Expresiones idiomticas con sus
sinnimos
after all despite, nevertheless
all along all the time
all ears eager to listen
all of a sudden suddenly
all the same no difference
all thumbs clumsy
apple of discord subject of envy manzana de la discordia
or quarrel
as a rule usually
as far as I am concerned
in my opinion
as for me/as to me
in my opinion
as well also, too
at all (not) in the smallest
degree
at random without order
at this point at this time
be about to ready (to do)
be after someone insist, press
be all in be extremely tired
be back on ones feet healthy
again or better financially
beat around the bush avoid
giving a clear/definite answer
be beside oneself be very upset,
nervous, worried, etc.
be better off be in a better
situation
Traduccin
despus de todo, al fin
y al cabo
todo el tiempo
todo odos
de repente, de pronto
da igual, lo mismo; de todos
modos
torpe
como regla general
en lo que a m respecta
en cuanto a m
tambin
en lo ms mnimo,
en absoluto
al azar
a estas alturas
estar a punto de
estar tras alguien; insistir,
presionar
estar hecho polvo
recuperarse despus
de un tiempo difcil;
ponerse de pie otra vez
irse por las ramas
estar fuera de s
estar en una mejor situacin
Ejemplo
I knew it! After all, I was right!
I knew about his little secret all
along.
I am all ears.
All of a sudden, he refused
to pay.
If its all the same to you, lets
start at two.
He cant fix anything, hes all
thumbs.
This question is an apple
of discord in our family.
As a rule, we offer a 5%
discount.
As far as I am concerned, both
the book and the movie are good.
As for me, you can rely on his
support.
He knows math, and physics
as well.
He doesnt know French at all.
I dont like it at all.
He chose those places at random.
At this point, we cant turn back.
I was about to leave when you
called.
His mother is always after him
to study.
Im all in, Id better go to bed
now.
Hes back on his feet after a long
period of debt and
unemployment.
Stop beating around the bush!
Get to the point!
She was beside herself with
worry / with grief.
Hell be better off with a new
job.
be broke have no money at all
be hard on something
/someone treat roughly
be high on ones list be one
of the most important things
be in charge of be responsible
for
be in the red be in debt
be into smth. be interested in
bend over backwards try hard
be on ones way
be on the safe side not to take
any chances
be out of be without
be out of shape be physically
unfit
be out of sorts in bad humor
be pressed for time / money
be short of; not have enough
beside the point off the point
be to blame be responsible for
a mistake / something wrong
be touch and go be uncertain
of the result
be up against be opposed by,
have problems, be in danger
be up and around/about able
to be out of bed after an illness
be up to ones ears very busy
estar en bancarrota
ser duro con algo/alguien
encabezar la lista de los
asuntos importantes
estar a cargo de, ser
responsable de
estar en deuda, estar
quebrado
estar interesado/apasionado
por algo
hacer todo lo que se pueda
estar en el camino
para mayor seguridad
estar fuera de, estar
desabastecido, no tener
no estar en forma / estar
en mala condicin fsica
estar de mal humor
estar presionado por
tiempo/dinero (no tener
suficiente tiempo/dinero por
el momento)
ajeno a la cuestin,
no va al caso
ser culpable
pender de un hilo
enfrentar (a algo/alguien),
encontrarse ante problemas
volver a andar, recuperarse
(despus de una
enfermedad)
estar muy ocupado
I spent all my money, Im broke.
My son is hard on shoes, they
dont last long with him. Life
was pretty hard on Tom.
A new car is high on my list
of priorities. A new TV is not
high on my list.
He is in charge of marketing.
Our sales were in the red last
year.
He is into computers. She is into
sports.
I bent over backwards to help
her.
Im on my way.
Take an extra key, just
to be on the safe side.
We are out of bread, cheese, and
sugar.
He needs to exercise, he is out
of shape.
Leave him alone, hes out
of sorts today
Im pressed for time now.
We are pressed for money at the
moment.
What I said to him privately
is beside the point.
Who is to blame for this awful
mistake? Tom is to blame for
this mix-up.
He was very sick, and for some
time it was touch and go, but
he is better now.
Our company is up against
serious attempts of hostile
takeover.
He was sick for a month, but
now he is up and around.
Im up to my ears in work.
be up to something do mischief estar tramando algo
be up to someone be ones own ser decisin de alguien,
decision or responsibility corresponderle a alguien
be used to be accustomed to estar acostumbrado a
big shot important person persona importante
bite off more than one can sobrevalorar tus fuerzas
chew try to do more than one (morder ms de lo que
can puedes masticar)
bite ones tongue stop talking morderse la lengua, dejar
de hablar
bite the dust die, be defeated morder el polvo, morir
black sheep a good-for-nothing oveja negra
member of the family
blind date a meeting of a man cita a ciegas
and woman arranged by friends
blow it lose the chance perder la oportunidad
blow over pass, end pasar
bottom line main result/factor resultado
break into enter by force entrar por la fuerza, penetrar
break ones heart hurt deeply romper el corazn
de alguien
break the ice overcome shyness romper el hielo (superar
in making the first step la timidez y dar el primer
paso)
break the news tell new facts difundir la informacin
bring home the bacon earn the proveer a la familia
living for the family
brush off give no attention to no hacer caso
brush up on review repasar, refrescar
la memoria
by all means -definitely, certainly definitivamente, por
supuesto
I have to check what the kids are
up to.
Its up to you to decide. Its
up to you to close the office
every day at 8 oclock.
Im used to hard work. Hes used
to heat.
He is a big shot around here.
I couldnt handle two jobs and
family. I really bit off more
than I could chew.
I almost told her, but bit
my tongue.
Many of them bit the dust in that
war.
Their second son is the black
sheep of the family, he is good
for nothing.
She refuses to go on a blind date
again because she had bad
experience.
He understood that he blew it.
Wait here till his anger blows
over.
The bottom line is, I dont have
enough money.
The police broke into the
robbers house.
The news of her death broke his
heart.
The party was dull until someone
broke the ice with a joke and
we all laughed.
CNN is breaking the news right
now.
He works very hard at several
places to bring home the bacon.
The boss brushed off my project
again.
You need to brush up on the
tenses.
Do you need my help? By all
means.
by heart by memorizing
by hook or by crook by any
means possible
by the way incidentally
call a spade a spade use plain,
direct words
call it a day consider work
finished for the day
call off cancel
carry out fulfill
carry weight be important
cast down depressed, sad
castles in the air daydreaming
about success
catch ones eye attract attention
catch ones breath stop and rest recobrar el aliento
catch someone off guard catch
someone unprepared
catch someone red-handed
find smb. in the act of doing wrong
catch up become not behind
close call a narrow escape, a bad por poco sucede algo malo
thing that almost happened
come across meet by chance
come down with become ill
come to ones senses start
acting reasonably, intelligently
come true become reality
come up with suggest
de memoria Learn this poem by heart for
tomorrow.
como sea She will get what she wants
by hook or by crook.
por cierto By the way, Ann is coming back
today.
llamar a las cosas por He always tells the truth and
su nombre calls a spade a spade.
considerar el trabajo Weve been working for
terminado 10 straight hours. Lets call
it a day.
cancelar The police called off the search.
realizar, cumplir She never carries out her plans.
tener peso en, influir, ser His advice always carries weight
importante here.
desanimar He was cast down by the bad
news.
(construir) castillos Instead of working hard,
en el aire he spends time building castles
in the air.
llamar la atencin This picture caught my eye.
I cant run, I need to catch
my breath.
tomar por sorpresa He caught me off guard with his
question.
sorprender a alguien con las The manager caught the boy red-
manos en la masa handed when he was stealing
cigarettes.
ponerse al da He needs to catch up with the
others.
The speeding car almost hit the
(escaparse por milagro) man. That was really a close call.
encontrar I came across that article
yesterday.
caer resfriado Im coming down with a cold.
entrar en razn He finally came to his senses,
started to work hard, and passed
his exams.
volverse realidad My dream came true when I met
Pat.
proponer Mike came up with a brilliant
idea.
count on depend on
cut corners to take a short-cut;
to limit ones spending
cut down on reduce
cut out to be /cut out for it
have the ability to do something
do ones best try very hard
do ones bit do whats needed
do over do again
do someone good be good for
do something behind ones
back do (harmful) things
secretively
do without live without
down to earth practical
draw the line fix a limit
dress up put on the best clothes
drop off deliver somewhere
drop out quit (school)
duty calls must fulfill
obligations
easier said than done
eat ones words take back
words
even so nevertheless, but
every now and then -occasionally
every other day every second
one
contar con
buscar atajos, omitir
procedimientos
reducir el consumo
estar hecho para (algn
trabajo)
dar lo mejor de s I did my best to help him in his
aportar su granito de arena; Ill do my bit, you can count
hacer lo necesario
rehacer
beneficiar
hacer algo a espaldas de uno
vivir sin, prescindir
prctico, realista
trazar la lnea, limitar
ponerse la mejor ropa
llevar (a una persona
a un lugar), dejar (a una
persona en un lugar)
abandonar
el deber llama
es ms fcil decir que
hacerlo
tragarse las palabras
an as I work hard. Even so, I like
de vez en cuando
cada dos das; un da She washes her hair every other
s y un da no
You can always count on me for
help.
He ran fast, cutting corners
where he could. I have to cut
corners this week.
You have to cut down
on chocolate.
She isnt cut out to be a surgeon.
Hes cut out to be a leader.
work.
on me.
This work is not good, do it over.
Fresh air and exercise will
do you good.
I hate people who do things
behind my back. He did it behind
my back again.
Ill have to do without a car for
a while.
Hes quiet, sensible and down
to earth.
He drew the line for her
at $100 a day.
What are you dressed up for?
Can you drop me off at the bank?
He dropped out of school last
year.
He said, Duty calls and left for
work.
Its easier said than done, but Ill
try to do it.
He had to eat his words after her
report.
my job.
Every now and then I visit
my old aunt.
day.
fall behind lag behind
fall in love begin to love
fall out of love stop loving
false alarm untrue rumor
a far cry from something very
different, almost opposite (neg.)
feel it in ones bones expect
something bad to happen
feel like doing something want
to do, be inclined to do smth.
feel up to be able to do
few and far between rare,
scarce
find fault with criticize
find out learn or discover
firsthand directly from the
source
first things first important
things come before others
fly off the handle get angry
follow in someones footsteps
do the same thing
foot in the door a special
opportunity for a job
foot the bill pay the bill
for good forever
for the time being at this time
quedarse atrs
enamorarse
dejar de amar
falsa alarma
muy lejos de ser algo, muy
diferente a lo que creas
tener una corazonada Something bad is going
(presentimiento)
antojarse de hacer algo,
sentir ganas de hacer algo
tener nimo para hacer algo I dont feel up to cleaning the
muy pocos, escasos
encontrar fallos, criticar
averiguar, descubrir
de primera mano
primero lo primero
perder los estribos
seguir los pasos de otro Igor followed in his fathers
tener un pie adentro (tener
una oportunidad de trabajo)
pagar
para siempre
por el momento, por ahora
The little boy fell behind the
older boys.
Tom fell in love with Sue at first
sight.
They fell out of love and
divorced soon.
I heard he quit but it was a false
alarm.
His second book wasnt bad, but
it was a far cry from his first
book.
to happen, I feel it in my bones.
I feel like going for a walk.
I dont feel like working now,
Im tired.
house.
Her visits are few and far
between.
He always finds faults with
everybody.
I found out that Maria left town.
You can trust it, its firsthand
information.
First things first: how much
money do we have to pay right
away?
He flew off the handle and yelled
at me.
footsteps, he became a doctor,
too.
Nina got a foot in the door
because her friend works in that
company.
Her father footed the bill for the
party.
After her death, he left town for
good.
For the time being, this house
is all right for us.
frame of mind mental state
from A to Z completely
from now on now and in the
future
get a grip on oneself take
control of ones feelings
get along with have good
relations
get away with not be caught
after doing wrong
get carried away get too
excited and enthusiastic about
something
get cold feet be afraid to do
get even with have ones
revenge
get in touch with contact
get lost lose ones way
Get lost! Lay off!
get mixed up get confused
get off ones back leave alone
get on ones high horse behave
haughtily towards someone
get on (the bus, train, plane)
get off (the bus, train, plane)
get out of hand get out
of control
get over recover after an illness
or bad experience
get rid of dispose of, discard
get together meet with
estado de nimo I cant do it in this frame
of mind.
conocer algo de pe a pa; He knows this town from A to Z.
de cabo a rabo
desde ahora, a partir From now on, I forbid you
de ahora to go there.
obtener control sobre Stop crying! Get a grip
s mismo on yourself!
llevarse bien con Ann gets along with most
coworkers, but doesnt get along
with Laura.
evitar el castigo, escapar The police didnt find the thief.
de la justicia He got away with his crime.
entusiasmarse He got carried away with
opening a store and lost most
of his money.
entrarle miedo a alguien I wanted to try it but got cold
feet.
desquitarse Ill get even with him for
everything!
contactar a alguien Get in touch with Mr. Smith for
help.
perderse She got lost in the old part
of town.
Vete! Desaparcete! I dont want to see you again.
Lrgate! Get lost!
confundir I got mixed up, went the wrong
way and got lost.
dejar a alguien en paz Stop bothering me! Get off
my back!
actuar como si fueras mejor Every time I ask her to help
que otras personas, ser me with typing, she gets on her
engredo high horse.
subir (el transporte) I got on the bus on Oak Street.
bajar (el transporte) I got off the bus at the bank.
salirse de las manos, fuera If he gets out of hand again, call
de control me right away.
recuperarse despus de una I cant get over how rude he was
enfermedad o mala to me. She got over her illness
experiencia, superar quite quickly.
deshacerse He got rid of his old useless car.
reunirse My friends and I get together
often.
get to the bottom know deeply
get to the point get to the matter ir al grano
Give me a break! spare me
give someone a hand help
give someone a lift /a ride take
to some place by car
give someone a piece of ones
mind criticize frankly
give up stop doing something,
stop trying to do something
go back on ones word break
a promise
go for it try to do a new thing
go from bad to worse be worse
go out go to parties, movies
go out of ones way -try very
hard
go to ones head make too
proud
go to pieces get very upset, fall
apart
go with the flow lead quiet life
grow on someone become liked
had better should
have a ball have a good time
have a bone to pick complain
or discuss something unpleasant
have a word with someone talk
to
have words with someone
argue with someone about
something
llegar al fondo de algo
Dame un respiro! Djame!
dar la mano, ayudar
llevar a alguien en auto
criticar, decir abiertamente
lo que piensas
rendirse
romper la palabra/promesa
intentar algo nuevo
ir de mal en peor
salir (de fiesta, al cine, etc.)
poner mucho esfuerzo,
intentar mucho
subirse a la cabeza (xito), His acting success went to his
sentirse demasiado orgulloso head.
derrumbarse, quedar
deshecho
ir con la corriente
gustar poco a poco
ms vale que
pasarla bien
tener una cuenta que ajustar
hablar con alguien
hablar muy seriamente con
alguien /discutir
He usually gets to the bottom
of things.
Get to the point!
Come on, stop it! Give
me a break!
Can you give me a hand with
cooking?
Can you give me a lift to the
bank? He gave her a ride in his
new Porsche.
She lost my umbrella again, so I
gave her a piece of my mind
about her carelessness.
I gave up smoking. I gave
up trying to fix my old car.
First he said he would help me,
but then he went back on his
word.
If I were you, I would go for it.
His business went from bad
to worse.
Do he and his wife go out often?
He goes out of his way to please
her.
She went to pieces when she
heard it.
She always goes with the flow.
When she knew him more,
he grew on her.
You look ill, youd better see
a doctor.
Yesterday we had a ball at the
party.
Mr. Brown, I have a bone to pick
with you. My mail was lost
because of you.
Can I have a word with you?
I had words with my coworker
today because he used
my computer again.
have it in him have the ability
have no business doing
something have no right to do
have ones back to the wall
be hard-pressed, on the defensive
have ones hands full very busy estar muy ocupado
have ones heart set
on something want something
very much
have pull have influence on
(not) have the heart (not) have
the courage to do smth. unpleasant
high and low everywhere
hit the nail on the head say
exactly the right thing
hit upon something to discover
hold it against someone blame
somebody for doing something
Hold it! Stop! Wait!
Hold on! Wait!
hold ones own maintain
oneself in a situation, behave
as needed
hold up rob using a weapon
ill at ease uncomfortable
in advance well before
in a nutshell in a few words
in care of someone write to one
person at the address of another
tener habilidades
no es tu asunto, no tienes
derecho de (estar aqu, hacer
esto, etc.)
estar entre la espada
y la pared
querer algo demasiado,
ansiar algo
influir, pesar
(no) atreverse a hacer algo
desagradable;
(no) tener corazn para
en todas partes (en el cielo
y en la tierra, cuando
se refiere a bsquedas)
acertar
pensar en algo; descubrir
guardar rencores en contra
de alguien; culpar a alguien
por algo
Detente! Espera!
Espera!
mantenerse firme
asaltar, atacar
disgustado, incmodo
de antemano
en breve, en pocas palabras
(escribir) a alguien
a la direccin de otra
persona (al cuidado de)
Laura has it in her to be a good
doctor.
You have no business staying
here without my permission.
I had no choice, I had my back
to the wall.
He has his hands full with hard
work.
She has her heart set on going
to New York. He has his heart
set on Betty.
Does he have pull with the
director?
I dont have the heart to tell him
that he wasnt accepted, hell
be so unhappy.
I searched high and low for
my lost cat.
You hit the nail on the head
when you said our company
needs a new director.
They hit upon gold. I hit upon
a plan.
I lost his book, but he doesnt
hold it against me.
Hold it! I forgot my key.
Hold on! Ill be back in a minute.
He can hold his own in any
situation. We need men who can
hold their own.
This bank was held up twice last
year.
She felt ill at ease because of her
cheap dress.
He told her about his plan
in advance.
In a nutshell, my plan is to buy
land.
Im staying at Toms house.
Write to me in care of Tom
Gray, Chicago, Illinois.
in cold blood mercilessly
in fact actually, in reality
in general generally, generally
speaking
in ones element what one likes
in other words using other
words
in plain English in simple,
frank terms
the ins and outs all info about
in someones shoes in another
persons position
in the long run in the end
in the same boat in the same
situation
in the clear free from blame
in time (to do something)
before something begins
it goes without saying should
be clear without words
Its on the tip of my tongue.
its time should do it right away
Its worth it. / Its not
worth it. Its (not) worth buying,
visiting, watching, etc.
it will do its enough
jump at the
opportunity/chance accept the
opportunity eagerly
just as soon prefer this one
a sangre fra
de hecho, en realidad
en general
estar como pez en el agua
en otras palabras
sencillamente hablando
los pormenores
en los zapatos de alguin, Id hate to be in his shoes now.
en lugar de otra persona
al final de cuentas
en el mismo barco;
en la misma situacion
estar fuera de sospecha
a tiempo (para hacer algo)
no hace falta decir nada
est en la punta de mi lengua His name is on the tip
es hora
lo vale / no lo vale
vale la pena / no vale la pena Dont buy this coat, it is not
es suficiente
aprovechar la oportunidad
preferira
He killed her in cold blood.
In fact, he works as a manager
here.
In general, he likes to be alone.
He described the place only
in general.
Hes in his element when hes
arguing.
In other words, you refused
to do it for her.
I didnt really like the concert.
In plain English, the concert was
terrible.
He knows the ins and outs of this
business.
He lost his job, and his wife
is in the hospital.
In the long run, itll be better
to buy it.
Stop arguing with me, were
in the same boat and should help
each other.
Pay the bill and youll be in the
clear.
I came in time to have a cup
of coffee before class.
It goes without saying that
he must pay what he owes right
away.
of my tongue.
Hurry up, its time to go.
Watch this film, its worth it.
worth it. This museum is worth
visiting. This film is not worth
watching.
Stop reading, it will do for now.
His boss mentioned a job
in Europe, and Peter jumped
at the opportunity.
Id just as soon stay home, Im
tired.
just in case to be on the safe
side
Just my luck! Bad / Hard luck!
keep an eye on take care of,
watch, look after
keep a straight face not
to laugh
keep company accompany
keep ones word fulfill
a promise
keep someone posted inform
keep your fingers crossed hope
that nothing will go wrong
kill time fill/spend empty time
(not) know the first thing
about not to have any
knowledge about
know the ropes be very familiar estar al tanto
with some business
last-minute notice little
or no time to prepare for something
lay ones cards on the table
be frank and open
lay ones life on the line put
oneself in a dangerous situation
lead a dogs life live in misery
lead someone on make
someone believe something that
isnt true
leave it at that accept
reluctantly
leave word leave a message
let bygones be bygones forget
and forgive bad things in the past
por si acaso
Vaya suerte que tengo!
Qu mala suerte!
estar pendiente; vigilar
mantener la cara seria
hacer compaa
mantener la palabra
mantener a alguien al tanto /
informado
cruzar los dedos
matar el tiempo
no saber nada acerca de
noticia de timo minuto
poner las cartas sobre
la mesa; ser sincero
y abierto
poner la vida en juego,
arriesgar la vida
llevar una vida de perros
engaar, hacer a alguien
creer que es cierto
dejar las cosas como son
dejar un mensaje
lo pasado, pasado est
Take an extra shirt, just in case.
They lost my job application.
Just my luck!
Betty keeps an eye on my sons
for me. Ill keep an eye on you!
I tried to keep a straight face, but
failed.
She keeps me company quite
often.
You promised, now keep your
word.
Keep me posted about your
plans.
I have a job interview today.
Keep your fingers crossed
for me, will you?
I went to the show to kill time.
I dont know the first thing about
nuclear physics.
He knows all the ropes in this
company.
His arrival was a last-minute
notice, we didnt have time
to prepare for it.
Finally, we asked him to lay his
cards on the table and tell us
about his plans.
He laid his life on the line
to fulfill this task, but nobody
appreciated his efforts.
He leads a dogs life.
They suspect that you are leading
them on. You led me on!
Leave it at that, what else can
you do?
He left word for you to meet him
at the airport at 6.
Why dont you let bygones
be bygones and forget about
what he said?
let go of release the hold
let (it) go forget bad experience,
return to normal life
let ones hair down be relaxed
and informal with other people
let someone down disappoint,
fail someone
let someone know inform
like father, like son be like
ones parent in something
little by little step by step
look for search for
look forward to expect with
pleasure
look out be careful, watch out
look up check with
/in a dictionary or a reference book
lose ones temper become
angry
lose ones way get lost
lose track of not to know where
someone or something is
lucky break a lucky chance
make a living earn money
to provide for life
make allowance for take into
consideration when judging
make a point of be sure
to do something intentionally
make ends meet to have and
spend only what one earns
soltar, dejar ir
dejarlo ir, superar malas
experiencias
soltarse la melena, echarse
una cana al aire, relajarse
quedar mal con alguien,
decepcionar a alguien
notificar, informar
de tal palo, tal astilla
poco a poco
buscar
esperar con impaciencia
tener cuidado
buscar (informacin
en un diccionario, Internet,
etc.)
perder la paciencia, enojarse
perder el camino, perderse
perder el hilo/la pista
golpe de suerte
ganarse la vida
tener en cuenta
poner empeo en (hacer
algo); hacer algo
intencionalmente; tender
a/intentar
llegar a fin de mes;
sobrevivir con pocos
ingresos
Let go of my hand or Ill call the
guard.
Hes still in despair and cant let
(it) go. You cant change
anything, so let it go.
She is always so formal. She
never lets her hair down.
Dont let me down this time!
Let me know when you find
a job.
Paul won a prize in a chess
tournament. Great! Like father,
like son!
Little by little, he got used
to Tokyo.
What are you looking for?
Im looking forward to your
letter. Mary is looking forward
to the party.
Look out! The bus is coming!
If you dont know this word,
look it up in the dictionary.
He loses his temper very often.
I lost my way. Can you help me?
I lost track of him years ago.
He got his lucky break when
he got this job.
He works hard. His family is big,
and he has to make a living
somehow.
Dont criticize him so hard,
make (an) allowance for his
inexperience.
Make a point of asking about his
wife. Make it a point to be here
by 10.
His doesnt get much money.
I wonder how he manages
to make ends meet.
make friends become friends
make fun of laugh at, joke
about
make no bones about it say/do
openly, without hesitation
make room for allow space for
make sense be logical
make the most of smth do the
best in the given situation
make up become friends again
make up for smth compensate
make up ones mind decide
make yourself at home
be comfortable, feel at home
man of his word one who keeps el hombre de palabra
promises, is dependable
mean well have good intentions
might as well a good idea
missing person someone who
is lost and cant be located
meet someone halfway
compromise with others
never mind it doesnt matter
not to mention in addition to
no wonder not surprising
now and again occasionally
odds and ends a variety
of small unimportant things
or leftovers
off the cuff without preparation
hacer amigos Anton makes new friends easily.
burlarse de He made fun of her German
accent.
no darle ms vueltas, Ill make no bones about it:
no andar por las ramas I dont like your attitude to work.
liberar espacio para We can make room for one more
dog.
tener sentido What you say makes sense.
sacar lo mejor de Lets make the most of our
vacation.
reconciliarse Im tired of fighting. Lets
make up.
recompensar Ill make up for the time you
spent on it.
tomar una decisin When will you go? Make
up your mind.
sintete como en tu casa Come in please. Make yourself
at home.
You can depend on his promise
to help. Hes a man of his word.
tener buenas intenciones He meant well, but it turned out
that he spoiled a couple of things
for me.
podras aprovechar y hacerlo I might as well telephone him
(es buena idea hacer algo) now.
persona desaparecida The little boy disappeared. The
police registered him
as a missing person.
encontrar un trmino medio Hes reasonable and tries to meet
his coworkers halfway, when
possible.
olvdalo, no importa Thank you. Never mind.
sin mencionar We have three dogs, not
to mention two cats.
no es una sorpresa He ate three big fish. No wonder
hes sick.
de vez en cuando I meet them now and again at the
bank.
restos, pedacitos I needed to buy some odds and
ends for the kitchen.
de improviso, sin Off the cuff, I can give you only
preparacin previa a rough estimate.
off the point beside the point
off the record not for the
public, unofficially
once and for all decidedly
on credit not pay cash right
away
on edge nervous, irritable
on guard on the alert
on hand available
on ones own alone, by oneself
on ones toes alert, attentive,
prepared for difficulties
on purpose intentionally
on second thought after
thinking again
on the alert on guard
on the carpet called in by the
boss for criticism
on the go busy, on the move
on the off chance unlikely
to happen, but still
on the other hand considering
the other side of the question
on the spot right there
on the spur of the moment
without previous thought / plan
on time punctual
out of ones mind crazy
no va al caso, fuera
de la cuestin
extraoficialmente
de una vez por todas
a crdito
nervioso, irritado
en guardia, alerta
a la mano
por su cuenta,
independientemente
alerta
a propsito,
intencionalmente
pensndolo bien
alerta, en guardia
llamar al despacho del
director, llamar la atencin,
criticar
en marcha, en movimiento
es poco probable pero
por otro lado
en el mismo sitio
en la euforia del momento
a tiempo
loco, fuera de s
What I think about him is off the
point.
Strictly off the record, I think the
director is going to get married
soon.
You must quit smoking once and
for all.
He bought a car on credit.
Hes been on edge ever since she
left.
Hes cautious and always
on guard.
Do you have a calculator
on hand?
She likes to live and work on her
own.
He was on his toes and produced
a very good impression on them.
I didnt do it on purpose, it just
happened so.
Id like to sit on the aisle.
On second thought, Id like
a window seat.
Hes cautious and always on the
alert.
Yesterday the boss called her
on the carpet for being rude
to the coworkers.
He is always on the go.
On the off chance that you dont
find him at work, heres his
home address.
Id like to have a dog. On the
other hand, my wife likes cats
better.
I decided to do it on the spot.
He bought this car on the spur
of the moment, now he regrets it.
Jim is always on time.
If you think so, youre out
of your mind.
out of ones way away from
someones usual route
out of the question impossible
pack rat a person who saves
lots of unnecessary things
pay attention be attentive
pick a fight start a quarrel
pick up take, get
play ones cards right choose
the right steps in doing something
potluck supper a surprise meal,
where nobody knows what dishes
other guests will bring
pull oneself together brace
oneself, summon your strength
pull the wool over someones
eyes deceive, mislead someone
put a damper on discourage
put in a word for someone say
positive things about someone
put off postpone
put ones foot down object
strongly
put ones foot in it do the
wrong thing, make a fool of oneself
put up with accept, tolerate
quite a bit of much, a lot of
quite a few many, a lot of
rack ones brain try hard
to think
desviado del camino, fuera I cant give you a lift to the bank,
del camino its out of my way today.
fuera de la cuestin Paying him is out of the
question!
acumulador obsesivo Why does she keep all those
things she never uses? She
is a pack rat.
prestar atencin Pay attention to his words.
empezar una pelea/discusin He often tries to pick a fight
with me.
elegir, recoger Ill pick you up at 7.
jugar bien sus cartas If you play your cards right, hell
agree to your plan.
una cena en grupo donde You know what happened at our
cada quien trae lo que quiere last potluck supper? Everybody
brought macaroni and cheese,
apples, and beer!
sobreponerse Stop crying and complaining!
You have to pull yourself
together now.
engaar Are you trying to pull the wool
over my eyes? It wont do you
any good.
poner un freno a She always puts a damper
on my plans.
defender a alguien con Id be very grateful if you could
palabras, decir algo bueno put in a word for me when you
acerca de alguien speak to him.
posponer Dont put it off till tomorrow.
oponerse fuertemente Her father put his foot down
when she said she wanted
to marry Alan.
meter la pata; decir /hacer He put his foot in it when he told
algo estpido the boss his daughter wasnt
pretty.
aguantar, tolerar I cant put up with your bad
work!
mucho I had quite a bit of trouble with
that car.
muchos He wrote quite a few good
stories.
esforzar el cerebro He racked his brain to solve the
puzzle.
read between the lines find
or understand the implied meaning
remember me to say hello to
right away immediately
ring a bell remind someone
of something familiar /half-
forgotten
rock the boat make the
situation unstable
rub shoulders with meet with
rub someone the wrong way
irritate, annoy, make angry
run into meet by chance
save face try to change the
negative impression produced
save ones breath stop useless
talk
scratch the surface study
something superficially
see about make arrangements
for
see eye to eye agree
serve someone right get what
someone deserves
serve ones purpose be useful
to someone for his purpose
show promise be promising
show up appear
size up evaluate someone
leer entre lneas
enviar saludos
de inmediato
se parece a algo, luce
familiar
causar problemas,
desestabilizar una situacin
codearse
irritar, molestar a alguien
encontrarse a alguien por
casualidad
rescatar la reputacin
ahorrarse las palabras
no profundizar en el tema,
estudiar de manera
superficial
ocuparse de
compartir un mismo punto
de vista con alguien
recibir lo que uno se merece
servir al propsito I doubt that hiring this man will
de alguien, ser til para
el propsito de alguien
mostrar esperanza
aparecer
evaluar
His books are not easy
to understand; you have to read
between the lines.
Please remember me to your
family.
It very important to do it right
away.
Annabel Lee? Yeah, it rings
a bell, but I cant place it right
now.
Peter always rocks the boat when
we discuss companys spending
policy.
He doesnt rub shoulders with
the rich.
His remarks rub many coworkers
the wrong way.
I ran into an old friend yesterday.
He said a stupid thing and tried
to save face by saying
he misunderstood me.
Theres no use talking to him
about his spending habits,
so save your breath.
He examines all the facts closely,
he doesnt just scratch the
surface.
I have to see about our plane
tickets.
We dont see eye to eye any
longer.
It serves him right that he didnt
get this job, he despised all other
candidates.
serve your purpose.
This young actor shows promise.
I waited for hours but he didnt
show up.
It took me 5 minutes to size
up that man.
sleep on it postpone a decision
till next morning
a slip of the tongue a mistake
slip (from) ones mind forget
smell a rat suspect something
so far up to now
so much the better its even
better
spill the beans tell a secret
stand a chance have a chance
stand out be noticeable
stand to reason be logical
straight from the shoulder
speak frankly
take a dim view of something
disapprove of something
take a break stop for rest
take advantage of use for ones
own benefit, to profit from
take after be like one of the
parents
take a stand on something
make a firm opinion/decision
on smth.
take care of look after, protect,
see that smth. is done properly
take hold of something take,
hold
take into account consider
smth.
take it easy relax, be calm
posponer algo hasta Dont decide now, sleep on it.
la maana siguiente
error, equivocacin, lapsus It was just a slip of the tongue!
olvidar It slipped my mind what she
asked me.
sospechar algo Im not sure what it is, but I
smell a rat.
hasta ahora So far, I have read 3 books
by King.
an mejor If he can pay cash, so much the
better.
soltar la sopa, decir Who spilled the beans about our
un secreto plan?
tener una oportunidad He doesnt stand a chance
of getting it.
destacarse He stands out in any group
of people.
ser lgico It stands to reason that
he apologized.
sin rodeos, abiertamente Dont try to spare my feelings,
give it to me straight from the
shoulder.
tener una opinin negativa My sister takes a dim view of the
acerca de algo way I raise my children.
tomar una pausa Lets take a break, Im tired.
aprovecharse de We took advantage of the low
prices and bought a computer
and a monitor.
parecerse a los padres Tom takes after his father
in character, and after his mother
in appearance.
tomar una posicin firme People need to take a stand
respecto a algo on the issue of nuclear weapons.
cuidar de Can you take care of my dog
while Im away? Tom takes good
care of his car.
tomar, sujetar Take hold of this rope and pull.
tomar en cuenta You must take into account her
old age.
no te preocupes Take it easy, everything will
be OK.
take (it) for granted accept
as given
take ones breath away
take ones time do slowly
take ones word for it believe
take pains try hard to do it well
take part in smth. participate in tomar parte, participar
take place happen
take someones mind off
things distract from fixed
ideas/thoughts
take steps take action /measures
take the words right out of ones
mouth say the same before
somebody else says it
take time take a long time
take time off be absent from
work
take turns alternate doing
something one after another
talk back answer rudely
talk it over discuss
tell apart see the difference
Thats just the point. Thats it.
the writing on the wall a sign
of future events (usually, trouble)
not think much of think low
think over consider carefully
till one is blue in the face try
hard
dar por sentado
dejarlo a uno sin aliento
tomarte tu tiempo, hacer
algo despacio, sin prisa
creer en la palabra
de alguien, creerle a alguien
esmerarse
tomar lugar, suceder
distraer a alguien de sus
pensamientos
tomar medidas, actuar
quitar las palabras de la boca I was about to say the same! You
(decir algo que quera decir took the words right out
otra persona)
tomar tiempo
tomar un da libre
cambiar turnos, hacer algo
por turnos
replicar, responder
insolentemente
discutir
distinguir
Este es el punto.
premonicin (de algo malo)
tener un concepto bajo
de alguien
pensar en detalle, considerar
esforzarse demasiado
Mothers love is always taken for
granted by children.
That great view took my breath
away.
Dont hurry. Take your time.
Take my word for it, he wont
go there.
He took pains to make his report
perfect.
Mary is going to take part in the
show.
The accident took place on Oak
Street.
Go to a concert or a movie
to take your mind off things.
We need to take steps against it.
of my mouth.
It takes time to get used to a new
place.
He took time off to attend the
wedding.
We went to Minsk by car.
We didnt get tired because
we took turns driving
Dont talk back to the teacher!
Ill talk it over with my family.
Can you tell the twins apart?
Thats just the point! I hate this
job!
The plane crashed. Tim said
he saw the writing on the wall
about this flight.
I dont think much of her
cooking.
Think over your answer. Think
it over carefully.
I repeated it till I was blue in the
face!
to make a long story short
in short
to say the least to make the
minimum comment about smth.
try on put on new clothes to test
them for size or look
try ones hand at something
try
turn on / off switch on / off
turn out to be result/end this
way
turn over a new leaf make
a fresh start in life, work, etc.
turn the tide reverse the course
of events
twist ones arm make to agree
under the weather feel ill
up-and-coming showing
promise of future success
up in arms hostile to, in strong
protest against something
up in the air undecided
up to par equal in standard
used to did often in the past, but
not now
walk on air be very happy
waste ones breath speak
uselessly, to no purpose
watch ones step be careful
watch out look out, be careful
en pocas palabras
para no decir ms
probarse (la ropa)
probar algo, probar suerte
con algo
encender/apagar
resultar
empezar de nuevo, hacer
borrn y cuenta nueva
cambiar el curso de los
eventos
retorcer brazos, obligar
a alguien a hacer algo
en contra de su voluntad
resfriado
prometedor
protestar, estar en contra
colgado en el aire,
indefinido
adecuado y normal
sola (hacer algo)
estar en las nubes, estar muy
feliz
esforzarse en vano
tener cuidado, ser cauteloso
tener cuidado
To make a long story short,
we won.
The film was boring and long,
to say the least.
Try on this leather coat, its very
good. She tried it on, but it didnt
fit her at all.
I want to try my hand at painting.
Turn on the radio. Turn off the
water.
He turned out to be a very good
actor.
He promises to turn over a new
leaf and quit alcohol for good.
The new evidence turned the
tide, and the defendant was
acquitted of charges.
They twisted his arm to sell the
house.
Im a little under the weather
today.
He is an up-and-coming young
lawyer who might help you with
your case.
The employees are up in arms
about the new retirement rules.
My vacation plans are still
up in the air.
His behavior isnt up to par.
I used to play the piano when I
was in school (but I dont play
it now).
He got the job and is walking
on air now.
Dont waste your breath trying
to make him do it, he wont
change his mind.
Watch your step!
Watch out for that car! Watch
out!
wet blanket a kill-joy, who
spoils everybodys fun
Whats the matter? What is it?
which way the wind blows
what the real situation is
white lie unimportant lie
word for word in the same
words
would rather prefer
aguafiestas Remember what a wet blanket
he was last time? Please dont
invite him again.
Qu pasa? Whats the matter? What
happened?
cul es la situacin real He knows which way the wind
(en qu direccin sopla blows and always acts
el viento) accordingly.
mentira piadosa A white lie is told to spare your
feelings.
literalmente Tell me word for word what
he said.
preferir Id rather stay at home today.