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.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

 

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.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: ON THE BALL

"ON THE BALL"

If you're on the ball, you're alert and you know what's going on around you.

Example: Someone really needs to be on the ball if they work as an air-traffic controller at an airport

En la jugada.

Example sentences:

• I didn't get much sleep last night so I'm not really on the ball today / No pude dormir mucho anoche, así que no estoy realmente en la jugada hoy.

• My brother is always on the ball, so it's hard to trick him or catch him unawares / Mi hermano siempre está en la jugada, así que es difícil engañarlo o agarrarlo desprevenido.

Additional examples:

• If you were on the ball, this wouldn't have happened.

• Their staff seems to be really on the ball, able to get projects done on time.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

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.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

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:

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: MAKE A KILLING

"MAKE A KILLING"

If you make a killing, you make a lot of money from a sale or a deal of some sort. 

Example: Bill made a killing at the racetrack yesterday.

Hacer una fortuna.

Example sentences:

• My aunt made a killing when she bought some shares in a company as soon as they were issued, and sold them a few weeks later for three times what she paid / Mi tía hizo una fortuna a cuando compró algunas acciones en una empresa tan pronto como fueron publicadas y las vendió unas semanas después a tres veces de lo que pagó. 

• After Julie made a killing on the stock exchange, she celebrated in a nightclub / Después de que Julie hizo una fortuna en la bolsa de valores, celebró en un centro nocturno.

Additional examples:

• Lots of people made a killing when property values went so high back in the nineties. 

• They made a killing last year buying up apartment buildings.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

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.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

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.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: COME HELL OR HIGH WATER

"COME HELL OR HIGH WATER"

If you say you will do something come hell or high water, you mean you are determined to do it even if it is difficult.

Example: Come hell or high water I am going to pass that exam with a good grade.

Contra viento y marea.

Example sentences:

• I don't care what you think! We are going to finish this project come hell or high water / No me importa lo que pienses! Vamos a terminar este proyecto contra viento y marea.

• Come hell or high water, I intend to own my own home / Contra viento y marea, tengo la intención de ser dueño de mi propia casa.

Additional examples:

• I'll buy that ranch, come hell or high water. I'm determined.

• Will you be at the family reunion next year? Yes, we'll be there, come hell or high water!

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

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.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial