TODAY'S IDIOM: A ROLLER COASTER / A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE

"A ROLLER COASTER / A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE" 

 

 

You can say an experience is a roller coaster, or a roller-coaster ride, if it involves many emotional highs and lows, or really good times alternating with really difficult times. 

Example: Eric writes about the roller coaster of rock and roll, with the highs of success and fame followed by the lows of drug addiction and depression.

Como una montaña rusa.

Example sentences:

• Starting the new business was a roller-coaster ride of successes and failures / El comienzo del nuevo negocio fue una montaña rusa de éxitos y fracasos. 

• The journey of success is always a roller coaster ride, you have to go through the slows and fasts, the ups and the downs / El camino hacia el éxito se parece a una montaña rusa, a veces se avanza muy despacio y otras a toda velocidad, a veces estás muy arriba y otras muy abajo.

Additional examples:

• The movie follows a young guy's emotional roller-coaster ride as he tries to come to terms with being gay in a small town in Australia.  

• Ben says his life was a roller-coaster ride while he was getting divorced and changing his job.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: PUT THE BRAKES ON

"PUT THE BRAKES ON"

If you put the brakes on something, you stop it or slow it down.

Example: The government has to put the brakes on the water treatment project until the corruption enquiry is over.


Poner freno / alto.


Example sentences:

• Many companies are putting the brakes on new investment until the economy improves / Muchas compañías están poniendo freno a nuevas inversiones hasta que la economía mejore.

• We are going to have to put the brakes on you if you make any more difficulties / Vamos a tener que ponerte un alto si presentas más dificultades.

Additional examples:

• The city has put the brakes on further spending.  

• The boss put the brakes on Gerald, who was trying too aggressively to get promoted.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: HEADS WILL ROLL

"HEADS WILL ROLL"

You can say "heads will roll" if people are going to lose their jobs after making a mistake.

Example: Have you any idea how much money this mistake will cost the company? You can be sure that heads will roll. 

Rodarán cabezas.

Example sentences:

• How could the air force have bombed a school by mistake? Heads will roll, believe me! / ¿Cómo pudo la fuerza aérea bombardear a una escuela por error? Rodarán cabezas, créanme!

• Our boss said that heads will roll, so I'm worried about my job / Nuestro jefe dijo que rodarán cabezas, por lo que estoy preocupado por mi trabajo.

Additional examples:

• When the company's year-end results are known, heads will roll.

• Heads will roll when the principal sees the damaged classroom.

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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: VIRGIN TERRITORY

"VIRGIN TERRITORY"

You can say something is virgin territory if it's never been explored before or never been done before.

Example: Our company has designed many products for other companies, but producing them and marketing them ourselves is virgin territory for us.

Territorio desconocido.

Example sentences:

• The internet was still virgin territory when we made our first websites / Internet todavía era un territorio desconocido cuando hicimos nuestros primeros sitios web.

• We've only ever advertised on television and in the print media, so anything else is virgin territory for us, including advertising on the internet /  Solo hemos hecho publicidad en televisión y en los medios impresos, por lo que cualquier cosa es un territorio desconocido para nosotros, incluyendo la publicidad en internet.

Additional examples:

• The company is moving into markets that until now have been virgin territory.

• The entrepreneur made his millions when he set up one of the world's most popular search engines back when the internet was still considered virgin territory.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: HOLD THE FORT

"HOLD THE FORT"

 

If you hold the fort, you look after a place or a business while the person who is normally in charge is away.

Example: Your job will be to serve customers, and occasionally hold the fort if I have to go out.

Hacerse cargo.

Example sentences:

• Can you hold the fort while I run down to the bank? / ¿Puedes hacerte cargo un momento mientras voy corriendo al banco?

• The shop's manager had to go out for a while, so Julie held the fort while he was gone / El gerente de la tienda tuvo que salir por un tiempo, por lo que Julie se hizo cargo durante su ausencia.

Additional examples:

• I'm going next door to visit Mrs. Jones. You stay here and hold the fort.

• You should open the store at eight o'clock and hold the fort until I get there at ten.

• I'll hold the fort while you go on your coffee break.

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

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TODAY'S IDIOM: GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT

"GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT"

To understand something clearly.

Example: Now get this straight. You're going to fail history.

Dejar algo en claro / entender claramente.

Example sentences:

• She finally got it straight and completed the project on time / Ella finalmente lo entendió bien y terminó el proyecto a tiempo.

• Before the meeting begins, let's get something straight about this problem / Antes de que empiece la reunión, dejemos algo en claro acerca de este problema.

Additional examples:

• Let me get this straight...you didn’t know they had your car.

• Let me get this straight. How do you want to help? 

 

 

 

 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: PAR FOR THE COURSE

"PAR FOR THE COURSE"

If something is par for the course, it's what you'd expect it to be.

Example: I had an appointment to see my doctor at three but I had to wait an hour. I know waiting is par for the course when it comes to doctors, but it still annoys me. 

De esperar.

Example sentences:

• Bill hasn't paid his rent on time, but that's par for the course. He's always late / Bill no ha pagado su renta a tiempo, pero es de esperarse. Siempre tarda. 

• If people say it's "par for the course" when a train arrives late, it means the train is often late / Si las personas dicen "es de esperarse" cuando el tren llega tarde, significa que el tren a menudo llega tarde.

Additional examples:

• So he went off and left you? Well that's about par for the course. He's no friend.

• I worked for days on this proposal, but it was rejected. That's par for the course around here.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: EARN YOUR STRIPES

"EARN YOUR STRIPES"

If you earn your stripes, you do something to prove that you have the skills or ability for a particular job or rank.

Example: He earned his stripes in the department of foreign affairs before becoming one of our ambassadors.

Ganar tus galones.

Example sentences:

• He earned his stripes playing for the reserve team / Se ganó sus galones jugando para el equipo de reserva.

• You'll need to earn your stripes as a travelling salesman before we can think about giving you more responsibility / Tendrás que ganarte tus galones como viajante de comercio antes de que pensemos darte una mayor responsabilidad

Additional examples:

• If someone has earned their stripes, they can expect to get a higher position.

• She earned her stripes as a local reporter before becoming a foreign correspondent.

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

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TODAY'S IDIOM: DON'T LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH

"DON'T LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH"

Don't be ungrateful when you receive a gift.

Example: Great interception! Yes, but I almost scored a touchdown. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

A caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes.

Example sentences:

• When I asked my uncle for extra money on my birthday, my mother said, don't look a gift horse in the mouth / Cuando le pedí a mi tío más dinero para mi cumpleaños, mi madre me dijo: A caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes.

• This shirt you gave me is not my favorite brand. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! That was the best they had / Esta camisa que me diste no es de mi marca favorita. A caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes! Eso fue lo mejor que tenían.

Additional examples:

• Here is your drink. Oh, I hate this kind. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

• Dad's old car is full of dents, but we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN

"IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN"

You can always learn something new.

Example:

Alan: Help me make the salad dressing. 

Jane: But I don't know anything about making salad dressing. 

Alan: You are never too old to learn, grandma decided to take a course in using computers. It's never too late to learn, she said.

Nunca es tarde para aprender.

Example sentences:

• It is never too late to learn English! / ¡Nunca es demasiado tarde para aprender Inglés!

• It's never too late to learn something new; no matter what your interests or aspirations may be, there are courses on offer that could change your life for the better / Nunca es demasiado tarde para aprender algo nuevo, no importa cuales sean tus intereses o aspiraciones, hay cursos que se ofrecen que pueden cambiar tu vida para mejorar.

Additional examples:

• It is never too late to learn what it is always necessary to know.

• Of course we're old, but it is never too late to learn.

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

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TODAY'S IDIOM: THE UPPER HAND

"THE UPPER HAND"

If you have the upper hand, you have the advantage or you're in the stronger position in a contest or a conflict. 

Example: With one race to go, the Ferrari team has the upper hand. If they get one of the top three places in the last race, they'll win this year's title.

La sartén por el mango.

Example sentences:

• For many years Yahoo was the top search engine, but for the last few years Google has had the upper hand / Durante muchos años, Yahoo fue el principal motor de búsqueda, pero en los últimos años Google ha tenido la sartén por el mango.

• With three weeks to go until the election, the Democrats have the upper hand. If things stay like this, they'll win the election / Con tres semanas para la elección, los demócratas tienen la sartén por el mango. Si las cosas siguen así, van a ganar las elecciones.

Additional examples:

• At half time, the Italian team seem to have the upper hand.

• John is always trying to get the upper hand on someone. He never ends up having the upper hand, though.

• There is always worry over who will get the upper hand in the oil markets. 

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