people say Jimmy's got a yellow streak a mile wide, but I've never seen anything in him except courage and bravery.

Un tanto cobarde.

Example sentences:

• Monty says he likes his yellow streak because it keeps him out of trouble. He never gets into fights or has accidents because he's so scared of getting hurt / Monty dice que le gusta ser un tanto cobarde porque se mantiene lejos de problemas. Nunca ha estado en una pelea o accidentes porque a él le asustaría salir lastimado.

• You can see Bob's yellow streak when another player is running straight at him and Bob tries to get out of the way / Puedes ver la cobardía de Bob cuando otro jugador está corriendo directamente hacia él y Bob intenta salir del camino.

Additional examples:

• Tim's got a yellow streak down his back a mile wide.

• Get rid of that yellow streak. Show some courage.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: TAKE THE PLUNGE

"TAKE THE PLUNGE"

If you take the plunge, you decide to do something you really want to do even though it's risky and possibly dangerous.

Example: I'd always wanted to be a writer, so when I was thirty I took the plunge. I quit my nine-to-five job and worked full-time on my novel instead.

Dar el paso.

Example sentences:

• Bill decided to take the plunge and put all his money into the stock market just before the market crashed. Now he wishes he'd left it in the bank / Bill decidió dar el paso y puso todo su dinero en el mercado de valores justo antes de que el mercado se estrellara. Ahora desea haber dejado todo en el banco.

• Monique has decided to take the plunge and start up her own business / Monique decidió dar el paso y empezar su propio negocio. 

Additional examples:

• I'm not ready to take the plunge yet.

• Sam and Mary took the plunge.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A GUT FEELING

"A GUT FEELING"

If you have a gut feeling, you sense something about a person or a situation, without knowing why, but you're sure what you sense is true.

Example: As soon as I came into the room I had a gut feeling that something was wrong - and then I saw the dead body. 

Corazonada / Sensación

Example sentences:

• Chaz said his gut feeling was that Laura was lying and, sure enough, she was / Chaz dijo que su sensación fue que Laura estaba mintiendo y efectivamente lo estaba.

• Beth said she had a gut feeling that her husband was cheating on her, but she couldn't prove it / Beth dijo que tenía la corazonada de que su esposo la estaba engañando, pero no podía demostrarlo. 

Additional examples:

• I have a gut feeling that something bad is going to happen. 

• My gut feeling was that this woman was a good woman.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A PAT ON THE BACK

"A PAT ON THE BACK"

You've given someone a pat on the back if you've told them they've done something well, or done a good job. 

Example: Don't you think Salim deserves a pat on the back for his report? Why don't you tell him it was excellent work?

Felicitar.

Example sentences:

• Our boss doesn't often praise us for our work, so if he gives you a pat on the back for something, you've really earned it / Nuestro jefe no suele alabarnos por nuestro trabajo, así que si él te felicita por algo, realmente te lo mereces.

• Mr Murdoch gave Jenny a pat on the back for doing such a good job / El señor Murdoch felicitó a Jenny por haber hecho un buen trabajo.

Additional examples:

• The coach patted each player on the back after the game.

• The teacher patted all the students on the back for their good work.  

El blog "La cultura del Inglés" es patrocinado por:

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TODAY'S IDIOM: FEEL THE PINCH

"FEEL THE PINCH"

If you are feeling the pinch, you're finding it harder to survive on your income. 

Example: Since the price of oil went up, lots of businesses have been feeling the pinch.

Sentir el impacto.

Example sentences: 

• Inflation has been pretty bad recently, so we've all been feeling the pinch / La inflación ha estado bastante mala recientemente, por lo que todos hemos estado sintiendo el impacto.

• Most people have been feeling the pinch because of rising prices / La mayoría de la gente ha sentido el impacto a causa del aumento de precios.

Additional examples:

• This job pays much less, so we're bound to feel the pinch.

• When my father lost his job and we had to live on my mother's earnings, we really started to feel the pinch.

El blog "La cultura del Inglés" es patrocinado por:

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