TODAY'S IDIOM: DIG ONE'S OWN GRAVE

"DIG ONE'S OWN GRAVE"
 

If you dig your own grave, you do something unwise that will result in your own failure or downfall in the future.

Example: Anyone who eats too much and doesn't exercise is digging their own grave.

Cavar su propia tumba.

Example sentences:

• Jim lost his job, but he dug his own grave by being late all the time / Jim perdió su trabajo, pero él cavó su propia tumba por llegar tarde todo el tiempo.

• I wonder if Mike realises he's digging his own grave by cheating on his taxes / Me pregunto si Mike se da cuenta que está cavando su propia tumba por hacer trampa en sus impuestos.

Additional examples:

• If you try to cheat the bank, you will be digging your own grave.

• Those politicians have dug their own grave with their new tax bill. They won't be reelected.

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

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TODAY'S IDIOM: IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUND

"IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUND"

 

 

After spending some money or time for something you should spend more time or money to finish the job completely.

Example: All right, I'll drive you all the way therein for a penny, in for a pound.

De perdidos, al río.

Example sentences:

• I could get fired just for talking to you. Well... in for a penny, in for a pound! Come on in / Podría ser despedido solo por hablar contigo. Bueno... ¡De perdidos, al río! Entra.

• In for a penny, in for a pound and because we had already spent so much money repairing the car we decided to continue to pay more money until it was completely finished / De perdidos, al río y porque ya habíamos gastado mucho dinero para reparar el carro, decidimos seguir pagando más hasta que finalmente lo completamos.

Additional examples:

• Charlie got 5 years for that liquor store hold-up, and he was just the look-out! Well, you know what they say, in for a penny, in for a pound!

• I've put all my savings into this new venture. In for a penny, in for a pound.

 

 

 

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

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TODAY'S IDIOM: LET OFF STEAM

"LET OFF STEAM"

 

If you let off steam, you do something to release pent-up emotion or energy.

Example: After sitting quietly in class all morning, kids need time to let off steam in the playground before going back to class in the afternoon.

Desahogarse.

Example sentences:

• It'd be good to have a punching bag somewhere in the office so we could let off steam whenever we get a bit angry or frustrated / Sería bueno tener un costal de boxeo en la oficina para desahogarnos cada vez que andemos un poco enojados o frustrados.

• Mario needed to let off steam so he ran around the house / Mario necesitaba desahogarse por lo que corrió alrededor de la casa.

Additional examples:

• I'm sorry I yelled at you. I guess I needed to let off some steam. 

• She's not that mad. She's just letting off steam.

 

 

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

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TODAY'S IDIOM: UNDER THE TABLE

"UNDER THE TABLE"

If something is done under the table, it's done secretly, usually because it's illegal or unethical. 

Example: If I do any overtime, can you pay me under the table so I won't have pay tax on it.

Por debajo del agua.

Example sentences:

• If you make under the table payments to customs officials, you can get goods through the port without having them inspected / Si haces los pagos por debajo del agua a los oficiales de aduanas, puedes conseguir mercancía a través del puerto sin tener que inspeccionar.

• Newspapers reported that some basketball referees have received under the table payments for influencing the score in some games / Los periódicos informaron que algunos árbitros de balonceso han recibido pagos por debajo del agua para influir en el resultado de algunos juegos.

Additional examples:

• It was strictly an under the table deal.  

• The mayor made a few bucks under the table, too.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: FOR A SONG

"FOR A SONG"

If you buy or sell something for a song, you buy or sell it at a very cheap price.

Example: When I was in Vietnam I bought some beautiful lacquerware for a song. I still can't believe how cheap it was.

Barato.

Example sentences:

• I thought I was getting the gems for a song, but I was actually paying too much / Pensé que estaba adquiriendo las gemas baratas, pero realmente estaba pagando demasiado.

•  I bought the antique tray for a song / Compré la bandeja antigua bien barata.

Additional examples:

• James had a really valuable record by an old American band called The Cramps, but he sold it for a song at a garage sale. He didn't know how much it was worth.

• I could buy this house for a song, because it's so ugly.

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

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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.

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

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TODAY'S IDIOM: KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG

"KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG"

If you kill the goose that lays the golden egg, you destroy something that has made you a lot of money.

Example: The thing that attracted tourists to the island was the peace and quiet. But greedy developers have killed the goose that laid the golden egg by opening noisy nightclubs, and no-one goes there now.

Matar a la gallina de los huevos de oro.

Example sentences:

• Fred's wife knew he wasn't happy in his job, even though it paid well; still, she felt that advising him to leave it would be killing the goose that laid the golden eggs / La esposa de Fred sabía que él no era feliz en su trabajo, aun así ella sentía que aconsejándole que lo dejara, estaría matando a la gallina de los huevos de oro.

• If you sell your shares now, you could be killing the goose that lays the golden egg / Si vendes las acciones ahora, podrías estar matando la gallina de los huevos de oro.

Additional examples:

• Parents and agents of successful child actors and singers often kill the goose that laid the golden egg by making the kids work too much, and the kids lose the magic spark that made them special in the first place.  

• If people find something that makes them a lot of money, they often kill the goose that laid the golden egg because of their greed.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

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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.

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

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TODAY'S IDIOM: SEE RED

"SEE RED"

If you see red, you become extremely angry.

Example: We were playing baseball when one of the batters saw red after a pitcher threw the ball straight at his head. He ran up to the guy and punched him.

Sacar de quicio / Enfurecerse

Example sentences:

• There's no point getting into a fight, so if you see red just count to ten and wait for the anger to die down / No tiene sentido meterse a una pelea, si te sacas de quicio mejor cuenta hasta diez hasta que el coraje se te baje.

• Their bureaucracy is so complicated, it makes me see red / ¡La burocracia es tan complicada!, me saca de quicio.

Additional examples:

• We were playing a game of cards when Marty suddenly saw red. He said it was because he saw Harry cheating.

• When he made that rude comment to my girlfriend, I saw red.

 

 

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

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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.

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

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

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