PHRASEOLOGY C1

 

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS FOR CAE A CPE EXAMS

(Idiomaticity, phraseology, Idiomatic structures)

Certificate of Advanced English (CAE)

Me, fail Englilsh ... that's umpossible!

In linguistics, phraseology is the study of set or fixed expressions, such as idioms, phrasal verbs, and other types of multi-word lexical units (often collectively referred to as phrasemes), in which the component parts of the expression take on a meaning more specific than or otherwise not predictable from the sum of their meanings when used independently. 

An idiom is a figure of speech that means something different than a literal translation of the words would lead one to believe. For example, "it's raining cats and dogs" is a common idiom in English, but it's not meant to be taken literally: Household pets are not falling from the sky!

Idioms vs Figures of speech

In their closest meaning an idiom is a particular way of saying something, and a figure of speech (metaphores, similes, word play, symbol ...) is a turn of phrase which departs from a straightforward literal statement.

An idiom is or can be a "sub-language", a way of speaking, or a phrase in which words do not have their usual meanings. As an example of the latter, a person can be a "runner up" without running and without being or going up, so "runner up" is an idiom.

Because idioms are such interesting ways to get a point across, they're often seen in literature. In fact, many of the most common idioms we use today were originally coined by great writers as a unique metaphor; then people liked them enough to start using them in everyday conversation. 

What exactly is an idiom? 

Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that cannot be taken literally. In other words, when used in everyday language, they have a meaning other than the basic one you would find in the dictionary. Every language has its own idioms. Learning them makes understanding and using a language a lot easier and more fun!

Many people do not really understand the difference between an idiom, a figure of speech, a proverb and a strong collocation. With all that in mind, the following is a selected list of common idioms which attempts to exclude items which are not actually idioms at all, ones which are rare or ones confined to certain registers only. We have also excluded those which, while classifiable as idioms, are wholly transparent in meaning.

Functions of Idioms

People use idioms to make their language richer and more colorful and to convey subtle shades of meaning or intention. Idioms are used often to replace a literal word or expression, and many times the idiom better describes the full nuance of meaning. Idioms and idiomatic expressions can be more precise than the literal words, often using fewer words but saying more. For example, the expression it runs in the family is shorter and more succinct than saying that a physical or personality trait 'is fairly common throughout one's extended family and over a number of generations. (Gail Brenner, Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook. Webster's New World, 2003).

Idioms and Culture

 "If natural language had been designed by a logician, idioms would not exist." (Philip Johnson-Laird, 1993) 

"Idioms, in general, are deeply connected to culture. . . . Agar (1991) proposes that biculturalism and bilingualism are two sides of the same coin. Engaged in the intertwined process of culture change, learners have to understand the full meaning of idioms."                            Sam Glucksberg, Understanding Figurative Language. Oxford University Press, 2001)​

Types of Idioms

There are 7 types of idiom. They are: pure idioms, binomial idioms, partial idioms, prepositional idioms, proverbs, euphemisms and cliches. Some idioms may fit into multiple different categories. For example, the idiom “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is both a cliché and a proverb. Pure idioms, semi-idioms, and literal idioms.The first category is pure  idioms. The words that construct a pure idiom are non-literal. Thus, the meaning cannot be deduced from the literal meaning of the elements. For example, the idiom kick the bucket does not have any relation with the literal meaning of kick or bucket. It does not mean to hit an open container with feet. Both of the words kick and bucket lose their literal meaning. The idiom means to die . Pure idioms are also invariant. Kick is synonymous with strike. However, strike the bucket is not an idiom and does not mean to die. The second category is semi-idioms. The difference between pure and semi-idioms is the literal meaning. In pure idioms, all of the elements that construct them are non-literal. Meanwhile, in semi-idioms, there is one or more literal elements and at least one non-literal element. For example, the idiom kill time has one word which maintains its literal meaning which is time. One word has non-literal meaning which is kill. Kill does not mean to make somebody die. Kill time means to do something unimportant at the moment while waiting for something else to happen. Besides, semi-idoms allow lexical variations. The third category is literal idioms. A literal idiom has invariant or restricted variation. Literal idioms have a close meaning with the literal meaning of the consituents. Thus, the meaning of a literal idiom is easy to understand and considered to be transparent, for example happy birthday, merry chirstmas, on the contrary . 

LITERAL IDIOMS: All I'm/we're saying ... ( ... that's all I'm/we're saying.), all for nothing  

All we are saying is give peace a chance. John Lennon (Give peace a chance)

Crystal clear extremely clear: ​very easy to understand; completely obvious; Ex: I want to make my meaning crystal clear; The chief executive made his opposition to the proposal crystal clear; Syn obvious, más claro que el agua, clarísimo. 

Modal Idioms

Modal idioms are idiosyncratic verbal formations which consist of more than one word and which have modal meanings that are not predictable from the constituent parts (compare the non-modal idiom kick the bucket). Under this heading we include have got [to], had better/best, would rather/sooner/as soon, and be [to]." (Bas Aarts, Oxford Modern English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 2011).

Levels of "Transparency"

"Idioms vary in 'transparency': that is, whether their meaning can be derived from the literal meanings of the individual words. For example, make up [one's] mind is rather transparent in suggesting the meaning 'reach a decision,' while kick the bucket is far from transparent in representing the meaning 'die.'" (Douglas Biber et al., Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Pearson, 2002) "The thought hit me that this was a pretty pathetic way to kick the bucket--being accidentally poisoned during a photo shoot, of all things--and I started weeping at the idiocy of it all." (Lara St. John).

The Idiom Principle

The principle of idiom is that a language user has available to him or her a large number of semi-preconstructed phrases that constitute single choices, even though they might appear to be analysable into segments (Sinclair 1991): 110)  The study of fixed phrases has a fairly long tradition...but phrases are normally seen as outside the normal organizing principle of language. Here, Sinclair extends the notion of phraseology to encompass a great deal more of language than it is commonly considered to encompass. At its strongest, we might say that all senses of all words exist in and are identified by the sequences of morphemes in which they typically occur." (Susan Hunston and Gill Francis, Pattern Grammar: A Corpus-Driven Approach to the Lexical Grammar of English. John Benjamins, 2000)

Shakespeare's Idioms

"Shakespeare is credited with coining more than 2,000 words, infusing thousands more existing ones with electrifying new meanings and forging idioms that would last for centuries. 'A fool's paradise,' 'at one fell swoop,' 'heart's content,' 'in a pickle,' 'send him packing,' 'too much of a good thing,' 'the game is up,' 'good riddance,' 'love is blind,' and 'a sorry sight,' to name a few." (David Wolman, Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling. Harper, 2010).

Grammar rules and meanings of Idioms C1

1. NOMINAL IDIOMS

Idioms are usually understood to be phrases or clauses which cannot be immediately understood by retrieving the meaning of the words in them. However, many words, especially verbs, are or can be used metaphorically and qualify as idioms because they are (obviously) fixed with synonyms rarely having the same effect and they are often quite opaque in meaning.

The question threw me; They sacked him; You have lost me; My printer died     

One-word idioms

Brainstorming a way of making a group of people all think about sth at the same time, often in order to solve a problem or to create good ideas; an activity or business method in which a group of people meet to suggest a lot of new ideas for possible development; Ex: a brainstorming session; We need to do some brainstorming before we get down to detailed planning; We're having a brainstorming session on Friday; Syn idea-gathering exercise; lluvia/tormenta de ideas; ejercicio para aportar ideas.

Brainstorm 1. idea-gathering session; Ex: A department meeting is scheduled for next week to have a brainstorm regarding the company's sales goals; The team brainstormed all day, but could not come up with a solution. 2. sudden idea (idea brillante); Ex: Thomas had a brainstorm and decided to start his own business; 3. sudden inability to think clearly (frenesí, confusión); Ex: I must have had a brainstorm: I've left my briefcase and all my papers at home! Syn v. think up ideas, aportar/compartir/proponer ideas.

Like The like(s) of sb/sth (B2) inf. used to refer to sb/sth that is considered as a type, esp. one that is considered as good as sb/sth else; a person, thing, or group similar in character or quality to the one mentioned; sth like or similar to; sth of the same kind as. Ex: Boxing hasn't seen the likes of Muhammad Ali since he retired; He was a very great actor, we won't see his like again; They're competing with the likes of IBM; She didn't want to associate with the likes of me. Compare likes and dislikes. Syn the equal of, equivalent, match, sth similar, eso, algo asi. 

Pain (in the neck) (B2) slang person or thing that is very annoying: Ex: That child is a real pain in the neck; Filling out the forms for my recent insurance claim was a real pain in the neck. Syn  (source of) annoyance, nuisance, bother, pest (annoying person), incordio, lata, dolor de cabeza

Binomials and trinomials

Likes (and dislikes) (B2) the things that sb enjoys; Ex: The star lists his likes as "my new Porsche, my girlfriend, and staying up all night."; They can't expect me to accommodate all their silly little likes and dislikes; She knows her children’s likes and dislikes. Syn preferences, gustos, preferencias.

Ups and downs If someone or something experiences ups and downs, a mixture of good and bad things happens to him, her, or it. Ex: Like most married couples we've had our ups and downs, but life's like that. Syn good and bad experiences, altibajos.

Pros and cons 1. n. advantages/positives and disadvantages/negatives; 2. adv (for and against, a favor y en contra): Before making her decision, Maria made a list of arguments, pro and con; 3. adj. (argument): The class debated the pro-and-con arguments around nuclear power.

Nominal / noun phrases

A noun phrase, or nominal (phrase), is a phrase that has a noun (or indefinite pronoun) as its head or performs the same grammatical function as a noun. 

Piece of cake (B2) sth that is very easy to do; Ex: The spelling test was a piece of cake; I got all the answers right! Syn easy, pan comido.

Silver lining (from the saying "every cloud has a silver lining") an advantage that comes from a difficult or unpleasant situation. Ex: When things look black, there's always a silver lining; The injury had a silver lining: it enabled Blake to spend his father's last weeks with him; Not many people came to the charity auction, but the silver lining was that we raised £11,000.

 

2. ADJECTIVAL IDIOMS

Dead complete or exact (only before noun), Ex: a dead silence/calm; The car gave a sudden jerk and came to a dead stop; Her face was a dead giveaway (made it very obvious) that sth was going on; The project was a dead failure, and accomplished nothing. Syn complete, rotundo.

Grown-up 1. If you say that someone is grown up, you mean that they are an adult or that they behave in a responsible way: He seems very grown up for a ten-year-old; ​(of a person) mentally and physically an adult. Ex: What do you want to be when you're grown-up?; She has a grown-up son. Syn: adult.

In two minds ​to be unable to decide what you think about sb/sth, or whether to do sth or not: Ex: I was in two minds about the book (I didn't know if I liked it or not). I was in two minds whether or not to come this morning. She's in two minds about accepting his invitation. Syn:  indecisive (C1), undecided (C1)

That's the trouble with trying to influence an undecided voter. First you have to find one. Pat Sayak

I used to be indecisive; now I'm not (quite) sure. One-liner.

Over the moon  ​(esp. British English) inf. extremely happy/joyful and excited; to be very pleased;; Ex: She was over the moon about/with her new bike; They’re over the moon about their trip to Japan; Syn extremely joyful, tocando el cielo con las manos.

Time(-)consuming a time-consuming task takes a lot of time to do; ​taking or needing a lot of time: Ex: Producing a dictionary is a very time-consuming job; a difficult and time-consuming process; It’s quite time-consuming having to check all the labels individually. Syn taking considerable time; exigir/necesitar/consumir/requerir mucho tiempo; arduo, exigente, laboroso.

Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming. 

3. PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS / PHRASES (Compound prepositions)

(It’s) (a)bout / high time (that / for sth to do sth) Inf. If it is about time/high time that sb did sth, it should have been done sooner or a long time ago; ​used to say that you think sb should do sth soon; Ex: It's about time you cleaned your room!; It's about time (that) the school improved its food service; It is high time for the critics to open their minds to a new approach.

(And) about time (too) / (and) not before time

An expression used to emphasize that sth should have occurred a long time ago; Ex: They're finally hiring some extra help around here, and it's about time too, another one of my employees resigned today.

Einstein developed a theory about space; and it was about time too. Funny Novelty.

As for somebody/something (Oxford B2) ​used to start talking about somebody/something;  considering or speaking about:  As for Jo, she's doing fine. As for food for the party, that's all being taken care of; As for the money, we’ll talk about that later. Synonyms: as to (about):  There's no decision as to when the work might start. He was uncertain as to which road to take; regarding

As to/for changing the subject to: As to where we'll get the money from, we'll talk about that later; I'm slightly unsure as to what my goal is. I just keep doing jobs; I have principles in my professional and personal life as to how things are done. 

As for myself all I Know is (that I know nothing, Socrates, The Socratic Paradox 

Version: The only thing I know is that I know nothing, and I am not quite (B2), completely (B1) / utterly (C1) sure that i know that.

For nothing (B2) 1. with no good result or for no purpose; ​with no reward or result; 2. ​without payment, free. 3. without good reason: The little boy came up from behind and hit me for nothing. Ex: All that preparation was for nothing because the visit was cancelled; He queued for two hours and (all) for nothing, there were no seats left; Let us make sure that these brave men and women did not die for nothing. Syn without achieving goal, para nada, por nada (gratis), sin motivo o razón.

For the time being (also literary), temporarily, for a short period of time but not permanently; at this time. Ex: The union voted not to strike for the time being; My car fell apart so I'm using my bicycle for the time being. Syn also for now/for the moment, temporarily, de / por el momento.

In (the) light of sth because of; ​after considering sth; In the light of recent developments it would be appropriate to review the arrangements; Ex: In light of recent incidents, we are asking our customers to take particular care of their personal belongings; He rewrote the book in the light of further research. Syn in view of, given; a la luz de.

In order (for sb/sth) to do sth (also in order that sth) (B1) with the aim or purpose of doing sth; ​with the purpose or intention of doing or achieving sth; Ex: He came home early in order to see the children before they went to bed; She arrived early in order to get a good seat; In order to get a complete picture, further information is needed; I need to get an A on this test in order to pass the class for the semester; He brought up the issue in order to embarrass his opponent during the debate; You don't need a degree in order to work as an escort. In order to travel abroad, you must have a valid passport. Syn so as to, for the purpose of, so as to, with a view to, so (that), so, in order that, for the purpose of, as a way to/of, para, con el fin de, a fin de.

It's a clear gain to sacrifice pleasure in order to avoid pain. Arthur Schopenhauer.

(Be) (somewhere) in the region of ​used when you are giving a number, price, etc. to show that it is not exact.  Ex: They estimate that the temperature yesterday was (somewhere) in the region of -30°C.; It will cost something in the region of $1 million; He earns somewhere in the region of €50 000. Syn: approximately.

(Be) out of the question not possible or not allowed; ​impossible or not allowed and therefore not worth discussing. Ex: The class ends at 2, and leaving before then is out of the question; Another trip abroad this year is out of the question; It is out of the question for a twelve year old to go to a night club! Syn not permitted, fuera de discusión.

On account of sb/sth because of sb/sth. Ex: She retired early on account of ill health; He doesn't drink alcohol on account of his poor health. Syn because of, due to, for sb's sake, por, debido a, a causa de.

4. ADVERBIAL IDIOMS

all / just the same despite this / what has just been said: It rained every day of our holiday, but we had a good time all the same. Syn: nevertheless, anyhow, still.

By and large en líneas generales loc adv. When everything about a situation is considered together. It is used when you are saying sth that is generally, but not completely,true: There are a few small things that I don't like about my job, but by and large it's very enjoyable; By and large, I enjoyed my time at school. Syn: generally, in general, on the whole, basically, primarily, mostly, on the whole, for the most part; all things considered, all in all, at the end of the day. 

By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth. George Carlin. 

Dead inf. 1. complete(ly), exact(ly) or extremely; Ex: I always try to arrive dead on time; After a hard day’s work, I was dead tired. Syn completely, absolutamente, completely; 2. adj. complete or exact (only before noun), Ex: a dead silence/calm; The car gave a sudden jerk and came to a dead stop; Her face was a dead giveaway (made it very obvious) that sth was going on; The project was a dead failure, and accomplished nothing. Syn complete, rotundo.

Deep down (inside) (B2) 1. felt strongly and often hidden from other people; used to mean that sth is true or real even if it is not said or shown to other people; if you know sth deep down, you know your true feelings about sth, although you may not admit them to yourself. Ex: Deep down, I know you love me really; He knew deep down inside that she was right. 2. ​if sth is true deep down, it is really like that, although it may not be obvious to people; Ex: Deep down, I think we all felt the same way; She looks happy but deep down she is very lonely; He seems confident but deep down he's quite insecure. Syn inwardly or intimately, en el fondo, en el fondo.

Deep down (inside), I happen to be very shallow. Pat Paulsen

Deep down inside, you know the truth. The truth is that if you gave it 100% you'd get 100%. the truth is, it's all up to you. Lynn Hulber

Deep down in one's heart inside one's heart, deep down; Ex: Deep down in his heart, he knew what he had done was wrong. Syn his conscience, (somewhere) deep inside, (muy) en el fondo.

Far from sth certainly not sth, not at all: The situation is far from clear; The dish is far from delicious; This competition is far from over. See far from it! (Interj.). Syn not at all, in no way, to no extent, en absoluto, para nada. 

For the most part basically; mostly; usually; Ex: He was, for the most part, quite helpful; The contributors are, for the most part, professional scientists; I agree with you for the most part, but still have a problem with the timing of the plan; Compare as a rule. Syn largely, mainly, to a great extent, to a large extent, primarily, in general, generally, on the whole, broadly speaking, most often, in the main, en casi todo, casi en la totalidad,  

For the time being for a limited period; ​for a short period of time but not permanently; Ex: Leave the ironing for the time being,  I'll do it later; You can leave your suitcase here for the time being; Syn temporarily, de momento, mientras tanto, por ahora.

From scratch from the beginning, from nothing, from zero without using anything that already exists; ​without any previous preparation or knowledge, desde cero.

I like to write from scratch most of the time, but I like to have a backup plan just in case. Greg Kurstin 

Fatherhood is great because you can ruin someone from scratch. Jon Stewart  

If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. Carl Sagan

Heart and soul eager love, strong feeling, great enthusiasm; with all one's being. Ex: To do sth with heart and soul; to want sth with all your heart and soul; They threw themselves heart and soul into the project. Compare body and soul (with complete faith. Ex: She was with him body and soul); See put your heart and soul into sth (to make a lot of effort to do sth). Ex: She puts her heart and soul into her work.

If anything ​used to express an opinion about sth, or after a negative statement to suggest that the opposite is true; used when saying that what people may believe is not true, and the opposite may be true; if in any amount or degree; if at all. Often used to indicate a certain deviation, choice, or outcome that is contrary to that which was previously mentioned or suggested; Ex: Her success hasn't caused tension, if anything, it's helped our marriage; Thank you for the compliment, but if anything, I've put on weight lately!; I don't think we should be waiting for help to arrive, if anything, we need to keep moving; I'd say he was more like his father, if anything; She's not thin, if anything she's on the plump side;; If anything, you have to work even harder when your dad's the boss; I think I'm pretty honest about my emotions most of the time; if anything, I'm too frank about them; Too tall? No, if anything she's too short to play goalie! (goalkeeper); Syn on the contrary, if nothing else, mas bien al contrario, en todo caso, si acaso.

If anything used when saying that there may be nothing: Ex: Fidelity in translation has little, if anything, to do with literal meaning; We need to assess what happened and what, if anything, we could have done to prevent it; The survey aims to find out what (if anything) religion means to people. See if at all; Syn if at all, (possibly not at all; como mucho, si acaso).  

If at all possibly not at all; Ex: In this part of the country, it only snows a few days per year, if at all; See if anything Syn if anything, como mucho, si acaso.

In a way / in one way / in some ways: ​to some extent; not completely; considered in a particular manner; Ex: In a way it was one of our biggest mistakes; In a way, I hope he doesn’t win; Syn sort of, more or less, de alguna manera, en cierto sentido.

In no way not at all. Ex: The fact that you were a little drunk in no way excuses your behavior;  She added that she had in no way intended to offend anybody. Compare in a way; See far from Syn not at all, (no tolerar) de ninguna manera, para nada.

In (less than/next to) no time / In no time at all so soon or so quickly that it is surprising; very quickly or very soon; Ex: The kids ate their dinner in no time; We'll be home in next to no time; The kids will be leaving home in no time; I can get dinner ready in no time at all. Syn rapidly, en un santiamén, en cuestión de segundos.

In the long/short run (B2) at a time that is far away in the future, Syn: in the final outcome, eventually, ultimately, Ex: It seems a lot of effort but I'm sure it's the best solution in the long run; It's probably for the best in the long run. It will be a little bumpy at first, but in the long run it will be well worth it. Contrast in the short run (short term): a corto plazo. Compare in the long term (well into the future), in the short term (temporarily, for a brief time in the future)

Syn eventually, after some time, al final, a la larga, a largo plazo, con el tiempo.

Look into yourself. Think about what you will need in the long run and not what you think you want now. Hophra Green 

In the long run, the pessimist may be proven right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip. Daniel ReardonIn 

Like mad / crazy (B2) If you do sth like mad, you do it very enthusiastically, quickly, or a lot; ​(informal) very fast, hard, much, etc; Ex: She's been saving like mad because she wants to buy a car; We worked like crazy to get it done on time. Syn furiously, intensely, como (un) loco.

In reverse backwards, the other way around, al reves, al contrario, en orden inverso, de atras para adelante. See the reverse (opposite, contrario, opuesto) 

I am a kind of paranoid (1) in reverse. I suspect people of plotting (B2) to make me happy. J. D. Salinger 

Note (1) paranoico, extremely mistrustful, desconfiado: She got so paranoid in her old age that she wouldn't answer the door.

I'm not a hopeless romantic. I'm quite the reverse. I'm a nasty piece of work, an ego maniac. Hugh Grant

Nothing but (B2) only. Ex: I have nothing but admiration for people who can speak several languages; Nothing but a miracle can save her now; I want nothing but the best for my children. See but (only); Ex: They say a girl dreams about her wedding day since she is just but a child.

Off the record (also adj.) If you tell sb sth off the record, it is not yet official and you do not want them to repeat it publicly; If sb says sth off the record, they do not want it to be publicly reported; The senator apologized for his off-the-record remarks. Ex: She made it clear that her comments were strictly off the record; Strictly off the record, some members of staff will have to be made redundant. Syn unofficial(ly), de manera extraoficial, confidential(ly), oficioso (adj)

On the one hand ...  (but) on the other (hand )... ​used to introduce different points of view, ideas, etc., especially when they are opposites; the first thing to consider is this, but a second and different thing to consider is this; Ex: On the one hand, I’d like a job that pays more, but on the other hand I enjoy the work I’m doing now; On the one hand they'd love to have kids, but on the other, they don't want to give up their freedom. Syn comparing points of view; pros and cons; advantages and disadvantages; por un lado ... (pero) por otro ...

Out of the blue If something happens out of the blue, it is completely unexpected, without warning, by surprise. Ex: One day, out of the blue, she announced that she was leaving. Syn:  fig. unexpectedly (B2), suddenly, de la nada, sin avisar, inesperadamente.

With flying colours: very successfully, ​very well, with a very high mark. Ex: She passed the exam with flying colours; Much to their relief, most of the class passed the exam with flying colors. Syn. fig. pass: brilliantly, extremely well; brillantemente.

Time after time / time and (time) again (B2) very often; ​often; on many or all occasions; Ex: I’ve told you time and time again to lock both doors before you leave; You will get a perfect result time after time if you follow these instructions; Time and again, the girls have shown how strong and determined they can be. Syn repeatedly, over and over, again and agin, una y otra vez, repetidas veces.

5. PHRASEOLOGICAL IDIOMS (Turns of phrase)

Be dying for/to do sth to be extremely eager to have or do something; ​(informal) to want something or want to do something very much. Ex: I'm dying to hear your news; I'm dying for something to eat; I'm dying for a glass of water; I'm dying to know what happened; I'm dying to know when this covid ends; I am dying for going to the beach .

Bear/keep sth in mind (that / the fact that) (B2) to remember a piece of information when you are making a decision or thinking about a matter; ​to remember sb/sth; to remember or consider that… Ex: Bearing in mind how young she is, I thought she did really well; Of course, repair work is expensive and you have to keep that in mind. You don't have to do anything about it now… just bear it in mind. Syn consider, take (sth) into account/ (sth) consideration (the fact that) (C1), tener en mente, no olvidar.

Always bear / keep in mind that your own resolution (C2) / decision to succeed is more important than any one thing / anything else / the most important one. Abraham Lincoln

Note: Bear v. (B2): He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. Friedrich Nietzsche

Beat around / about the bush ​to talk about sth for a long time without coming to the main point; to avoid talking about what is important; to spend a long time getting to the main point of what you are saying, especially because it is embarrassing; Ex: Don't beat around the bush, get to the point!; Stop beating around / about the bush and tell me what you want; Stop beating around the bush and give me the real reason!; Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth. Syn avoid getting to the point; andarse con rodeos, irse por las ramas, dar vueltas.

Break the ice (B2)  ​to say or do sth that makes people feel more relaxed, esp. at the beginning of a meeting, party, etc; Ex: Sb suggested that we play a party game to break the ice to make people who have not met before feel more relaxed with each other. See icebreaker Syn start a conversation, romper el hielo.

Note icebreaker: 1. a game or joke that makes people who do not know each other feel more relaxed together; 2. ​a strong ship designed to break a way through ice, for example in the Arctic.

Cross sb's mind If sth crosses your mind, you think of it; Ex: It never once crossed my mind that she might be unhappy; Don't tell me a wicked thought has never crossed your mind; Syn occur to you, enter your thoughts, cruzarse por la mente / por la cabeza.

Cross your fingers / keep your fingers crossed / fingers crossed to hope that your plans will be successful (sometimes putting one finger across another as a sign of hoping for good luck); to hope strongly that something will happen; Ex: I'm crossing my fingers that my proposal will be accepted; We’re keeping our fingers crossed that he’ll be healthy again very soon; Keep your fingers crossed!; Syn wish for good luck; cruzar los dedos.

Fall short (of sth) / fall short of the mark to fail to reach an amount or standard that was expected or hoped for, causing disappointment; To fail to meet or reach some goal, standard, requirement, expectation, etc; ​to fail to reach the standard that you expected or need; to lack sth; to lack enough of sth, such as money, time, etc. Ex: The athlete had an impressive performance on the field, but she fell short of first place by just a few points; August car sales fell short of the industry's expectations; Taylor's solution falls short of the mark; Unfortunately, your application fell short of the requirements for entry, so it has been denied; We fell short of money at the end of the month. Tom fell short of cash and had to borrow from me; The boy's grades fell short of his father's expectations; Compare be off the mark (C2); Syn not be satisfactory / not be sufficient; quedarse corto, no cumplir con, no satisfacer, estar por debajo de (las expectativas).

Fly high to be successful, doing very well. Ex: British cinema has been flying high recently, winning several coveted awards. See high-flying; Compare be riding high. Syn having a good outcome, popula, bestselling, volar alto.

We're flying high. We're watching the world pass us by. Never want to come down. Never want to put my feet back down on the ground. "Never let me down again (Depeche Mode)

Get (sth) off the ground to start; ​to start happening successfully; to make sth start happening successfully; Ex: He and his friend tried to start a band but it never got off the ground; Without more money, the movie is unlikely to get off the ground; to get a new company off the ground; His plan is too costly to ever get off the ground; Without funding the project will never get off the ground; I have a great idea for a business, but I'll need money to get it off the ground. Syn start well (a project), empezar, despegar, arrancar, llevar a cabo, tomar impulso.

Get there to succeed; To reach or attain one's goal(s); to be successful in some endeavor. Ex: Try again, you'll get there in the end; I know it's a long way to the championship, but we'll get there if we keep working hard!; Don't stress out about finding a job, you'll get there eventually; I don't completely understand the material, but I'm getting there; The task seems insurmountable, but somehow we'll get there. Syn succeed, llegar, lograr algo. 

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Lewis Carroll 

Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there. Bo Jackson

Go far ​(of people) to be very successful in the future; Ex: She is very talented and should go far; She's a very talented writer. I'm sure she'll go far. Syn be successful, llegar lejos, triunfar.

Have a weakness for (B2): a strong liking, usually for something that might have unpleasant or unwanted effects: My diet would be fine if only I didn't have a weakness for cookies.

My family is my strength and my weakness. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Look on the bright side (of things) to find good things in a bad situation; ​to be cheerful or positive about a bad situation, for example by thinking only of the advantages and not the disadvantages; Ex: Look on the bright side, no one was badly hurt; Look on the bright side, you managed to do more than I did; Syn consider positive aspects, ver/mirar el lado bueno; el lado positivo, no ver todo negro.

If you always look on the bright side (of things), you will be a much happier person. 

Lose your head: to lose control and not act in a calm way, figurative (become overexcited): He usually stays quite calm in meetings but this time he just lost his head. Synonyms: panic, go to pieces, get hysterical, lose your self-control, fall apart, break down, freak.

Make a point insist upon, state. Ex: Will you stop interrupting me? I'm trying to make a point here! Syn say (sth) significant, decir algo importante.

Make a point of doing sth to always do sth or to take particular care to do sth; ​to be or make sure you do sth because it is important or necessary; to try hard, make a special effort. Ex: I made a point of closing all the windows before leaving the house; She makes a point of keeping all her shopping receipts. Syn insist on doing, emphasize; poner/hacer hincapié en algo.

I make a point of not falling for (B2) anyone to keep myself from getting hurt again. 

Note Point: idea, opinion, objective, reason, significance; adjectives frequently used with point:  main: central, crucial, essential, important, key, main, major, salient, vital. Ex: The key point is that your body views any change as stressful.

The key point is kindness. With kindness one will have inner peace. Through inner peace, world peace can one day be a reality. Dalai Lama 

Make (both) ends meet to have just enough money to pay for the things that you need; ​to earn just enough money to be able to buy the things you need; Ex: Many families struggle to make ends meet; It’s not easy to make ends meet with a big family, but somehow we manage. In the current economic crisis a lot of families are finding it hard to make ends meet. Syn have enough money to live on, llegar a fin de mes.

Make time (for sth/sb) to make certain you have some time when you are not busy in order to do sth you think you should do; to be certain there is enough time. 2. compensate for time lost. Ex: My calendar is full, but I can make time for you; I try to make time to run twice a week. Compare make/hit the big: time inf. (be a success, tener exito): I moved to Hollywood, trying to make the big time; big time (adv.): ​1. on a large scale; to a great / the highest extent: (a mas no poder, a lo grande: This time they've messed up big time!; Mary's into skiing big time (she likes skiing a lot). 2. big-time (adj): very successful, de primer nivel: Now he's a big-time director, but once he worked in the mail room. Syn 1. reserve time for (sacar tiempo, hacer un hueco para: It's important to make time to read to your children; 2. compensate for time lost: recuperar / compensar el tiempo perdido: In order to make time, Ian had to work through lunchtime.

Nip sth in the bud fig. to stop sth when it has just begun because you can see that problems will come from it; to stop sth before it has an opportunity to become established. Ex: It's important to nip this kind of bullying in the bud. Syn stop developing further; cortar de raiz.

Put your heart and soul into sth fig. to make a lot of effort to do sth). Ex: She puts her heart and soul into her work. Syn devote yourself to, dedicarse en cuerpo y alma.

See the point of (sth) to understand the importance of or the reason for sth; Ex: They couldn't see the point of more training; We mustn't forget the point of the exercise (objective); I didn't grasp the point of what he was saying (meaning, significance); Syn objective, reason, proposito, sentido, fondo.

(Not) stand a chance (of doing sth) inf. to have a chance of success; have a possibility; to have the possibility of succeeding or achieving sth; Ex: He doesn’t stand much of a chance in the election; The driver didn't stand a chance of stopping in time; He doesn't stand a chance of winning against such an experienced player; She stands a good chance of passing her exam if she works hard; Syn have a possibility, tener posibilida(des) de hacer algo.

Take sth into account (Oxford B2) to consider or remember sth when judging a situation: Ex: I hope my teacher will take into account the fact that I was ill just before the exams when she marks my paper. A good architect takes into account the building's surroundings. I think you have to take into account (the fact) that he's a good deal younger than the rest of us; The UK's tax system takes no account of children; Topics: Preferences and decisions. Syn bear in mind, consider, allow for, tener/tomar en cuenta.

To do so to act in the way mentioned: Parents must take responsibility for their children. Failure to do so could mean a fine or a jail sentence.

you know something/what? ​Inf. used to introduce an interesting or surprising opinion, piece of news, etc; said before giving an opinion or a piece of information: You know something? I've never really enjoyed Christmas. You know something? I don't think I like that man. You know what? I think it's time to go home.

6. VERBAL IDIOMS

Phrasal verbs

In English traditional grammar, a phrasal verb is the combination of two or three words from different grammatical categories – a verb and a particle, such as an adverb or a preposition – to form a single semantic unit on a lexical or syntactic level. Examples: turn down, run into, sit up.Prepositions are most commonly followed by a noun phrase, a pronoun or the -ing form of a verb.

A particle is a word, normally an adverb, added to a verb to form a phrasal verb: He looked up. Bottom line, give and take ...  

Back (sb/sth) up ​to support sb/sth; to say that what sb says, etc. is true. Ex: I'll back you up if they don't believe you; The writer doesn't back up his opinions with examples. 2 ​to provide support for sb/sth. Ex: two doctors backed up by a team of nurses; The rebels backed up their demands with threats. See backup (n)

Bring about to make sth happen, cause; Ex: He brought about the collapse of the company by his reckless (C2) spending; He promised that he would bring about change; What brought about the change in his attitude? Syn cause, causar, ocasionar, provocar, traer consigo, traer aparejado, dar lugar a.

Do without (sth) (B2) to manage without having sth: Thank you, Kate, we can do without language like that (we don't want to hear your offensive language). There's no mayonnaise left, so you'll just have to do without.

Dwell on sth formal to keep thinking or talking about sth, esp sth bad or unpleasant; ​to think or talk a lot about sth, esp sth it would be better to forget; Ex: I know what's happened is sad, but try not to dwell; So you made a mistake, but there's no need to dwell on it; Syn informal (think too much about [sth]); (be preoccupied with); 2. (speak extensively about), 3. literary (live); obsesionarse, obcecarse, preocuparse, mortificarse, martirizarse, vivir, residir, (discurso): extenderse, dilatarse.

End up (B1) to finally be in a particular place or situation; ​to find yourself in a place or situation at the end of a process or period of time; If sb or sth ends up somewhere, they eventually arrive there, usually by accident; Ex: The result was that the engine ended up at the bottom of the canal; end up doing sth; Ex: I ended up doing all the work myself. Syn eventually have to do; arrive somewhere; become, acabar/terminar en, acabar, terminar haciendo.

Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could. Charles J. Sykes (Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write or Add)

Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book. Stéphane Mallarmé 

When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Dairy Queen)

Fall for sb ​inf. to suddenly have strong romantic feelings about sb; to be strongly attracted to sb; to fall in love with sb. Ex: He is good-looking and smooth: all the women fall for him. Audrey fell for a beautiful pair of shoes she saw in a shop window. Syn be attracted, morirse por, enamorarse de.

Fall for sth to be tricked into believing sth that is not true. Ex: I'm surprised you fell for that trick. Syn be fooled, tragarse el cuento, creerse.

If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything. Gordon A. Eadie

Fall out (B2) to argue with someone and stop being friendly with them; ​to have an argument with somebody so that you are no longer friendly with them. Ex: He left home after falling out with his parents.

Figure out / figure sb/sth out (B2): ​to think about sb / sth until you understand them / it; to understand or solve sth; figure out how/why/what, etc. Ex: I can't figure out how to do this; If they know the cause of the problem, they might be able to figure out how to prevent it happening again. It takes most people some time to figure out new software; He finally figured out why his car wouldn't start; We couldn't figure her out; I'm trying to figure out a way to make this work; figure out how, what, why etc. Syn  solve, understand, resolver, entender, descifrar, comprender darse cuenta, encontrar la solución.

I was struggling to figure out (B2) how lightning works and then it struck (B2) me. See  strike gold / oil / gas (find) (C2): have a lot of success.

Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention. But you have to get there. Pink 

Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together. Jacqueline Woodson

I don't see myself as extremely handsome. I just figure I can charm you into liking me. Wesley Snipes 

Note figure (with clause): I figure (that) ... reckon, mainly US (with clause: assume, conclude); Ex: When I didn't see him at school, I figured that he'd probably stayed home sick; Syn guess, believe, supongo, asumo.

Get sb down (B2) ​Inf, to make somebody feel sad or depressed; If sth gets you down, it makes you feel unhappy or depressed; Ex: I know it's frustrating, but don't let it get you down; The chaos in his house was starting to get him down; Don’t let it get you down too much; Try not to let your exam results get you down. Syn depress, desanimar.

Gravity always gets me down. The weepies

Go on (about sb/sth) inf. to talk about sb/sth for a long time, esp. in a boring or complaining way; Ex: He went on and on about how poor he was; She does go on sometimes!; He goes on endlessly about his health problems; When my sister goes on about programming, I can't understand a word she is saying. See ongoing (adj). Syn talk unintelligibly about, dar la tabarra.

Let (sb) down (B2) to disappoint someone by failing to do what you agreed to do or were expected to do; ​to fail to help or support somebody as they had hoped or expected. Ex: You will be there tomorrow, you won't let me down, will you?; This machine won't let you down.

I'm taking a ride with my best friend, I hope he never lets me down again, promises me I'm as safe as houses as long as I remember who's wearing the trousers. Never let me down again, Depeche Mode. 

Pay off (Cambridge B2, Oxford C1) inf (of a plan or an action, esp one that involves risk) to be successful and bring good results. If sth you have done pays off, it is successful; Ex: Crime doesn't pay off; All her hard work paid off in the end, and she finally passed the exam;  Hard work and careful planning always pay off. See bear fruit (dar fruto); Syn to result in success,  have good consequences, valer la pena, dar buenos resultados, dar frutos.

Point out (point sth out) to tell sb about some information, often because you believe they do not know it or have forgotten it; ​to mention something in order to give somebody information about it or make them notice it. Ex: 1.( + question word) I feel I should point out how dangerous it is; 2. point out (to sb) that… I should point out that not one of these paintings is original; He pointed out the dangers of driving alone.

Put off (put sb off) ​1. (B1) to cancel a meeting or an arrangement that you have made with sb: Ex: She put him off with the excuse that she had too much work to do; I've put off talking to him about this for far too long; I can't put off going to the dentist any longer (+ing); put off doing sth: Ex: He keeps putting off going to the dentist. 2. (C1) ​to make sb dislike sb/sth or not trust them/it. Ex: She's very clever but her manner does tend to put people off; Don't be put off by how it looks, it tastes delicious. 3. put sb off sth/sb: ​to make sb lose interest in or enthusiasm for sth/sb;  Ex: He was put off science by bad teaching; The accident put her off driving for life.  I don't want to put you off, but that make of car you're thinking of buying is very hard to maintain That was disgusting; it has put me off my dinner. See off-putting (unpleasant, unfriendly, dificil, chocante, desalentador, desagradabe), put-off. 1. unattractive thing (algo que no gusta), Ex: Tom's a nice guy, but his habit of putting himself down all the time is a real put-off; 2. evasive statement (evasiva). Syn (discourage, deter), desalentar.

Run away (B2) to leave a place or person secretly and suddenly; leave, ​to leave sb/a place suddenly; Ex: He ran away from home when he was only twelve; Mark and my sister are planning to run away together to get married. Syn run away (from somebody/…) to escape from sb/a place; (flee, escape), huir, escapar de casa.

Art is the only way to run away without leaving home. Twyla Tharp.

Settle down to start living in a place where you intend to stay for a long time, usually with your partner; ​to start to have a quieter way of life, living in one place; Ex: When are you going to get married and settle down?; It's time I settled down; She felt she wasn't yet ready to settle down; I wanted to get married, but he wasn't ready to settle down. I travel too much for my job to settle down and raise a family; Paul settled down in the armchair to enjoy the film; Stop interrupting me, settle down, and I'll continue with my explanation; Syn start to lead domesticated life; become stable/calmer; become comfortable: in chair, etc; establecerse, hechar raices, sentar la cabeza, tranquilizarse, calmarse, ponerse cómodo, acomodarse.

I'll give up smoking when I die, and I'll settle down when I die. Until then, I'm gonna have a good time. Phil Rudd

Men don't settle down because of the right woman. They settle down because they are finally ready for it. Whatever woman they're dating when they get ready is the one they settle down with, not necessarily the best one or the prettiest, just the one who happened to be on hand when the time got to be right. Unromantic, but still true. Laurell K. Hamilton (A Kiss of Shadows)

Show off (Oxford B2) ​(informal), disapproving, to try to impress others by talking about your abilities, possessions, etc; Ex: He's just showing off because that girl he likes is here. See show-off; n. a person who tries to impress other people by showing how good he or she is at doing sth; I don't like her, she's such a show-off; She’s always been a real show-off; Syn 1. v. behave boastfully (presumlr, alardear), 2 n sb who is boastful, pretentious, boastful, conceited, egoistical (creido, creida, fanfarrón, fantasma, presuntuoso)  

Stand for sth (NC) (not used in the progressive tenses); 1. If you will not stand for something, you will not accept a situation or a particular type of behaviour; 2. to be an abbreviation or symbol of something; Ex: I wouldn't stand for that sort of behaviour from him, if I were you; ‘The book's by T.C. Smith.’ ‘What does the ‘T.C.’ stand for?’; Syn tolerate, accept (aceptar); be short for (significar, simbolizar)

Stem from sth to be, start or develop as the result of sth; Ex: Her problems stem from her difficult childhood; Most people’s insecurities stem from sth that happened in their childhood. Their disagreement stemmed from a misunderstanding. Syn Be because of; be caused by; originarse de, originarse en, venir de, surgir de. Topics Change, cause and effect.

My fear of roses is a thorny (C2) issue. I'm not sure what it stems from, but it seems likely I'll be stuck with it. 

Stick with sth/sb (Cambridge B2) to continue doing sth or using sb to do work for you, and not stop or change to sth or sb else; ​to continue with sth or continue doing sth: They decided to stick with their original plan; He's a good car mechanic, I think we should stick with him; If I stick with this diet, I should be able to wear that cocktail dress by Christmas. See Stick with it: to continue doing sth although it is difficult: Things are hard at the moment, but if we stick with it, they are bound to get better. Syn not vary or deviate from (seguir a rajatabla); 2. remain loyal to (seguir con, ser fiel a, permanecer al lado de).

Tell (sb) off (for sth/for doing sth): ​(inf.) to speak angrily to somebody for doing something wrong: I told the boys off for making so much noise. Did you get told off?; At worst, she can only tell you off for being late. Synonyms: scold, reprimand  Related word; telling-off.

Turn out (that / to be / to have) to prove to be, to happen in a particular way or to have a particular result, especially an unexpected one; to be discovered to be: 1. turn out that… It turned out that she was a friend of my sister; How did the recipe turn out? 2. turn out to be/have sth. Ex: The job turned out to be harder than we thought. The house they had offered us turned out to be a tiny apartment; The man convicted of the crime turned out to be innocent; 3. become; Ex: Your son has turned out to be a hardworking young man; you must be proud of him. Syn become, be discovered to be, resultar ser, convertirse en.

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. John Wooden

The sad truth is that most of my husbands turned out to be convincing liars. Joan Collins

I went through (B2) a huge transition in my life where everything and everyone I knew and trusted didn't turn out to be that way. Lisa Marie Presley.

Work out ​1. to train the body by physical exercise; to exercise in order to improve the strength or appearance of your body; Ex: John works out in the gym two or three times a week; I work out regularly to keep fit; 2. to be successful or develop in a particular way: Ex: I hope your new job works out. 3. Understand sb; Ex: Marc is a moody character; I can't work him out. Syn 1. exercise, ejercitarse, 2. solve, resolver, solucionar. 3. entender a alguien.

Why don't couples go to the gym together? Because some relationships don't work out! 

Phrasal-prepositional verbs

Phrasal-prepositional verbs have three parts: a verb, a particle and a preposition. The particle and the preposition cannot be separated. Many of these verbs are often used in informal contexts, and their meaning is difficult to guess from their individual parts.

Come up with (sth) (B2) (no passive) to find or produce an answer, a sum of money, etc; to suggest or think of an idea or plan; Ex: She's come up with some amazing scheme to double her income; She came up with a new idea for increasing sales; Will you be able to come up with the cash by the end of the month? Syn 1. devise, invent, think of, propose (elaborar, inventar) 2. produce, deliver, conseguir.

Get (a)round to sth (B2) to do sth that you have intended to do for a long time; ​to find the time to do sth: Ex: Did you get round to doing the shopping?; After weeks of putting it off, she finally got around to painting the bedroom. I intended to tidy the flat at the weekend, but I didn't get round to it. He never did get around to putting up the shelves. I meant to do the ironing but I didn't get round to it. Get round to doing sth: I hope to get round to answering your letter next week. Syn find (the) time for sth, sacar tiempo para.

Get down to (Cambridge B2) start, to begin to do sth; to give serious attention to sth: Let's get down to business; I've got a lot of work to do, but I can't seem to get down to it. Get down to  (doing) sth It's time I got down to thinking about that essay; Let's get down to business; I must get down to booking the hotels. Syn start, empezar, ir la grano.

Look up to (sb) (B2) to admire and respect sb or to have sb as a role model. Ex: Ideally, children should look up to their parents. Syn admire, respect. 

Make up for (sth) to compensate for something bad with something good; ​to do something that corrects a bad situation, Ex: No amount of money can make up for the death of a child; Nothing can make up for the loss of a child; After all the delays, we were anxious to make up for lost time; Her enthusiasm makes up for her lack of experience; This year's good harvest will make up for last year's bad one; (+ -ing verb): He bought me dinner to make up for being so late the day before; She gave him a bottle of wine to make up for missing his birthday; How can I ever make up for the pain I caused them?; I'm taking extra lessons to make up for the time I missed. See make it up to Syn counter, outweigh, compensate. 

Make up to (sb) to be too friendly to sb or to praise them in order to get advantages for yourself; Ex: Have you seen the disgusting way she makes up to the boss?; That guy makes me sick; he's always making up to the boss; Syn fawn (over) (C2): adular (a), ser servil (con), young deer, beis/beige (light yellowish brown), congraciarse, hacer la pelota, lamer las botas.

Make it up to (sb) to do sth good for sb you have upset, in order to become friends with them again; Ex: I'm sorry we can't take you with us, but I promise I'll make it up to you somehow. Syn make amends, compensar.

Put up with (B2) to accept sb/so that is annoying, unpleasant, etc. without complaining. Ex: I will not put up with your whining any more. Go to bed this minute! Syn tolerate, stand, endure, bear, take, aguantar, soportar, tolerar. 

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. Dolly Parton

Run out of (sth) ​to use up or finish a supply of something;  Ex: We ran out of fuel; Could I have a cigarette? I seem to have run out.

7. COMPOUND NOUNS 

A compound noun is a noun that is formed from two or more words. The meaning of the whole compound is often different from the meaning of the two words on their own. Compound nouns are very common. The main noun is normally the last one. Ex: turning point, game changer,  losing battle (C2), washing machine, driving licence, headache, CD burner ...

Stress is important in pronunciation, as it distinguishes between a compound noun and an adjective with a noun. In compound nouns, the stress usually falls on the first syllable.

Compound nouns are commonly formed from the following word combinations: 

1. noun + noun (boyfriend, skinhead) 

Holiday(-)maker (B2) person on vacation; Ex: The beach was crowded with holiday(-)makers. Syn  tourist, turista, veraneante. 

Lawmaker (NC) ​a politician who helps make the laws of a country; someone, such as a politician, who is responsible for making and changing laws; Syn Legislator, legislador.

Moviegoer (C1) a moviegoer is a person who often goes to the cinema, especially when they do it regularlysb who regularly goes to watch films at the cinema; Syn cinema customer, cinéfilo, alguien que va al cine, público.      

Moviemaker / Filmmaker (B1) one that makes movies, especially professionally, Syn producer, director, cineasta (productor o director de cine).

2. verb + noun (breakfast, grindstone). see 

 

3. adjective + noun (software, hardware)

 

4. phrasal verb used as noun (a break-in, a take-over)

Comeback (C1), Backup/back-up (B2), Breakdown (C1), Comeback (C1), Dropout (C1),  Feedback (C1)

 

5. particle + noun (onlooker, aftershave)

6. Verb + verb.

(From the) get-go Slang. the very beginning: from the get-go; The beginning; outset; get-go - the time at which sth is supposed to begin; Ex: "they got an early start"; "she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her", "My candidate from the get-go ... never got going" (David Nyhan); Syn commencement, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, start, beginning, kickoff, first; comienzo, desde el principio, desde el primer día, enseguida. 

The term particle is used for a word which could be either an adverb or a preposition, (also a prefix or suffix: self-starter). Compound nouns can be written: 1.as one word. (bookcase, wallpaper), 2. as two words, (post office, eye shadow). 3. with a hyphen(window-cleaner, air-conditioning).

 

8. PHRASAL NOUNS (Nominalized phrasal verbs)

Backup, back-up (B2) 1. support, extra help or support that you can get if necessary (sb or sth that provides) support or help, or sth that you have arranged in case your main plans, equipment, etc. go wrong. 2. adj. alternative, de reserva, de repuesto Ex: ​We can use him as a backup if one of the other players drops out; The hospital has a backup power supply; The police had backup from the army; There is a backup on the interstate just north of the city; I'm going to keep my old laptop as a backup computer just in case my new one breaks down; Syn 1. support (apoyo, refuerzo); 2. (traffic jam) embotellamiento, atasco; 3. (alternative), de reserva, de repuesto.

Breakdown (C1) a division of sth into smaller parts: Ex: A breakdown of the study, its findings, and its implications can be found on page 10; Marriage breakdown; We asked for a breakdown of the accident figures into day time and night time. Syn mental collapse; analysis into parts, crisis nerviosa, desglose, analisis.

Comeback (C1) ​(usually singular) if a person in public life makes a comeback, they start doing sth again that they had stopped doing, or they become popular again; an attempt to become famous, powerful, or important again after a period of being much less famous, etc. Ex: She’s trying to make a comeback with her first album for 20 years; an ageing pop star trying to stage a comeback; He teases a lot so try to be ready with a comeback. Syn 1. (return to activity): regreso, reaparición; 2. (return to popularity): ( moda): regreso, vuelta; 3. (witty reply): respuesta/réplica ingeniosa; Ex: He teases a lot so try to be ready with a comeback.

Dropout (C1) a person who leaves school, college, or university before completing a qualification, or a person who lives in an unusual way; ​a person who leaves school or college before they have finished their studies; a high school/college dropout; He was a loner and a dropout; college dropouts; a university with a high dropout rate. Syn slang sb: left school (persona que abandona los estudios), 2. slang sb: rejects convention (Inconformista, marginado).

Beauty school dropout. Frankie avalon ("Grease")

Feedback (C1) information or statements of opinion about something, such as a new product, that can tell you if it is successful or liked; advice, criticism or information about how good or useful something or somebody’s work is; Ex: positive/negative feedback; (feedback on something): I'd appreciate some feedback on my work; The website encourages its visitors to give feedback about what they like and don't like about it; Syn (opinion, criticism): comentario, evaluación, crítica, feedback (voz inglesa)

9. CONJUNCTIONS

But for except for,  ​if it were not for, were it not for. For example, But for the afternoon shower, it was a perfect day, or But for the children, they would have gotten a divorce long ago; He would have played but for a knee injury. ​except for: The square was empty but for a couple of cabs.

On account of because of (sth), due to (the fact that): He doesn't drink alcohol on account of his poor health.

Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes. Jawaharlal Nehru 

Love is the strange bewilderment (confusion) which overtakes one person on account of another person. James Thurber

In order that (B1) ​(formal) so that sth can happen. Ex: All those concerned must work together in order that agreement can be reached on this issue. Syn so that, par que.

so as (not) to: in order (not) to: He did not switch on the light so as not to disturb her.

We read (so as) to know we are not alone. C.S. Lewis

Tell the truth so as to puzzle (C2) and confound (C2) your adversaries. Henry Wotton.

When in doubt tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends. Mark Twain

What if ​(B1) What would happen if? 1. used to ask about something that could happen in the future, especially something bad: What if the bus is late?; What if you don't pass your exams?2. used for asking what action to take if a particular thing should happen: You can't go now! - What if I do?; What if we paint it red? How will it look?; What if you go instead of me?

What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet. Woody Allen. 

What if going to sleep is waking up in real life? 

So what if I don't know what apocalypse means? It's not the end of the world. 

10. INTERJECTIONS                                                                                                              

Far from it! certainly not, not at all: He's not handsome - far from it.

It’s about/high time ​(that) inf. used to say that you think somebody should do something soon; If it is about time/high time that someone did something, it should have been done sooner or a long time ago; Ex: It's about time (that) the school improved its food service; It is high time for the critics to open their minds to a new approach; It's about time you cleaned your room!; It's about time you returned my book!; Syn (impatience), ya es hora, ya iba siendo hora de, al fin!, por fin!, finalmente! 

Einstein developed a theory about space and it was about time too. Funny Novelty

(it’s) no/little/small wonder (that) (B2): Inf. It is not surprising, as expected; Ex: It is little wonder (that) she was so upset; No wonder you're still single, you never go out!; No wonder you're tired, you've been walking for hours. Syn Unsurprisingly, predictably, con razón, no es extraño. 

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense. Mark Twain

I was a fat child; I was asthmatic. No wonder (B2) I'm a hypochondriac. Alber Elbaz

Note: Is it any wonder ...? With all the violence on TV today, is it any wonder kids bring guns to school? 

No way! (There is) no way used to tell someone that something is impossible; ​(informal) used to say that there is no possibility that you will do something or that something will happen; Ex: ‘Do you want to help?’ ‘No way!’; You want me to go with you to the disco? No way! I hate dancing; No way am I going to drive them there; There's no way we could afford that sort of money; Syn 1. refusal (ni hablar!, ni lo sueñes!), 2. disbelief (no me digas, venga ya, no te creo).

Tell me about it! used to say that you feel the same way or have had the same experience: "He's driving me crazy with his stupid jokes." "Tell me about it!".

You can say that again! inf. used to show that you completely agree with what someone has said; I agree with you completely; Ex: ‘He's in a bad mood today.’ ‘You can say that again!’; Syn I couldn't agree more, absolutely, exactly, for sure, right, amen to that, certainly, for certain, without doubt, surely, beyond the shadow of a doubt, without a doubt, of course, without question, definitely, positively, sure as hell (slang), sure enough, unquestionably, y que lo digas, ya lo creo.

11. CONJUNCTIONS

 As if / though (B1) ​in a way that suggests sth 

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. Mahatma Gandhi

12. COLLOCATIONS

Fully aware (Cambridge B2) "Fully" means completely, to the greatest degree or extent.

If you are fully aware in the moment, there is only love. Deepak Chopra

The difference between technology and slavery is that slaves are fully aware that they are not free. Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Aloneness (solitude) is your nature. You were born alone, you will die alone. And you are living alone without understanding (B2) it, without being fully aware of it. 

You misunderstand aloneness as loneliness; it is simply a misunderstanding (B2). You are sufficient enough for yourself. Osho

Joy is being fully aware of reality. 

Tell the difference to notice a difference in quality between two things: This coffee is about half the price of that one and yet you really can't tell the difference.

13. PHRASAL NOUNS (Nominalized phrasal verbs)

Phrasal nouns combine a noun and a preposition, either before or after the noun. They are often nominalized phrasal verbs.

Nouns as modifiers

The compound noun "girlfriend" names a special sort of friend. Nouns can also be used as modifiers without forming a compound noun. a car mechanic, a store manager ... 

A noun that is used as a modifier has the same function as an adjective. The first noun usually makes the second one more specific, but we do not think of it as part of a combination that forms a new word. See Adjectives for more on modifiers. 

Buckup ​extra help or support that you can get if necessary. Ex: We're going to need some professional backup for this project. Syn support, 1. refuerzos, apoyo. 2. copia de seguridad.

Breakdown (Cambridge B2, Oxford C1) 1. a failure to work or be successful: I had a breakdown (= my car stopped working) in the middle of the road; the trauma of marriage breakdown; The breakdown in negotiation/ of talks will be seen as a step backwards. 2. a nervous breakdown; to become very upset (crisis nerviosa, ataque de nervios): The girl broke down and cried when she got a bad grade.

"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" is a 1988 Spanish black comedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar.

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important. Bertrand Russell

Breakthrough (Cambridge C2, Oxford B2) to make/achieve a breakthrough an important discovery or event that helps to improve a situation or provide an answer to a problem; an important development that may lead to an agreement or achievement: Scientists are hoping for a breakthrough in the search for a cure for cancer; a major breakthrough in cancer research; A major breakthrough in negotiations has been achieved. Syn (research: major discovery)

Instead of me having a breakdown, I'm focusing on me having a breakthrough. Terrell Owens 

The Internet, like the steam engine, is a technological breakthrough that changed the world. Peter Singer

The moment when you feel like giving up is right before your breakthrough. Victoria Arlen; 

The challenge is that the day before something is truly a breakthrough, it's a crazy idea. And crazy ideas are very risky to attempt. Peter Diamandis

downside a disadvantage or problem: The only downside of working here is that it is so far from my home. Syn drawback.

I think travel is probably the downside of playing professional golf, but invariably (C2) (always) you've got to do it. Karrie Webb.

Eating ice cream and not exercising is great. The downside is your health isn't so good. Jeff Bridges

Drawback (of/to sth; of/to doing sth) a disadvantage or problem that makes sth a less attractive idea; the negative part of a situation; an undesirable feature. Ex: One of the drawbacks of living with someone is having to share a bathroom; The main drawback to it is the cost; The only drawback of going to Paris at this time of year is that there will be long queues for all the tourist attractions; This is the one major drawback of the new system. Syn; downside, disadvantage, bad point, snag, desventaja, inconveniente.

drawback a disadvantage or the negative part of a situation; ​an undesirable feature;  disadvantage.  drawback (of/to something) | drawback (of/to doing something) a disadvantage or problem that makes something a less attractive idea. Ex: The cost was one of the drawbacks.

Fame has also this great drawback, that if we pursue it, we must direct our lives so as to please the fancy of men. Baruch Spinoza 

I have the power of my height. Growing up, it was a total drawback. There was nothing good about it at all. Allison Janney 

Grown-up 1 (B2). If you say that someone is grown up, you mean that they are an adult or that they behave in a responsible way: He seems very grown up for a ten-year-old; ​(of a person) mentally and physically an adult; 2. an adult, used especially when talking to children: The grown-ups sat inside while the children played in the yard. Syn: adult.

Income (Cambridge B2) money that is earned from doing work or received from investments; ​the money that a person, a region, a country, etc. earns from work, from investing money, from business, etc. Ex: Trying to earn an income as an artist can be hard. More help is needed for people on low incomes; He has a very high annual income. Syn personal earnings, salary, pay, profit, wages, renta, ingreso, salario. See net income, gross income and taxable income, take-home pay / profit.

If a child, a spouse, a life partner, or a parent depends on you and your income, you need life insurance. Suze Orman 

The income tax created more criminals than any other single act of government. Barry Goldwater 

The question isn't at what age I want to retire, it's at what income. George Foreman 

Anger is an expensive luxury in which only men of certain income can indulge. George William Curtis

Outcome a result or effect of an action, situation, etc.: It's too early to predict the outcome of the meeting. Synonyms: result, consequence, conclusion, issue, upshot.

I'm a very positive person. My grandmother taught me that happiness is both a skill and a decision, and you are responsible for the outcome. Helen McCrory

When families are strong and stable, so are children - showing higher levels of wellbeing and more positive outcomes. But when things go wrong - either through family breakdown or a damaged parental relationship - the impact on a child's later life can be devastating. I.D. Smith

Sport's about patience and keep working no matter the outcome. Marc Gasol

Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome. Arthur Ashe

Marriage is like a game of chess except the board is flowing water, the pieces are made of smoke and no move you make will have any effect on the outcome. Jerry Seinfeld 

Setback a difficuly or problem that happens that delays or prevents a process from developing, or makes a situation worse. Ex: The project suffered a setback when one of the key workers had to take two months off work due to illness; There has been a slight/temporary setback in our plans; The breakdown in talks represents a temporary setback in the peace process; The team suffered a major setback when their best player was injured. Syn drawback, complication, obstacle, reves, comtratiempo

Workout a period of physical exercise that you do to keep fit; Ex: She does a 20-minute workout every morning; The team had a hard workout this morning; When I do a good workout, I feel fine; Ben tries to find time for a workout at least three times a week; Syn gym: exercise, ejercicio, entrenamiento. 

(Doing) Math(s) is like going to the gym for your brain. It sharpens / strengthen your mind / it's a workout for your brain. Danica McKellar

Compound nouns

Life-changer  ​having such a big effect that it changes somebody's life. See life-changing / saving (B2) / saver (salvavidas). Ex: The boat must be equipped with several lifesaving devices. See life-changer/changing.**Having a baby is a life-changer (B2). It gives you a whole other perspective on why you wake up every day. Taylor Hanson. 

Troublemaker a person who often causes trouble, especially by involving others in arguments or encouraging them to complain about people in authority.

Contrary to what some people may believe, I'm not a troublemaker. August Alsina

Sometimes when women come forward about sexual harassment, they're seen as a troublemaker. Gretchen Carlson 

14. DISCOURSE MARKERS

And so on (and so forth) (B1) in addition to other things of the same kind; ​used at the end of a list to show that it continues in the same way. Ex: Economic growth makes us all richer, provides jobs, and so on; I realize they're not doing a good job and so forth, but I don't really like having to fire anyone; Syn etcetera, y demás.

At the end of the day (B2) Sth that you say before you give the most important fact of a situation; used to introduce the most important fact after everything has been considered; Ex: Of course I'll listen to what she has to say but at the end of the day, it's my decision; At the end of the day, he'll still have to make his own decision; At the end of the day, there's nothing we can do; It's a generous offer, but at the end of the day, I have to choose the job that will be most beneficial for my family. See in the end. Syn Ultimately, In short: In short, life is a party; to sum it up, after all, after all is said and done, in the end, al final, en conclusión, a fin de cuentas, al fin y al cabo, en definitiva.

At the end of the day, life is about being happy being who you are. Kim Kardashian

Note 'At the end of the day' and 'In the end', can both be used idiomatically to mean 'in conclusion' (to sum up, to conclude, para concluir, en resumen, resumiendo, en definitiva, en resumidas cuentas. Ex: In conclusion, it is clear that air pollution represents a global challenge.

Be that as it may (NC) (but) be that as it may; Used to mean that you accept that a piece of information is true but it does not change your opinion of the subject you are discussing; A set phrase that acknowledges a previous statement as true but ultimately unable to override some fact or sway one's thoughts on the matter; Ex: Building a new children's home will cost a lot of money but, be that as it may, there is an urgent need for the facility; I know that he has tried hard; be that as it may, his work is just not good enough; Yes, my daughter made a mistake. But be that as it may, this punishment is much too severe; I'm sure that he really does need help with this project. Be that as it may, I just can't stay any later at work tonight; Syn ​despite that; nevertheless; sea como fuere, como quiera que sea, en cualquier caso.

Boil down to sth / The argument/question/issue boils down to this: … If a situation or problem boils down to sth, that is the main reason for it; (of a situation, problem, etc.) to have sth as a main or basic part; Ex: In the end, what it all boils down to is money, or the lack of it; The problem boils down to one thing, lack of money;  What it all boils down to is a failure to plan; See come down to (C2); Syn be essentially, reducirse a.

By and large (originally a nautical expression) In general, on the whole; used when you are saying sth that is generally, but not completely, true; when everything about a situation is considered together; Ex: By and large, I enjoyed my time at school; I find that, by and large, people tend to do what they are told to do. Syn for the most part. generally speaking, overall, generally, usually, en lineas generales.

By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth. George Carlink 

From where I stand / from where sb stands As I view or interpret a certain situation; being in a particular position and having your particular experience, beliefs, and responsibilities; Ex: I don't know what she's so mad about—from where I stand, I did nothing wrong!; You can see why they refused her demand for a pay rise, but from where she stands it probably seemed perfectly reasonable to ask.

From where I stand, you are home free. Olivia Newton John (Magic)

From what I gather as far as I know, Ex: But from what I gather, they like and trust each other; More than a friend, from what I gather; Got involved in a love triangle from what I gather; Well, from what I gather, it's a matter of making a phony credit profile. Syn from what I can tell; from what I have seen; from what I could make out (see/perceive), por lo que tengo entendidio, por lo que sé.

First and foremost above all else; more than anything else; Ex: In spite of being elected to office, she remains first and foremost a writer; He does a little teaching, but first and foremost he's a writer; First and foremost, let's review the minutes from last week's meeting. Syn  primarily (B2), mainly, in the main (Her friends are teachers in the main; In the main, the money raised goes to children’s charities), chiefly, on the whole ​(considering everything, in general): On the whole, I'm in favour of the idea, by and large, all in all, antes que nada, en general.

Having said that / that said ​(informal) used to introduce an opinion that makes what you have just said seem less strong; despite what has just been said. Ex: He forgets most things, but having said that, he always remembers my birthday; I sometimes get worried in this job. Having said that, I enjoy doing it, it's a challenge.

(I'm) just saying inf. used when you are making a criticism or complaint, to make it less likely to offend someone; A phrase used to assert that one is just offering their opinion, especially if the listener may be offended by it; Ex: I'm just saying I think it could have been done a little more carefully, that's all; Isn't it a bit small for you? Just saying; I'm just saying, your husband could help clean up after dinner. That's all; Syn it's just an observation; solo digo, solo estoy diciendo, solo decia que ...

In a nutshell (NC) (to put sth/it in a nutshell ...; In a nutshell I'd  say ...) very briefly, giving only the main points; ​to say or express sth in a very clear way, using few words;  Ex: To put it in a nutshell, we're bankrupt; "What went wrong?" "In a nutshell, everything."; In a nutshell, things are slightly better than they were before; Syn In summary; en resumen, en pocas palabras, en resumidas cuentas.

In the end (A2) after everything has been considered after considering everything; Ex: You can try your best to impress the interviewers but in the end it's often just a question of luck; In the end, she chose to go to Oberlin College; See at the end of the day (B2). Syn ultimately, al final, al fin y al cabo, a fin de cuentas.

Know/See where sb/one is coming from If you say to sb you know or see where they are coming from, you mean you understand why that person has a particular opinion, often although you do not have that opinion; To understand or relate to one's motivation or reason for doing sth or having a particular position or opinion. Ex: I would've taken the dog to the vet, but I could see where they were coming from; Look, I know where you're coming from, and I kind of agree with you, but rules are rules, and we can't just ignore them whenever we want; Make sure you explain your situation clearly so that everyone knows where you are coming from; I know where you're coming from. I've been there; We all know where he's coming from. That's why we are so worried. See know where one is getting at. Syn to know sb's perspective, reasoning; saber lo que uno quiere decir, su punto de vista, saber por donde va.

Know where one is getting at (used quite a lot), Ex: Now I see where you are getting at. See know where one is coming from; Syn Now I understand what you are trying to say; Now I understand what you mean". 

Know where (one) is going To have a clear knowledge of what one wants to be or achieve and the resolute determination to make it happen.

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.Lewis. Carroll Quotes

Let alone used after a negative statement to emphasize how unlikely a situation is because sth much more likely has never happened; ​used after a statement to emphasize that because the first thing is not true or possible, the next thing cannot be true or possible either; Ex: Some people never even read a newspaper, let alone a book; There isn't enough room for us, let alone any guests; I didn’t have any clothes, let alone a passport; Syn much less, y mucho menos, por no hablar de.

Put/set the record straight (NC) to give people the correct information about sth in order to make it clear that what they previously believed was in fact wrong; To make the true facts of sth clear, esp when they have been previously mistaken, misunderstood, or misrepresented; Give the true version of events that have been reported incorrectly; correct a misapprehension; give a correct version, explanation of events, facts, etc. because you think sb has made a mistake; Ex: I think there has been some misunderstanding so I’d like to set the record straight; To put the record straight, I do not support that idea and never have done; There have been a lot of crazy rumors flying around for the last few days, so I'd like to put the record straight once and for all. See make no bones about (sth/doing sth); Syn be honest, level with, play fair, aclarar; dejar/poner la cosas claras.

Not to mention (the fact that) used when you want to emphasize sth that you are adding to a list; ​used to introduce extra information and emphasize what you are saying; Ex: He's one of the kindest and most intelligent, not to mention handsome, men I know. He has two big houses in this country, not to mention his villa in France; I admired her confidence, not to mention the fact that she was intelligent and well spoken. Syn In addition to the fact that; por no mencionar el hecho de que.

Not to say used to introduce a stronger way of describing sth; Ex: a difficult, not to say impossible, task; It would be unwise, not to say stupid, to leave your first job after only six months. Syn and possibly even, por no decir.

Or what? 1. used at the end of a phrase for emphasis; ​used to emphasize your opinion; 2 used when impatient to find out truth. 

I must say / admit ​(informal) used to emphasize an opinion. Ex: Well, I must say, that's the funniest thing I've heard all week; I must say, I don't think much of her dress. Topics: Opinion and argument.

To my mind In my mind: It was a ridiculous thing to do, to my mind; The room has pink walls and a green carpet, which to my mind looks all wrong. Syn in my opinion/view, in my understan-ding, a mi parecer, según mi punto de vista.

To put it simply / Simply put / Put simply used for saying that you are just giving the basic facts about a complicated situation; In clearer, more direct, or more easily understandable terms. A set phrase used when discussing a complicated topic or situation; Ex: Put simply, it was an offer we couldn’t refuse; A: "Simply put, he's a fool, and he never deserved you." B: "Well, don't mince words, Mom."; Syn to explain sth in clear, simple way; (por decirlo) sencillamente.

To put/set the record straight / set sb straight (about sth) ​to give people the correct information about sth in order to make it clear that what they previously believed was in fact wrong; to tell sb the true facts about a situation that the person had not understood; to tell the truth about sth after sb else has not told the truth about it; Ex: The article about the trial really set the record straight; I had to set him straight about what really happened; To put the record straight, I do not support that idea and never have done.

Note Use: Just to put or set the record straight, let me point out that ...; simplemente para que quede claro, permítanme señalar que ...

To say the least used to show that what you are describing is in fact much more serious or important than you have suggested; ​without making sth seem better, worse, more serious, etc. than it really is; Ex: It's going to be awkward, to say the least; I was surprised, to say the least. Syn to put it mildly, without exageration, at the minimum, at the very least, cuando menos.

Whatsoever / Whatever adv. (an arcaic/intensive form of 'whatever'; an arcaic word for 'whatever'): any place whatsoever; used after a negative phrase to add emphasis to the idea that is being expressed; ​no, nothing, none, etc. whatsoever, not at all; not of any kind; (postpositive) at all: used as an intensifier with indefinite pronouns and determiners such as none, any, no one, anybody, etc; Ex: I don't know anything whatsoever about Greek history; He has no respect for authority whatsoever; I can honestly say that I have no interest whatsoever in the royal family; There is no evidence whatever to show that this is in fact the case; "Did you have any idea what was happening at the time?" "None whatsoever."; They received no help whatsoever; ‘Is there any doubt about it?’ ‘None whatsoever.’; Syn at all; en absoluto.

No mistakes so far in this match, right? Answer the question. The question, jerk! You haven’t overruled anything. No mistakes whatsoever! John McEnroe.

When it comes to (doing) sth / sb (B2) When considering some particular person, thing, or action; as for sth; speaking about sth; when it is a question of sth; Ex: When it comes to the work of Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy is one of the world's leading experts; When it comes to fishing, John is an expert; When it comes to trouble, Mary really knows how to cause it; When it comes to getting things done, he’s useless; I love to read, but I have trouble when it comes to studying science; Syn be about, with regard to; relate to; cuando se trata de, referirse a.

(It's funny how) when it comes to giving advice, I can tell you a lot; (but), when it comes to  helping myself (to my problems) however, that becomes an entirely different matter / I just don't know what to do (with myself).

Note come to: 1. reach; 2. To recover/regain consciousness (volver en si, recobrar la conciencia): The fainting victim came to.

Work hard for what you want because it won't come to you without a fight. You have to be strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind to. Leah LaBelle

”You know something/what? (inf.) used to introduce an interesting or surprising opinion, piece of news, etc; said before giving an opinion or a piece of information. Ex: You know something? I don't think I like that man; You know what? I think it's time to go home. You know something? I've never really enjoyed Christmas.

15. PROVERBS SAYINGS

A rolling stone gathers no moss

a person who moves from place to place, job to job, etc. does not have a lot of money, possessions or friends but is free from responsibilities:; said to mean that a person who is always travelling and changing jobs has the advantage of having no responsibilities, but also has disadvantages such as having no permanent place to live. Ex: Hal was a bit of a rolling stone before he married and settled down; rolling stone (nomadic, not settled, wandering, trotamundos); Ex: In her youth Annie was a rolling stone, never staying anywhere for long. Syn have ants in your pants; ave de paso, ser culo de mal asiento.

All that glitters/glistens/glisters is not gold

said about sth that seems to be good on the surface, but might not be when you look at it more closely; ​not everything that seems good, attractive, etc. is actually good, etc; Syn appearances can be deceptive; las apariencias engañan; no todo lo que brilla es oro.

Cut your coat according to your cloth

to do only what you have enough money to do and no more; said to emphasize that sb should do as well as possible with the limited money they have; undertake only what you have the money or ability to do and no more; to make plans and decisions that are based on what you have and not what you would like; Ex: We wanted to buy a bigger house than this but it was a case of cutting our coat according to our cloth; Cut your coat according to your cloth and stop wanting things you can't afford. Syn to spend only as much money as you can afford, adaptarse a las circunstancias, vivir con arreglo a sus posibilidades.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch / they're hatched

do not act until situation is certain; you should not be too confident that sth will be successful, because sth may still go wrong; you should not make plans that depend on something good happening before you know that it has actually happened; Ex: She wanted to buy a dress in case someone asked her to the dance, but I told her not to count her chickens before they hatched. See play (it) safe. Syn better safe than sorry; you can’t be too careful, watch it, look before you leap; no hagas las cuentas de la lechera.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Every sad or difficult situation has a positive side. If you say a bad or unpleasant situation has a silver lining you mean that there is a good or pleasant side-effect of it. See the silver lining. 

Lookers-on see most of the game

The people who are not directly participating in something can get a wider, more objective view or understanding of it. Ex: I know that lookers-on see most of the game, which is why I find going to therapy so valuable. My therapist picks up on the stuff that I can't see because I'm too close to the situation. Syn (looker-on): spectator, witness, onlooker, espectador.

Make hay while the sun shines

to make good use of an opportunity while it lasts; to make good use of opportunities, good conditions, etc. while they last. See Strike while the iron is hot; Syn use an opportunity; profit from; sacar provecho/tajada/ventaja, aprovechar el momento.

Once bitten, twice shy

said when you are frightened to do sth again because you had an unpleasant experience doing it the first time; ​after an unpleasant experience you are careful to avoid sth similar. Syn more cautious now, el gato escaldado del agua fria huye

People (who live) in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones

you should not criticize other people, because they will easily find ways of criticizing you; This means that you should not criticize other people for bad qualities in their character that you have yourself; Syn people with faults should not criticize others; siempre habla el que más tiene que callar; mira quién fue a hablar; 

There’s more than one way to skin a cat (C2) 

(humorous) there are many different ways to achieve sth. 

The squeaky wheel gets the grease

to get something fixed, it is required to make a noise to get attention; said to emphasize that attention is paid to those problems that are made most noticeable; Ex: My younger brother got far more stuff from my parents when we were kids because the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Syn People who complain the most will get attention; el que no no llora no mama.

Seize the day

interj.'Seize the day' is a translation of the Latin "Carpe diem"; Ex: My dad was always telling me 'Seize the day, you won't be young forever!' Syn make the most of the present moment; no dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy, aprovecha el dia, aprovecha el momento.

(You have to) Strike while the iron is hot

to take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it exists, in case the opportunity goes away and does not return; to make use of an opportunity immediately; Ex: He doesn't often make such offers, I'd strike while the iron is hot if I were you. See Make hay while the sun shines Syn take an opportunity, aprovechar el momento; 

When the going gets tough, the tough get going (C2)

Strong people don't give up when they come across challenges. They just work harder; Syn adversity reveals strength of character; cuando las cosas se ponen duras, los duros siguen adelante.

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Iconic lines in films ...

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1. FULL OR COMPLETE SENTENCES

As you make your bed, so must you lie in it (you must accept the consequences of your actions); ex: Of course your friends are mad at you, you lied to them! As you make your bed, so must you lie in it; You made your bed, now lie in it (one must endure the unpleasant situation that they have created); ex: You don't want to go to jail? Tough. You made your bed, now lie in it (crime doesn't pay; quien la hace la paga); The ball is in your court (It's up to you; ahora depende de ti); The die is cast (the situation cannot be changed, la suerte esta echada, la decision esta tomada); Note This expression comes from a Latin phrase thought to have been said by Julius Caesar when he crossed the Rubicon river and became embroiled (involved) in civil war in 49 BC; ex: Well, lthe die is cast now that we've closed on the house; we're officially homeowners!; There's a method to his madness (He seems crazy but actually he's clever); There are other fish in the sea (It's ok to miss this opportunity. Others will arise); You can't have your cake and eat it too (You can't have everything); Your guess is as good as mine (I don't know); have other/ bigger fish to fry have other or more important matters to attend to; ex: I hope the boss keeps this meeting short, we all have other fish to fry; 

As long as you believe it... you can and will achieve it. Now that the ball is in your court... go for it!. Timothy Pina (Bullying Ben: How Benjamin Franklin overcame bullying).

Our character is the strongest magnetic force to attract greatness or failure; the ball is in your court. Nnaji P.C.

Attitudes change once the die is cast, Johanna Lindsey; 

If you pick the wrong fabric, your dress is doomed from the start. Once you pick your fabric, the die is cast. There is no going back.

2. QUESTION / INTERROGATIVE WORDS 

HOW and how! (most certainly; you bet!, you said it); how about ...? (used to make a suggestion or to offer sth); how about that! (used rhetorically to express surprise or wonder); how about that for + noun? (expression of praise, often of oneself); how come ...? (why); how on earth/in the world ...? (used to emphasize amazement or surprise); how the heck/(in the) hell ...? (expression of annoyance) how is it that ...? (why?); how's that? (why, what's the reason for that?); how's that for + noun? (expression of praise); how about (introducing a suggestion, ¿que tal si ...?; ¿y si ...?); how so? (how is it so?); how do you do? (formal) (Pleased to meet you.); a fine how-do-you-do (dated, a difficult situation).

How come when it’s us, it’s an abortion, and when it’s a chicken, it’s an omelette?. G. Carlin

How come when mortals want things, their only option is to make a deal with Hell and sell their soul? Why can’t they make deals with God in exchange for good behavior?. R. Mead

Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?. Albert Einstein

What was he doing with her? How on earth could he love her? But he did. Or, at least, she made him feel sick, sad, and distracted. Perhaps there was another way of describing that unique and useless combination of feelings, but “love” would have to do for now. Nick Hornby (Funny Girl)

"Men these days expect their wives to be as dazzling as their mistresses.”; That's shocking," said the Major. "How on earth will they tell them apart? Helen Simonson

WHAT and/or what have you / and what not / and I don't know what (and so on, and all the rest, and other things of a similar kind; y qué sé yo qué más; y qué sé yo cuántas cosas más); and what's more (moreover, in additon); for what it's worth; ex: I’ll tell you this for what it’s worth (te digo esto por si te interesa); guess what! ex: Guess what, I got the job! (surprise: ¿sabes qué?); have (got) what it takes (to do sth have he neccessary qualities, etc); (I'll) tell you what / I know what (introduces a suggestion, ya sé!, tengo/se me ocurre una idea); know what's what (with sth) (to know useful, essential information; be knowledgeable and experienced, saber como son las cosas); or what (stands at the end of a clause), ex: do you want it or what? (¿lo quieres o qué?) are you coming or what? (entonces ¿vienes o no?); I mean, is this sick, or what? (vamos, que es de verdadero mal gusto, ¿o no?) so what? (expresses indifference, what does it matter?, who cares?, y?, y qué?), ex: so what if it does rain? (¿y qué, si llueve?); so what if he is gay? (¿y qué (pasa) si es gay?, ¿y qué importa que sea gay?); (well) what do you know? (said as an exclamation; expresses great surprise at sth unexpected or improbable), ex: the Caribbean, on his salary, well, what do you know! (¿que te parece?, fijate!; you know what? (rhetorical question, ¿sabes que/una cosa?), ex: you know what, I think she did it! (¿sabes una cosa?); you know what (A: "What is the matter with you?" B: "You know what!"); what for?/ what ... for? (why, for what purpose); what about (sth/doing sth?) (used to make a suggestion), ex: what about a drink?; what is it? (1. irritation, what do you want?, 2. what's the matter?, qué pasa?); what is it to you? (that matter does nothing to do with sb, a tí que te importa?); what is sb driving at? (trying to say); what is eating sb? (worrying sb, making sb irritated, bad tempered, etc); what is sb getting at? (insinuar, querer decir), ex: I couldn’t see what he was getting at (no entendía qué quería decir); what is sb playing at? (express surprise, bewilderment, confusion, incomprehension, annoyance at sb's behaviour, perplejidad, desconcierto); what's next? (expresses annoyance at sb); what of ...? (what about ...?), ex: but what of the political leaders? (pero, ¿y qué hay de los líderes políticos?); what of it? (indifference, what does it matter?, y eso ¿qué importa?); what on earth/in the world ...? (used for showing surprise); what the hell/heck/ devil! (exclamation of annoyance, anger, etc, expresses that sb does not care about sth), ex: what the hell, I’ve got nothing to lose! (qué más da! /¿qué narices! no tengo nada que perder); what the hell do you want? (¿qué demonios or diablos quieres?); what with ... (considering, because of); what's the game? (what's going on?, what are you doing? (expresses displeasure at what sb is doing), ex: hey!, what's the game?, those are my private papers; what's up? (what's the matter?, what is wrong?, ¿Qué pasa?), ex: what's up now?, she's  crying again!; what’s up with him? (¿que le pasa?); what's yours? (what would you like to drink?); what’s it like? (1. asking for description: ¿cómo es?; 2. asking for evaluation: ¿qué tal es?); ex: what’s their new house like? (¿cómo es su nueva casa?); what’s his first novel like? (¿qué tal es su primera novela?); what will the weather be like tomorrow? (¿qué tal tiempo va a hacer mañana?); what if? (conj. supposing; assuming that; what would happen if?); what with (due to; because of; taking (sth) into consideration; ex: I'm sorry, but I can't help you move this weekend, what with my bad back and all; What with this, that and the other I was busy all week (entre una cosa y otra estuve ocupado toda la semana); what you see is what you get (There are no hidden or unknown features, traits, characteristics, etc, beyond what is immediately apparent in a given person or thing); ex: I try to live my life free of pretense, illusions, or exaggeration); ex: With me, what you see is what you get.

What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?... Was ever anything so civil?. Anthony Trollope

I'm not sure a bad person can write a good book. If art doesn't make us better, then what on earth is it for; Alice Walker

For what it's worth: it's never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you find you're not, I hope you have the strength to start over again.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

For what it's worth, I think happiness is a fleeting condition, not a permanent state of  mind. I've learned that if you chase after moments of bliss here and there, sometimes those moments will sustain you through the shit. Tiffanie DeBartolo 

Hey, and for what it's worth? Friends don't leave you alone in the woods. Friends are the ones who come and take you out. Sarah Dessen

What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet. Woody Allen. 

What if going to sleep is waking up in real life? Woody Allen

So what if I don't know what apocalypse means? It's not the end of the world. 

WHEN cross that bridge when (one) comes to it (to address sth only when it actually happens or becomes an issue); ex: The job interview is a week away, so I'm not worried about it yet, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it;  when it comes to (sth/doing sth) (as for sth; speaking about sth; when considering some particular person, thing, or action); ex: When it comes to fishing, John is an expert. When it comes to trouble, Mary really knows how to cause it; when it comes (right) down to it/that (when it is a question of sth; when the situation entails; as regards, involve, require, al final, en última instancia); ex: When it comes to getting things done, he’s useless; when/if it comes to the ˈcrunch (when/if the moment comes when sth must be decided or done, or a difficulty can no longer be avoided); ex: She was always threatening to leave him, but when it came to the crunch she didn’t have the courage; when/after the dust settles (once things return to normal after a period of excitement, a high level of activity, etc, cuando se calmen las aguas); ex: I promise to take you to the park when the dust settles and work isn't so hectic.

When it comes to the past, everyone writes fiction. Stephen King (Joyland)

Nobody ever gets what they want when it comes to love. Scott Turow

When it comes to men, deal with them as they are, not how you’d like them to be. Greg Behrendt 

When it comes to books and friends, it is best to have only a few but all good ones. Guillaume Musso 

Be a fox, not a rooster, when it comes to giving advice. The first rule of advice-giving is don’t rush to give advice. 

A little humility goes a long way when it comes to advice-giving.

When it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I'm already better than them. Marilyn Monroe

You can’t change how other people think and act, but you’re in full control of you. When it comes down to it, the only question that matters is this: If nothing in the world ever changes, what type of man are you gonna be? Nic Stone 

On the whole, all people are good, or at least they're normal. The frightening thing is that they can suddenly turn bad when it comes to the crunch. Natsume Sōseki 

WHERE know here one is coming from (to understand sb's motivation, situation or needs; relate to sb's position); ex: I know where you're coming from. I've been there. We all know where he's coming from. That's why we are so worried; not know where to put (oneself) (to feel deeply,  uncomfortable, embarrassed or awkward); ex: My father-in-law's speech was so cringeworthy that I didn't know where to put myself; get (one) where (one) lives (to affect one on a personal or intimate level); ex: People by nature only care about an issue if it gets them where they live; The boss's comments at my evaluation really got me where I live; hit where you live (strike at your vital point); ex: The movies hit (teenagers) where they live (in their own state of doubt and desperation); (know/figure) where sb's head is at (1. The state of one's mental well-being; 2. The way in which one is thinking about sb or dealing with sb emotionally; one's mental or emotional status or condition.); ex: As soon as I figure where my head is at, I'll be okay. He doesn't know where his head is at); where in the world/on earth (an emphatic way of forming any statement or question beginning with "where," typically when expressing frustration, anger, irritation, incredulousness, etc; an intensive form of 'where'. See examples for variations.); ex: Just where in the world do you think you're going?; You've got school in the morning, young lady! Where in the world have you been? Where in the world did I put my glasses?

How often did this happen to people, this not knowing where in the world you were? L. Taylor

I remember staring at my son endlessly when he was an infant, stunned by his very existence, wondering where on earth he had come from. Anne Lamott 

WHY why on earth; ex: Why on earth didn't you tell me? (¿por qué demonios no me lo dijiste?); that's why (used after a statement to emphasize the reason or explanation just given, esp. in response to a statement or question using the word "why"); ex: A: "I don't understand why we need to learn this stuff." B: "Because it will be useful to you for the rest of your life, that's why."; the whys and wherefores (the various underlying factors that cause or contribute (to something)); ex: I don't need the whys and wherefores of the delay, I just want to know when the project will be done; why doesn't (one) (just) (do sth) (used to form a suggestion or command); ex: Why doesn't everyone take a short break so we can clear our heads?; A: "I just don't think you've thought this through." B: "Why don't you just shut your mouth, Gary?"

Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?; J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter) 

Why in the world are we here? Surely not to live in pain and fear. Why on earth are you there, when you're everywhere? come and get your share. John Lennon

I mean, if the relationship can't survive the long term, why on earth would it be worth my time and energy for the short term?; Nicholas Sparks 

WHICH (one) doesn't know which way is up or down (is feeling disoriented or confused); ex: There have been so many policy changes lately that I don't know which way is up or down; Did you follow that presentation at all? I don't know which way is up or down, honestly; whichever/ whatever way you slice it (from any point of view; whichever way it is analyzed); ex: Her resume is so impressive that, whichever way you slice it, she is the best candidate for the job; The proof is rock solid. Whichever way you slice it, he's definitely guilty; know which way the wind blows (to be able to anticipate how a certain course or situation is likely to develop); ex: These politicians know which way the wind blows regarding public opinion on the issue, and you can bet they'll vote accordingly.

Power corrupts, whichever way you slice it. John Crace

Growing up is hard whichever way you slice it.

Keeping your finances in check is important whichever way you slice it. Master your money.

WHO Who wears the trousers? (Who is in charge of this situation? Typically used to describe who has more power in a relationship or household, with "trousers" denoting masculine authority, as women traditionally wore skirts throughout history); ex: She won't let you go out with me tonight? Who wears the trousers in your relationship, man?; anybody who is anybody (anyone of fame or high social status); ex: If we want to find a financial backer, we have to go to the gala tonight, anybody who is anybody will be there.

I hope he never lets me down again. Promises me I'm safe as houses. As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers. "Never lets me down again", (Depeche Mode)

3. KEY WORDS WITH IDIOMATIC USES 

ALL after all (3), against (all) the odds / against all odds (highly improbably), all along (the whole time); all the way (slang, completely, siempre, de toda la vida), all being well, all but (C2) (almost), all but (1. with adjective: nearly, 2. with verb: almost completely, 3. everyone except), all day and every day, all in (1. everything included, 2. exhausted), all in all (on the whole), all over (the place/shop/show), (but) all/just the same (even so), (not) all there, all told, and all that (stuff/jazz/rubbish ...) be all for (doing sth) (completely in favour of sth); at all (in the slightest, en absoluto, en lo más minimo), be all go, be all Greek to sb; be all over (with), be all over and done with (ex: I’ll be glad when it’s all over and done with), be (all) over but the shouting (inevitable outcome), be all right with sb, be all talk (and no action) (bragger), be all the rage, be all the same to sb, be all (the) one (to sb), be sb all over, for all + noun (in spite of); for all I, etc care/know (indifference), for all one is worth, give it all you've got, give (it/sth) (one's/ your) all, go all out (to do sth) (slang), in all, jack(-)of(-)all(trades), of all people/things/days/ places ... (2), once (and) for all ​(now and for the last time; finally or completely); one's/the be-all and end-all, when all is said and done, (be given) the all clear (to do sth) (a signal that tells you that a dangerous or difficult situation has ended; recibir el visto bueno, recibir luz verde, el cese de alarma ex: The police gave us the all-clear and we drove on.

After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. E.B. White 

I'll think of it all tomorrow, at Tara. I can stand it then. Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day. Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind)

Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all. Abraham Lincoln

We don't need no thought control. Don't think I need anything at all. All in all you're just another brick in the wall. Pink Floyd (Another brick in the wall)

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. This iconic line is uttered by Rick Blaine (played by Humphrey Bogart)

Happy is the man who has broken the chains which hurt the mind, and has given up worrying once and for all. Be patient and tough; one day this pain will be useful to you. Ovid (Metamorphoses)

Studying literature taught me, once and for all, how easily you can escape this world with the help of words! You can find friends between the pages of a book, wonderful friends. C. Funke

When the summer's over and the dark clouds hide the sun, neither you nor I'm to blame when all is said and done. When all is said and done. ABBA  

BAD bad (adj) (dated, good, excellent), ex: Oh man, that is so bad! I really like it!; bad (adv) (inf for badly, very much), ex: He needs the money real bad; My arm hurts so bad; go from bad to worse, ex: Just as things seemed to get better, they went from bad to worse! (worsen, deteriorate still further, ir de mal en peor) have (got) it bad (for sb) (​1.slang, suffer disadvantage. 2. humorous, to be very much in love), ex: These kids have it bad, growing up in the slums the way they do; You're not seeing him again tonight, are you? That's five times this week, you've got it bad!; syn slang (suffer disadvantage, tenerlo crudo, pasarlo mal, beber los vientos por).  (it's/that's) too bad (that ...); (1. It's a pity, that's unfortunate, ​2. (ironic) used to say ‘bad luck’ or ‘it’s a shame’ when you do not really mean it), ex: I hear Jim was fired from his job, too bad!, que lastima, que lamentable, que mal!; not (so/too) bad, ex: ‘How are you?’ ‘Not too bad.’; That wasn't bad for a first attempt, (ok, relatively good, quite good, better than you expected, satisfactory, bien, no ir mal); bad news (slang, person: brings problems); a bad patch (period of time, racha, una mala racha).

Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving taxicabs and cutting hair. George Burns

It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes. J.D. Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye)

It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Anton Szandor LaVey

But of course when you've got it bad for somebody, you aren't really sane. You're a stalker and a groupie combined, and you do things even you don't want to try and understand. Kirsty Eagar

BIG big deal (1. sth that is considered important or consequential); ex: Being the first in her family to graduate college was a big deal to Katie; I'm kind of a big deal here, but I'll just be the new kid when I switch schools; (2. Who cares? That's not impressive or important); ex: So you did 20 push-ups. Big deal, I can do 100; A: "Wow, a 1969 Mustang!" B: "Big deal. It's just a car."; no big deal (slang, a matter of little importance; nada del otro mundo); big (sb/sth) up (slang), big up! (slang), be/get into/make/hit the big time, the big time, big(-)time, (adv), big-time (adj: de alto nivel, de categoria; adv: con mayúsculas, a lo grande) ex: they screwed (things) up big-time (metieron la pata bien hondo; America lost big-time (el equipo americano se llevó una soberana paliza), big brake (slang), big bucks, (the) big daddy; big(-)headed, big game, big head, big headed, big(-) hearted, a big hit, a big mouth, big money, big name, big-name, a big shot/ gun/wheel/wig/ noise/cheese, big Smoke (slang), big talk/words, in a big way (greatly, very much, sobremanera, enormemente, terriblemente, ex: If we lose the contract, it will hurt us in a big way; make it big (slang), the big picture, (the situation as a whole, la imagen/situacion general), ex: We need to consider the big picture and not focus just on details; the big lie; too big for one's boots.

High school isn't a very important place. When you're going you think it's a big deal, but when it's over nobody really thinks it was great unless they're beered up. Stephen King (Carrie).

I'm on my way, I'm making it, big Time, I've got to make it show, yeah. Big time, Peter Gabriel.

When things go bad in Russia, they usually go bad in a big way. Bill Browder 

Not all of us are born to change the world in a big way. However, we all can change ourselves in a small way, which will impact the world in a big way. Debasish Mridha

DAY any day (of the week); call it a day/night; make one's day (make sb happy); (save) for a rainy day; (not) be sb's day (be a bad/unlucky or god/lucky day for sb; ex: It must be my day today); (an) off day (dia negro en donde nada sale bien) ex: it was one of my off days); some day (at some time in the future); the other day (recently, a few days ago), this day week (in exactly a week's time); win/carry the day; to this day (until now); turn/wind back the clock; sb's days are numbered; watch the clock (to continually check the time because one desires sth to end, typically because you are bored or anxiously waiting to start a different activity or stop what your are doing); at the end of the day (ultimately, after all, al final, a fin de cuentas).

At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can. Frida Kahlo

At the end of the day, it's about how much you can bear, how much you can endure. Being together, we harm nobody; being apart, we extinguish ourselves. — Tabitha Suzuma (Forbidden)

I just think that funerals are a lot like death itself. You can have your wishes, your plans, but at the end of the day, it's out of your control. Gayle Forman

Yeah, it's an off day when I don't get somebody telling me how edible I smell. Bella Swan.

Advice from a Romance Writer: Guys, make your woman feel pretty even on an 'off' day. Trust me, good things will come of it. Michelle M. Pillow 

If a man gets angry, he's having an off day, if a woman does, she's a raging bitch. S. Chemaly 

I love how babies look like old people. I saw a baby the other day that looked exactly like my grandpa, only taller. Jarod Kintz 

Some guy hit my fender the other day, and I said unto him, 'Be fruitful, and multiply'. But not in those words. Woody Allen

DEAD dead beat/tired (slang, totally exhausted). Not to be confused with "deadbeat," a lazy, negligent  idle, or irresponsible person); dead easy; a dead cert (abbreviation: sth certain) a dead end; a dead loss (at sth); be better off dead; dead on time; dead right; dead slow (hardly moving); flog a dead ˈhorse (UK) (waste your effort and energy on a lost cause or by trying to do sth that is no longer possible, perder el tiempo, predicar en el desierto); dead to the world (fast/sound asleep; sleeping deeply)

You may be right, dead right, as you speed along in your argument; but as far as changing another’s mind is concerned, you will probably be just as futile as if you were wrong. Dale Carnegie (How to Win Friends & Influence People)

You will never regret speaking up and being wrong. But you will if you don’t and you’re dead right. Stephanie Arnold

You can be dead sure and still be dead wrong. Mokokoma Mokhonoana

"Yes, like watching someone flog a dead horse into obedience,” Settembrini scoffed; to which Naphta replied that since for our sin God had visited (afflicted) our bodies with the gruesome ignominy of rot and decay, there was no indignity in the same body’s receiving an occasional beating. Thomas Mann (The Magic Mountain)

END at the end of the day (2) (to introduce your main coclusion; when everything else has been taken into consideration); be the end (too much, the last straw, the worst); (not) be the end of the world (for sb), (be a total disaster); in the end (finally, eventually); (see the) light at the end of the tunnel (the end of a difficult situation or task, the solution to a difficult problem); make (both) ends meet (have enough money to live on, to manage so that one's means are sufficient for one's needs); (for hours) on end (continuously); no end of (sth) (very many/much); (be all) to no end (in vain, for nothing)

At the end of the day, whether or not those people are comfortable with how you're living your life doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're comfortable with it. Phillip C. McGraw

At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets. Steve Maraboli 

There was nothing humane about humanity. At the end of the day, they were all animals with only survival instincts. Sherrilyn Kenyon

Life is very interesting... in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths. Drew Barrymore

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King, Jr.

FLAT and that's flat! (my last word on the matter); fall flat (fail); flat broke (completely); go flatting (to move out of one's family home to live independently (as in a "flat" or apartment);

in ten minutes flat (exactly); in nothing flat (in a very little amount of time); leave (one) flat (to leave one feeling bored, unamused, or unimpressed); a flat denial/refusal (absolute/ definite); (do/tell/run) flat out (adv. 1 frankly, 2. intensively, as fast as possible, downright, outright, a tope, rotundamente); tell sb flat that ... (UK) (spoken to tell sb sth directly and definitely), Syn adj, downright, outright, straight out (in plain speaking, without hesitating, sin rodeos, de lleno, lisa y llanamente, a tope); ex: He asked me straight out if I had another boyfriend.

We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional. Walter Dean 

Myers My motto is to do everything absolutely flat out and to the best of your ability. Allan McNish

GET ​get a shock (to be very/unpleasantly surprised by sth, ex: I got a shock when I saw my phone bill; get a life! (slang, expressing contempt) ​used to tell sb to stop being boring and to do sth more interesting; ex: Do us all a favour… get a life!; Don't tell me you're cleaning the house on a Saturday night? Get a life, Hannah!; get the picture (understand); get sb (1. coversational, colloquial, confuse, puzzle, make sb feel confused because they do not understand sth, I don't know); ex: ‘What's the capital of Bhutan?’ ‘You('ve) got me there!’; 2. (annoy), ex: What gets me is having to do the same thing all day long; get (sth) off the ground; get on (well) (with sb/sth) 1. llevarse bien, 2. with task: (progress), ex: how are you getting on? (como vas?), get on with the job/sth (do sth without delay, ponerse a trabajar), ex; Don't watch TV. Just get on with your homework!; get on it (slang, do sth without delay, ponerse a ello/manos a la obra); get on in life (advance, triunfar, ser alguien, ex: To get on in life, you need to be willing to work hard; be getting on (in years) (aging, becoming old, envejecer, tener sus años); be getting on for…(midnight, eighty, etc); get on sb's nerves (irritate, sacar de quicio, poner de los nervios); (can’t) get over sth (used to say that you are shocked, surprised, etc. by sth), ex: I can't get over how rude she was; get sth going ​(succeed in starting a machine, vehicle, process, etc); get sb nowhere/not get sb anywhere (C2) (​to not help sb make progress or succeed); ex: This line of investigation is getting us nowhere; Being rude to me won't get you anywhere; get somewhere/ anywhere/ nowhere (​to make some progress/no progress), ex: After six months' work on the project, at last I feel I'm getting somewhere; I don't seem to be getting anywhere with this letter; get there (C1) (succeed, ​to achieve your aim or complete a task), ex: I'm sure you'll get there in the end; It's not perfect but we're getting there (making progress); “how’s your thesis going?”, “I’m getting there” (¿qué tal va tu tesis?, va avanzando); (Ok/So), get this! ​(US) used to say that you are going to tell sb sth that they will find surprising or interesting; ex: (So/Ok) get this!, I did all the work and he got the money; there’s no getting aˈway from sth/the fact that (there's no denying that, we cannot ignore an important and possibly unpleasant fact, it's plainly true, no hay duda de que); ex: There’s no getting away from the fact that he’s simply a better player than me; I've been trying to ignore this pain in my chest for over a week now, but there's no getting away from the fact that I need to see a doctor; there’s no getting away from it (It's plainly true, es algo que no podemos más que aceptar, no se lo puedo negar; get to/grow to (do sth/doing sth) (v+prep) (gradually start, to begin doing sth, ex: I'm shy but once you get to know me I'm fun; I got to thinking of my own childhood; how do you get to the cinema? (¿cómo se llega al cine?); where did you get to? (where were you?, ¿dónde estabas? ¿dónde te habías metido?); it’s a place that’s difficult to get to (es un lugar de difícil acceso); to get to sb (affect) afectar a alguien; (annoy) molestar a alguien; don’t let it get to you (affect) no dejes que te afecte; (annoy) no te molestes por eso; (not) get to first base (US); get in the way (be an obstacle); get the ball rolling; get the hang of sth (coger el tranquillo, understand); (let's) get down to businesss (start now, ir al grano); (let's) get down to brass tacks (discuss essentials, ir a lo esencial; to start talking about the most important or basic facts of a situation; ir al grano; ex: Let's get down to brass tacks, who's paying for all this?; get rid of sth (do away with sth), ex: get rid of poverty, injustice and discrimination against the disabled; get/catch one's drift (To understand the meaning, insinuation, or implication of what one is saying or implying); ex: All I'm saying is that I won't be very sad if she breaks up with her boyfriend, if you get my drift; I don't want to hear anymore about her or you. Do you get my drift?; get busy (1. ponerse las pilas, espabilarse) 2. (+ing), ponerse a).

Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere. Albert Einstein 

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Lewis Carroll

Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere. Erma Bombeck 

Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but (it) doesn't/won't get you anywhere.

Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but (it) gets you nowhere.

Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there. Bo Jackson

Worrying Works; 99% of the things I worry about never (get to) happen. Wisdom Quotes

You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world... but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. John Green 

Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can't get any better, it can. Nicholas Sparks 

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them. Ray Bradbury 

Get busy living or get busy dying. Stephen King (Different Seasons)

The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. I can resist everything but temptation. Oscar Wilde

The only way of getting rid of the effects of alcohol is for your body to metabolise it and that takes time!. Scott Jehl

GOOD a good/great deal (of sth) (1.often, a lot, much, large amount, considerably, greatly, very much, 2. bargain); a good chance/few/distance/cry /20kg/many (a lot of) ... (C2) (more than; used to emphasize); as good as (almost certainly, for all practical purposes); do (sb) good; do sb a good turn (favour); for good (forever, permanently); give sb a good talking-to/telling-off (reprimand, scold); a good for nothing (lazy person); good-for-nothing (useless); good heavens/ Lord! (expression of surprise); be no good (not any/much good) (to be of low quality or not useful); have a good time (enjoy oneself); It's a good job/thing (that ...) (It's lucky that ...); It's no/not much good (doing sth) (there is no use/value in doing sth); make good (as sth) (slang, do well, be successful in sth, tener exito); while the going's good (as long as the situation is favourable).

It's a good thing most people bleed on the inside or/otherwise this would really be a gory, blood-smeared earth. (Go ask Alice, anonymous).

It's a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I'd be a drag queen. Dolly Parton 

It's no good trying to get rid of your own aloneness. You've got to stick to it all your life. Only at times, at times, the gap will be filled in. (Lady Chatterley's Lover, D.H. Lawrence)

Life must be rich and full of loving, it's no good otherwise, no good at all, for anyone. Jack Kerouac

 

HARD hard to please; hard to swallow (difficult to believe or accept); be hard up (be short of money); be hard ˈup for sth (friends, ideas, drugs) (slang, have too few or too little of sth); be/feel hard done-by (to feel mistreated, abused, cheated, or dejected); (caught/stuck) between a rock and a hard place (​in a situation where you have to choose between two things, both of which are unpleasant); hard and fast (rules, facts ... etc) (especially after a negative) (that cannot be changed in any circumstances); a hard and fast rule (that applies without exception); hard going (​difficult to understand or needing a lot of effort); hard luck (​UK) (used to tell sb that you feel sorry for them); a hard case (a person who is cynical, hostile, or difficult to work with or be around); a hard pill to swallow (sth, esp a fact or piece of news, that is unpleasant or difficult but which is unavoidable or must be accepted); a hard head (inflexible or stubborn); hardheaded (stubborn, unwilling to take advice); a hard/tough nut (to crack) (​a difficult problem or situation to deal with); (do sth) the hard way (​by having an unpleasant experience or by making mistakes, por las malas, aprender a golpes); have a (hard/difficult) job doing/to do sth (C2) (​to have difficulty doing sth); have a hard time (of it); no hard feelings (C2); play hard to get (​to make yourself seem more attractive or interesting by not immediately accepting an invitation to do sth); take a hard line (be uncompromising, not give in); take a long (cool/hard) look at sth (​to consider sth very carefully and without hurrying); the hard stuff (slang, of drugs, alcohol, sth extremely dangerous and addictive). 

HEAD (be) above/over one's head  (too difficult for sb to understand), ex: A lot of the jokes went (were) right over my head; lose one's head (panic, lose control); (be) off one's head (be mad; think unrealistically); keep one's head/a cool head (remain/stay calm, not panic); from head to toe (thoroughly), ex: he's a gentleman form head to toe; (If things) come to a head (reach a crisis put sht into sb's head (making you believe that)?, ex: Who's been putting such weird ideas into your head; wake up with a really bad head, (headache): ex: I woke up with a really bad head this morning; be (like) hitting/banging your head against a brick wall (​to keep trying to do sth that will never be successful); can’t make head nor/or tail of sth ​(to be unable to understand sth that is confusing), ex: I couldn't make head nor tail of what he was saying;  get your head down (sleep), ex: I managed to get my head down for an hour; get it into your head (that…) ​to start to understand or think sth; ex: When will you get it into your head that I don't want to discuss this any more!; For some reason she's got it into her head that I don't like her; have a head for sth (​to be good at sth), ex: to have a head for figures/business; have your head in the clouds (1. ​to be thinking about sth that is not connected with what you are doing, 2. ​to have ideas, plans, etc. that are not realistic); a/per head (​for each person); ex: The meal worked out at $20 a head; your head is spinning / make your head spin (makes you confused, shock sb); (fall) head over heels (in love (with sb) (completely); hit the nail on the head (​to say sth that is exactly right); scratch your head (over sth) (​to think hard in order to find an answer to sth); take it into your head that… (​to suddenly start thinking sth, esp. sth that other people think is stupid); take it into your head to do sth (​to suddenly decide to do sth, esp. sth that other people think is stupid); use your head (use one's intelligence / common sense ‘Why don't you want to see him again?’ ‘Oh, use your head!’

HEART a heart to heart talk (frank, personal talk in confidence); after one's own heart (of the kind one likes best, identificarse con una postura) ex: so you like tea. You are a man after my own heart!; deep down in his heart/inside (inwardly or intimately, his conscience); ex: Deep down in his heart he knew what he had done was wrong; at heart ​(in essence; used to say what sb is really like even though they may seem to be sth different, en el fondo); (learn/ know sth) by heart ​(using only your memory); (have) a change of heart (making you feel more friendly, helpful, etc); (be) in good heart (C2) (happy and cheerful, de buen ánimo); lose heart (become discouraged, to stop hoping for sth or trying to do sth because you no longer feel confident, descorazonarse); let your heart rule your head; cross my heart (and hope to die) used to emphasize that you are telling the truth or will do what you promise, ex: I saw him do it, cross my heart; wear your heart on your sleeve​ (allow your feelings to be seen by other people, unable to hide your emotions/ feelings, vulnerable); take heart (from the fact that/sth) (feel encouraged, animarse, cobrar ánimos, animarse); ex: we may take heart from the fact that ... que nos aliente el hecho de que ...; take sth to heart (take sth seriously, be upset by sth, tomarse a pecho/en serio, a la tremeda); with all your heart/your whole heart (completely); 

HIGH be high in sth (containing a large quantity of sth, ex: fat); be/get high (on sth) (C2) (not thinking or behaving normally because of taking drugs; be in high/low spirits (extremely happy/ unhappy or sad, often due to being discouraged); be flying/riding high (1.be vert successful in one's career, esp in the eyes of others, 2. slang to be very happy, often because of drug use);    be riding high in the saddle (to be feeling self-assured due to a period of success or good fortune);  a high flyer; (sb very ambitious); high and low (everywhere possible; with look, search); highs and lows; a high/low profile (​the amount of attention sb/sth has from the public); high five! (a greeting); get the high sign (an Ok gesture); (be left) high and dry; it's high/ about time (one did sth) (sth must be done without more delay); (friends, people, etc) in high places ​(in positions of power and influence); (come) hell or high water (​despite any difficulties); go through hell and high water (to face many challenges in the process of doing or accomplishing sth); go sky-high (to experience a significant increase); live high on/off the hog (to be prospering or otherwise living very well); (reach a new/an) all-time high/low (the highest/lowest level ever).

We're flying high, we're watching the world pass us by. Never want to put my feet back down on the ground. Depeche Mode, (Never let me down again) 

HOT a hot potato (situation, issue: difficult); a (pretty) hot player (expert); a hot contest (reñido); a hot button / a hot-button issue (ese es un asunto polémico, ese es un tema candente); hot air (empty boasting, fanfarroneria, palabras al aire); hot line (linea de atención): a suicide hotline;  hot 1. (a hot issue): sth that causes a lot of disagreement or discussion (Global warming); 2. new, exciting and very popular: hot gossip/the hottest new actress; 3. hot news / gossip (fresh, very recent and usually exciting, de última hora) 4. (of a situation): dangerous or difficult; risky (C2): They're making life hot for her; 5. very good and having energy: The show isn’t so hot, he doesn’t feel so hot; (have a) hot temper (C1) (become angry very easily, mal genio/carácter);  hot stuff (causing shock/anger; sth too hot to publish); be hot on sth (1. overly strict, inflexible, thinking that sth is very important and making sure that it always happens or is done, 2. very well informed and good at sth): They're very hot on punctuality at work; be in/get into hot water (to be in or get into trouble); blow hot and cold (about sth) (C2) (​vacillate, be undecided, to change your opinion about sth often, ser un veleta); (It made me) go hot and cold (C2) (​to experience a sudden feeling of fear or worry, sentir escalofrios); be hot under the collar (angry or embarrassed, acalorarse); like a cat on a hot tin roof ​(very nervous);  not so/too hot (​1. not very good in quality, 2. ​not feeling well); You’re getting hot (C2) (when guessing) caliente, caliente; be hot stuff (at sth) (1. an expert): ser un hacha/as (en algo): he’s pretty hot stuff at maths/science. 2. (sexy): estar como un tren. 

Strike while the iron is hot. (to make use of an opportunity immediately), (saying)

IT (as a subject) as it is; as it was; as it were; It beats me (how/why ...) (I cannot explain); (well), It can't be helped (¿que se le va a hacer?, no hay más remedio); It is/was like this (this is how it happened; these are/were the facts; It isn't/It's not as if (It's not the case that); It makes no odds (it makes no difference, it does not matter); (fair enough!), it's a deal/bargain! (agreed!, I accept your offer); It's a bit much (you expect too much); It's a bit off (complaint: it is not a fair or correct thing to do / way of doing things); It's a wonder (that) (it's very surprising that); It's anyone's/ anybody's guess (impossible to determine); It's back to the drawing board; It's/It was no joke (doing sth) (a serious matter, not funny); (yes) so it seems (that seems to be the case); (well), this is it! (1. this is the critical part, crucial point/time/event etc said just before sth important happens, is done, etc: ya llegó (la hora)!, aqui esta! 2. this is the end (se acabó, eso es todo): this is it!, it's my last day in England.

IT (as an object) (well), as I see it ... (In my opinion); believe it or not (though it may seem incredible); blow it (fail, echarlo todo a perder, cagarla); sweat it (out) (wait tensely); (not) buy it (slang, believe or accept sth); (let's) call it quits (and change the subject) (stop often an argument and consider both sides equal); (let's) call it a day (and continue tomorrow) (stop doing sth); come off it! (stop exaggerating, boasting); cool it! (calm down, do not get so angry/ excited); cut it out! (stop it!); damn it!/drat it! (expressions of annoyance); don't mention it (a polite reply to "thank you"); easy/gently does it (sth should be done slowly and with care); fight it out (solve a quarrel/fight by arguing until the end); (Oh), forget it!, it was nothing (really) / forget about it! (1. it's all right, it doesn't matter; you're welcome, often after an apology or a 'thank you'; 2. (slang) (certainly not, ni de coña, ni muerto); get away from it all ​(to have a short holiday in a place where you can relax; escapar/ alejarse de todo); get away with it (escape punishment, salirse con la suya); get it (understand: a joke, pillarlo, cogerlo) ex: I don't get you; I don't get it, why would she do a thing like that?; I get the message, you don't want me to come; get it (in the neck) (be criticized, reprimanded); get it right (do sth correctly, hacerlo bien, correctamente, ex: If you can't get it right, don't bother trying!; get it over with (do the unpleasant task now, quitarse de encima, sacarse de encima); get over it! (slang, stop making a fuss! forget about it!, ignore it! superalo!, olvidalo!); (let's) get/be with it (slang, jocular, sarcastic, 1. be/become up-to-date, don't be so old-fashioned, to modernize one’s attitudes and behavior, ex: Get with it, Martin. Get real!; no seas anticuado, viejecito; 2. hurry up, to be more hard-working, diligent, industrious with sth, espabilarse!, dale!); give it a rest (stop talking about sth or doing sth); go (to) it (1. do sth/act with a lot of energy, vigour and enthusiasm, adelante!, empieza!, 2. overdo sth, exaggerate: $500 on clothes, that's going it a bit, isn't it?); go it alone (do sth of importance without help or support); have (got) it made (have got advantages that guarantee success, money, and easy life, etc, tener el éxito asegurado); have got what it takes (the neccessary personal qualities, intelligence, etc that a job or task requires); have had it (1. slang, have had enough, be bored, exhausted, be defeated, be ready to quit, be fed up, have had it up to here, 2. be no longer popular, be worn out, be broken, have seen better days; ahora si que te la has cargado, no dar para mas, no servir ya), ex: If this scandal gets out he's had it as am MP; hit it off (with sb) (like/understand sb); hold it (stop doing sth for a moment); I knew it! (I am sure that that would be so); I take it (that) ... (I understand/assume that ..., entiendo/supongo que): ex: You're Mr Smith, I take it; knock it off! (stop it!); live it up (pursue pleasure, live and easy life); make it (big) (US, slang, be successful or famous, achieve one's aim/goal, triunfar); make it snappy (be quick doing sth); move it! (slang, hurry!); not if I/she etc can help it (not if I etc can prevent sth); now you've done it!; (sth that will cause trouble); play it by ear / wing it (improvise, ver que pasa); play it cool (slang, ​to deal with a situation in a calm way and not show what you are really feeling, remain calm), ex: When they start to tease you, just play it cool, mantener la compostura/el tipo, actuar como si nada). Compare take it easy!; play (it) safe (to be careful and not take risks). Syn hedge (one's) bets (C2) (to take an action in order to offset a potential future loss, minimizar riesgos, asegurar la jugada); note: hedge (protect: against financial risk); rough it (C2) (live primitively, live in a way that is not very comfortable for a short time, vivir sin comodidades, subsistir) ex: We can sleep on the beach. I don't mind roughing it for a night or two; rub it/sth in (emphasize an insult, embarrassment, etc, refregar, recordar); see to it that (make sure that, ensure that/sth); shut it! (slang, stop talking!); (let's/just) skip it! (1, forget it: an apology/thankyou, 2. don't talk about this subject); sleep on it (delay a decision until the next day/morning, wait before making a decision: consultar con la almohada); step on it! (walk/drive faster); strike it rich (suddenly become wealthy), ex: If I could strike it rich, I wouldn't have to work anymore, hacerse rico; take it (bear/endure stress or pain, tolerate sth, soportarlo, aguantarlo); take it easy (1. don’t worry, don't become excited or annoyed, relax, be calm, ¡cálmete!, ¡no te pongas nervioso!; 2. don’t rush, do sth slowly with plenty of time, ¡despacio!, ¡no corras!); take it from me (that) (C1) / take my word for it (believe what I say, take my advice, te lo aseguro); ex: It won't work, take it from me; take it or leave it (either accept my offer or not); take it out on sb (inflict bad mood on sb, pagarla con); to put it mildly (not exaggerating; understating sth); watch it! (with sth) (be careful!, beware with sb/sth); You name it! (C2) (anything you want, lo que sea, lo que se te ocurra) ex: you name it, we’ve got it (cualquier cosa que pidas, la tenemos); You said it! (C2) (I agree fully!, you are right!); there’s no getting aˈway from it (we cannot ignore an important and possibly unpleasant fact), ex: There’s no getting away from it. He’s simply a better player than me; that's more like it! (expresision of encouragement/satisfacton, así esta mejor, así me gusta!); to put it simply; (simply put; put simply); when/If it comes to it/doing sth; when it comes to the point (of sth), ex: to the point of paying ...; that's more like it (that's better than sth done previously); grin and bear it (accept sth without complaining, poner al tiempo buena cara); have (got) it made (be sure of success and have a good life); push it (be overly/excessively aggressive, demanding, insistent, forward or immodest as in: I promise to think over your proposal, but don't push it; This idiom uses 'push' in the sense of "force some activity or issue."; 

Baby don't blow it; Don't put my good advice to shame. Beauty School Dropout, Frankie Avalon (Grease)

Baby don't sweat it. You're not cut out to hold a job (Better) forget it. Beauty School Dropout. Frankie Avalon (Grease)

To put it simply, love does NOT conquer all. All is a lot. It's literally everything. To say that love conquers all is basically hyperbolic and misleading. Mélanie Berliet

LINE (The) bottom line (the most important thing/fact in a situation that you have to consider or accept); the essential point in a discussion, etc,.ex: The bottom line is that we have to make a decision today; (be) in / out of line with sth (C2) similar to consistent (with), or at the same level as sth; ​similar to sth or so that one thing is closely connected with another; ex: Annual pay increases will be in line with inflation; I need to know whether the candidate has beliefs in line with our values; syn in (dis)agreement with sth; estar de acuerdo con, ser conforme a, coherente (con); (be) out of line (with sb/sth) ​different from sth; ex: London prices are way out of line with the rest of the country Syn different; (be) out of line (adj/adv): (comment): unacceptable, behaving unacceptably, fuera de tono, impresentable, que se pasa de la raya; (Be/put/lay sth) on the line (C2) to risk sth:​ at risk, ex: If we don't make a profit, my job is on the line. syn risk sth, poner algo en riesgo, en juego; overstep the mark/line ​(to behave in a way that people think is not acceptable), ex: She realized she had overstepped the mark and quickly apologized; draw the line (at sth) to never do sth because you think it is wrong ex: I swear a lot, but even I draw the line at saying certain words hook; I draw the line at (doing) that; a (hacer) eso no llego; one must draw the line somewhere hay que fijar ciertos límites; no tolerar, no aceptar algo (draw) a line in the sand ​(to establish) a clear limit to what you will do or accept, ex: It’s time to draw a line in the sand and stop allowing workplace bullying to continue; hook, line and sinker (Completely), ex: What I said was not true, but he fell for it (believed it) hook, line and sinker, Syn entirely, totally, de cabo a rabo, de principio a fin; read between the lines ​(to look for or discover a meaning in sth that is not openly stated); ex: Reading between the lines, I think Clare needs money; take the line that (ser de la opinión de que ...); put (oneself) on the line (to personally assume or expose oneself to some risk, danger, or responsibility; to imperil oneself or put oneself in harm's way); ex: Look, I'm putting myself on the line for you here. I could get fired if they find out what we're up to!; You have to take some risks to be successful in business and in life, but don't put yourself on the line for no good reason.

LONG a long shot (C2) (​an attempt or a guess that is not likely to be successful but is worth trying), ex: It's a long shot, but it just might work; it’s a long shot (dudo que resulte); not by a long shot (in no way, not in any way, not by a large margin, ​not nearly; ni por asomo, ni con mucho, ni de lejos); by a long way ​(by a great amount); ex: He was the best by a long way; at (long) last (emphatic), finally, after a long wait, por fin, al fin; at the longest (​not longer than the particular time given); ex: It will take an hour at the longest; go a long way / go far (be succesful, make a career for oneself), ex: With his intelligence and ambition, he'll go a long way, syn be successful, llegar lejos, tener éxito; have a long way to go (C1) ​(to need to make a lot of progress before you can achieve sth), ex: She still has a long way to go before she's fully fit; We have a long way to go: tenemos mucho camino por delante; In the long run / in the long/short/medium term; ex: This measure inevitably means higher taxes in the long run; In the long term, our efforts will pay off; the long and (the) short of it (said when you want to explain the general situation without giving details; ex: The long and (the) short of it is that they are willing to start the work in January; (to cut/make a) long story short (​used when you are saying that you will get to the point of what you are saying quickly, without including all the details, en resumidas cuentas, en pocas palabras.

MATTER as a matter of course / be a matter of course (C1) (automatically or as part of a routine or policy, as a regular habit); ex: As a matter of course, you must complete your final project in order to receive a passing grade in this class; Before making any important decision, I discuss it with my wife as a matter of course; As a matter of course, you should go to the dentist at least once a year; it’s a matter of course with us (con nosotros es cosa de cajón); Syn as part of normal routine, naturalmente, automáticamente, como es de esperar; be a matter of waiting, confidence, luck, etc. (If sth is a matter of time, opinion, confidence, luck, waiting, etc. that is all you need for it to happen), ex: Baking a cake isn't difficult, it's just a matter of following the recipe. Syn debatable, subjective, cuestion de tiempo, suerte ...  be the matter (be wrong, not be in order), he looked paled and tired, I knew sth was the matter; in a matter of (C2) (used in expressions describing how small an amount or period of time is); The interview was over in a matter of minutes: (en cuestion de); for that matter (C1) (​also, as well, used to add a comment on sth that you have just said), ex: I didn't like it much. Nor did the kids, for that matter. Syn (intensifier): what is more, es mas, lo que es mas, de hecho; be no laughing matter (C2) ​(to be sth serious that you should not joke about, very serious); ex: Being late for a job interview is no laughing matter; Being arrested by the police is no laughing matter; syn sth serious, no es para tomarselo a risa, no matter what/who/where/when/which etc. (it's not important what, etc); ex: no matter who phones, I am not at home, ok?; the fact (of the matter) is (that)…​ (used to emphasize a statement, esp one that is the opposite of what has just been mentioned); ex: A new car would be wonderful but the fact of the matter is that we can't afford one; (la verdad es que, el hecho es que); mind over matter, ex: it’s a question of mind over matter (es cuestión de voluntad).

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. Mark Twain 

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. Bernard M. Baruch

MIND (be) all in the/your mind (If a problem is all in the mind, it does not exist and is only imagined; only exists in sb's imagination), ex: His doctor tried to convince him that he wasn't really ill and that it was all in his mind; These problems are all in your mind, you know; (be) in/of two minds (C1) (to be unable to decide about sth); ex: I was in two minds whether or not to come this morning. Syn (person: unable to decide), estar indeciso, dudar; be out of one's mind (with sth) (1. be crazy, irrational, estar loco haber perdido el juicio, 2. be extremely anxious, worried with sth: to go out of one’s mind with worry/jealousy volverse loco de preocupación/ celos); bear/ keep sb/sth in mind / bear/keep in mind that…​ (to remember sb/sth; to remember or consider that…), ex: Bearing in mind how young she is, I thought she did really well; You don't have to do anything about it now… just bear it in mind; Of course, repair work is expensive and you have to keep that in mind. Syn remember, consider, tener presente, no olvidar; cross your mind ​(of thoughts, etc.) to come into your mind; ex: It never crossed my mind that she might lose (I was sure that she would win); The thought never crossed my mind!; syn occur to sb, pasar por la cabeza; change your/sb's mind (​to change a decision or an opinion), ex: Nothing will make me change my mind; What made you change your mind?; go over sth in your mind / turn sth over in your mind, (review in detail, to think repeatedly about an event that has happened, darle vueltas a algo, analizar, rumiar) Syn ponder, reflexionar, Ex: For hours afterwards, she kept going over and over what he'd told her but it still made no sense; She kept going over the accident again and again in her mind, wishing that she could somehow have prevented it; She turned the idea over in her mind; have (it/sth) in mind (to do sth) (to have a plan or intention, to intend to do sth, to think of sth/sb in particular), ex: For a long time he had it in mind to write a novel about his experiences; Did you have anything in mind for Helen's present? Syn think of sth(sb) tener algo en mente); make up your mind (to decide), ex: I haven't made up my mind where to go yet; mind how you go (said when you say goodbye to sb, meaning "take care"); mind (out)! / mind out for (for sb/sth) (1. be careful, look out, pay attention to sb/sth, 2. make sure), ex: 1. mind you don't fall / the head / (ten cuidado, no te vayas a caer / con la cabeza ...), 2. mind you get there first procura llegar primero; mind you do it! ¡hazlo sin falta!, ¡no dejes de hacerlo!; mind you (​used to add sth to what you have just said, esp sth that makes it less strong; ex: The meal was fantastic, expensive, mind you! He can be very disorganized. Mind you, I'm no better; Syn informal (although, having said that, eso sí); never mind (1. UK, used to tell sb not to worry or be upset, 2. ​used to emphasize that what is true about the first thing you have said is even more true about the second: I can’t walk, never mind run (no puedo andar, y mucho menos correr), ex: 1. Have you broken it? Never mind, we can buy another one; 2. I never thought she'd win once, never mind twice!; syn 1. it doesn't matter, pay no attention to, ignore it (no tiene importancia, olvidalo), 2. let alone (y mucho menos); never mind (the fact) that (despite the fact that), ex: He's going on holiday for the third time this year, never mind that he has hardly any money left. Syn even though, a pesar de que, aunque; slip your mind (be forgotten, ​if sth slips your mind, you forget it or forget to do it; ex: I missed the meeting; it (completely) slipped my mind; speak your mind (C2) (to say what you think about sth very directly, say openly what one thinks or feels); ex: He's certainly not afraid to speak his mind; take sb's mind off sth (to stop you from worrying or thinking about a problem or pain, often by forcing you to think about other things), ex: The good thing about running is that it takes my mind off any problems I have; (one's) mind goes blank (one suddenly forgets or is unable to think of sth); ex: Even though I'd been preparing for the interview for days, my mind went blank as soon as they started asking questions; be of one/the same mind (about/on) (/sb/sth) (to be in agreement): ex: The two parties are rarely of the same mind when it comes to tax reform mind (used to highlight or emphasize an exception, qualification, or explanation. Usually used at the beginning or end of a sentence. Primarily heard in UK, Ireland); ex: I'm not nearly as fit as I used to be. Mind, I have been stuck at home with the kids for the last two years.

Writing takes my mind off having to think about what I'm going to do. It makes me look forward to the next day. Vickie Fulkerson 

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.

F. Scott fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby).

NO no? (used at the end of a sentence to ask if sb agrees with you or to check that you have understood sth correctly); ex: Maybe you had a dream. No?; The election is next week, no?; a no go (n. sin éxito, sin suerte, un fracaso); no-go (slang, adj. not ready, cancelled, not functioning, averidado, no listo); a no-no (sth, typically an action, that is objectionable or prohibited, sth forbidden, unacceptable, algo que esta mal, que no se hace, mal visto); ex:  Talking in the middle of a Broadway play is a real no-no; by no means, (not at all, not in any way, de ninguna manera); no great shakes (as/at sth) (unremarkable, not very good); no way! (refusal, disbelief; ni hablar!); not take no for an answer (​to refuse to accept that sb does not want sth, will not do sth, etc.); ex: You're coming and I won't take no for an answer!; yes and no (​used when you cannot give a clear answer to a question); ex: ‘Are you enjoying it?’ ‘Yes and no.’; close but no cigar (cliché, some effort came close to succeeding, but did not succeed. (Alludes to not quite winning a cigar as a prize.) Jill: How did you do in the contest? Jane: Close, but no cigar. I got second place; (there's) no point (in) (doing sth) ex: There's no point getting upset about it, let's just try to find a solution!; A: "What if we call the consulate?" B: "No point. They won't be able to help."; (it's) no use (To be futile or unnecessary); (it's) no wonder (It is not surprising or unexpected at all); be no ˈgood, not be any/much ˈgood (1 not be useful; have no useful effect); ex: This gadget isn’t much good; It’s no good trying to talk me out of leaving. (2 not be interesting or enjoyable); ex: His latest movie isn’t much good).

(it's) no use/good crying over spilled milk 

It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching. Francis of Assisi 

NOTHING nothing doing! interj. (certainly not, no way!, by no means); nothing much (not much (at all); very little), nothing to sneeze at (sth that deserves serious attention, esp. an amount of money); nothing to write home about (not especially impressive or remarkable)

OLD an old flame (an ex-lover, antiguo amor/amante); an old hand (at sth) (experienced person),  syn old-timer, veterano, perro viejo; old hat (out of date), ex: well, quiite honestly, most of it/the speech was old hat; the old man; the old school

POINT a case in point (an illustrative case, an example); a turning point (in sth) (the time when an important change takes place, usually with the result that a situation improves), ex: The promotion marked a turning point in her career, syn decisive moment, punto de inflexión; (be) beside the point, ex: Whether or not he's married is beside the point. (unconnected, irrelevant, ser irrelevante, no venir al caso); (be) on the point of doing sth (be about to do sth); get to/come to/reach the point (come to the most important thing that one wants to say), ex: That's all very interesting, I'm sure, but I do wish we'd get to the point; get the/sb's point (understand what sb wishes to express. ex: I didn't quite get your point; get/wander off the point (become vague, digress, lose the main argument, divagar, salirse del tema); have (got) a point (be right about sth, tener razón); make a point of doing sth (make sure of doing sth because one thinks it's important), ex: She makes a point of calling her grandmother every week; no to put too fine a point on it (frankly, speaking openly and bluntly, hablando sin rodeos); (don't) see the point of/in doing sth (understand the purpose or use of sth, no ver el sentido de, entender el porqué de algo); one's strong/weak point (the thing one can do best), ex: Spelling is my strong point; point taken (take sb's point, understand and appreciate sb's argument or attitude); that's the (whole) point (the essence, the most important thing one is trying to say); to the point (C2) ​(expressed in a simple, clear way without any extra information or feelings, ex: The letter was short and to the point. syn on topic, en tema; What's the point? (there's little use/purpose); ... (and) (what's) more to the point ... (what is more important or relevant, mas concretamente, mejor dicho, mas aun); up to a (certain) point (​to some extent; to some degree but not completely), ex: I agree with you up to a point; when/if it comes to the point (​used when you have to decide sth or say what you really think, en el momento de la verdad); ex: When it comes to the point, he always changes his mind; Syn when it comes to the crunch; when it comes/came to the point of paying ... (cuando llega/llegó la hora de pagar ... a la hora de pagar ...); Syn when it comes to the crunch; note the crunch (inf. 1.decisive moment, 2. crujido); that's just the point! (ahí esta!, esa es la cuestión!); (there's) no point (in) (doing sth) (some particular action will serve no purpose or will not yield any worthwhile results; ex: There's no point getting upset about it, let's just try to find a solution!; A: "What if we call the consulate?" B: "No point. They won't be able to help."

SHORT a short cut (faster method, quicker route, atajo, metodo simplificado); for short ex: My name’s Alexandra, or Alex for short; “Pat” is short for “Patricia” (as and abbreviation, para abreviar/ resumir, diminutivo); in short (C1) (in a few words, briefly, in summary, en sintensis/resumen, en pocas palabras); short and to the point (a speech, letter, short, direct and clear, breve, concisa y al grano); short of sth/doing sth (except/apart from, not including sth, without sth or without doing sth; unless sth happens), ex: There must be some punishment you can give him short of expelling him from school; Short of a miracle, we’re certain to lose; Short of asking her to leave (and we don’t want to do that), there’s not a lot we can do about the situation.

THAT (and/so) that's that / that was that (C1) an expression that shows that sth has ended; that is the end of the matter / concludes the matter; that finishes things; ex: You're not going to marry that boy, and that's that! You're not going to the party, and that's that; I won't agree to it and that's that Syn I won't discuss it any longer, 1. y sanseacabó, y ni una palabra más, 2 y ahí terminó la cosa); don't give me that! (nonsense!, stop making excuses, no me vengas con esas/cuentos/ rollos;) ex: 'I'm sorry, I forgot.' 'Don't give me that!'; that does it! (the last straw, said when sb or sth goes further than the limit of what is acceptable, la gota que colma el vaso) ; ex: That does it! I will not tolerate that kind of behaviour in this class; that will do (the job) (that is enough, that will suffice); that's about it (that is more or less everything); that's all (at the end of a statement, with rising entonation; that isn't a problem); that's all there is to it (after giving an explanation, it's not more difficult than I've told you); (oh, no!) that's done it! (that spoils/ruins things); that's for sure! (stands after a statement, that is quite certain); 1. expressing agreement, 2. fijo, lo aseguro, ex: This operation will relieve the pain in your abdomen, that's for sure!; that's it! 1. that's finished, 2. that is correct (eso es), 3. I've had enough; ex: That's it!, all this noise has got to stop!; That's it, you're fired: clear out your desk and leave!; that's just it! (that is precisely the issue, así es, eso es); that's more like it! (expresses encouragement/ satisfaction with sb's achievements, así esta mejor, así me gusta); that's rich! (ironic, that's ridiculous), ex: John?, that's rich, he's never put up a shelf in his life; that's the ticket! (an expression of satisfaction or encouragement, that is good, that is the right thing to do, bien hecho); come to that / if it comes to that ... (In fact; for that matter; what's more; si vamos a eso); that (used in negative constructions to emphasize or intensify some emotion; so, tan); ex: I honestly wasn't that upset when I lost my job. I had been thinking of changing careers anyway; It's not that easy to learn a new language after age fifty; (and) that ain't hay (and that's significant. Often used in reference to an amount of money); ex: He got a $5,000 bonus this year, and that ain't hay; (and) that's that (That is final; the issue is settled or completed; nothing more needs to be said; nothing more can be done; ex: Let's just say that's that and be done with it; I refuse to go with you and that's that!

THERE ... and there you are! (and there you have it, and there it is, it's done, and Bob's your uncle), there you are! (1. when giving or showing sb sth: "There you are," said Ruth as she handed me a cup of coffee; (aqui tienes); 2. just as expected, (ahí esta, ahí lo tienes): There you are, I knew you would pass the exam!; well, there you are!, I said so all along 3. when finding sb: There you are! I've been looking for you for ages. (ahí estas!); hang (on) in there! (do not be discouraged, ánimo, resiste, animo, no te rindas); there you go/she goes etc again! ​(used to criticize sb when they behave in a way that is typical of them), ex: There you go again, jumping to conclusions. (ya estas otra vez con lo mismo); (but) there/then again (alternatively, additionally, on second thoughts, on the other hand, however, aunque pensandolo bien, aunque por otro lado, aunque por otra parte), see (but) then again; there are no 'buts' about it! (no excuses are acceptable); (but) there it is (that's where the problem lies), ex: I can't allow in non-members, I'm sorry, but there it is; there is nothing to it (it's easy); there is (a bit/a lot/much) more to it than that (it is more complex than that; it is not that simple); there is no question (that ...) (there can be no doubt); there's no knowing/telling what, when, where, etc (one cannot know/be sure/say what will happen); there is no stopping/holding sb (sb cannot be prevented from doing sth), ex: Once Joe starts telling jokes, there is no stopping him; there is nothing (else) for it (expresses disappointment and resignation; there is no other way), ex: there's nothing else for it, we'll have to cancel the holiday this year; there's nothing in it (it is not true, it is only a rumour); there's nothing like + n (for doing sth/to do sth) (sth is better than everything else); (well) you('ve) got me there (I don't know the answer to your question, you know more than I do, you have pointed sth out that I am unable to explain, refute, or deny; ahí si que me has pillado, en eso tienes razón); There's a method to his madness (He seems crazy but actually he's clever)

THIN a thin excuse/margin/profit (small); (have) a thin time (a period of unpleasantness, lack of money, poor heath), ex: When I came out of prison, I had a pretty thin time; He’s had a thin time of it since losing his job; thin on top (becoming bold, not having much hair); (be) skating/ walking on thin ice ex: Honestly, I wouldn't even mention the new woman in work, or you could find yourself skating on thin ice with your wife; Syn be in an uncertain, risky situation; to be taking a risk, do sth risky, pisar terreno peligroso, estar en la cuerda floja), through thick and thin (despite difficult or troubling circumstances or setbacks; through good and bad times, en la dicha y en la adversidad)

THING for one thing (the first reason is, one good reason/argument is, en primer lugar), ex: No, you can't go out! For one thing, you can't afford it; (be) just the thin (exactly the thin that is needed); ex: Oh yes!, that would be just the thin; sure thing! (certainly, of course, claro, (algo) obvio; a thing of the past (sth/sb no longer in demand or of topical interest, etc; note: topical (currently relevant, de actualidad); it’s a good thing he didn’t see you (menos mal que no te vio); the good thing about it is that ... (lo bueno es que ...); it’s just one of those things (son cosas que pasan, son cosas de la vida); it was a close or near thing (race: fue una carrera muy reñida; accident: por poco/casi chocamos; escape: por un pelo; ex: I caught the train, but it was a close thing.

TIME (a) rough time (a hard or bad time); at times (occasionally, sometimes); (race/work) against time/the clock (with a quickly approaching time limit/deadline, as fast as possible); (it's only) a question/ matter of time (sth will certainly happen); (a) devil of a time (a very difficult time); desperate/ drastic times call for desperate/drastic measures; bide one's time (wait patiently and calmly, esperar el momento); buy time; do/serve time (be in prison); a fine time (to do sth) (ironic, a bad moment because it's unsuitable, inconvenient, too late, etc); for the time being (for the present time, for now, temporarily, de momento); from time to time (not often, occasionally); in no time (at all) (very quickly/soon); in time (referring to the future; eventually, con el tiempo, a la larga); (it's) about time! (impatience, al fin!), (it's) high time (the appropriate time, 1. ya era hora, 2 urgency: ya va siendo hora de que) kill time; play for time (use delaying tactics, try to win or gain time before being forced to do sth); take one's time (over/about sth) (not hurry); time flies (when you're having fun (time passes very quickly); time is money (don't waste time, el tiempo es oro); now is the/your time, (ex: look, they are all reduced). 

Einstein developed a theory about space. And it was about time too. Funny Novelty .

Being alone has a power over me that never fails. My interior dissolves (for the time being only superficially) and is ready to release what lies deeper. When I am willfully alone, a slight ordering of my interior begins to take place and I need nothing more. Franz Kafka (Diaries).

TOO too (very, completely), ex: Thank you, your're too kind; I’m not too sure I want to go out tonight; all/only too + adj/adv very (as an emphatic asertion or contradition to emphasize a positive meaning); No, John won't lend you any money, we know him all too well; I'd be only too pleased to help you; have (got) too many irons in the fire; it's (really) too bad of sb (displeasure, no tiene verguenza); es: It's too bad of you! (¿no te da verguenza?); It's/that's just too bad! (acceptance, humorous, que lastima!, que mala pata!; too bad ex: it’s too bad you couldn’t get tickets (es una pena or una lástima); if you don’t like it, (that’s) too bad! (si no te gusta, ¡peor para ti!); too funny for words (very funny, often a situation, a sight, etc); (be) too good to be true (of news, a pleasant surprise, etc); be too much (for sb) (​to need more skill or strength than you have; to be more difficult, annoying, etc. than you can bear); too right! (​UK) used to say that there is no doubt about sth, ex: ‘We need to stick together.’ ‘Too right!’; ‘I'll have to do it again.’ ‘Too right you will.’ too true (completely true, correct, eso es totalmente cierto); it is only too true that ... (es lamentablemente or desgraciadamente cierto que ...)

WAY all the way (slang, completely, siempre, de toda la vida); ex: "Which football team do you support?" "Manchester United all the way!"; I'm with you all the way (te apoyo en todo); have/ get one's own way (to persuade other people to allow you to do what you want, salirse con la suya), ex: My little brother always gets his own way; have it your own way! (C2) used to say in an angry way that although you are not happy about sth that sb has said, you are not going to argue; ex: Oh OK, then. Have it your own way! syn (como quieras, haz lo que te de la gana, lo que tu digas); get out of one's way to (do everything possible to help even if it's incovenient; have a way with sth/sb (have a talent, a skill in dealing with sb/sth); in a way / in some ways in a sense, to a certain extent, (en cierto sentido); (be/get) in the way causing an obstruction  impeding work, progress, etc. (estorbar, obstaculizar); in the way of (sth) as regards sth,  relating to (relativo a); no way! 1. refusal (ni hablar!, ni lo sueñes!, jamas), 2. disbelief (venga ya!, no te creo!); not know which way to turn to be in a state of worry and confusion; way ahead/behind/below/above far ahead, etc; way-out ahead of its time, unconventional (ultra moderno); have it both ways have advantages from two opposing things at the same time; you can’t have it both ways (tienes que optar por lo uno o lo otro); be (all) downhill | be downhill all the way (C2) ​to become worse or less successful, ex: I started work as a journalist and it was downhill all the way for my health; it was downhill all the way after that (got easier) a partir de entonces la cosa fue más fácil; (got worse) a partir de entonces la cosa fue de mal en peor; by a long way ​(by a great amount); ex: He was the best by a long way; clear the way (for sth/for sth to happen), ​to remove things that are stopping the progress or movement of sth; ex: The ruling could clear the way our extradition proceedings; cut both/two ways; ​(of an action, argument, etc.) have pros and cons, to have two opposite effects or results; ex: The promotion cuts both ways because though I’ll make more money, I’ll have to be away from my family more often; if I had my way (​used to explain what you would do if you had total control over sth); ex: If I had my way, smoking would be banned completely; (be/get) in the family way (old-fashioned) (to be/become) pregnant; (there are) no two ways about it (​used to show that you are certain about sth, no tiene vuelta de hoja), ex: It was the wrong decision, there are no two ways about it; pave the way (for sb/sth) ​to create a situation in which sb will be able to do sth or sth can happen, ex: This decision paved the way for changes in employment rights for women; see which way the wind is blowing (​to get an idea of what is likely to happen before deciding what to do); there’s more than one way to skin a cat (C2) (​saying, humorous) there are many different ways to achieve sth); to my way of thinking (C2) (​in my opinion); the way of the world (​the way that most people behave; the way that things happen, which you cannot change); ex: The rich and powerful make the decisions, that's the way of the world; my way or the highway (C2) (​used to say that sb else has either to agree with your opinion or to leave); (that's the) way to go! (used to tell sb that you are pleased about sth they have done), ex: Good work, guys! Way to go!; (that's the) way to go!, I wish I could do that!; where there’s a will there’s a way (​saying) (if you really want to do sth then you will find a way of doing it); one way and another (it's been a good year) (en conjunto); have a way with (sth) (have a special skill when working with sb or sth, tener talento/buena mano para), ex: She should be a writer, she's really got a way with words; that's the way the cookie crumbles (asi es la vida, hay que aceptarlo); look the other way (hacer la vista gorda); be in a bad way, ex: the economy is in a bad way (la economía va mal); he looked in a bad way (tenía mal aspecto); (take) the easy way out (least demanding solution; choose the less difficult option, la salida/el camino/solución facil), ex: It's the easy way out to blame others for our failure, and this is bad practice; the way (in the manner that): The way he talks, you'd think he ran the company.

WORD from the word go (from the beginning); have the last word (in an argument); a household word (a word or name that everyone knows; ex: McDonalds quickly became a household word. (sth/sb famoso/a, es el pan de cada día, personaje, marca famosa); in a word (briefly); mum's the word! (don't tell anyone, It's a secret!; one's last word (statement, offer); that's not the word for it!; ex: Cold? that's not the word for it. It was freezing; word for word (exactly, literally); word-perfect, able to remember and repeat sth exactly without making any mistakes; to be word-perfect saber perfectamente su papel); ex: By the evening of the performance, she was word-perfect; mark my words! (listen to me!, note what I say, used as a warning); ex: you'll regret it, mark my words!; mince one's words (not speak freely and directly); ex: stop mincing your words and just tell me straight what you think of my idea; nor in so many words (nor exactly expressed or stated, only hinted at it, mark my words!; words fail me! (an expression of shock, surprise, anger.

WORLD come/go down in the world (to lose the money and high social rank that you had in the past; ex: Fancy her taking a job like that, she's certainly come down in the world! (bajar en la escala social, venir a menos); go/come up in the world (to have more money or a better social position than you had before); ex: Roger and Ann have gone up in the world, these days they only ever travel first-class; (It's a) small world! (expression of surprise); a man/woman of the world (with a cosmopolitan background, experienced); not for the world (under no circunstances); on top of the world (in a very happy mood because of success, good health, etc; worlds apart (very different from each other

4. NOUN PHRASES

much ado about nothing (fuss for little reason, mucho ruido y pocas nueces); (play) a/the devil's advocate (sb who takes the opposite side or criticizes what he secretly favours); a blessing in disguise; a blot on the landscape (sth that spoils a situation, a factor one would like to remove); a bone of contention; a breath of fresh air (sb/sth that brings a refreshing and welcome change); a case in point; (build) castles in the air (make impossible plans); (there's) a cloud on the horizon (sth unpleasant which is threatening); (be) (quite) another cup of tea; (be); an armchair critic/expert, etc; sb's cup of tea; ex: football isn’t my cup of tea (a mí el fútbol no me va); a change of heart; change of scene/scenery (a move to different places or surroundings, un cambio de aires); child's play (a very easy task); a day off (un dia libre), take a day off (tomarse un dia libre); a drop in the ocean/bucket (in comparison to another very large amount); The elephant in the room (The big issue, the problem people are avoiding); the lesser of two evils; (the slightly better of two bad choices); a flash in the pan (a partial success which lasts only a short time; food for thought (sth that stimulates thought and careful consideration); (have) the gift of the gab (the natural ability of being a fluent, convicing, persuasive speaker), gabby (slang, talkative, charlatan; gab (n. talk, chat, v. talk a lot); ex: Being a shy person, gab is not my strong point; She loves to gab; (be) past/ancient  history; a home from home; hurler on the ditch (a know-it-all; an opinionated person who offers unsolicited and often unwanted advice on the best way to handle a situation); the icing/  frosting on the cake (the cherry on top/the cake); the jet set (fashionable people who enjoys a life of luxury), see a jetsetter, set (group, pandilla); I have made a new set of friends; set on doing sth (determined to do, determinado/ decidido a), ex: Marcus is set on getting into Oxford; jobs for the boys (pejorative, amiguismo, enchufes); a kick in the pants (strong criticism); the law of the jungle; a pack of lies (sth completely untrue), see (wolves: manada, dogs: jauria); (the/a) light at the end of the tunnel (a sign that sth difficult or unpleasant is almost at an end); the likes of (sb) (people similar to sb); beginner's luck; (It's) the luck of the draw (chance, una loteria, cuestión de suerte), ex: No one gets to choose the family they're born into; it's just the luck of the draw; the man in the street (common man, average person, ciudadano de a pie); (be) one's own man (a free and independent person); no laughing matter (a very serious topic or situation; sth that should not be treated lightly or as funny in any way; ex: Boys, this is no laughing matter. One of you could have been seriously hurt; mind over matter (the power of the mind: intellect, reason, willpower, etc. can overcome challenges or problems in the physical world); ex: I know you're scared, but if you're determined to learn to drive, you'll be able to do it; mind over matter; I know rock climbing looks impossible to many people, but it's really just a case of mind over matter; (a/another) nail in one's coffin; the name of the game (bottom line, the main factor, the real issue, essential ingredient that counts, purpose, where is at, (quid de la cuestón, el meollo del asunto); ex: Money, that's the name of the game these days, isn't it?; one for the (history) books / a turn-up for the books (1.a record-breaking or very remarkable act or achievement 2. (US) an unexpected, outstanding, or unusual event) see a turn-up (surprise);  pain in the neck; par for the course (what is expected, parte del proceso; ex: That's (about) par for the course, isn't it?; (eso es lo más normal), par (standard, normal, average); (a) penny for your thoughts (tell me what you're thinking); (be) a pie in the sky (a promise that is unlikely to be fulfilled); a piece of cake (a very easy task to do successfully); (weigh / weigh up / hear) the pros and cons (of sth) (the arguments for and against a matter); a rule of thumb (practical rule, regla de oro); the run of the mill (ordinary, average, común y corriente); a share/slice of the cake (a portion/ share of the profits, benefits, etc); a shot/leap in the dark (risky attempt/action, a random guess, an idea that one hopes will be correct); a step in the right direction (an improvement); a stick-in-the-mud (pej. sb with fixed views and ideas, cerrado); (the) laughing stock (object of others' amusement, hazmerreir), a stone's throw (a short distance); a storm in a teacup (UK, drama over sth trivial, see much ado about nothing); a perfect storm (the worst possible situation); kid's stuff (a very easy task that requires no effort); a thorn in the/one's flesh/side; the tip of the iceberg (only the beginning of a difficult situation); a turn-up for the books (surprise, sth (see/recognize) the writing on the wall (an event or indication which points to impending danger, misfortune or difficulty; a warning of bad things to come; the (hand)  writing (is) on the wall (for sb) (tener los dias contados) / (see) the writing on the wall (see the clear signs, versela venir); syn see (sth) coming (to foresee, predict, or prepare for sth well in advance of it actually arriving or happening); ex: I saw this coming: You've been working too hard for too many days in a row not to come down with a really bad flu; a fine how-do-you-do (dated, a difficult situation).

No matter what you're going through, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you'll find the positive side of things. Demi Lovato

Excellence is the name of the game, set yourself free from mediocrity. Judith Jamison 

Results are the name of the game. Jim Rohn 

That's the name of the game... pleasing the customer. If we ever lose sight of that fact, we've lost the ball game. Ray Kroc

What's the name of the game? Does it mean anything to you? What's the name of the game? Can you feel it the way I do? The name of the game (Abba)

I have seen the writing on the wall. Don’t think I need anything at all. All in all it was all just bricks in the wall. The Wall (Pink Floyd)

5. ADJECTIVE + NOUN

the acid test (the true test of the value of sth, la prueba de fuego), ex: It looks good, but will people buy it?; That's the acid test; a big deal (for sb) (slang, sth important); a bitter pill (for sb) (to swallow) (sth unpleasant to accept, a setback, rejection, refusal, defeat, disappointment); a blind alley (job: sth that has no future); a blind date; a/one's blind spot (lack of knowledge; ángulo muerto, punto ciego); bottom line (key/main/essential point, main thing/point/idea, crucial fact, result, final outcome, whole story, what it's all about, what's important (lo importante fundamental, la conclusión, en resumidas / a fin de cuentas. See the name of the game) the burning question  (an issue much discussed, important matter that needs to be solved urgently, ex ... but the burning question is will they ...?); a carbon copy (of sb/sth); a close call/shave/ thing (a narrow scape from sth unpleasant); a closed book (to sb) (1. sth sb knows nothing about, 2. a subject of the past that should no longer be discussed)  (with) a/the common touch (affinity with ordinary people, don de gentes); a confirmed bachelor  cold turkey (n. adj. adv. sudden withdrawal from sth addictive); cold comfort (small/ poor consolation); the daily grind (everyday work routine, la rutina diaria, la batalla, la lucha), a different/whole new ball game / a different kettle of fish (sth entirely different usually more demanding or complicated); (do) a double take (surprised response, mirar dos veces); (be) double Dutch (to sb) (unintelligible writen or spoken language, be all greek to sb); a double think (two contradictory opinions about sth); a down payment (a partial payment); (be) fair/easy game; a far cry (from sth) (very different form, often much better than); a fast back; fast living; (the) flip side (of sth) (another, less attractive, aspect; other side; el lado malo; el reverso de la moneda); a foregone conclusion (an obvious or inevitable result); funny business (slang,sneaky behaviour, cosas raras); (find) a/the happy medium (avoid two inconvenient extremes); home truths; (honest criticism meant to help which often hurts); the last straw (the ultimate provocation);  laughing stock (person who is the target/subject of mockery or ridicule after a blunder: If I mess up this speech, I'll be the laughing stock of the school!; a left-handed compliment (one of doubtful sincerity or which is ambiguous); (a) long shot; (a) lost cause; a loaded question (intended to trap sb); a low profile; a man/girl Friday (who does everythingin a office, etc); a meal ticket; ex: she’s just looking for a meal ticket, solo busca a alguien que la mantenga (vale de comida); a mixed blessing (one which also brings trouble, see a blessing in desguise); a near miss/thing (a fortunate escape from danger); the nitty gritty (the essential points, the basic and practical facts); an open book (straightforward and honest); an open secret; an open question (also 'open to ˈquestion'), (a matter that cannot be decided easily or that people hold several different views on); ex: Whether private schools give children a better education is open to question; It’s an open question whether meat is bad for you; a parting shot (a last hurtful comment; a final, usually critical remark made specifically to have an impact on the listener(s)); a passing fancy (a temporary liking for sb/sth); plain sailing (easy and straightforward); a put-up job (a pre-arranged matter); a quixotic project/plan etc (foolish and totally unrealistic); a random shot (a wilde guess); ex: take a random shot!; (give) a raw deal to sb) (unfair, harsh treatment usually of a moral or financial nature); red tape; (bureaucracy, trámites burocráticosa, papeleo); a rolling stone (without staying anywhere very long, see ... gathers no moss); a rough diamond (also a diamond in the rough); a person or thing with exceptional qualities or characteristics that cannot be seen from the surface; a rough guess (an approximate estimate or calculation); (go through) a rough patch (a time of personal or financial difficulty or trouble); (give sb) a rough ride (a painful or unpleasant experience); a rude awakening (an unpleasant shock, the sudden realization that things are worse than one believed); a/one's ruling passion (ex: ambition); a safe bet (sth that is sure to be successful, correct, what one expects it to be); (to be) second nature (to sb) (sth instinctive, algo natural, acto reflejo, sin pensar, costumbre); (have) second thoughts (about sth) (further thoughts that lead to a changed decision or opinion); significant other (partner, spouse, pareja, media naranja, alma gemela); (the/a) silver lining (the upside; positive aspect of sth bad, el lado bueno, lo positivo); small beer/potatoes (sth of little value or importance); (read) the small print (easily overlooked because of the small type); small talk (chitchat, trivial, unimportant or informal conversation, cotorreo, comadreo, cháchara); a soap opera (telenovela, culebrón); soft soap (flattery designed to get what one wants from sb); (have) a soft spot (for sb) (a special liking or weakness for sb/sth); (be) a soft/easy touch (sb who is easy to persuade, candido, bonachón, inocentón); a square deal (fair treatment morally, fair bargain financially, trato justo/equitativo); deal (inf. treatment, 2. slang story: what's your deal? (que te pasa?, cual es tu problema; que sacas tu de esto?); (be) a standing joke (un pobre hombre; algo que aqui siempre provoca risa); a stepping stone (job: sth used to progress, trampolin); (have/keep/ maintain) a stiff upper lip (a state of great self-control in the face of danger or bad news); a straight answer/talk (frank and open); a suggar daddy (rich, elderly man who favours a young woman financially); a sure-fire method/solution/ way) surefire: infalible, de éxito seguro; a sweeping statement (very general leaving out details, exceptions, etc); a tall order (a task/ request difficult to accomplish/ grant); a tall story (difficult to believe because it seems impossible or unrealistic); teething troubles (setbacks which arise at the beginning of a new enterprise which are expected to become fewer with experience); (give sb) the third degree (harsh and intensive interrogation); a third party (another person besides the two already in question); (be/put sb in) a (very) tight spot/corner (a difficult/ awkward situation); (the) top brass (people of the highest position, rank or authority); a tough customer (an unpleasant or dangerous person to deal with); (the/a major) turning point; (be)  an unknown quantity (an unknown factor which cannot be predicted and is therefore a risk, es una incognita); (the) upper crust (the aristocracy, the highest social classes) a vested interest (that involves personal gain); a vicious circle (a catch-22, the cause and effect of the problem lead to each other); a wet blanket; wishful thinking (imagining sth to be true because one wishes it to be true); a working breakfast/lunch/dinner (meet for a) 

The bottom line is that everyone thinks differently. Rihanna

The bottom line is to have fun and enjoy life. Rekha. 

There are going to be good days and bad days. Bottom line. James Mattis. 

The flip side of deficient saving … is overconsumption. R. S. Gay

It is still an open question, however, as to what extent exposure really injures a performer. Harry Houdini

 

6. IDIOMS WITH PREPOSITIONS. (Prepositional Idioms)

ABOUT about/high time (that/for sb to do sth); about to (do sth); (on the point of)

Life is not about finding yourself; Life is /,but about creating yourself. George Bernard Shaw 

AFTER after all; after all is said and done (after considering or doing everything), ex: It won't be easy, but when all is said and done, we'll be glad we did it).

AGAINST against (all) the odds / against all odds.

AS FOR sb/sth (on the topic of; regarding); as for me (as far as I'm concerned)

AS TO (sth/what/when/where/whether (or not)) (used when you are referring to sth; 1. Regarding or referring to; with respect to); ex: there are differences of opinion as to what happened; As to tax, that will be deducted from your salary.

No man for any considerable period can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true. The Scarlet Letter, N. Hawthorne

AT at (the) best/worst; at first sight/glance (superficially); at loggerheads with (in conflict with); at loose ends (feel unsettled or restless, perdido); at odds (over/with sth/sb); at sixes and sevens (confused); at the end of one's rope (out of energy or patience; exhausted or exasperated); at the end of the day; 

At the end of the day, life is about being happy being who you are. 

At the end of the day, life is what you make it (to be).

BETWEEN between the devil and the deep blue sea / between a rock and a hard place (faced with two equally dangerous or difficult choices or circumstances); ex: Trying to please two supervisors is like being between a rock and a hard place; This phrase dates from the early twentieth century; (just) between you and me / between ourselves (as a secret or private matter); draw a line between (two things) (To clearly separate or create boundaries for two things); ex: If you're going to work closely with your wife, you really need to draw a line between your professional life and your personal life.

BUT / BAR (except) I can resist anything but / except temptation. Oscar Wilde

BY (not) by a long shot; by all means (absolutely); by and by; by and large; (not) by far; (absolutely); by no means (not at all); by the way;

If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. Vincent Van Gogh 

 

FOR for nothing (in vain); for the time being (for now, temporarily) 

FROM from scratch; from what I gather; from where I stand (as I view or interpret a certain situation; from the get-go; (right) from the outset (immediately, from the very beginning); 

IN in a nutshell; in a/one/some way(s) in brief (in summary), in my/one's book (according to one's opinion, judgment, or values); ex: In my book, it's worse to run away from a fight than to start one; (In my opinion; from my perspective), ex: In my book, playing with character is more important than winning; You're OK in my book, kid; in between (in the middle of two things); (be) in high/low spirits; in keeping with (conforming to); in lieu of (sb/sth); in no way (by no means, not at all); in short (in a few words, succinctly); (up) in the air (plans: still undecided, not definite) (be/leave sb) in the dark (without information, not knowing what's happening); in deep waters(s) (in great difficulties; in a complicated or dangerous situation); in hot water (in trouble, facing punishment) in the way (obstructing sb or interfering in sth; impeding work, progress, etc., estorbar, bloquear); in (the) light of; in the end (basically, ultimately, al final); in the long/ short run/term; (be) (somewhere) in the region of; (be) in/of two minds (about sth/doing sth) (C1) (indecisive, undecided, see note; to be unable to decide about sth; unable to reach a decision or opinion about sth; dudar, estar indeciso) ex: I was in two minds whether or not to come this morning; (be) in/on the cards (likely to happen, possible, estar escrito); in plain English (clear, simple language); ex: Why can't they write these instructions in plain English?; (down) in the dumps (depressed, in low spirits); in one's element (in a natural situation, como pez en el agua); in a flash (very suddenly or quickly); in a jiffy (in an instant, en un abrir y cerrar de ojos / santiamén) in a fog (confused, uncertain about the facts); in full swing (in fully active operation); in the swim (of things) (politically, socially alert, metido en, al corriente, en la movida de); in the know (well informed); in the limelight (the center of attention or publicity); in the money (earning a lot of money); in the offing (likely to happen/materialize, a la vista, en perspectiva); in store (about to happen to sb, forthcoming, próximo, imminente); ex: I always read my horoscope in the newspaper to find out what is in store for me; in the pipeline (being developed, receiving attention in preparation, en proyecto); in a rut (stuck in routine, atrapado, estancado en la rutina); in the same boat (in the same difficult position); in step with (sb/sth) (in agreement/ harmony); (be/have sb) in stitches (in uncontrollable laughter); in trim (in good physical shape, fit and slim); (try/do sth) in vain (pointlessly, for nothing, en vano)

My philosophy, in a nutshell, is to wipe out the greatest amount of risk with the least amount of money. Alan Patricof

You can't become a decent horseman until you fall off and get up again, a good number of times. There's life in a nutshell. Bear Grylls

I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There's no in between. People will either love you for it or hate you for it. Eminem

I used to be 'indecisive' (in two minds) but now I am not (so/quite) sure. Tommy Cooper 

Note indecisive (in two minds about everything; 1. person: unable to decide; not good at making decisions: 2. results: inconclusive; not having a clear meaning, no concluyente); undecided (1. person: having yet to decide; indeciso sobre algo; ex: Kathy is undecided about whether to go to Ian's party. 2 (issue: unresolved, sin decidir, sin resolver): ex: The question of who should be the team captain remains undecided.

In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. (Pride And Prejudice, Jane Austen) 

OF of one's own accord (voluntarily); of a kind/sort / of sorts (follows a noun) (1. of an inferior kind in the speaker's opinion, de algún tipo; ex: John is a pianist of a kind 2. similar to one another; parecidos)

Two of a kind (movie, John Travolta and Olicia Newton-John)

OFF (way) off the mark (wrong, incorrect or mistaken); off the top of my head (spontaneously, improvising); off color (unwell not looking or feeling as well as usual); off the cuff (remarks: improvised, without preparation or previous thought); off form (not performing as well as usual, either physically or mentally); off limits (outside the allowed limits); (way) off the map (a place not shown on the map, remote or insignificant); off the record (unofficial, confidential, oficioso, extraoficial, confidencial)

ON on account of (sb/sth) (because of, due to); on and on (an on) (continuously and tediously, sin parar); on my word (take my word for it); on no account (by no means, not at all); on second thought(s) (having reconsidered sth); (be); on the ball (alert); on cloud nine; on edge (tense); on the brink/verge of (doing sth); on the downside (the con/disadvantage is; por otro lado, el lado negativo es que); on the face of it (at first glance/ sight, on the surface); on the ground that/of (because); on the line (at risk); on the point of (doing) sth (about to/close to sth); on the rocks (slang, in trouble, failing); on the surface (superficially)

OUT out of the blue (suddenly and unexpected); out of the question; 

OVER over my dead body (in no way); over the moon;

THROUGH through thick and thin (en la dicha y la adversidad)

TO to the verge of; to the point (pertinent, relevant); to the point of (doing) sth (to such an extent that a stronger description could be used: The restaurant staff were unhelpful to the point of rudeness; His remarks were unkind to the point of being cruel).

WITH with flying colours (very well, very successfully, with a very high mark); (be) with it; (be) with sb (on sth)

WITHIN within an inch of doing sth (be very close to doing sth)

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS in part; in question; in vain (for nothing); in the right; on top of the world 

7. IDIOMS WITH MODAL VERBS. (Modal idioms)

CAN  can’t wait (to do sth/for sth/sb to do st): to be excited about sth; can’t stand + gerund (in general)/infinitive (at the moment): to strongly dislike sth; can’t bear + gerund (in general)/ infinitive (at the moment): to strongly dislike sth because it makes you unhappy; can’t take (it/ sth): cannot tolerate sth; can’t be bothered (to have no interest in sth, not willing to make the effort to do sth) can’t help it/doing sth to have no control over sth; You can't have your cake and eat it too.You can't have everything; we, you, he, etc. can/could/might do ˈworse (than...) (it is a good idea to do sth; sth is a good decision); ex: If you’re looking for a good career, you could do worse than a job in banking.

COULD we, you, he, etc. can/could/might do ˈworse (than...); (one) could use (sth) (One needs sth; one would be or feel better if one had sth.); ex: After the week I've had, I could use a night out; You could use a new suit, that one's looking pretty shabby; could of, should of, would of (a common misspelling of the phrase "could've, should've, would've," used to dismiss one's or someone else's regrets or worries about past actions or the lack thereof); ex: I wish I had given myself an extra day off before going back to work after my vacation. Oh well—could of, should of, would of; A: "Should I have said more during that presentation?" B: "Eh, could of, should of, would of. It's over now, so there's nothing more you can do."

HAVE (GOT) TO have/be (sth/nothing) to do with (sth) (To be related to or associated with sth, tener que ver con); ex: Sally's unhappiness has to do with the way you insulted her. My illness has to do with my stomach. 

MAY may/might as well (have no reason not to); come what may (no matter what will/might happen; be that as it may (despite sth; even if what you say is true, sea como fuere, en cualquier caso); ex: Yes, my daughter made a mistake. But be that as it may, this punishment is much too severe; Gather ye rosebuds while ye may (carpe diem, sieze the day); as the case may ˈbe (used to say that one of two or more possibilities is true, but which one is true depends on the circumstances; ex: There may be an announcement about this tomorrow, or not, as the case may be; devil-may-care (attitude: recklessness, despreocupación, temeridad) (person: cheerfully or defiantly reckless, temerario, despreocupado; approach: reckless); may the Force not be with you (used to wish sb failure or ill fortune, usually humorously. An antonym of the catchphrase "may the Force be with you," adapted from the media franchise Star Wars and used in everyday English as a humorous way of wishing sb well); ex: A: "I've got an interview for that job at the local book publisher." B: "Hey, I'm interviewing for that job, too! Well, may the Force not be with you, I guess!"; may the force be with you (In general use, the phrase is often a humorous way of wishing sb success or good fortune); ex: A: "OK, I'm heading off for my final exams." B: "Oh, wow. May the Force be with you!"

Be that it may, all animals belong in the wild. Unless of course you're Human. Lake Dawson

They were careless people, Tom and Daisy; they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made; F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Yet, Nick has suspicion as to what Gatsby tries to hide behind his seemingly devil-may-care attitude and his multiplicity of summer parties. The Great Gatsby

Sinónimos: devil-may-care: happy-go-lucky, casual, careless, easy-going      

Gather ye rosebuds while you may. Old time is still a-flying. And this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying. To the Virgins, to make much of time, (Robert Herrick, siglo XVII).

MIGHT we, you, he, etc. can/could/might do ˈworse (than...); might as well (should do sth, typically because there is no reason not to; have no reason not to; would be the same, ¿por que no?; tambien podría, para el caso); ex: The deadline is today, but you might as well send it in anyway—they may still accept it; A: "Are you going to work late tonight?" B: "I might as well. I have nothing else going on."; It might as well be winter, with all this cold wet weather we're having 

MUST a must (n. that which is requisite, necessary, or indispensable); ex: I know this book is a difficult read, but it's an absolute/downright must if you enjoy literature; Taking the introductory course is a must if you want to sign up for the advanced class.

OUGHT TO there ought to be a law (sth objectionable that has happened or that sb did should be against the law); ex: Behavior like that is just disgusting to me. There ought to be a law, I tell you!; How can the flight be overbooked? I paid for a ticket, so I should have a seat on the plane. There ought to be a law!

SHALL as you sow, so shall you reap; see East is East and West is West (and never the twain shall meet) (proverb); see As you sow, so shall you reap / As a man sows, so shall he reap Things will happen to you good or bad, according to how you behave; Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed (If you do not expect good things to happen, you will not be disappointed when they fail to happen).

SHOULD (sb) should be along (is or will be coming); (one) should be so lucky (That is very unlikely to happen or be the case. The phrase is used sarcastically or with a sense of resignation); ex: A: "Do you think you'll get the promotion?" B: "I should be so lucky!"; You think Paula likes Brad? He should be so lucky!; could have, should have, would have / could of, should of, would of 

WILL boys will be boys (A phrase of resignation used when boys get into trouble or are stereotypically reckless or rowdy); ex: When my sons tracked mud all through the house, I had to remind myself that boys will be boys; A: "Aren't you upset that they got into that brawl?" B: "Oh, boys will be boys."; will be along (Is or will be on one's way; is or will be coming. Other modal verbs, such as "should" or "would," can be used instead of "will); ex: John will be along soon. He just had to make another stop on the way home; I thought Janet would be along by now.

WOULD (I) would if I could (I would like to do whatever has been asked of me, but I am unable to. Sometimes used humorously or sarcastically; ex: A: "Isn't there anything you can do to expedite our claim?" B: "I would if I could, really, but my hands are tied; A: "Hey, would you please clean out the gutters like I asked?" B: "Ah, sorry, would if I could, but I really must be going."; (sb) would be along (sb is or will be coming); could have, should have, would have / could of, should of, would of (a common misspelling of the phrase "could've, should've, would've," used to dismiss/reject (idea, descartar) desestimar) one's or sb else's regrets or worries about past actions or the lack thereof); ex: I wish I had given myself an extra day off before going back to work after my vacation. Oh well, could of, should of, would of; A: "Should I have said more during that presentation?" B: "Eh, could of, should of, would of. It's over now, so there's nothing more you can do."; As (good) luck would have it (quiso la suerte que ...)

TO BE TO TO BE + To-Inf. is an idiom which is used to refer to: 1. A future arrangement or plan, ex: Their daughter is to be married soon; 2. A future requirement, ex: You are to be back by 10 o’clock; 3. Intention; ex: If he’s to succeed in his new profession, he must try harder.

NOTE. The future meaning of TO BE TO is particularly emphasized when it is accompanied by 'still' or 'yet' ; ex: The most severe weather is yet / still to come. The implication here is negative: “has not yet come.”

NOTE. TO BE TO must not be confused with an apparently identical construction in which BE is followed by a nominal or adverbial infinitive clause; ex: The problem is to find a solution.

8. IDIOMATIC CONJUNCTIONS / IDIOMS WITH CONJUNCTIONS

AS IF / AS THOUGH 1. So many bad things happened all at once, it's as though life itself were against me; 2. He acts as though he's some famous author, though really he's only ever published a single short story.

Dream as if you will live forever; Live as if you will die today. James Dean

AS IF / AS THOUGH/LIKE (do sth) as if/though/like there is no tomorrow; (do sth without thinking about future) (see as if there was/were/ain't). 

Live life like/as if/as though/like there is no tomorrow

Live life today as if/as though/like there is no tomorrow and learn as if your life depens on it. Marie Obradovic

BUT (FOR) (1.except; 2. were it not; ex: We would never have won but for your help). 

IF if anything; if at all; if at all possible.

IN ORDER (FOR SB/STH) TO DO STH / IN ORDER THAT / SO THAT  / SO AS TO

(with modals: can, would, will, etc) (1. for the purpose that, 2 with the result that)  

In order for a man to be truly evil, he must be a woman. Craig Reucassel

I shut my eyes in order to see. Paul Gauguin

LET ALONE / NOT TO MENTION (much less)

SO THAT / SO (with the particular aim or purpose of; in order that)

I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. Marilyn Monroe

SO ... THAT (To such a strong degree or extent (of some quality or characteristic) that something happens or is the case as a result. Used with an adjective between "so" and "that.")

I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying. Oscar Wilde (The Happy Prince and Other Stories)

(BUT) THEN AGAIN / THERE AGAIN / BUT THEN on the other hand; on second thought.

(SO) WHAT IF? (supposing, an expression used to speculate about sth).

Don't think about whatifs, don't worry until you know there is something to worry about! 

Don't worry about “Whatifs”. Simplify and  and focus on “What Is” (important).

What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet. Woody Allen 

What if nothing exists and we're all in somebody's dream? Woody Allen ·

 

So what if / who cares if I don't know what apocalypse means? It's not the end of the world! Ralph Bender

   9. IDIOMATIC INTERJECTIONS & EXCLAMATIONS

as if! (sceptical, used to express the speaker's belief that sth is very doubtful or unlikely and would never happen; pero for favor!, si, como no!); ex: A: "Tim thinks he's going to go to the prom with you." B: "As if! I'd rather go by myself." You're going to help me clean the house? As if!; (totally) awesome! (slang, great, fantastic); (Just) because! (with no good reason); big deal! (so what?, who cares?); break a leg! (good luck!); come on! (disbilief, encouragement) (5), see a come-on (5), fancy that! (how surprising!); far from it! (not at all); for God's sake / for  heaven's sake / for pity’s sake / for mercy's sake! (surprise, anger, exasperation, annoyance or frustration; ¡por piedad!; (less seriously) ¡por el amor de Dios!);  get with it! (see "it"); get away (with you)! (expressing disbelief) ¡venga ya!, ¡anda ya!; (joking) ¡no digas bobadas!; get to the point! (cut to the chase, speak directly); get out (of here)! (diebelief: venga ya!), ex: You bought that shirt for $10?, get away!/get out (of here!); get lost! (disgust); good heavens! (surprise); God forbids! (perish the thought!, no quiero ni pensarlo); hang (on) in there!; (be patient, things will work out, no te rindas!); have it your (own) way! (haz lo que quieras!); hold your horses! (wait!);  knock on wood / touch wood (said in order to avoid bad luck); my foot! (certainly not, de so nada!); oh my! / my word / oh (my) Gosh! (surprise, astonishment); Ouch! (When hurting yourself); no sweat! (no trouble, piece of cake, relax!); (there is) no way! (absolutely not, no chance, never); no chance! (that is extremely unlikely, refusing: ni hablar! dismissing a possibility: que va!, para nada!), ex: You want to borrow dad's car? No chance!; perish the thought! (God forbid!, Dios no lo quiera/me libre); So far so good (all is well up to this point, por ahora todo bien, bien hasta ahora); ex: How do I like retirement? So far so good. But ask me again in six months; So what? (I don't care); sure thing! (strong affirmation) tell me about it! (I know and I agree because I have experienced the same thing); there! (approval, ahi está!);  there you go! (that's the way!, good job!); time flies! (when you are having fun); wait a minute/moment/sec(ond)!; way to go! (1. that's the way to go!, well done!, 2. humorously); yeah, right! / yeah sure! / oh yeah? (disbelief); You're telling me! (I know all too well the truth of what your are telling); You can say that again! (slang, I totally   agree with you, yes: emphatically); you don't say! (expressing disbelief, get out of here, venga ya!); you rock! (slang, 1. you're great!; eres genial!, 2. thank you!, que grande!) 

10. BINOMIAL IDIOMS (IDIOMATIC PAIRS)

A binomial pair is an expression containing two words that are joined by a conjunction (usually “and” or “or”). The word order of a binomial pair is usually fixed. Below is the list of most common binomial in English you should learn.

PAIRS OF NOUNS (put) body and soul (totally, physically and mentally); (no) ifs and buts (excuses); (know) (the) ins and outs (of sth) (details often difficult to explain or understand); one's bread and butter (one's means of earning money/making a living; hustle and bustle (ajetreo); heart and soul (adv./n. with all one's being, ​with a lot of energy and enthusiasm); ex: They threw themselves heart and soul into the project; odds and ends (chismes); (be) part and parcel (of sth (integral part of, parte integral de); (the) pros and cons, ex 1. n. weigh (up) the pros and cons; 2. pro-and-con (adj): for and against, ex: The class debated the pro-and-con arguments around nuclear power; give and take (compromise, willingness to do what the other wants); the haves and the have-nots (people wiht money, privilege and influence and people without these); (move) heaven and earth (to do sth) (try everything possible to do sth); by hook or by crook (in spite of any difficulty, by any method whether fair or unfair); stuff and nonsense (foolish talk, ideas, beliefs, etc); the thrills and spills (successes and failures, excitement and dissapointment; touch and go (n adj. critical, close to success and failure, life and death, etc, situación inestable, situación impredecible); ex: it’s touch-and-go whether he’ll survive no se sabe si sobrevivirá; we made it, but it was touch-and-go (lo conseguimos, pero por los pelos); the ups and downs (good and bad moments, altibajos); the whys and (the) wherefores (the reasons for sth, the purpose behind sth, el/los porqué(s), las razones).   

PAIRS OF ADJECTIVES black and white (clear); cut and dry (plans: already decided or prepared, claro y simple, preparado de antemano); down and out (n. adj. homeless); far and wide (everywhere), wide (adj. slang, shrewd, astuto); first and foremost (primarily) (leave sb) high and dry (abandoned, tirado); (search/hunt) high and low (for sth) (all over the place, everywhere); (be) home and dry (respirar tranquilo, tener éxito); (a little/bit) rough and ready (1. unpolished but fit for purpose, method: improvised, without preparation; 2. not polite or very educated); safe and sound (unharmed); sick and tired (bored to the point of weariness, annoyed, or frustrated); slow but sure (slow but good); (talk about) this and that / this, that and the other (various things); what with this, that and the other I was busy all week (entre una cosa y otra estuve ocupado toda la semana); they sat talking of this and that (sentados, hablaban de esto y lo otro)

PAIRS OF ADVERBS as and when (when it becomes necessary to do sth, whenever); ex: We'll worry about that issue as and when it arises, all right?; first and foremost (most important; coming before all other things); by and large (on the whole), few and far between (seldom, very few); (know the) ins and outs; on and off (also 'off and on', intermittently); ups and downs (highs and lows); more or less (approximately, roughly, practically); neither here nor there (not relevant or important); now and again/then (not often, occasionally, de vez en cuando); up and about (recovered and in good health)

By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth, George Carlin

PAIRS OF VERBS give and take (make compromises, yield); give or take (approximately, plus or minus); make or break (v); make-or-brake (ad. success or failure, decisivo, crucial); take it or leave it (it is this or nothing, you have no choice); touch and go (situacion impredecible); do or die / do-or-die (1. make the greatest possible effort in a one-and-only opportunity, critical situation, a todo o nada, a matar o morir, 2. de vida o muerte); ex: It's do or die for our team today (a matar o morir); Tomorrow's game is a do-or-die situation for the struggling team (de vida o muerte); forgive and forget (forget enmity); grin and bear it (suffer sth unpleasant with optimism an in good humor; suffer without complaint; aguantar el tirón); ex: There is nothing you can do but grin and bear it; I hate having to work for rude people. I guess I have to grin and bear it; hit and miss (unpredictable, unreliable, inestable); ex: The weather is very hit and miss for July, rain one day, sunshine the next; wait and see (wait patiently); (you) live and learn (become wiser, gain more experience with age, nunca te acostarás sin saber una cosa más, todos los dias se aprende algo); (it's) sink or swim (survive / be successful or fail, todo o nada); wait and see (wait patienly

Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway. Joey Adams  

IDENTICAL PAIRS again and again (mil veces); all in all (on the whole, in general); bit by bit (in small stages/steps, gradually); by and by (in a while, as time goes by, in the course of time; luego, tarde of temprano, eventually); ex: Be patient! I'll get around to it by and by (luego; I’ll be with you by and by (enseguida estoy contigo); you’ll be sorry by and by (con el tiempo/no tardarás en arrepentirte); day after day (every day); day in (and) day out (every single day without change); from door to door; little by little (gradually, at a slow rate); over and over (again) (repeatedly, continually); (go) on and on (an on) (continuously and tediously, without stopping, sin parar); step by step (litle by little, one step at a time, slowly, Incrementally); through and through (thoroughly, utterly, completamente, de pies a cabeza, hasta la medula, saber: de pe a pa); time after time / time and (time) again (repeatedly, many times); on the up-and-up / on the up (health, general situation: improving; increasingly successful). see the sky's the limit (anything is possible; there is no upper limit; there is practically no limit); ex: You can do anything you set your mind to, Bill. The sky's the limit.

All in all you're just another brick in the wall. Pink Floyd 

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS dos and don'ts (rules and regulations, normas, pautas); face to face; hand in hand; likes and dislikes (preferences, gustos); live and learn (proverb, gain knowledge and experience, todos los dias se aprende algo); peace and quiet (calm, lack of interruptions, tranquilidad, calma, paz); the whys and (the) wherfores (el porqué);

TRINOMIALS (fell for sth) hook, line, and sinker (completely, se trago el anzuelo); on and on an on this, that and the other (thing); ready, willing, and able (eager to do sth)

11. VERBAL IDIOMS (Phraseological Idioms)

BE be done for (slang, doomed); be down to sb/sth (be caused by; ex: The accident was entirely down to human/driver error); be down/up to sb (to do sth) (be the responsibility or decision of sb, ex: It’s down to you to check the doors and windows before we leave); be dying for sth/to do sht; be flying/riding high; be like (slang, say: expressing attitude, ir en plan de, ex: He was like, "I don't want to do that"; (but) be (all) that as it may (despite that); be tickled to pink; be/come up against a brick wall; be up to scratch (dar la talla)

BREAK break the ice (see icebreaker); break a leg! (good luck!); make or break (adj; v.).  

COME when it comes to (be about / relate to); come/boil down to sth (be essentially); come hell or high water, come/be up against a brick wall; come to that (In fact; for that matter; what's more, y si vamos a eso), ex: Most Americans have never been to a different country; come to that, many haven't even been to another state; come what may (whatever happens, pase lo que pase)

(It's funny how) when it comes to giving advice, I can tell you a lot; (but), when it comes to  helping myself (my problems) however, that becomes an entirely different matter / I just don't know what to do (with myself).

The end of life is not to be happy, nor to achieve pleasure and avoid pain, but to do the will of God, come what may. Martin Luther King Jr.

Survival is fighting, every single day, to climb out of the ruins and into the unknown, come what may. We are all as strong as we have to be. Kayla Olson 

DO a do (n. a party; a social event); ex: I’m having a do for a friend this weekend. Would you like to come?; do (to serve a purpose well. Usually with will or won’t); ex: This will do quite nicely; do/turn the trick (to bring about the desired result; be sufficient for, ser suficiente, bastar); do/serve time (be in jail); do the job/trick; do (sth) over (repeat often because of a bad start); do or die 1. (critical situation, todo o nada, matar o morir): It's do or die for our team today, 2. adj, a do-or-die situation; do a double take (look surprised, look twice at sb or sth because you are surprised, tener que mirar dos veces); ex: When I told him the news, he did a double take (cuando le di la noticia no se lo creía); do sth on the fly (do sth quickly without thinking, while moving, por el camino); do sth on the sly (secretly; do sth without having other people notice); ex: She did it on the sly. Her husband never had a clue; He made lots of money by doing it on the sly; do sb's heart good (be good for sb emotionally; ex: I think listening to some classical music would do your heat good; Getting straight As did her heart good; be/have to do with sb/sth (be related to, connected or concerned with sb/sth); ex: ‘What do you want to see me about?’ ‘It’s to do with the letter you sent.’ I’m not sure what he does for a living but I know it’s something to do with computers; ((do) you) know what I'm saying (does that make sense or sound correct? Do you understand or agree with what I mean?); ex: I would just rather spend the time relaxing at home than dealing with all the hassle of travel. Know what I'm saying?

You don't have to slay a dragon to be perceived a hero, smiling at someone at the right moment might also do the trick. Jury Nel

FEEL feel like (doing sth/it) (1. to desire to do sth: We all got bored and felt like leaving. I feel like ordering a cup of coffee; 2. to desire to have sth: I feel like a cup of coffee); feel blue (feel sad, depressed, or glum, triste, taciturno, melancólico); feel small (To feel insignificant or see oneself negatively). ex: After that disastrous meeting with my boss, I've never felt so small in my life; He is such a jerk and always insults her so that she feels small.

'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, 'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had. (The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald).

There are so many things that we wish we had done yesterday, so few that we feel like doing today. Mignon McLaughlin  

GO go ahead (do sth as planned, avanzar, llevar a cabo); go against the grain (be unnatural, unconventional, hacer lo contrario de lo esperado/habitual); go/swim against the tide (ir contracorriente); go ballistic (become furious); go/quit cold turkey; go down the drain (be ruined, lost); go downhill; go far (in life); won't go very far (last); go/get/head nowhere; go on and on (and on) (about sth) (slang, continuously and tediously, sin parar) go somewhere (make progress); go cold and hot (shudder, shiver); go to the wall (company: fail); go through the motions (of doing sth) (cubrir el expediente, hacer algo sin estar convencido); go with the flow (take a relaxed approach, dejarse llevar); go/swim with the tide (follow what everyone else is doing); go the (whole) nine yards (do sth to the fullest extent possible, llegar hasta el final)

I don't have a philosophy in a nutshell; I would go on and on too much. Rene Ricard

To go against the grain is the secret of bravery. Dejan Stojanovic

Punk is about being an individual and going against the grain and standing up and saying 'This is who I am. Joey Ramone

Deep down, most adults hate people who go against the grain. Marilyn Manson

GIVE give sb the creeps (disturb or frighten); give (sb) the thumbs up/down (the go-agead; the gree light; the approval, the yes; the refusal, the rejection, the no); given the fact that; give (sb) a piece of one's mind (scold harshly, cantar las cuarenta a, decir lo que se piensa a); ex: he got a piece of my mind le dije cuatro verdades, le canté las cuarenta; see to say one's piece; give sth a whirl (try sth new); ex: Judith had never been surfing before, but she thought she'd give it a whirl.

HAVE have a long way to go; have a weakness for (have a special affinity for sth/sb, find sth/sb irresistible); have/get cold feet; have your back against/to the wall (in trouble, entre la espada y la pared); have/keep your eye on the ball (be alert/attentive); 

KNOW know the ropes (know how to do sth properly, from sailing crew, estar/ponerse al tanto); know/see where sb is coming from; know where sb is getting at; know where sb is going.

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Lewis Carroll 

MAKE make a point of doing sth; make (both) ends meet; make light of sth (treat as unimportant); make time for sb/sth (reserve, sacar); make time (compensate for time lost); make/hit the big time (be a success); make sb sick (make sb angry or full of horror, be weary or bored of sth/sb); make the grade (succeed at sth, estar a la altura); make waves (1. stir up trouble or controversy, causar problemas, malmeter; 2, make an impression, causar sensación); make (sth) count (to ensure that some action has the most beneficial or effective result possible ex: We only get one shot at this, so let's make it count!); make a clean break (from/with sb or sth) A complete removal from a (usually negative) situation, relationship, or attachment, with no intention of returning; ex: After spending years in an emotionally abusive relationship, Patrick finally decided to make a clean break and leave his girlfriend; (one) made (one's) (own) bed (One must endure the unpleasant situation that they have created. A shortened version of "(one) has made (one's) (own) bed and (one) will have to lie in it" (and all similar variations); ex: I don't feel at all bad that he has no friends after having sold everyone out on his way to the top. He made his own bed; It really sucks that I lost my job because of what happened, but I guess I made my own bed; make or break (1. verb To cause either to succeed or to fail; to cause either a positive or negative outcome; ex: When you're young, you often think that big obstacles will either make or break you, but as you get older you realize that it's not that simple; 2. adjective Describing such a scenario. In this usage, the phrase is usually hyphenated) ex: This shot is make-or-break for the home team.

Make it count. Meet at the clock. (Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo di Caprio, "Titanic").

PUT put/set the record straight; put (one's) heart and soul (into sth); put/lay sth on the line (also be in the line) (risk, jugarselo todo)

SAY to say/speak one's piece (to say what you are obviously wanting to say; state opinion, decir su opinión, decir lo suyo; decir uno lo que tiene que decir); say/cry uncle (admit defeat, admitir la derrota).

SEE see the point of; see/know where sb is coming from; see eye to eye (with sb on/about sth); see how the land lies (to find out about or come to understand a particular state of affairs or the way a situation has developed, esp. before taking any decisive or definitive action); ex: Given the turbulent nature of this market, I think it would be prudent for us to see how the land lies before we agree to invest in your company; I'm just seeing how the land lies between my parents before I make any solid plans to come visit them; if you see/know what I mean / if you catch my drift / If you get my meaning (If you understand the underlying meaning, insinuation, or implication of what I'm saying); ex: The boss wants the snitch "taken care of," if you see what I mean; All I'm saying is that I won't be very sad if she breaks up with her boyfriend, if you see what I mean.

TAKE take (sth/sb) for granted / take it for granted (that ...) (belittle, undervalue, dar por hecho/ sentado, subestimar, no valorar); take (great) pains to do/over sth (make a great effort to do sth); take (sth) into account; take/seize the bull by the horns (bite the bullet); take sb's word for it; (you can) take my word for it (le doy mi palabra, se lo aseguro); Take sth with a pinch of salt (no tomarse muy en serio); take a (good) look at sb /sth (have a look at sb/sth (to observe or examine sb/sth); ex: I asked the doctor to take a look at my cut; Would you please have another look at your work? It is not complete.

Sometimes it takes a good fall to really know where you stand. Hayley Williams

If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. J.K. Rowling

WITH MORE VERBS 

add fuel to the fire/flames (worsen); (and, to) add insult to injury; bark/be barking up the wrong tree; bear/keep (sth) in mind (that/the fact that); beat about/ around the bush; (be)labor the point (insist on sth); bite/hold your tongue (keep silent); bite the bullet (take the bull by the horns, enfentarse al toro); bite the dust (die, end, fail); blow hot and cold (about sth); blow it (fail); boil the ocean (taking up an almost impossible or overly ambitious project  boogle the mind (amazing, see mind-blowing: astounding); bring (sth) to light; call a spade a spade; call it a day; comparing apples to oranges (comparing two things that cannot be compared); dodge a/the bullet (avoid sth unpleasant); draw the line (set a limit); drive/ram (sth) home (sth/the fact that) (emphasize, stress); fighting a losing battle; flying/ riding high; fly off the handle; hang (on) in there (keep trying, persevere); hit/miss the mark (succeed/fail in doing sth); hit the roof/ ceiling; jump the gun (runner: start too soo; do sth too soon; precipitarse, adelantarse); miss the boat (lose your chance for sth); kill the goose that lays the golden eggs; kill two birds with one stone; leave no stone unturned (take great pain to do sth); live/lead the life of Riley (a life of great ease, comfort, or luxury; darse una buena vida); live high on the hog (vivir como un rajá); lose your head (get hysterical/ overexcited, perder los estribos); move heaven and earth (to do sth) (make a major effort to do sth); nip (sth) in the bud; play your cards right (act sensibly, cleverly); pull (one's) weight (do your share of work); push one's luck/ push things; read between the lines; ring a bell / ring any bells (sound familiar); ring the changes (on/with sth) (do sth in a different way); rock the boat (make/cause trouble); (not) see eye to eye with sb (about sth) (agree with); seize the day (to take the opportunity to do what you want stright/right away, at the present moment without worrying much about the future; see carpe diem; "Carpe diem" is my favourite motto: a great excuse to party!); set/start/keep the ball rolling; speak one's mind (be honest and frank in a very direct way, hablar claro, franqueza, decir lo que uno piensa); stand your ground (maintain your stance/ viewpoint/ position, mantenerse firme); (there are/there's) no two ways about it (there is no doubt that this is so/the case); (there's) nothing to it (a piece of cake, easy to do); throw caution to the wind(s) (1. to become very careless; to abandon one's cautiousness in order to take a risk, ex: You can't live life completely reserved, you know. You've got to throw caution to the wind every now and then; 2. often humorous; stop caring about how dangerous sth might be; start taking risks: I decided to throw caution to the winds and buy myself a really expensive pair of shoes. Contrast tread ˈcarefully, ˈwarily, etc. (be very careful about what you do or say); ex: The government will have to tread very carefully in handling this issue; throw in the towel (surrender, give up, cry uncle); tie the knot (get married); tighten your belt (spend less); turn over a new leaf (pasar página); walk/float on air (feel extremely excited or happy); carry the day (win, be successful against sth/sb, ganar, salir victorioso); ex: We hope that our team will carry the day.

You bite the bullet and get on with it. One can't expect to be happy all the time ... You expect to be happy, as if it's a right. It's not a right. It's a bonus. The cherry on the cake. Santa Montefiore (The French Gardener)

12. IDIOMATIC PHRASAL VERBS

These phrasal verbs cannot be understood from the individual meanings of the verb and preposition. These phrases are idioms, which means that their meanings are unpredictable, or opaque (they can’t be guessed). In a way, these phrases are similar to individual vocabulary words: the verb-preposition pair has a unique meaning, and we learn that unique meaning the way we learn individual vocabulary words; 'carry out' means ‘accomplish’, a meaning that has no clear connection to the words carry or out; ex: I should be grateful if Smith would 'carry out' these investigations; 'give up' means surrender, and doesn’t appear to connect to the meaning of give or up; ex: I learned last season not to give up; 'jot down' (write, make a note of, tomar nota, apuntar); harp on (at sb) about (sth) (ex: Brexit, talk incessantly, nag, no parar de hablar, estar siempre con lo mismo, dar la vara); My mother always harps on at me about doing my chores; crow about (sth) (brag about, alardear); mull over (sth) (ponder, consider sth for a long time, sopesar, reflexionar, darle vueltas); ex: He paused to mull over his various options before making a decision); muster up (sth) (build up: energy, courage, armarse de, conseguir, reunir); fawn over (sb) (be ingratiating, adular a); ex: I can't stand the way my colleague behaves around the boss; he's always fawning; I hate the way everyone fawns over her because she's a celebrity;  face up to (sth) (bullies: face; stand up to), hash out (sth);  (negotiate,  discuss sth; debatir); ex: Peter and Frank hashed out their differences and are friends again; work (sth) out (sth) 1. ​to develop in a successful way (salir): ex: My first job didn't work out; how did it work out? ¿qué tal salió? 2. solve, (UK) to find the answer to sth, 3. to work out a plan (idear/urdir un plan), 4 understand (sth/sb); ex: I just couldn’t work it out no lograba entenderlo; 5. exercise; wolf (sth) down (chow down, to eat, often quickly or enthusiastically).

COME come about (happen or occur); ex: How did such a complicated situation come about?; come across (find by chance); ex: Julie came across some photographs of her grandparents in the attic; come up with (produce a plan or idea); ex: Sacha came up with a great idea for the party; Come up (appear, occur or present itself unexpectedly); ex:"The subject came up at the meeting."; "Sorry I'm late. Something came up at the last minute."

DO do without sth (B2); do (sth) over (redo, do again); do away with sth (prohibit sth, make sth not available; ex: They tried to do away with coffee in some cultures to little success; Anytime they do away with something people want it even more.

FALL fall for sth (be fooled into believing sth); fall out (with sb) (argue with), see fallout (aftermath, efectos negaivos, secuelas); in the aftermath (following a disaster).

GET get around to (doing) sth / to sb (to be able to deal with sb or sth eventually), ex: I will get around to you in a moment. Please be patient; get sth across (to sb) (make one's ideas clear to sb); get at (​used to ask, esp in an angry way, what sb is/was suggesting), ex: what are you / was he, etc. getting at?; I'm partly to blame? What exactly are you getting at?; see know/see what/where one's getting at? (understand sb's point), ex I'm not sure ('I know') what you're getting at. Compare know/see where you're coming from (understand your point of view); get by (without/on sth) (cope, manage, ir tirando, arreglarselas con); get (sb) down (make sb feel sad or depressed, bring sb down; hundir); get sth down (write sth down); get through (sth) (succeed, endure); get (sb) through (sth) (help sb to succeed); get through (1. ordeal: survive, superar, sobrevivir, salir adelante; 2. task: complete); get through to (sb) (1. make understand, 2. reach: on the phone)

I think the only way to get through this life is laughing hard and constantly, mostly at myself. Shannon Hale 

In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. Mortimer J. Adler

 

PUT put (sb) off of (sth) (cause sb to dislike sth, pospone, discourage) ex: The experience definitely put her off (of) traveling to Europe again anytime soon; I don't want to put you off, but that make of car you're thinking of buying is very hard to maintain; Tom's a nice guy, but his habit of putting himself down all the time is a real put-off); 1.desalentar, 2. unattractive thing).

Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well. Mark Twain

TAKE take (sb) aback (surprise, dejar de piedra); take to (doing) sth (come to enjoy, job, acoplarse), ex: She has taken to her new job with enthusiasm); start liking (puppy dog: encariñarse), see take to doing sth (start: doing habitually, dar por, aficionarse a, tomar la costurmbre de, ex: Police have taken to stopping motorcyclists at random.

MORE PHRASAL VERBS back (sth/sb) up; bring about (cause sth to happen); bring off (achieve, accomplish); call (sb) up (1. on the phone; 2. military service; 3. cause one to remember sth; 4. verb To initiate a discussion on a particular topic or issue); carry (sb/sth) off (1. succeed in doing sth, 2. kidnap); carry (sth) out (accomplish, llevar a cabo); come about (happen); cross one's mind; dwell on sth; figure (sth) out (B2) (understand); go on (an on) (about sth); let (sb) down (B2) (see a letdown); muster up (build up/gather/make); pay off (in the end) (B2); point (sth) out (remark on, comment upon); pull (sth) off (succeed in doing sth, carry out, sacar adelante); put (sth) off (see off-putting); settle down; show off (see a show-off) (B2); stand for (3); stand out; stem from sth; stick with sth/sb; tell (sb) off (scold, reprimand); turn out (that/to be/to have, to happen, to end up, ex: it turned out that ...); work out (solve, exercise, understand); ex: Marc is a moody character; I can't work him out.

It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter. Marlene Dietrich

Sometimes forgiveness is a tough thing to muster up. And forgetting? Well, you have to find the forgiveness first. Hopefully the forgetting will come...with time. Mike West

If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything. Gordon A. Eadie

Why fit in when you were born to stand out?  Dr. Seuss

13. PHRASAL-PREPOSITIONAL VERBS

back out of sth (echarse atras); cry out for (need); cut out for (hecho para); come down to (sth/ question word) (be essentially, reducirse a); come up with; do away with (get rid of, put an end to); fall back (decrease, retreat); fall back on (sth) (resort to, rely on); fall through (fail to happen); get (a)round to (doing) sth; get down to (doing) sth (start, ir al grano); ex: It's time I got down to thinking about that essay; Let's get down to business; get on with (sth) (do sth without delay; ponerse a/con); ex: You bite the bullet and get on with it; get out of (sth) (free yourself from an obligation; get through to (sb) (make sb understand, reach sb on the phone); look up to sb (admire); look down  on sb (feel superior to, menospreciar); look forward to (sth); make up for sth (compensate for sth, counter, outweigh); make up to sb (fawn, adular, hacer la pelota); make it up to sb (for sth) (make amends, compensate); put (sth) down to (sth) (attribute, consider as a reason); put up with sb/sth; run out of; set out to (intend, mean, proponerse); shy away from (sth); stand up for (sb/sth) (defend).

You bite the bullet and get on with it. One can't expect to be happy all the time ... You expect to be happy, as if it's a right. It's not a right. It's a bonus. The cherry on the cake. Santa Montefiore (The French Gardener)

In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. Mortimer J. Adler

A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a (tactful) way that you’ll look forward (with pleasure) to (making) the trip.

Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.

Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.

In order for a man to feel whole, he needs someone to look up to and someone to look up to him. Pamela Anderson

I always arrive late at the office, but I make up for it by leaving early. Charles Lamb. 

I never set out to be weird. It was always other people who called me weird. Frank Zappa

If you have enemies, good that means you stood up for something. Eminem

14. IDIOMS WITH KEY WORDS FROM SPECIAL CATEGORIES

NUMBERS

at one time I used to ... (at a time in the past); for one (thing) (for one reason, among other reasons) ex: No, you can't go out! For one thing, you can't afford it; I/you, etc for one ... (to take at least one example of a person, yo, por ejemplo); I for one (personally, in contrast to others); ex: Well, I for one enjoy classical music, even if none of my friends do; (it's) back to square one (back to where one started); one of a kind (sb unique, único en su especie/ género); be at one with sb (share the same view, in harmony); one fine day (suddenly on some unspecified or unremarkable day, un buen dia, el dia menos pensado), ex: My father decided one fine day that he wanted to buy a camper van and travel the country on his own; one of these days (soon, before long); one of those days (a difficult day); (it's) all one to me/him etc (it's all the same, it makes no difference, I don't mind); (be) one in the eye for sb (sth unpleasant, a nasty shock/surprise, un aténtico varapalo); (look after/take care/think about) number one (slang, dated, oneself); ex: Max is very selfish. With him, it's look after number one and let the rest of the world go to hell; the/one's number one (one's direct boss, the head person, etc); One-horse town (a town or village that is very small; it has a small population. The image is that nothing ever happens in the town; it is boring and quiet); (be) in two minds (about sth) (be undecided); cut two/both ways (with two opposite effects); in two shakes (of a lamb's tail) (very quickly and without difficulty, en un santiamén); put two and two together (and guess that ...) (make a correct guess; deduct sth from the information/facts known  (have) two left feet (you have terrible coordination in your movements and terrible balance. You would be a bad dancer or footballer); Two's company; three's a crowd; On all fours (crawling); ex: 'I got down on all fours trying to find the coin I had dropped.' Take five (minutes); ex: 'I'm tired of walking, let's take five.' At sixes and sevens (over sth) (We use this British English expression when are confused or in a state of disorder; a/the/ one's sixth sense (the power of intuition that warns one against danger); six feet under (humorous, dead and buried; (Be in) seventh heaven; (To be in seventh heaven means to be very, very happy about sth); On cloud nine (C2) (very happy, in excellent spirits; like 'seventh heaven', this expression is used when sb feels very happy because of sth great that has happened to them); (go) the whole nine yards (as far as possible; the entirety of what's possible or available; all the related elements of sth, 1, ir hasta el final, 2. el paquete completo); ex: I want a traditional wedding, with the cake, the dress, the whole nine yards; a nine days' wonder (a flash in the pan, flor de un dia); nine times out of ten (almost always, in most cases); a nine-to-five job, attitude, mentality, etc (a way of thinking or attitude to life that reflects routine); (A) perfect ten (A perfect ten is used to describe sth that couldn't get any better; it is already perfect); ten to one (It is extremely likely that); ex: Ten to one John will be late again; At the eleventh-hour (This idiom is used when sth happens at the last possible moment just before the deadline or end); a hundred-to-one shot/chance (a guess not likely to be right; a small chance not likely to bring success); One's (lucky) number comes up (one is lucky, has good fortune, wins money); ex: I've told my family that when my number comes up we'll go on a long holiday; one's number is up (sth bad will happen); (It is one's time to die, suffer, or be punished); ex: My only wish is that I don't feel any pain when my number is up.

SIZE

that's about the size of it (that's a fair description of the situation, problem, matter. etc); every inch + noun (thoroughly; through and through); ex: Richard has excellent manners. He's every inch a gentleman; be miles away (be day-dreaming); ex: sorry, I was miles away (lo siento, estaba pensando en otra cosa); see sth a mile off (see/understand sth that is very clear/ obvious); ex: Derek is crazy about Jane; You can see it a mile off; stand/stick out a mile (be easy to notice or differentiate); talk a mile a minute (chatter continuously and rapidly)

ANIMALS

bee the bee's knees; bird an early bird; a home bird; a lone bird/wolf; a rare bird; an odd bird;/fish; (strictly) for the birds (inferior, undesirable, no vale para nada, para tirarlo a la basura); the birds and the bees (lesson about sex for children); kill two birds with one stone (to achieve two things by doing a single action); bug bug sb; bull take the bull by the horns;  butterfly have/get butterflies in one's stomach (feel physical discomfort because of nervousness); cut play cat and mouse (with sb); cow cash cow (lucrative, la gallina de los huevos de oro, producto muy rentable); (wait) till the cows come home; chicken chicken feed (a very small amount of money); chicken out (of doing sth); to be chicken (dejarse intimidar); be a chicken (ser un cobarde); play chicken; egg (it's) a chicken and egg situation (es aquello de la gallina y el huevo; egg sb on (encourage, alentar a); ... but don't count your chickens (before they...) (make plans); the chickens are coming home to roost (ahora se ven las consecuencias)  dog (be) a dog's life; go to the dogs; let sleeping dogs lie (to leave a situation alone so as to avoid worsening it, ex: Oh, don't mention that fight they had months ago, let sleeping dogs lie!; dog-eat-dog (world) (n. selva, adj. cruel, despiadado); donkey (for) donkey's years (a very long time); duck (be) a sitting duck; a dead duck (sth that will not succeed, causa perdida, hombre muerto); fish a cold fish; a fish out of water; neither fish nor fowl (neither one nor the other, ni chicha ni limona; hare run with the hare and hunt with the hounds (support both sides of an argument); horse back the wrong horse (make a wrong choice); ... but if you ... that's a horse of a different color; beat/flog a dead horse (persist far beyond any purpose or reason, predicar en el desierto); (straight) from the horse's mouth; hold your horses!; (It's) horses for courses (this expression refers to the fact that horses race better on a track that suits them, (cada uno en lo suyo, en cada caso es distinto), ex: it's a case of horses for courses, we need a qualified engineer, not a plumber; horse around (with sb) (behave in a silly or frivolous way; hacer tonterias, hacer el tonto/payasadas); lion the lion's share (of sth) (the largest and best part); owl night owl/ bird (nighthawk, nocturnal, sb who is active at night, noctámbulo, que vive la noche, ave nocturna); pig when pigs fly (never); rat the rat race (la lucha por la supervivencia), ex: it’s a rat race (es un mundo muy competitivo); rat on sb (slang, betray sb to the police); I smell a rat (detect, sense that sth is wrong);  turkey (go) cold turkey (n. adj. adv. quit without support); talk turkey (talk seriously and frankly with sb); whale have a whale of a time (enjoy oneself very much); wolf a wolf in sheep's clothing; keep the wolf from the door (have enough money to avert hunger or starvation, evitar la miseria); wolf (sth) down (chow down, to eat, often quickly or enthusiastically).

I think if you don't really like a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all, and if you do like her, then you're supposed to like her face, and if you like her face, you ought to be careful about doing crumby stuff to it, like squirting water all over it. It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes. J.D. Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye)

COLOURS  

black be in the black/red; a black day; a black list (see v. blacklist sb); the/a black sheep (of the family); (down) in black and white (writen down); blue a blue film/movie (obscene); a blue-collar worker/job (obrero, trabajador manual, working class, labouring, ex: a blue-collar family); (come like a bolt) from the blue (like a sudden surprise or shock, usually unpleasant); feel blue (feel sad) once in a blue moon; (very rarely); out of the blue (appear/turn up/say/ask suddenly, unexpectedly); until/till one is blue in the face (C2) (talk, argue continuosly but without result); a true blue (of the political right, conservative); brown (be) browned off (annoyed, upset, bored, fed up, disgusted, irritated, harto, molesto); golden (miss a) golden opportunity (to do sth) (ideal moment to do sth); a golden handshake (indemnización por despido); green be green (naive, trusting through lack of experience); give sb/get the green light (approval or permission, go-ahead); green with envy; the green-eyed monster (envy, jealousy); grey gray matter (one's mind, powers of reasoning, etc); pink in the pink (healthy); (be) tickled to pink (very pleased); red red tape (bureaucracy, tramites, gestiones burocráticas, papeleo; see red (get angry, lose yor temper); red flag (a signal that sth is wrong); red ink (an euphemism for financial loss); a red-letter day (a particularly significant day); white a white-collar worker/job (non-manual, professional, middle class, oficinista); white-collar crime (delito de guante blanco); whiter than white (totally fair and honest); yellow yellow journalism (with sensationalistic and questionable accuracy and taste)

UNITS OF TIME

hour the small/wee hours (of the morning/night) (the very early hours after midnight); minute the minute that ... (as soon as); not for a minute (not at all); moment at any moment (very soon); (this is) the moment of truth (a deciding instant); (It's) now or never (you have to do sth right now); to/till the last (to the very end/possible moment, esp until death, to the end of one's life, to the conclusion; ex: I kept trying to the last; He died protesting his innocence to the last; They loved each other till the last.

PARTS OF THE BODY

arm a shot in the arm (1. injection, 2. sth that does a person good, a boost, sth revitalizing, inyección de ánimo/enerigia); back break the back of sth (overcome, do the hardest or biggest part of sth); put one's back into sth (work very hard, mentally or physically); blood new blood (sb new to a job); bone a bone of contention (manzana de la discordia); bone idle (extremely lazy by nature); make no bones about (doing) sth (do or say sth frankly without hesitation, although it may not be pleasant); (a bit/too/rather) near the bone (joke, remark, song); (tell/give sb) the bare bones (of sth) (a bare outline, the essential or main facts of a matter); brain rack one's brain(s) (about sth) (think very hard to find a solution); chest get sth off one's chest (say/admit sth often unpleasant); ear play it by ear (act according to the situation, without a definite plan); be all ears (listen attentively); wet behind the ears (inexperienced and naive); eye catch sb's eye (attract sb's attention); there is more to (sth) than meets the eye (this is not what it seems, aqui hay gato encerrado, no es oro todo lo que reluce; las apariencias engañan); ex: It seems like he's vanished into thin air, but that's impossible. There's more to this situation than meets the eye; easy on the eye (pleasant to look at); have (got) an eye for sth (fashion, art, color, talent, be a good judge of it); see eye to eye (with sb on sth); (have the same opinion, agree); open sb's eyes (see eye-opener: sth surprising or revelatory); make sb realize the truth often unpleasant about sth); face face the music (meet criticism, negative judgment, punishment, etc, afrontar las consecuencias); face to face (two people together); in the face of it/sth (1. ​as a result of sth, when threatened by or confronted with): He was unable to deny the charges in the face of new evidence; (2. ​despite problems, difficulties, etc): She showed great courage in the face of danger; keep a straight face (not laugh even though you find sth very funny); let's face it! (admit the truth); a slap in the face (rejection, insult, defeat, setback, loss, disappointment); lose face (lose the respect of others, be humiliated); finger have (got) a finger in every pie (be involved in many activities, concerned with many matters, often for personal gain); put/lay one's finger on sth (define, identify or discover sth, what is wrong or the reason for it; work one's fingers to the bone (work very hard manually for a long period of time usually because one needs the money); keep one's fingers crossed (for sth) (wish for luck with a situation); finger lift a finger (To help with sth; often used in the negative to indicate a lack of willingness to exert even the bare minimum of effort); lift (or stir) a finger (or hand) (make the slightest effort to do sth, esp to help sb). ex: I clean every weekend, and you never lift a finger to help!; He didn’t lift a finger to help me when I was in trouble; She does all the work in the house. Nobody else lifts a finger; foot/feet foot the bill (to pay for sth often unwillingly or for another person) my foot! (to express disagreement: certainly not, ex: An accident, my foot! It's obvious he did it on purpose; feel/find one's feet (to become familiar with and confident in a new situation; ex: Did it take you long to find your feet when you started your new job?); put one's foot in it (do or say sth foolish, tactless, offensive; make a blunder); fall/land on one's feet (get out of an unpleasant situation by being lucky); get cold feet (abandon sth due to anxiety, hecharse atras); hair keep your hair on! (calm down, don't get angry); make one's hair stand on end (frighten/horrify sb); split hairs (focus on trivial things, hilar muy fino, buscar tres pies al gato); hand at hand (near, close by); (be) hand in glove with sb (ser uña y carne; trabajar en estrecha colaboracion); have/gain/get the upper hand (over sb) (gain advantage in a fight, competition, etc, empezar a dominar); give/ lend sb a (helping) hand (help sb physically); give sb a big/good hand (applaud sb); give sb / have (got) a free hand (in doing sth) (give sb pernission to do as he wishes); hand over fist (continuously, a manos llenas); ex: to be making money hand over fist (ganar dinero a manos llenas); in hand (under control, being undertaken, be dealt with, estar bajo control); hands down (easily and without any doubt, by far); ex: They won hands down; It is hands down the best movie this year; win/beat sb hands down (very easily with a clear lead); off hand (without preparation, improvisadamente); (be/get) out of hand (C2) (out of control); go cap/hat in hand (to sb) (​to ask sb for sth, esp. money, in a very polite way that makes you seem less important, ir a mendigar a alguien); ex: There’s no way he’ll go cap in hand to his brother;  (because) on (the) one hand ... (but) on the oher (hand); head be hit/beat/bang (one's) head against a (brick) wall; be laughing (one's) head off; be unable to make head or/nor tail(s) (out) of (sth) (understand); have a big head (To be conceited, arrogant, or self-aggrandizing); (way) above your head (Being too advanced or difficult for one to be able to comprehend or understand); Opposite: be/fall wide of the mark; ex: I thought I could handle this advanced math class, but the stuff we're learning is just way above my head; hit the nail (right) on the head (To be absolutely right; to be correct or accurate; say sth that is exactly right); ex: ‘So you want to move to another department.’ ‘You’ve hit the nail on the head. That’s exactly what I want’; You really hit the nail on the head with that answer, good job; heel head over heels in love (completely); an/one's Achilles heal (weak spot), ex: His Achilles heel is his love of rich food; cool/keep one's heels (have to wait, be kept waiting); leg not have (got) a leg to stand on (in an argument, be illogical, unreasonable, faulty no sustentarse, no tener apoyo); pull one's leg (tease, tomarle el pelo, burlarse); stretch one's legs (take a walk in order to get some neccessary physical exercise)

You don't understand! I could'a had class. I could'a been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it! (On the waterfront)

Your savings will grow without you/your having to lift a finger. Bank of America

Sometimes, life drops blessings in your lap without your lifting a finger. Serendipity, they call it. Charlton Heston 

I broke my finger last week, on the other hand I'm ok., IP Daily

PROPER NOUNS (in "masculine" idioms)

 

a smart alec(k) / a clever Dick (a know-it-all, sb who enjoys showing his superiority); Achilles' heel (weak spot, weakness, vulnerability); ex: His Achilles heel is his love of rich food.  Damocles’ Sword (refers to an impending disaster; a danger or disaster that could occur at any moment; (Ladies and gentlemen) Elvis has left the building (the show or event has come to an end; It’s over, that’s it, there’s no more, finito); ex: That ball is flying, and it looks like... yes, it's a homerun! Elvis has left the building, folks!; Hamlet without the prince (a performance or event taking place without the principal actor); Herculean Task (an extremely difficult task; an almost impossible undertaking) Jack a jack of all trades, ex: he’s a jack-of-all-trades and master of none (es de los que mucho abarca y poco aprieta, sabe un poco de todo pero no es experto en nada); before you can/could say Jack Robinson (extremely quickly or suddenly); jack (sth) up (1.car: rise; 2. slang prices: increase; ex: Some restaurants jack up the price of cold drinks during spells of hot weather; Johnny-on-the-spot (US, dated, 1.readily available person, persona que siempre está disponible, 2. sb who is present at a crucial time);a doubting Thomas (a sceptic); Murphy’s Law? (a humorous and fictional “rule” that says anything that can go wrong will go wrong. In other words, if there is any possibility of sth bad happening, it will); Hobson Hobson's choice (with no choice at all, take it or leave it); Reilly the life of Reilly (live high on the hog, life of luxury, vida de lujos, dolce vita, vidorra); even-steven(s) 1, adj. completely equal, fifty-fifty; empatados; ex: The two teams were even-steven(s) at halftime; 2. adv. equally, en partes iguales; ex: We'll split the winnings even-stevens. Tom, Dick and Harry every Tom, Dick, and Harry / every mother's son / every man Jack (of us/them) (every single person, everyone without exception, anyone at all, indiscriminately); ex: Kate's being very selective as to who gets invited to the wedding, as she doesn't want every Tom, Dick, and Harry turning up.

 

PROPER NOUNS (in "femenine" idioms)

 

Eve on the eve of (just prior to, justo antes de, en visperas de); ex: On the eve of his election, a scandal broke out; 2 (31st December, vispera año nuevo, nochevieja); ex: On New Year's Eve a lot of people go to parties and let off fireworks; New Year's Eve is the 31 December; Katy Bar the Door (When sb says Katy bar the door they mean get ready for trouble; sth bad is about to happen); Pandora's box (all the miseries of the world flew out of the box, including hunger, disease, war, greed, anger, jealousy, toil, and every hardship man has ever known since);  Sally an Aunt Sally (fair game, laughing stock, standing joke, sb who is a target for ridicule or criticism); long-tall-Sally (a particularly tall, thin woman or girl).

Meaning and origin of Pandora’s Box 

Opening Pandora’s box is the same as opening a can of worms. It refers to a process that, once began, results in many unforeseen problems which were previously covered up. To open Pandora’s box is to let things get out of control.

Origin

The idiom is one of several common idioms arising from Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first mortal woman, created by Zeus, with help from other Gods, who gave her gifts. In fact, her name meant all gifts. One of those gifts was a box containing what was supposed to be a great treasure. Pandora was told to never, ever open this box.

15. IDIOMS COMPARISONS

COMPARISONS WITH "Like" 

(know sth) like the back of one's hand; (like a bolt) out of the blue (unexpectedly or surprisingly; without warning); like hitting/banging your head against a (brick) wall); (smoke) like a chimney (a lot); like crazy/mad/hell (with great intensity or speed; very fast, hard, etc); like a cat on hot bricks / like a cat on a hot tin roof (one who is anxious, nervous and unable to sit still, relax or keep calm); (treat sb) like dirt (badly); (take to sth) like a duck to water (get used to sth new quickly and easily; like flogging/beating a dead horse (pursue a hopeless cause, darse cabezazos contra la pared); (get on) like a house on fire (1. very friendly and compatible, 2. make fast progress with a task or piece of work); like looking for a needle in a haystack; (feel) like a million (bucks/dollars) (extremely good and happy); (sleep) like a log/baby; have (got) a memory like an elephant (have an excellent memory, esp. for things that happened long ago); have (got) a memory like a sieve (a bad memory, often and easily forgetting things); like a red rag to a bull (a certain topic: provoke anger, violent argument or dispute; (be off/back/ in) like a shot (immediately, with great speed and energy); (stick out) like a sore thumb (it is obvious and can be seen easily; it is difficult to hide, be very conspicuous, llamar la atención, dar el cante); (swear) like a trooper; (work) like a trojan; (spend money) like water; (It's) like pissing in the wind (wasting your time); (It's) like shooting ducks on a pond / like fishing in a barrel (easy action with guaranteed success); (It's) like taking candy from a baby (very easy); (It's) like walking on eggshells (to act with great care and consideration so as not to upset sb).

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof a 1958 American drama film directed by Richard Brooks. It is based on the 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives, Judith Anderson and Jack Carson.

COMPARISONS WITH "as"

as bad as all that (as bad as one fears; as bad as it seems (usually expressed in the negative), ex: Oh honey, come on!, stop crying. Oh honey, it can't be as bad as all that. I'm sure your teacher will be understanding—you're not the first person who ever forgot to do her homework; as clear as day(light)/cristal, (obvious, sb's intentions, understand a situation); clear as mud (used ironically when sth is not clear at all); as cold as ice; as cool as a cucumber (calm, controled and relaxed, at a time of upset, difficulty or danger, como si tal cosa, fresco como una lechuga); as cunning as a fox; as different as night and day; as easy as ABC/pie/ anything; as easy as falling off a log (very, very easy, más facil imposible); as far as possible (as much as possible), ex: She went as far as possible in trying to get the project approved; (as) fit as a fiddle (in good physical condition, physically healthy, rebosante de salud); as free as a bird; as good as done (almost done); as good as gold (1 baby: Obedient and well-behaved, portarse como un angel, un santo, 2. painting, etc: authentic and legitimate); as green as grass (inexperienced or new to sth); as happy as a clam/king/lark/the day is long; as honest as the day is long; as hard as nails (cruel and very hard); as alike as two peas / like peas in a pod (in a pod), (vey much alike in appearance, identical to one another, como dos gotas de agua) see two of a kind; as mad as a hatter (crazy); as miserable as sin (unhappy, in a dull mood, sad, fig. destrozado); as near as dammit (vey close, very nearly but not quite; as plain as day (facts: simple, clear); as pleased as Punch; as right as rain (1. in one's best emotional and physical condition; 2.genuine and true); as quick as lightning/a flash (in one's thinking or in physical actions); as safe as houses (business risk, investments: secure and stable, not likely to collapse, ex); as sharp as a needle/razor (intelligent and quick-witted, perceptive); as soon as possible (at the earliest moment possible); (be/go/turn/look as white as a sheet/ghost

Promises me I'm safe as houses as long as I know who's wearing the trousers … I hope he never lets me down again. Depeche Mode, (Never let me down again).

16. IDIOMATIC EMPHASIS

A lot of adjectives can be made ‘stronger’ by the addition of another word or words. In most cases, these words are used as a substitute for 'very' or 'extremely' (sometimes because 'very' and 'extremely' do not collocate (work) with the adjectives that are being used). For example: I’m awake = I’m wide awake / I’m warm = I’m as warm as toast.

dead 1. adv. can be used as an informal substitute for 'very' in many cases. For example, dead easy, dead right/straight (totally correct), dead slow, dead wrong (completely wrong), dead funny, dead right, etc. 2. adj. complete: The project was a dead failure, and accomplished nothing (absoluto fracaso).

downright (1. adv. thoroughly, sumamente, extremadamente; ex: The roads are getting downright dangerous with the heavy snow; 2. adj. (thorough, utter, total, absoluto)

I am afraid that woman appreciate cruelty, downright cruelty, more than anything else. They have wonderfully primitive instincts. We have emancipated them, but they remain slaves looking for their masters, all the same. They love being dominated. O. Wilde (The Picture of D. Gray).

The party began at eight o’clock, and by midnight Jim was blind drunk (drunk as a lord); He never listens to my advice. He’s as stubborn as a mule!; I’m bored stiff/rigid sitting here. Let’s go out and do something; She goes to the fitness centre every day, so as you can imagine she’s fighting fit; (healthy and strong; en forma); Our holiday was dirt(-)cheap: we only paid £150 for the flights and two weeks in a four-star hotel (very inexpensive, baratisimas), see dirt(-)poor; It was a lovely day and the sea was dead calm, so we decided to go for a swim; (total stillness, calma total); Alison is hopping mad: someone borrowed her dictionary and didn’t return it (very angry, fuera de quicio, loco de ira); wide(-)open (fully open, abierta de par en par; opposite: shut tight); flat/stony broke (having no money, arruinado, a dos velas, seco, en las ultimas); brand (spanking) new (sin estrenar); picture(-)perfect (US, ideal in appearance, para una foto, impecable; see as pretty as a picture); barking mad (as mad as a hatter; insane or crazy, mas loco que una cabra); fast/sound asleep (dead to the world; sleeping deeply, sopa); stinking rich (extremely rich, podrido de dinero); as old as the hills (joke: very old, ancient, mas viejo que Matusalen); cristal clear; great big (rat: huge, enorme); as easy as pie (exam: pan comido, coser y cantar); dog(-)tired (exhausted, molido); deadly boring/dull (class: extremely boring; aburrimiento mortal, muermo); dead beat ('beat' here is informal word for  'tired') (completely exhausted, muerto); as cool as a cucumber (calm and relaxed, como si tal cosa, fresco como una lechuga) 

Several verbs can also be emphasised using idioms. 

These include: Smoke like a chimney  (smoke a lot); drink like a fish (drink heavily); sell like hot cakes (sell a lot of items very quickly): ex: The new TR76 model mobile phone is selling like hot cakes; sleep like a log (sleep very well); run like the wind (run very quickly); fit like a glove (fit very well: My new jumper fits like a glove); spend/eat/drink (etc) like there’s no tomorrow (do sth a lot without thinking of the consequences; ex: She’s spending money like there’s no tomorrow; We can also say like it’s going out of  fashion: She’s spending money like it’s going out of fashion).

17. EXPRESSIONS BORROWED FROM OTHER LANGUAGES

Lack of a suitable word or expression in English: Sometimes, there’s just no suitable word or expression in another language to express a certain concept. For example, English has no equivalent for the French expressions “je ne sais quoi” and “joie de vivre.” Sure, we can find English words or phrases to describe the same concepts. For “je ne sais quoi,” we could say that something has an “indescribable quality” or “a certain something.” And for “joie de vivre,” we could say that someone has a “love of life.” But none of those phrases fully convey the meaning of the French expressions. So when we’re faced with such a gap and a French expression can fill it, we borrow it!

FRENCH / GALICISMS. (French expressions that we commonly use in English): 

(a) fait accompli n, /fet a complee)n. (1. ​sth that has already happened or been done and that you cannot change; ex: We got married secretly and then presented our parents with a fait accompli. 2.

If sth is a fait accompli, it is certain to happen); ex: I tried to stop him going ahead with it, but it was already a fait accompli. syn sth already accomplished, hecho consumado.

au fait ​(with sth) /əʊˈfeɪ/ (experienced, knowledgeable; completely familiar with sth, ex: I'm new here so I'm not completely au fait with the system; to be au fait with sth (familiarizado con, experto en, estar al corriente o al tanto de algo).

a la carte /ɑːlɑːˈkɑːrt/ (choosing, buying, ordering dishes: individually, a la carta), ex: Rather than choosing the set lunch, she decided to order à la carte; Customers can download songs à la carte. 

(one's) bete noire /bɛt nwɑːr/ (sb/sth that one strongly dislikes; bugbear, bogyman, (source of) annoyance; algo que se odia/detesta, persona detestable; pesadilla, tormento); ex: People who chew loudly are really my bête noire; She's trying to get her shift changed because night work is her bête noire; English was my bete noire of my freshman courses; Syn pain in the neck; thorn in one's flesh.

carte blanche If you give sb carte blanche, you give them freedom to do whatever they want in a situation; ex: The president gave us carte blanche to say what we liked during the negotiations; Syn free rein, blank check, autorization, the green light (to go ahead), the go-ahead, rienda suelta, carta blanca, libertad, patente de corso ..

 

coup de grâce /ku də ɡrɑs/ (1. decisive or finishing stroke; 2. mercy killing; blow of mercy, golpe/tiro de gracia; an action or event that brings a swift end to suffering or a worsening situation; 3. fig. guinda, remate); ex: The count delivered the coup de grâce to his wife's lover. 

cul-de-sac (street open at one end only with no exit; dead end, dead-end street, blind alley; callejón sin salida); ex: I grew up on an idyllic cul-de-sac in the suburbs with many of my friends as neighbors;

in lieu of (sth) /in lu of/ (in place of); (only used in essays or legal documents; ex: The Vice-President will attend the summit in lieu of the President; (make/commit); Note In lieu  (instead); ex: If you work on a Bank Holiday, you can choose to be paid double time or take two days off in lieu; See in lieu of (prep.) Syn instead (of), en su lugar, mejor; 

faux pas /foʊ ˈpɑ/ (social mistake; embarrassing blunder or breach of proper etiquette, often made in front of other people, papelón, metedura de pata, paso en falso, hacer el ridiculo); ex: She was terribly embarrassed about the faux pas she made at the dinner party; You made a terrible faux pas by calling the Queen "Lady Windsor"!.

je ne sais quoi n /ʒə nə seɪ ˈkwɑː/ (uncountable, often humorous; ​a good quality that is difficult to describe; a positive, pleasant, or attractive quality that is difficult to define or articulate, it is pronounced "jeh neh say kwa."); ex: She had a certain je ne sais quoi that men found quite attractive; He has that je ne sais quoi that distinguishes a professional from an amateur. Note articulate (feelings: express sth well, syn enunciate, pronounce, put into words, verbalize/verbalise, say, speak, utter).

Joie de vivre /ʒwɑːdəviːv(rə)/, (literally "joy of living"; a delight in being alive; keen, carefree enjoyment of living/life); it is a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life, an exultation of spirit. ... And joie de vivre may be seen as a joy of everything, a comprehensive joy, a philosophy of life.

nom de plume /nɒmdəˈplum/ (pseudonym: writer's alias; seudónimo); ex: Charlotte Bronte published her books using the nom de plume of Currer Bell.

panache (style, flair, estilo, garbo, salero); ex: The gossip magazine only hired writers with panache.

par excellence (best, most ideal, or most exemplary type of person or thing. Used as a modifier that follows a noun; only used after the noun it describes; very fine, finest, por excelencia/ antonomasia); ex: Some say this stuff is the local wine par excellence; My father was always regarded as a gentleman par excellence in the community; He turned out to be an orginizer par excellence.

Pret a Manger /pret ə mɑːnˈʒeɪ/ (​any of a chain of sandwich shops started in London in 1986 by Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham, which sell sandwiches that are made in the shops, as well as drinks and other food items that customers can eat in the shop or take away. There are now Pret shops all over the UK as well as in the US, Hong Kong and Paris. The name, meaning ready to eat is based on the French expression prêt à porter (ready to wear).

prêt à porter / off-the-peg (UK) / off-the-rack (ready to wear).

Raison d'être n Your raison d'être is your reason for living, or the most important thing in your life; Ex: I sometimes think that eating is his raison d'être; Syn reason for being, razón de ser.

tête à tête (have a) tête à tête (with sb) (a personal or private conversation/discussion/meeting between two people; also called vis-á-vis, conversación en privado); ex: When I last saw her, she was having a tête-à-tête with Maria; I hate to interrupt your tête-à-tête, but could somebody answer the phone?

GREEK 

the hoi polloi /hoi′ pə loi′/ (general public, common people; The common people, as distinct from those of the upper class; chusma, pueblo llano, vulgo, masas, la plebe); Note The term literally means "the many" in Greek and has a derogatory connotation); ex: Now that she's rich and famous, she doesn't want to associate with the hoi polloi anymore; This is a gala for New York's upper crust, what makes you think they'll let the hoi polloi like us in?; The politician was an expert at disguising his disgust for the hoi polloi.

LATINISMS / ITALIAN

ad nauseam /æd nɔziəm/; (repeatedly or excessively; continuously and to excess. The phrase is Latin for "to nausea", to the point that one becomes ill; sin descanso, hasta el cansancio); ex: She talks ad nauseam about her children; doesn't she have anything else to talk about? see nausea (physical: sick feeling, emotion: disgust, nausea(s); asco); ex: Rough seas cause nausea in most people; 

prima facie /praɪməˈfeɪʃi/ (at first sight; before closer inspection; ex: They had, prima facie, a legitimate complaint.

18. SHAKESPEARE IDIOMS

(The) apple of my eyes ...“Such stuff as dreams are made on” (The Tempest) Describes when something is so good that it is just like a dream.

As (good) luck would have it (Quiso la suerte que ...) By good or bad fortune; ex: I was already late and then, as luck would have it, I couldn't find a parking spot; As luck would have it, the other candidate declined, so the job is mine after all!

Play The Merry Wives of Windsor

Break the ice (romper el hielo)

Play The Taming of the Shrew

Come what may (pase lo que pase)

Whatever happens. Macbeth

(Be) flesh and blood (1. ser human/de carne y hueso; 2. carne de mi carne)

1. To have human flaws and thus be imperfect; 2. relative, offspring

(Be) (one's) (own) flesh and blood (la propia sangre, la familia de uno)

One's family member(s); 

(Be) (all) Greek (to sb) (sonar a chino)

Unintelligible, imcomprehensible, not understandable; ex: Joe shook his head, "It's all Greek to me." (me suena a chino)

A heart of gold (tener un corazón de oro)

Lie low (not draw attention to yourself, tener un perfil bajo, pasar desapercibido, evitar ser visto); Try not to be noticed)

Send sb packing (echar a alguien con cajas destempladas)

The truth will out (se pilla al/a un mentiroso antes al/que a un cojo; las mentiras tienen las patas cortas)

There's method in my madness (no está/estoy; etc tan loco como parece)

I know what I'm doing

Kill sb with kindness (Hay amores que matan)

To be too kind to sb, harming that person because you are helping or giving them too much. Overdo efforts to be knd; To harm, inconvenience, or bother one by treating them with excessive favor or kindness; harm sb by being too kind to them, usually without realizing what you are doing; ex: I love talking to Grandma, but she calls me twice a day to see how I'm doing, right now she's killing me with kindness; The patient needs lots of exercise. Don’t let him stay in bed — you’ll kill him with kindness. OPPOSITE: be cruel to be kind.

NOTE The phrase originated as the expression "kill with kindness as fond apes do their young," referring to the notion that such animals sometimes crushed their offspring by hugging them too hard. 

In (one's) heart of hearts (en el fondo, en su fuero interno)  

Basically. In the deepest, most intimate part of oneself, in your deepest feelings or thoughts true feelings, en tu fuero interno, en el fondo; ex: In my heart of hearts, I knew that I didn't really love Bill and yet, I married him anyway; A: "I'm so sorry that your daughter's modeling job didn't work out." B: "Oh, that's OK. In her heart of hearts, she knew it was a long shot"; I know in my heart of hearts that you’re right, but I still find it difficult to accept.

Synonyms deep down (inside); deep down in your/his, etc heart; 

(Be) made of sterner stuff (hecho de otra pasta)

Very strong, determined, or of uncompromising character, especially in comparison to others; ex: Having to take care of both of us growing up, my brother George was made of sterner stuff as a kid than anyone else I knew; I can't believe you let us down at the last minute. I thought you were made of sterner stuff than that!

Much ado about nothing (Mucho ruido y pocas nueces)

A big fuss over a trifle or for little reason, A lot of commotion or excitement over something insignificant or unimportant; ex: All this arguing is much ado about nothing; This really isn't a big deal—it's all much ado about nothing.

NOTE The name of a Shakespeare play. It is best remembered as Shakespeare’s title for a comedy, but the term was already known by the time he used it. The noun ado, meaning “a big fuss,” survives largely in this cliché. A furor/uproar/outcry over something unimportant. A commotion over a trifle 

SYNONYMS a tempest in a teapot / a storm in a teacup

(There's) neither rhyme nor reason (to/for sth) / Without rhyme or reason

Making no sense at all. No particular logic, sense, method, or meaning of a given situation, action, person, thing, group, etc; Without clear or understandable logic, order, purpose, or meaning. ex: I've looked over it several times, but there's neither rhyme nor reason to the agreement we were sent this morning; As far as I can tell, their selection process is completely without rhyme or reason.

Neither here nor there (no venir al caso, no ir a ninguna parte)

Irrelevant or unimportant; having no bearing upon the current situation; Saying 'it's neither here nor there,' means the same today as it did in Othello (Act 4). It means that sth doesn't matter because it's not relevant. ex: Charlie's personal activities are neither here nor there. All that matters is his performance in the job.

A blessing in diguise (no hay mal que por bien no venga) 

Sth that at first seems bad but later turns out to be good/beneficial; an unfortunate event or situation that results in an unforeseen positive outcome; ex: Not being chosen to play that role turned out to be a blessing in disguise; Running late for work turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I would have been in the middle of that big multi-car pileup had I left the house on time.

(not) the be-all (and) end-all (of sth) (lo más importante de algo)

(Not) the most important event or thing; a feature of an activity or a way of life that is of greater importance than any other; the very best; the most important goal; ex: My little sister thinks that a date with the captain of the football team is just the be-all and end-all of her life right now; Oh honey, I know you're disappointed, but failing the driver's license test is not the be-all and end-all. You'll just practice some more and then take it again.

Mum's the word (¡ni una palabra! loc interj)

(slang), It's a secret. A request or pledge to keep something a secret. Now, I don't want anyone to know that I'm pregnant yet, so mum's the word. Your secret is safe with me. Mum's the word.

the green-eyed monster (los celos)

Jealousy, resentment, sexual possessiveness; ex: My daughter often succumbs to the green-eyed monster when she sees the toys that her friends have; In the play Othello, Iago calls jealousy a "green-eyed monster".

Note The phrase comes from the Shakespeare play Othello. "It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock". Othello Quote (Act III).

a foregone conclusion (resultado inevitable)

A result that is obvious; 1. An inevitable result; 2. A view or belief that one has before receiving all pertinent information; ex: Don't come to any foregone conclusions about the accident, all right? Let me tell you the whole story first; That the company was moving to California was a foregone conclusion. That the mayor will win reelection is a foregone conclusion.

Play “A foregone conclusion” comes from Shakespeare’s play Othello (Act 3, Scene3). The general, Othello, has come under the spell of the sociopath, Iago, an officer in his regiment. Iago is bent on destroying him and his plan, knowing that Othello is capable of extreme emotions, is to suggest that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with his second in command, Michael Cassio. He tells Othello that Cassio has been talking in his sleep about making love to Desdemona. Othello soon says it’s a foregone conclusion that Desdemona has committed adultery with him.

Wear one's heart on one's sleeve (monstrar abiertamente los sentiminentos; llevar el corazon en la mano, abrir el corazón).

Othello quote. To openly display or make known one's emotions or sentiments; To show one's feelings clearly and openly by one's behavior; show other people your emotions, especially love; ex: He wears his heart on his sleeve and often gets hurt.

Play This phrase is from Shakespeare’s play Othello; "I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at". Othello Quote  (Act I, Scene I).

A wild goose chase (misión imposible; una buesqueda inutil)

Without rhyme or reason / (have) neither rhyme nor reason (sin ton ni son)

Without clear or understandable logic, order, purpose, or meaning; ex: As far as I can tell, their selection process is completely without rhyme or reason. To have neither rhyme nor reason is to have no common sense.

Note The phrase occurs twice in Shakespeare’s works. First in The Comedy of Errors (1590), when Dromio tries to take the ease off his master’s scolding: Was there ever any man thus beaten out of season; When in the why and the wherefore is neither rhyme nor reason?; And later in As You Like It (1600), as Orlando professes his love for Rosalind (who is disguised in the scene): ROSALIND: But are you so much in love as your rhymes speak? ORLANDO: Neither rhyme nor reason can express how much.

The world is one's oyster (tienes el mundo a tus pies, el mundo es tuyo)

One can do anything one wants in life; The world is one's oyster means that the person being spoken about has every advantage necessary to achieve what he wishes to achieve, and to enjoy life;You can have or achieve anything; ex: You have so much talent at such a young age, the world is your oyster!Play The expression was coined by William Shakespeare, and appears in The Merry Wives of Windsor: “Why then the world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.

19. SHAKESPEARE SAYINGS

All that glitters/glistens/glisters is not gold (no es oro todo lo que reluce)

Is an aphorism stating that not everything that looks precious or true turns out to be so. Things that have an outward appeal are often not as beautiful or valuable as they seem; ex:  Don’t imagine that because they are rich, they are happy. All that glitters is not gold. 

Note 'All that glitters is not gold' is a saying that refers to a line in the Shakespeare play, The Merchant of Venice, read from a note in act 2, scene 7.

Synonyms Appearances deceive; You can't/Don't judge a book by its cover (las apariencias engañan)

All's well that ends well (bien esta lo que bien acaba)

'All's well that ends well' is used to say that a difficult situation has ended with a good result. It is the title of a humorous play by William Shakespeare about the relationship between the two main characters, Helena and Bertram.

Clothes make the man (el hábito hace al monje)

You can judge a man's character based on his clothing and appearance; Prov. People will judge you according to the way you dress. Jim was always careful about how he dressed. He believed that clothes make the man; I'm not surprised John was fired for causehe never dressed professionally, and the clothes make the man.

Paly In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Polonius tells his son Laertes to dress well because "apparel oft proclaims the man"; this phrase is now expressed in modern parlance as "the clothes maketh the man"; Contrast clothes don't make the man.

(You can have) too much of a good thing (lo mucho cansa y lo poco agrada)

The fact that sth pleasant becomes unpleasant because you have or do too much of it; 

Play Expressed in slightly different form even earlier, Shakespeare used this precise wording in praise of moderation in As You Like It: "Can one desire too much of a good thing?" 

(You have to) be cruel to be kind (Quien bien te quiere te hará llorar).

To be blunt and honest with someone in order to help them realize sth that may help them. This phrase expresses the idea that it is sometimes necessary to hurt someone's feelings in order to tell them the truth. Use unpleasant methods because they are necessary to help sb; ex: I was worried about Katie getting too involved with Steve so I eventually told her about his drug addiction; you’ve got to be cruel to be kind sometimes. Opposite: kill somebody with kindness

Play: In Shakespeare 's Hamlet, ‘I must be cruel only to be kind’ was Hamlet's explanation of his reasons for bullying his mother about her second marriage.

What's done is done (lo hecho hecho esta) 

Etymology. One of the first-recorded uses of this phrase was by the character Lady Macbeth in Act 3, Scene 2 of the tragedy play Macbeth (early 17th century), by the English playwright William Shakespeare, who said: "Things without all remedy Should be without regard: what's done, is done" and "Give me your hand. 

Versions: 1. What's done is done. Time to move on; 2. What's done can't/cannot be undone.

20. PROVERBS AND SAYINGS 

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush 

What you have is worth more than what you might have later

A reconciled friend is a double enemy

A rolling stone gathers no moss

A person who moves from place to place, job to job, etc. does not have a lot of money, possessions or friends but is free from responsibilities; said to mean that a person who is always travelling and changing jobs has the advantage of having no responsibilities, but also has disadvantages such as having no permanent place to live; ex: Hal was a bit of a rolling stone before he married and settled down; rolling stone (nomadic, not settled, wandering, trotamundos); Ex: In her youth Annie was a rolling stone, never staying anywhere for long. 

Note a rolling stone (have ants in your pants; ave de paso, ser culo de mal asiento).

Versions/Variations:

Standing pools gather filth (Los encharcamientos permanentes acumulan suciedad)

A standing pool soon stagnates (Un encharcamiento permanente se estanca pronto)

Note stagnate: 1. (water): go stale (estancarse); 2. (fig) (be inactive, vegetar, anquilosarse): 

ex: The band stagnated after they released their third album; 3. (fig) (become dull, amuermarse); ex: I used to enjoy this show, but it stagnated after the second season.

Context: «They say, "A rolling stone gathers no moss." In my late teen years and early adulthood, I rolled up and down the Texas to St. Louis corridor many times. I didn't stay in one place long enough to gather any moss or put down roots. It didn't seem like I'd ever settle in one place» (Michael G. Cooley, Rock Bottom: From the Streets to Success. Mustang. 

Esta expresión puede utilizarse de manera negativa, entendiendo que esa persona que cambia de trabajo, residencia, etc. nunca echará raíces ni encontrará un lugar gratificante en la vida. Pero también de una manera positiva, pues dicha persona podrá disfrutar de una vida más interesante y emocionante.

El término a rolling stone se difundió de manera especial a partir de los años 1960 gracias al grupo británico de rock The Rolling Sones, así como a la canción de Bob Dylan: "Like a Rolling Stone".

A stitch in time (saves nine) (mas vale prevenir que curar) 

A prompt, decisive action taken now will prevent problems later; best to act without delay; ex:  You should consider getting your car repaired now before you're left stranded on the side of the road, a stitch in time saves nine; I know it's a month away, but I already started preparing for the big dinner party. A stitch in time, you know.

A word to the wise (is enough/sufficient) (a buen entendedor pocas palabras bastan)

Only a very brief warning is necessary to an intelligent person; used to introduce some advice, especially when only a few words are necessary: The band are now touring the UK. A word to the wise though, make sure you book tickets early; Stay away from the boss today, he's in a bad mood. Just a word to the wise.

As you make your bed, so must you lie in it

You must accept the consequences of your actions; ex: Of course your friends are mad at you, you lied to them! As you make your bed, so must you lie in it.

As you sow, so shall you reap / As a man sows, so shall he reap 

Things will happen to you good or bad, according to how you behave. (Biblical.) You should stop being so cruel to other people. As you sow, so shall you reap. Fred built an immense fortune by swindling others, but lost it all when someone swindled him. As a man sows, so shall he reap.

Barking dogs never bite (Perro ladrador, poco mordedor / Perro que ladra no muerde).

Beggars can't be choosers (Cuando hay hambre, no hay pan duro).

Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. 

If you do not expect good things to happen, you will not be disappointed when they fail to happen. Ellen: This is going to be the best vacation we've ever had; we're going to have fun every minute of every day. Fred: Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. Jill: Do you think you'll win the contest? Jane: I like to keep in mind that blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.

Common sense is the least common of senses  (El sentido común es el menos común de los sentidos). 

Cut your coat according to your cloth

To do only what you have enough money to do and no more; said to emphasize that sb should do as well as possible with the limited money they have; undertake only what you have the money or ability to do and no more; to make plans and decisions that are based on what you have and not what you would like; Ex: We wanted to buy a bigger house than this but it was a case of cutting our coat according to our cloth; Cut your coat according to your cloth and stop wanting things you can't afford. Syn to spend only as much money as you can afford, adaptarse a las circunstancias, vivir con arreglo a sus posibilidades.

Don't bite off more than you can chew The expression "biting off more than you can chew" means to take on too much. You agree to do more than you actually can.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch / they're hatched (no cantar victoria)

Do not act until situation is certain; you should not be too confident that sth will be successful, because sth may still go wrong; you should not make plans that depend on something good happening before you know that it has actually happened; Ex: She wanted to buy a dress in case someone asked her to the dance, but I told her not to count her chickens before they hatched. See play (it) safe. Syn better safe than sorry; you can’t be too careful, watch it, look before you leap; no hagas las cuentas de la lechera.

Don't cry before you are hurt (no pongas el parche antes de que te hagan la herida)

Don't become upset about something until it actually happens); ex: I know you're worried that you did poorly on your exams, but don't cry before you are hurt.

East is East and West is West (and never the twain shall meet) (y nunca se acercarán)

Said of two things are too different to ever be agreeable or harmonious. The phrase comes from a Rudyard Kipling poem;ex: If you learn young that East is East and West is West, you won't waste time trying to convert people to your views. Note the twain (los dos), syn two, couple, pair

Every bad has its worse (todo puede empeorar)

Every cloud has a silver lining (no hay mal que por bien no venga)

Every sad or difficult situation has a positive side. If you say a bad or unpleasant situation has a silver lining you mean that there is a good or pleasant side-effect of it. See the silver lining. 

Flies go to lean horses (a perro flaco todo son pulgas)

Give him/sb/ an inch and they'll take a mile/an ell (a quien le das la mano te toma el brazo).

Grin and bear it (al mal tiempo buena cara)

He who hesitates (is lost) (those who fail to take quick, decisive action will suffer for it or miss a good opportunity); ex: A: "You could have mitigated your losses if you'd dealt with the problem right away, but ... " B: "Yeah, yeah, he who hesitates. I know."

He who laughs last, laughs longest (the person who has the final, decisive move or victory in a feud, quarrel, or competition is the only one who is truly successful); ex: He may have won this round, but I'm going to come back with a vengeance in the final. He who laughs last, laughs longest.

It is easy to be the hurler in the ditch (es fácil ver los toros desde la barrera)

A person who offers unsolicited criticism or advice about something in which they are not an active participant. Taken from the sport of hurling, a player of which is a hurler. Primarily heard in Ireland; see (be) a hurler on the ditch; ex: All those people telling how to deal with the situation are just hurlers on the ditch. They know nothing about my life. 

It is good fishing in troubled waters (a rio revuelto ganancia de pescadores) 

Trout and other fish are more easily caught when the surface of the water is disturbed. Figuratively, ‘to fish in troubled waters’ is to take advantage of other people’s difficulties, particularly in times of general unrest or national emergency. Those who made large profits out of illegally selling rationed goods during World War II were fishing in troubled waters. So is the scoundrel who picks the pockets of a man lying unconscious on the road after being knocked down by a passing car.

(It's/There's) no use/good crying over spilled/spilt milk (agua pasada no mueve molino)

It does no good to get upset over a bad decision or unfortunate event that has already come to pass and cannot be changed; Do not be upset about making a mistake, since you cannot change that now; I know you don't like your new haircut, but you can't change it now. It's no use crying over spilled milk. OK, so you broke the drill I lent you. Don't cry over spilled milk.

Live and let live (vive y deja vivir)

Cliché. To be open-minded toward or tolerant of others; not to interfere with other people's business or preferences; If you live and let live, you accept people who behave and think differently from you. Note: Live and let live is often used before a noun to describe this kind of attitude.`John has a live and let live attitude,' one friend says; ex: ex: live and let live: that's my philosophy (mi filosofía es vive y deja vivir); I don't care what they do! Live and let live, I always say; Your parents are strict. Mine just live and let live.

Lookers-on see most of the game (1.bien juega el que no juega/el que mira; Toros barrera)

2. uno no es objetivo consigo mismo)

The people who are not directly participating in sth can get a wider, more objective view or understanding of it; Those who are not participating are able to take an overall view; proverbial saying, early 16th century; ex: I know that lookers-on see most of the game, which is why I find going to therapy so valuable. My therapist picks up on the stuff that I can't see because I'm too close to the situation. Syn (looker-on): spectator, witness, onlooker, espectador.

Love begets love (el amor con amor se paga)

Versions:

One good turn deserves antoher

Note beget 1. (child): engendar, procrear; 2. fig. lead to, create, engendrar; ex: Alcoholic drink begets sin.

Make hay while the sun shines  you take advantage of a good situation which is not likely to last; to make good use of an opportunity while it lasts; to make good use of opportunities, good conditions, etc. while they last; aprovechar el momento; ex: With house prices at an all-time high, both property developers are making hay while the sun shines; You've got to make hay while the sun shines, and it doesn't shine long in a sporting life. Note: You can also just say that sb makes hay. The New Zealand media made hay with the issue.

No summer, but has its winter (No hay verano que no tenga su invierno)

Pleasure has a sting in its tail (el placer tiene un agijón en la cola); After joy comes sorrow (después de la alegría viene la tristeza); Winter is summer's heir (El invierno es el heredero del verano)

Once bitten, twice shy (el gato escaldado del agua fria huye).

said when you are frightened to do sth again because you had an unpleasant experience doing it the first time; ​after an unpleasant experience you are careful to avoid sth similar. Syn more cautious now,

People (who live) in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones

you should not criticize other people, because they will easily find ways of criticizing you; This means that you should not criticize other people for bad qualities in their character that you have yourself; Syn people with faults should not criticize others; siempre habla el que más tiene que callar; mira quién fue a hablar.

Rome wasn't built in a day (great work takes time to do). 

Seize the day (no dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy, aprovecha el dia/tiempo)

interj. 'Seize the day' is a translation of the Latin "Carpe diem"; Ex: My dad was always telling me 'Seize the day, you won't be young forever!' Syn make the most of the present moment.

(You have to) Strike while the iron is hot (aprovechar la coyuntura/la situación).

When you have an opportunity to do sth, do it before you lose your chance; take advantage of the situation; to take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it exists, in case the opportunity goes away and does not return; to make use of an opportunity immediately; ex: This is the best time in the last ten years to buy a house. Strike while the iron is hot; ex: Ask Lisa for a favor now, while she's in a good mood. Strike while the iron is hot; He doesn't often make such offers I'd strike while the iron is hot if I were you; He doesn't often make such offers, I'd strike while the iron is hot if I were you. See Make hay while the sun shines; syn take an opportunity. 

The grass is/isn't always greener (on the other side) (of the fence) 

things seem better from afar) Other people's circumstances or belongings always seem more desirable than one's own;  other people's lives or situations always seem better than your own; What one doesn’t have always looks more appealing than what one has. A proverb first cited in Erasmus’s Adagia (1545), this maxim remains true and the phrase remains current; ex: You know what it's like; The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. see Grass and greener.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat (C2) (cada maestrillo tiene su librillo)

(humorous) there are many different ways to achieve sth. 

There's no such thing as a free lunch (en esta vida no te regalan; nada, nada es gratis)

nothing is entirely free; proverb Nothing is ever really given away for free, so be wary of hidden charges, motives, or agendas; you never get something for nothing; any benefit received has eventually to be paid for); ex: Europeans are now learning some hard facts of life about socialized medicine: there's no such thing as a free lunch.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease (quien no llora no mama) 

to get sth fixed, it is required to make a noise to get attention; said to emphasize that attention is paid to those problems that are made most noticeable; Ex: My younger brother got far more stuff from my parents when we were kids because the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Syn People who complain the most will get attention; el que no no llora no mama.

The early bird catches/gets the worm (a quen madruga Dios le ayuda)

Someone who is very active and alert in the early hours of the morning is more apt to find success or opportunities) 

What's done cannot be undone (a lo hecho pecho; lo hecho hecho esta)

Syn It's no use crying over spilt milk

When the going gets tough, the tough get going (C2) (al mal tiempo buena cara)

Strong people don't give up when they come across challenges. They just work harder; Syn adversity reveals strength of character; cuando las cosas se ponen duras, los duros siguen adelante.

21. PROVERBS WITH IDIOMS

Do what is right, come what may (Haz siempre lo correcto).

22. SIMILAR IDIOMS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

kill the two birds with stones; read between the lines; cross the line (go beyond limit of tolerance, pasarse de la raya).

POSTER 1

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. Bernard M. Baruch * You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked / having to ask / asking any clear question. Albert Camus * 

POSTER 2 (OK) no grammar

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)