TODAY'S IDIOM: JUMP OUT OF YOUR SKIN

"JUMP OUT OF YOUR SKIN"

You jump out of your skin when something suddenly shocks you and your whole body jumps. 

Example: Luke was watching the clouds pass in front of the moon when I quietly snuck up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He screamed and nearly jumped out of his skin!

Se le sale el corazón.

Example sentences:

• Luke was watching the clouds pass in front of the moon when I quietly snuck up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He screamed and nearly jumped out of his skin! / Lucas estaba viendo las nubes que pasan por delante de la luna cuando me metí en silencio detrás de él y le di un golpecito en el hombro. ¡Él gritó y casi se le sale el corazón!

• Ollie didn't know I was making some toast, and when it suddenly popped up just as he was walking past he jumped out of his skin. It was really funny! / Ollie no sabía que yo estaba haciendo pan tostado, y cuando de repente saltó justo cuando él pasaba por delante, se le salió el corazón. Fue muy divertido!

Additional examples:

• When he crept up on me so quietly, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

• Henry was walking through the forest, and he jumped out of his skin when a snake fell on his head.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A VOICE (CRYING) IN THE WILDERNESS

"A VOICE (CRYING) IN THE WILDERNESS"

 

 

You're a voice in the wilderness, or a voice crying in the wilderness, if you're expressing an unpopular opinion or insight.

Example: Clara says petrol engines should be banned because of the damage they cause to the environment. She says most people laugh when she says this, and she feels like a voice in the wilderness.


Una voz en el desierto / Una opinión al despoblado

Example sentences:

• When Galileo stated that the sun was the centre of the solar system, he was a voice crying in the wilderness. Most people thought he was crazy or evil, or possibly both / Cuando Galileo afirmó que el Sol era el centro del sistema solar, él era una opinión al despoblado. La mayoría de la gente pensó que estaba loco o era el diablo, o posiblemente las dos.

• Ken says he feels like a voice crying in the wilderness because nobody seems to support his opinions / Ken dice que se siente como una voz en el desierto porque nadie parece apoyar sus opiniones.

Additional examples:

• For many years, she was a lone voice in the wilderness who wrote about the need for better urban planning.

• With her passionate pleas for peace, she was a lone voice in the wilderness.

 

 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB / STAND OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB

"STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB / STAND OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB"

If someone sticks out like a sore thumb, or stands out like a sore thumb, everyone notices them because they're not the same as the people around them.

Example: When I was in the Nigerian countryside I stood out like a sore thumb. I was the only white person around.

Sale a relucir.

Example sentences:

• Kenny stuck out like a sore thumb at the party. He was the only person wearing a suit and a tie / Kenny salió a relucir en la fiesta. Era la única persona que portaba traje y corbata.

• When Hector went to the dance club he stuck out like a sore thumb because he was the only person there who was over fifty years old / Cuando Héctor fue a la discoteca salió a relucir porque él era la única persona ahí que tenía 50 años de edad.

Additional examples:

• That pimple really sticks out like a sore thumb.

• Do you think I would stick out like a sore thumb at the party if I wear this coat?

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TODAY'S IDIOM: HAVE A HEART-TO-HEART

"HAVE A HEART-TO-HEART"

If you have a heart-to-heart with someone, you have an honest talk and share your feelings with each other.

Example: If you're not getting on well with someone, having a heart-to-heart can really help a lo

Tener una conversación íntima.

Example sentences:

• After we'd had a good heart-to-heart we understood each other much better / Después de que tuvimos una buena charla íntimamente, nos entendimos mucho mejor.

• After we'd had a heart-to-heart, we felt that we knew each other better / Después de que habíamos hablado íntimamente, sentimos que nos conocíamos mucho mejor.

Additional examples:

• I had a heart-to-heart talk with my father before I went off to college. 

• I have a problem, John. Let's sit down and have a heart-to-heart.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: DAY TO DAY

"DAY TO DAY"

If something happens day to day, it's part of the usual daily routine. 

Example: While you're away you'll have to pay for all your day to day expenses yourself, except for the hotel. 

Día a día.

Example sentences:

• She can deal with the small problems she faces day to day, but if there's a major crisis she usually panics / Ella puede lidiar con pequeños problemas que enfrenta día a día, pero si es un problema mayor, usualmente entra en pánico.

• Most people's day to day exercise includes some housework / El ejercicio del día a día de la mayor parte de las personas incluye tareas domésticas.

Additional examples:

• It's Sheila who's responsible for the day to day running of the school 

• The day to day movements of the stock market. 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: UNDER WRAPS

"UNDER WRAPS"

If something is under wraps, it's being kept secret.

Example: Our new products are always under wraps until their official launch because we don't want other companies seeing them and copying them.

Secreto.

Example sentences:

• The organisers keep the name of the winner under wraps until it's announced on the show / Los organizadores mantienen el nombre del ganador en secreto hasta que sea anunciado en el show. 

• The best way to keep something under wraps is to let as few people as possible know about it / La mejor manera de mantener algo en secreto es dejar que solo pocas personas lo conozcan.

Additional examples:

• We kept the candidate's conviction under wraps until after the election.

• The plan we had under wraps had to be scrapped anyway.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: AT SEA / ALL AT SEA

"AT SEA / ALL AT SEA"

If you're at sea, or all at sea, you're confused about something and not sure what to do.

Example: For the first few days in her new job, Gail felt totally at sea. She didn't know what to do or who to ask for help.

Perdido.

Example sentences:

• I'm all at sea with our new spreadsheet software. I just can't understand it / Estoy perdido con el nuevo software de hoja de cálculo. No puedo entenderlo.

• When it comes to higher math, John is totally at sea / Cuando se trata de matemáticas superiores, John está totalmente perdido.

Additional examples:

• Grant felt all at sea because it was his first day at university.

• I'm all at sea with this computer manual.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: HIT THE ROOF

"HIT THE ROOF"

You can say someone hits the roof if they lose their temper and show their anger.  

Example: The movie's director hit the roof when the actress forgot her lines.

Poner el grito en el cielo.

Example sentences:

• When the boss saw Jim's mistake, he hit the roof. He yelled and thumped the desk and told Jim to get out / Cuando el jefe vió el error de Jim, puso el grito en el cielo. Gritó y golpeó la mesa y le dijo a Jim que saliera.

• When Johnny's dad found out that he'd been smoking cigarettes, he hit the roof / Cuando el papá de Johnny se enteró de que había estado fumando cigarrillos, puso el grito en el cielo.

Additional examples:

• I'm afraid he'll hit the roof when he finds out our vacation is canceled.

• Are you mad? I am going to hit the roof! Why? My boss fired me for doing something wrong, but it wasn’t my fault!

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TODAY'S IDIOM: KICK THE BUCKET

"KICK THE BUCKET"

If someone kicks the bucket, they die.

Example: Did you see the movie "Bucket List"? It's about these two old guys who make a list of all the things they want to do before they kick the bucket.

Estirar la pata.

Example sentences:

• When I kick the bucket, you can just bury me under a tree at the bottom of the garden / Cuando estire la pata, entiérrame bajo un árbol en el fondo del jardín.

• Luke said that after he kicks the bucket, he wants to go to heaven / Luke dijo que después de que estire la pata, quiere irse al cielo.

Additional examples:

• Did you hear that her grandfather kicked the bucket?

• Didn't you hear? He kicked the bucket had a heart attack, I think.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: (SOMETHING) OCCURS TO YOU

"(SOMETHING) OCCURS TO YOU"

If something occurs to you, you think of it.

Example: Has it ever occurred to you that your daughter's happiness is more important than what your friends might think if they know she's gay? 

Has pensado.

Example sentences:

• It had never occurred to Ursula that her husband might run off with a younger woman one day. She was very surprised / Ursula nunca pensó que un día, su marido se iría con una mujer más joven. Estaba muy sorprendida. 

• I was surprised when I heard that Anne had quit. It had never occurred to me that she wasn't happy working here / Me sorprendí cuando escuché que Anne había renunciado. Nunca pensé que ella no estaba feliz de trabajar aquí.

 
Additional examples:

• It occurred to me that you might be hungry after your long journey.

• Would it ever occur to you that I want to be left alone?

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TODAY'S IDIOM: NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT

"NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT"

If you say something is nothing to write home about, you mean it isn't very important or it isn't very good.

Example: Helen said her date with the guy she met online was nothing to write home about, and she probably wouldn't see him again.

Nada del otro mundo.

Example sentences:

• We saw a movie today and it was nothing to write home about. It was just a typical action movie / Vimos una película hoy y no fue nada del otro mundo. Fue solo una típica película de acción.

• Leila said the new restaurant was nothing to write home about. She thought it was just average / Leila dijo que el nuevo restaurante no era nada del otro mundo. Pensó que que era mediocre.

Additional examples:

• I went to that new restaurant last night. It's nothing to write home about.

• I went to see a movie last night. How was it? Nothing to write home about.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: MAKE THE MOST OF

"MAKE THE MOST OF"

If you make the most of something, you get as much as possible from it.

Example: After I retire from work I'll make the most of all the free time and do all the things I've never had time for.

Aprovechar.

Example sentences:

• The warm weather won't last long, so we should make the most of it while we can / El buen tiempo no durará mucho tiempo, por lo que debemos aprovechar mientras podamos. 

• She made the most of her time in Egypt by exploring the Pyramids / Ella aprovechó la mayor parte de su tiempo en Egipto al explorar las pirámide.

Additional examples:

• We made the most of our vacation by leaving our phones and computers turned off.

• Mary knows how to make the most of her talents.

• They designed the advertisements to make the most of the product's features.

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TODAY'SIDIOM: A SLAP ON THE WRIST

"A SLAP ON THE WRIST"

A very mild punishment.

Example:  When Billy tried to grab another cookie, he got a slap on the wrist.

Un jalón de orejas.

• He created quite a disturbance, but he only got a slap on the wrist from the judge / Él creó un gran alboroto, pero sólo consiguió un jalón de orejas del juez. 

• It’s not enough to slap his wrist; you need to strongly reprove him / No es suficiente darle un jalón de orejas; necesitas reprenderle fuertemente.

Additional examples:

• The judge did nothing but slap the mugger on the wrist.

• Some of our players got a slap on the wrist for getting to the training session late. 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: MEET YOUR MATCH

"MEET YOUR MATCH"

If you meet your match, you meet someone who can do as well as you, or better than you, in something that you're good at.

Example: I think I've met my match at last. This new guy at the chess club nearly beat me yesterday.

Encontrar a tu pareja

Example sentences:

• I'm glad that someone has beaten Roger at tennis. It's about time he met his match / Me alegro de que alguien haya vencido a Roger en el tenis. Es cuestión de tiempo que encuentre a su pareja.

• Marian is the best player on the golf team, but she may have met her match. A new girl played yesterday and she very nearly beat Marian / Marian es la mejor jugadora en el equipo de golf, pero ella pudo haber conocido a su pareja. Una nueva chica jugó ayer y estuvo muy cerca de ella.

Additional examples:

• It's time to meet your match, Rooker.

• I am sure, sir, you will meet your match soon. 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: ALL BARK AND NO BITE

"ALL BARK AND NO BITE"

When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight.

Example: That new manager threatened to fire me again, but I know he won't do it. He's all bark and no bite.

Perro que ladra no muerde.

Example sentences:

• Yesterday that guy said he wanted to fight, but today he's all quiet and polite, he's all bark and no bite / Ayer ese hombre dijo que quería pelear, pero hoy está tranquilo y educado. Perro que ladra no muerde.

• Don't listen to my brother when he gets angry; he's all bark and no bite / No le hagas caso a mi hermano cuando se enoja; perro que ladra no muerde. 

Additional examples:

• Don’t worry about Mrs Smith, she’s all bark and no bite, always shouting but she never punishes you.

• I know the prosecutor personally he's all back and no bite.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: MAKE A SONG AND DANCE ABOUT (SOMETHING)

"MAKE A SONG AND DANCE ABOUT (SOMETHING)"

If you make a song and dance about something, you make a big deal out of, or a fuss over, something that isn't very important. 

Example: Why are people making such a song and dance about the fact that the health minister used to smoke cigarettes? You'd think he'd worshipped the devil from the way they're carrying on about it!

Hacer escándalo.

Example sentences:

• Carol thinks people should be angry about the injustices in the world, but instead they make a song and dance about things like the high price of bananas / Carol piensa que la gente debería estar enfadado por las injusticias en el mundo, pero en lugar de eso hacen escándalo por cosas como el alto precio de los plátanos. 

• The staff in our company are making a song and dance about how bad the coffee in the canteen is / El personal de nuestra empresa está haciendo escándalo de lo mal que es el café en el comedor.

Additional examples:

• I only asked her to move her car but she made such a song and dance about it. 

• He made a real song and dance about giving up meat.

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