Learn 18 idioms that do not translate literally from Spanish to English.
Voice message from Eva from Madrid
Family idioms: https://inglespodcast.com/245
House and Home idioms https://inglespodcast.com/220
Also: Episodes 148, 46, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 28 and more!
Another thing that’s ‘la leche’ (the bees knees!) is Italki
https://go.italki.com/aprenderingles
What’s the literal translation in English and do you know what the commonly used idiom is in English?
Ser pan comido/chupado – a piece of cake (UK), as easy as pie (US), like taking candy from a baby (US), it’s money for old rope
Más vale lo malo conocido que lo bueno por conocer – Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t
De perdidos al río – In for a penny, in for a pound
Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando – A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (not a literal translation, but close!)
Es la gota que colma el vaso – It’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back
Estar como unas castañuelas – To be happy as a clam, to be as happy as Larry, to be over the moon
En la variedad está el gusto – Variety is the spice of life
Sin pelos en la lengua – Not to mince your words
No hay mal que por bien no venga – Every cloud has a silver lining. When one door closes another opens.
Quien fue a Sevilla, perdió su silla – You snooze, you loose!
Estar como una cabra – To be as mad as a hatter
No tener ni pies ni cabeza – Without rhyme or reason
No ver tres en un burro – To be as blind as a bat
Dar gato por liebre – To take someone for a ride
Costar un ojo de la cara – To cost an arm and a leg
Tener pocas luces – To be dim (not a literal translation, but very close!)
Le falta un tornillo – Missing a screw, as thick as two short planks, not the sharpest knife in the drawer/tool in the shed, not the brightest star in the sky, an olive short of a pizza or a sandwich short of a picnic. A______short of a __ (make up any logical combination you like)
Tomar el pelo a alguien – To pull someone’s leg
…and now it’s your turn to practise your English.
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On next week’s episode: Translating and Interpreting
The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’
Picking fingers by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/59513 Ft: unreal_dm
Dream on me by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2018 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/58983 Ft: Javolenus
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