TODAY'S IDIOM: OPEN FOR BUSINESS

"OPEN FOR BUSINESS"

(of a shop, store, restaurant, etc.) operating and ready to do business.

Example: The store is now open for business and invites you to come in.

Abierto / En funcionamiento / Listo para abrir

Example sentences:

• The construction will be finished in March, and we will be open for business in April / La construcción será terminada en Marzo y estaremos listos para abrir en Abril.

• The store is now open for business and invites you to come in / La tienda ahora está en funcionamiento y te invitamos a que entres.

Additional examples:

• Know the rules before you open for business.

• Other considerations include dispute resolution, required hours open for business, and whether future expansion is possible at reasonable rates.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT

"A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT"

 

Not enough to be useful.

Example: The government's attempts at reform were a day late and a dollar short.

Siempre tarde y nunca es suficiente.

Example sentences:

• The office worker tried his best to please his boss. Unfortunately, he was a day late and a dollar short. It was his office-mate who received the promotion / El oficinista hizo todo lo posible por complacer a su jefe, desafortunadamente, llegó tarde y no fue suficiente. Fue su compañero de oficina quien recibió el ascenso.

He finally tried to fix the problem but he was a day late and a dollar short. - See more at: http://idiomaticexpressions.org/content/day-late-and-dollar-short#sthash.Exq69sho.dpuf

• He finally tried to fix the problem but he was a day late and a dollar short / Finalmente trató de solucionar el problema pero fue tarde y no suficiente.

Additional examples:

• Despite her desire to help me in my studies, she was a day late and a dollar short. I had failed my exam already.

 

• I was a day late and a dollar short in submitting my requirements. As a result, my teacher gave me a D.

• Tommy, you seem to show up a day late and a dollar short all the time. You need to get organized.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: MAKE MY DAY

"MAKE MY DAY"

Make me happy by trying to do that.

Example: You want to fight? Go ahead, make my day.

Hacerme el día.

Example sentences:

• It makes my day, when people tell me that I am helping them learn English / Me hace el día, cuando la gente me dice que estoy ayudándolos a aprender Inglés.

• My husband made my day, because he said I am a good wife / Mi marido me hizo el día, porque dijo que soy una buena esposa.

• My boss told me, I was doing a great job. My boss made my day!!! / Mi jefe me dijo, que estaba haciendo un excelente trabajo. ¡¡¡Mi jefe me hizo el día!!!

Additional examples:

• It makes my day when I go and volunteer at the animal shelter.

• I went to the store. I helped a lady. Helping the lady made my day.

• We just found out that our teacher thinks we are great students. That really made our day!!!  

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TODAY'S IDIOM: WEATHER A STORM

"WEATHER A STORM"

If you weather a storm, you survive a dangerous event or deal with a difficult situation.

Example: Everyone waited to see if the president could weather the storm caused by his son's arrest for using illegal drugs.

Superar la situación.

Example sentences:

• We decided to stay in the building and weather the storm there with the other visitors / Decidimos quedarnos en el edificio y superar la situación ahí, con los otros visitantes.

• Bob lost his job, but somehow his family weathered the storm / Bob perdió su trabajo, pero de alguna manera su familia superó la situación.

Additional examples:

• If you weather a storm, you get through something that could have harmed you.

• Poor Mandy had to stand there and weather the storm as her boss shouted insults at her for letting him forget something. 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: MAKE AN EXCEPTION (FOR SOMEONE)

"MAKE AN EXCEPTION (FOR SOMEONE)"

To suspend a rule or practice for someone in a single instance.

Example: Please make an exception just this once.

Hacer una excepción (para/por alguien).

Example sentences:

• There is no reason to make an exception for them / No hay ninguna razón para hacer una excepción por ellos.

• These are the rules and I will not make an exception for anyone / Estas son las reglas y no haré excepción para nadie.

Additional examples:

• I'll make an exception and let you stay up as late as you want

• The security guard made an exception for me and allowed me to enter the parking lot after it was closed.

 

 

 

 

 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

"THE MOMENT OF TRUTH"

The moment of truth is a time when the truth about something is revealed, or when an important decision is made.

Example: We've been at the tennis tournament all weekend, and now we're watching the last game in the last match, so the moment of truth is here at last. 

El momento de la verdad.

Example sentences:

• We're getting our exam results today so the moment of truth is nearly here / Obtendremos los resultados de nuestro examen hoy, así que el momento de la verdad está cerca. 

• The moment of truth in a court case is when the verdict is announced / El momento de la verdad en un caso judicial es cuando el veredicto es anunciado.

Additional examples: 

• The moment of truth is here. Turn over your exam papers and begin.

• Now for the moment of truth when we find out whether we have got planning permission or not.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: YELLOW JOURNALISM

"YELLOW JOURNALISM"

 

 

 
Journalism in which sensational stories are used to boost sales, or biased reporting is used to change the reader's views on an issue. Both of these are unethical.
 
Example: Joe: "Is there any difference between yellow journalism and propaganda?" Kate: "I think yellow journalism can be even more dangerous than propaganda if it's being presented as objective reporting by well-known journalists."
 
Amarillismo / Amarillista
 
Example sentences:
 

• Have you noticed how, during a war, normally trustworthy professionals start writing the worst sort of yellow journalism to justify their government's actions? / ¿Has notado como, durante la guerra, normalmente profesionales de confianza comienzan a escribir la peor especie de amarillismo para justificar las acciones de su gobierno?

 

• Jerry gets angry when he sees yellow journalism. He says journalists who write it are misleading their readers / Jerry se enoja cuando ve un periódico amarillista. Él dice que los periodistas que escriben están engañando a sus lectores.

 
Additional examples:
 

• The paper is practising yellow journalism at its worst with its scandalous stories about the Governor and his family.

 

• This paper is practising yellow journalism with its reports on sex scandals.

 

 

 

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TODAY'S IDIOM: YELLOW STREAK

"YELLOW STREAK"

If someone has a yellow streak, they can sometimes act in a cowardly way and not be very brave. 

Example: Some people say Jimmy's got a yellow streak a mile wide, but I've never seen anything in him except courage and bravery.

Un tanto cobarde.

Example sentences:

• Monty says he likes his yellow streak because it keeps him out of trouble. He never gets into fights or has accidents because he's so scared of getting hurt / Monty dice que le gusta ser un tanto cobarde porque se mantiene lejos de problemas. Nunca ha estado en una pelea o accidentes porque a él le asustaría salir lastimado.

• You can see Bob's yellow streak when another player is running straight at him and Bob tries to get out of the way / Puedes ver la cobardía de Bob cuando otro jugador está corriendo directamente hacia él y Bob intenta salir del camino.

Additional examples:

• Tim's got a yellow streak down his back a mile wide.

• Get rid of that yellow streak. Show some courage.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: A WHITE LIE

"A WHITE LIE"

If you tell a white lie, you say something that isn't true in order to be polite or so as not to hurt someone's feelings.

Example: I really didn't want to go to my boss's dinner party, so I told a white lie and said I had to go to a friend's wedding party that night.

Una mentura piadosa.

Example sentences:

• Sometimes it's better to tell a white lie than to tell someone a painful truth / A veces es mejor decir una mentira piadosa que decirle a alguien una verdad dolorosa.

• Jack asked me how he looked after his operation, so I told a white lie and said he looked great / Jack me preguntó como se veía despúes de su operación, entonces le dije una mentira piadosa, que se veía estupendo.

Additional examples:

• I don't see the harm in telling the occasional white lie if it spares someone's feelings.

• Every little white lie you tell is still a lie and it is still meant to mislead people.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: SNOWED UNDER

"SNOWED UNDER"

If you are snowed under you have so much to do that you're having trouble doing it all.

Example: I was so snowed under with work today that I didn't even have time for lunch.

Saturado.

Example sentences:

• If I don't deal with these orders they'll build up and I'll soon be snowed under again / Si no puedo lidiar con estas órdenes, se acumularán y pronto estaré saturado de nuevo.

• I was so snowed under today that I had to cancel a meeting / Estoy muy saturado hoy que voy a tener que cancelar una reunión.

Additional examples:

• Look, I'm really snowed under at the moment.

• Can this wait? He really has been snowed under with work.

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TODAY'D IDIOM: CAN OF WORMS

"CAN OF WORMS"

If you say a situation or an issue is a can of worms, you think that getting involved in it could lead to problems.

Example: Corruption in politics is such a can of worms that many journalists won't take the risk of seriously investigating it.

Caja de Pandora.

Example sentences:

• Cathy never talks about her childhood. She says it's a can of worms she doesn't want to open, though I have no idea why / Cathy nunca habla de su infancia. Ella dice que es una caja de Pandora que no queremos abrir, aunque no tengo ni idea de por qué.

• The investigators knew that examining the company's books might open a can of worms. They suspected there'd be evidence of serious crimes / Los investigadores sabían que el examen de los libros de la compañía podría abrir una caja de Pandora. Sospechan a que habría indicios de delitos graves.

Additional examples:

• This political scandal is a real can of worms.

• Let's not open that can of worms!

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TODAY'S IDIOM: GET A WORD IN EDGEWAYS / EDGEWISE

"GET A WORD IN EDGEWAYS / EDGEWISE"

 

If you can't get a word in edgeways, you can't say anything because someone else is talking so much.

Example: Cindy got so excited when she was talking that nobody else could get a word in edgeways.

Captar una sola palabra.

Example sentences:

• Sam couldn't get a word in edgeways because Cindy was talking too much / Sam no podía captar una sola palabra porque Cindy estaba hablando demasiado.

• Mary talks so fast that nobody can get a word in edgeways / Mary habla tan rápido que nadie pudo captar una sola palabra.

Additional examples:

• I'd go to the meetings more often if I could get a word in edgeways.

• Harold talked so much that nobody else could get a word in edgewise.

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TODAY'S IDIOM: IF PUSH COMES TO SHOVE

"IF PUSH COMES TO SHOVE"

You can say "if push comes to shove" before saying what you'll do if things don't go as well as you'd like, and you're forced to do something that you'd rather not do.

Example: I've made up my mind and I'm going to have a career in music. I'd love to be in a successful band, but if push comes to shove I can earn money by teaching guitar. 

Si las cosas se ponen feas.

Example sentences:

• Sandy says she really wants to stay in her apartment, but if push comes to shove she'll just have to move out and find somewhere cheaper / Sandy dice que realmente quiere estar en su departamento, pero si las cosas se ponen feas tendrá que mudarse y encontrar algún lugar más barato.

• My Nigerian friend Fela is having trouble finding work here in London, but he says if push comes to shove he can always go back to Nigeria / Mi amigo Nigeriano Fela está teniendo problema para encontrar trabajo aquí en Londres, pero dice que si las cosas se ponen feas, él siempre puede regresar a Nigeria.

Additional examples:

• If push comes to shove, we can always sell the car.

• When push comes to shove the Donald is a master of pulling the trigger

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