TODAY'S IDIOM: VIM AND VIGOR

"VIM AND VIGOR"

 

If you have vim and vigor, you have lots of energy and enthusiasm for life.

Example: If you want to have lots of vim and vigor when you get older, you need to eat good food and get plenty of exercise when you're young. 

Energía y vigor.

Example sentences:

• Our grandmother is always full of vim and vigor when we go to visit her / Nuestra abuela siempre está llena de energía y vigor cuando vamos a visitarla.

• Politicians are advised to act as if they are full of vim and vigor so that voters will think they are healthy enough to lead the country / Se aconseja a los políticos a actuar como si ellos estuvieran llenos de energía y vigor por lo que los votantes pensarán que son lo suficientemente sanos como para dirigir el país.

Additional examples:

• Show more vim and vigor!

• Let us know you're alive. She's sure got a lot of vim and vigor. 

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: ABOVE BOARD

"ABOVE BOARD"

If something is above board, it's been done in a legal and honest way.

Example: The minister claimed all the appointments were above board and denied claims that some positions had been given to his friends.

Legalmente.

Example sentences:

• I'm sure the deal was completely above board as I know James well and he'd never do anything illegal or corrupt / Estoy seguro de que el acuerdo fue completamente legal, sé bien que James y él nunca haría nada ilegal o corrupto.

• The government officials are being investigated for corruption. If everything they've done has been above board, they'll have nothing to worry about / Los funcionarios del gobierno están siendo investigados por corrupción. Si todo lo que han hecho ha sido legalmente, no van a tener nada de qué preocuparse.

Additional examples: 

• He likes to keep his business dealings above board

• Be assured, I always operate above board

 

 

 

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com 

 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: SOMEONE OF NOTE

"SOMEONE OF NOTE"

A person who is famous. 

Example: We invited a speaker of note to lecture at the next meeting

Reconocido / famoso

Example sentences:

• The pianist of note will play tonight / El famoso pianista tocará esta noche.

• We need someone of note for the ceremony / Necesitamos a alguien famoso para la ceremonia.

Additional examples:

• The baseball player of note was inducted into the Hall of Fame

• He is a  corporate businessman of note. How come you don't know him?

 

 

 

 

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

LA CULTURA DEL INGLES 

PEB TEST 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: TIME AFTER TIME

"TIME AFTER TIME"

If you do something time after time, you do it again and again, or repeatedly.

Example: We've told our son time after time to call us if he's going to be late, but he still forgets sometimes.

Una y otra vez.

Example sentences:

• Tiger wins major tournaments time after time. He really is a champion / Tigre gana los torneos importantes una y otra vez. Realmente es un campeón.

• Shelley makes the same mistakes time after time. She never seems to learn / Shelley cometió los mismos errores una y otra vez. Parece que nunca aprende.

Additional examples:

• You've made the same error time after time! Please try to be more careful!

• Time after time she was involved with men who did not appreciate her.

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

LA CULTURA DEL INGLES 

PEB TEST 

 

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.

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

LA CULTURA DEL INGLES 

PEB TEST 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: VENT YOUR SPLEEN

"VENT YOUR SPLEEN"

If you vent your spleen, you express your anger.

Example: The company's shareholders were angry, and they used the annual general meeting as an opportunity to vent their spleen on the board members.

Descargar su coraje

Example sentences:

• Amy felt she had been badly treated by the media, so she took the chance to vent her spleen during the interview / Amy sintió que había sido maltratada por los medios de comunicación, por lo que tomó la oportunidad de descargar su coraje durante la entrevista.

• Jack vented his spleen at his wife whenever things went badly at work / Jack descargó su coraje con su mujer cuando las cosas iban mal en el trabajo.

Additional examples:

• The team's manager walked up to referee after the game and vented his spleen because he thought the referee had made bad decisions that caused his team to lose.

• Peter vented his spleen on his car by kicking it when it broke down.

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

LA CULTURA DEL INGLES

PEB TEST

TODAY'S IDIOM: FACE TO FACE

"FACE TO FACE"

 

If people meet face to face, they meet in person in the real world.

Example: We became friends after meeting online in a chat room, but we've never actually met face to face.

En persona.

Example sentences:

• We always need to have a face to face interview with a job applicant before making a final decision / Siempre necesitamos una entrevista en persona con el solicitante del empleo antes de tomar una decisión final.

• Monica and Sam first met face to face at a party in Paris / Monica y Sam se conocieron en persona en una fiesta en Paris.

Additional examples:

• Let's talk about this face to face. I don't like talking over the telephone.  

• Many people prefer to talk face to face.

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

LA CULTURA DEL INGLES 

PEB TEST 

  

TODAY'S IDIOM: RING A BELL

"RING A BELL"

If something rings a bell, it sounds familiar or you think you've heard it before. 

Example: The name rang a bell but I couldn't remember exactly where I'd heard it before.

Me suena.

Example sentences:

• Does the name "Hunter S. Thompson" ring a bell? / ¿Te suena el nombre "Hunter S. Thompson"?

• When I heard the poem, some of the lines rang a bell and I thought I'd heard it somewhere before / Cuando escuché el poema, algunas de las líneas me sonaron y pensé que ya las había escuchado antes en algún lugar.

Additional examples:

• I've never met John Franklin, but his name rings a bell.

• Whenever I see a bee, it rings a bell. I remember when I was stung by one.

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

LA CULTURA DEL INGLES 

PEB TEST 

 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: POP THE QUESTION

"POP THE QUESTION"

If you pop the question, you ask someone to marry you.

Example: In most European cultures, it's the man who pops the question to the woman if he wants to marry her.

Hacer la pregunta (propose marriage to)

Example sentences:

• Isabella said she nearly died when Rafael popped the question. She had no idea he was going to propose to her there and then / Isabella dijo que estuvo a punto de morir cuando Rafael le hizo la pregunta. No tenía idea de que él se lo iba a proponer a ella ahí.

• When will he ever pop the question? They've been dating for so long / ¿Cuándo él le va a hacer la pregunta? Han estado saliendo por mucho tiempo.

Additional examples:

• Roberto is going to pop the question to the woman of his dreams.

• She waited for years for him to pop the question.  

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

LA CULTURA DEL INGLES 

PEB TEST 

TODAY'S IDIOM: GREASE SOMEONE'S PALM

"GREASE SOMEONE'S PALM"

 

If you grease someone's palm, you pay them a bribe.

Example: The only way to get a government contract around here is to grease someone's palm.

Sobornar.

Example sentences:

• If you want to get out of jail, grease the warden's palm and the guards will let you escape / Si quieres salir de la cárcel, soborna a los guardias y te dejarán escapar.

• It was obvious that many people had greased the chief of police's palm because he had become very rich / Era obvio que mucha gente había sobornado al jefe de la policía porque él se hizo muy rico.

Additional examples:

• If you want to get something done around here, you have to grease someone's palm.

• Drug barons were greasing the palm of the chief of police.

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

LA CULTURA DEL INGLES 

PEB TEST 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: IN THE DARK

"IN THE DARK"

If you're in the dark about something, you don't know about it.

Example: The company is going to cut some jobs, but they're keeping the workers in the dark so they won't cause trouble.

A oscuras / Ajeno (a) 

Example sentences:

• There must be an answer to this problem, but I admit I'm in the dark / Tiene que haber una solución a este problema pero debo admitir que estoy a oscuras.

• She was surprised by the party, because her friends kept her in the dark when planning it / Ella se sorprendió por la fiesta, porque sus amigos la mantuviero ajena cuando la planificaron.

Example sentences:

• We were completely in the dark about Mark and Jenny and we still can't believe they're getting married next month

• Many politicians try to keep people in the dark about their secret business deals

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: YOU ASKED FOR IT

"YOU ASKED FOR IT"

You can say "You asked for it!" when you think someone deserves the punishment they're getting or the trouble they're in. 

Example: I knew the risks when I started smoking, so now that I've got lung cancer all I can say to myself is "You asked for it!" 

Te lo buscaste.

Example sentences:

• You asked for it, you know. How can expect to keep your job when you keep coming to work late? / Sabes que te lo buscaste. ¿Cómo esperabas mantener tu trabajo cuando seguías llegando tarde?

• My brother said "You asked for it!" after my wife left me / Mi hermano dijo "Te lo buscaste" después de que me dejó mi esposa.

Additional examples:

• Bill: The tax people just ordered me to pay a big fine. Bob: The careless way you do your tax forms caused it. You asked for it!  

• I'm not surprised she lost her job - she was really asking for it.

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial 

 

TODAY'S IDIOM: CAN'T HACK IT

"CAN'T HACK IT"

Unable to do the job.

Example: I thought delivering papers would be an easy job, but I just can't hack it.

No soy bueno / No puedo hacerlo.

Example sentences:

• I have to quit my job as a computer technician; I just can't hack it / Tengo que renunciar a mi trabajo como técnico en computación. Simplemente no soy bueno en ello.

• If you can't hack it, let me know, and I'll help you out / Si no puedes hacerlo, házmelo saber y te ayudaré.

Additional examples:

• The new recruit just can't hack it

• If you still can't hack it.Try to read the manual again. 

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

www.laculturadelingles.com 

www.pebtest.com/oficial