English Idioms

A hot potato. This idiom is used to speak of an issue (especially in current affairs) which many people are talking
about.
A penny for your thoughts. This idiom is used as a way of asking someone what they are thinking about
Add insult to injury. When people add insult to injury, they make a bad situation even worse.
As easy as pie. Very easy (same as a piece of cake). e said it is a difficult problem, but ! don"t agree. !t seems as
easy as pie to me#
Be sick and tired of. ! hate (also can"t stand). !"m sick and tired of doing nothing but work.
Bend over backwards. Try very hard (maybe too much#). e bent over backwards to please his new wife, but she
never seemed satisfied.
Bite off more than one can chew. Take responsibility for more than one can manage. $ohn is so far behind in his
studies. %esides classes, he plays sports and works at a part&time job. !t seems he has bitten off more than he can
chew.
Broke. To have no money. ! have to borrow some money from my 'ad. (ight now, !"m broke.
Caught between two stools. When someone finds it difficult to choose between two alternatives
Change one's mind. 'ecide to do something different from what had been decided earlier. ! was planning to work
late tonight, but ! changed my mind. !"ll do e)tra work on the weekend instead.
Costs an arm and a leg. When something is very e)pensive.
Cut corners. When something is done badly to save money. *or e)ample, when someone buys products that are
cheap but not of good +uality.
Cut it out!. ,top doing something bad. That noise is really annoying. Cut it out#
Drop someone a line. ,end a letter or email to someone. !t was good to meet you and ! hope we can see each other
again. Drop me a line when you have time.
Feeling a bit un d e r the weather . *eeling slightly ill.
Figure something out. -ome to understand a problem. ! don"t understand how to do this problem. Take a look at it.
.aybe you can figure it out.
Fill in for someone. 'o their work while they are away. While ! was away from the store, my brother filled in for
me.
For good ,i +ueremos indicar +ue hacemos algo de forma permanente, para siempre, usamos la e)presi/n for good.
I finally left home for good. 0or fin me fui de casa para siempre. Tambi1n puede decirse for good and all, +ue viene a
ser de una ve2 por todas.
ive someone a hand. elp. ! want to move this desk to the ne)t room. -an you give me a hand3
!ear it on the grapevine. This means 4to hear a rumour" about something or someone.
!it the hay. 5o to bed (also hit the sack). !t"s after 67 o"clock. ! think it"s time to hit the hay.
"n ages. *or a very long time. ave you seen $oe recently3 ! haven"t seen him in ages.
"n the black. The business is making money, it is profitable. 8ur business is really improving. We"ve been in the
black all year.
"n the nick of time. 9ot too late, but very close#. ! got to the drugstore just in the nick of time. !t"s a good thing,
because ! really need this medicine#
"n the red. The business is losing money, it is unprofitable. %usiness is really going poorly these days. We"ve been in
the red for the past three months.
#eep one's chin up. (emain brave and keep on trying. ! know things have been difficult for you recently, but keep
your chin up. !t will get better soon.
#ill two birds with one stone. This means 4to do two things at the same time".
#now something like the back of your hand. :now something very, very well. !f you get lost, just ask me for
directions. ! know this part of town like the back of my hand
;et me come clean. 0ara serte sincero
$iss the boat. This idiom is used to say that someone missed his or her chance at something.
0age 6
%n the ball& When someone understands the situation well.
%nce and for all <l e+uivalente en espa=ol es> ?de una ve2 por todas@ y se usa para mostrar +ue algo termina
definitivamente, despu1s de un gran esfuer2o o de muchos intentos. The pipe has been leaking for months. Im going
to fix it once and for all. ;a tuberAa lleva goteando meses. Voy a repararla de una ve2 por todas.
%nce in a blue moon. This is used when something happens very rarely.
%nce in a while. ,ometimes, not very often. ave you been to the new movie theater3 9o, only see movies once in
a while. ! usually stay home and watch TV.
'ut wool over other people's eyes. This means to deceive someone into thinking well of them.
(ub salt into wound& .eter el dedo en la llaga.
)ee eye to eye. This idiom is used to say that two (or more people) agree on something.
)harp. <)actly at a that time. !"ll meet you at B o"clock sharp. !f you"re late, we"ll be in trouble#.
)it on the fence. This is used when someone does not want to choose or make a decision.
)leep on it. Think about something before making a decision. That sounds like a good deal, but !"d like to sleep on
it before ! give you my final decision.
)peak of the d e v i l ! . This e)pression is used when the person you have just been talking about arrives.
*ake it easy. (ela). ! don"t have any special plans for the summer. ! think !"ll just take it easy.
*ake what someone says with a pinch of salt. This means not to take what someone says too seriously. There is a
big possibility that what heCshe says is only partly true.
*he best of both worlds. Dll the advantages.
*he last straw. The final problem in a series of problems.
*o be on the edge& ,e usa esta e)presi/n cuando estEs ansioso o tienes mucho estr1s. -ual+uier comentario te
harE reaccionar de forma bastante agresiva. Tener los nervios a flor de piel. You better stay away from her, shes on
the edge right now. Shes been through a lot lately. .Es vale +ue te apartes de ella, tiene los nervios a flor de piel. ;o
estE pasando mal Fltimamente.
*o get the ball rolling. ,tart something, especially something big. We need to get this project started as soon as
possible. !"m hoping you will help me get the ball rolling.
*o have a screw loose& Tener un tornillo suelto. ,e usa para indicar +ue una persona actFa de forma e)c1ntrica o
+ue es un lunEtico. <n espa=ol se traduce como> ?perder un tornillo@ o ?faltar un tornillo@. <n ingl1s tambi1n puede
decirse ?to have a screw missing@. I think that man has a screw loose. He usually goes out naked. -reo +ue a ese
hombre le falta un tornillo. 9ormalmente sale a la calle desnudo.
*o hear something straight from the horse's mouth. To hear something from the authoritative source.
*wenty+four,seven. <very minute of every day, all the time. Gou can access our web site -.,/. !t"s very convenient
0p to the minute. The most recent information. ! wish ! knew more about what is happening in the capital city. We
need more up to the minute news.
1hat are you up to2. HD +u1 te dedicas3, H+u1 estas haciendo3, H+u1 te traes entre manos3.
3ou are on your own. ;a e)presi/n to be on your own se usa cuando uno se enfrenta a una situaci/n solo, sin ayuda
de nadie, es decir, cuando haces algo por tu cuenta. 9o tiene una traducci/n directa, por lo +ue dependiendo del
conte)to varAa la traducci/n. !Im not helping you. GouIll have to find a place to live yourself. Gou are on your own.
9o te voy a ayudar. TendrEs +ue encontrarte un sitio donde dormir. <stEs solo en 1sto. !f you are want to stay up all
night working on this project, you are on your own. ,i +uieres pasarte toda la noche despierto trabajando en este
proyecto, no cuentes conmigo.
3ou crack me up& .e parto de risa contigo
English Inversions
At no time t no time did I say I would accept late homework. <n ningFn momento dije +ue aceptarAa la tareas tarde.
!ardly&&& when Hardly had I got into bed, when there was a knock at the door. Dpenas me habAa metido en la cama
cuando alguien llam/ a la puerta.
4ittle !ittle did I know that he was a compulsi"e liar. Go no sabAa +ue fuera un mentiroso compulsivo.
5o sooner&&& than #o sooner $had I reached%&$did I reach% the door than I realised it was locked. Tan pronto como
llegu1 a la puerta +ue me di cuenta +ue estaba cerrada con llave.
0age 7
5ot 6 object 9ot a single word did she say. <lla no dijo ni una sola palabra.
5ot only&&& but also #ot only did he arri"ed late but he also forgot to do the homework. 9o s/lo lleg/ tarde sino +ue
tambi1n olvid/ hacer las tareas.
5ot until #ot until 'anuary will I ha"e a holiday.
5owhere #owhere had I seen such beautiful thing. <n ninguna parte habAa visto algo tan hermoso
%nly after (nly after the film started did I realise that I)d seen it before. ,/lo despu1s de +ue la pelAcula comen2ara
me di cuenta de +ue la habAa visto antes.
%n no account,0n d e r no circumstances 8n no account should you miss class. %ajo ningFn concepto deberAas
faltar a clase.
%nly then,if,when,later (nly then did I know what I had got myself into. ,/lo entonces supe lo +ue me habAa
metido.
(arely,)eldom,5ever Seldom ha"e I seen him looking so miserable. 0ocas veces le he visto un aspecto tan
miserable. *arely does a mo"ie make you feel so warm and so uneasy at the same time. #e"er in her life had she
experienced this exhilarating emotion.
)carcely,Barely&&&&when Scarcely had I arri"ed home when the phone rang. Dpenas habAa llegado a casa cuando el
tel1fono son/.
)o&&& that So exciting was the soap opera, that I forgot to do my homework. Tan emocionante estaba la telenovela +ue
me olvid1 de hacer mis tareas. !t can also be used with much. So much did she adore 'ohn, that she would not gi"e
him up.
)uch&&& that Such was the popularity of the soap opera, that the streets were deserted whene"er it was on. Tal era la
popularidad de la telenovela, +ue las calles estaban desiertas siempre +ue la ponAan.
Phrasal Verbs Reference
Dsk 8ut ask someone to go on a date
%ring Dbout cause
%ring Jp 6) rear children 7) mention or introduce a topic
-all %ack return a telephone call
-all !n ask to come to an official place for a special reason
-all 8ff cancel
-all 8nK 6) visit 7) ask a student a +uestion in class
-all Jp call on the telephone
-atch Jp (With)K reach the same position or level as someone
-heck !nK register at a hotel
-heck !ntoK investigate
-heck 8ut 6) borrow a book from a library 7) investigate
-heer Jp make (someone) feel happier
-lean Jp make clean and orderly
-ome DcrossK find by chance
-ross 8ut draw a line through
-ut 8ut stop an annoying activity
'o 8ver repeat
'rop %yK visit informally
'rop !n (8n)K visit informally
'rop 8ff leave somethingCsomeone somewhere
'rop 8ut (8f)K stop going to school or class
*igure 8ut find the answer by logic
*ill 8ut complete a form
*ind 8ut discover information
5et Dlong (With)K to have a good relationship with
5et %ack (*rom) 6) return from somewhere 7) receive again
5et !n, 5et !ntoK 6) enter a car 7) arrive
5et 8ffK leave any vehicle
5et 8nK enter any vehicle
5et 8ut 8fK 6) leave a car 7) avoid some unpleasant activity
5et 8verK recover from an illness
5et ThroughK finish
5et JpK arise from bed, a chair etc.
5ive %ack return something to someone
5ive Jp stop doing something
0age L
5o 8verK review or check
5row JpK become an adult
and !n submit an assignment
ang Jp 6) stop a telephone conversation 7) put up clothes on a line or a hook
ave 8n wear
:eep 8ut (8f) not enter
:eep Jp (With)K stay at the same position or level
:ick 8ut (8f) force (someone) to leave
;ook DfterK take care of
;ook !ntoK investigate
;ook 8ut (*or)K be careful
;ook 8ver review or check
;ook Jp look for information in a reference book
.ake Jp 6) invent 7) do past work
9ame Dfter give a baby the name of someone else
0ass DwayK die
0ass 8ut 6) distribute 7) lose consciousness
0ick 8ut select
0ick Jp 6) go to get someone 7) take in one"s hand
0oint 8ut call someone"s attention to
0ut Dway remove to an appropriate place
0ut %ack return to original position
0ut 8ff postpone
0ut 8n dress
0ut 8ut e)tinguish a cigarette, fire
0ut Jp WithK tolerate
(un !nto meet by chance
(un Dcross find by chance
(un 8ut (8f) finish a supply of something
,how JpK appear, come to
,hut 8ff stop a machine, e+uipment, light etc.
Take DfterK resemble
Take 8ff 6) remove clothing 7) leave on a trip L) leave the ground (aeroplane)
Take 8ut 6) take someone on a date 7) remove
Take 8ver take control
Take Jp begin a new activity
Tear 'own demolish, reduce to nothing
Tear Jp tear into many little pieces
Think 8ver consider
Throw Dway discardM get rid of
Throw 8ut discardM get rid of
Throw Jp vomit
Try 8n put on clothing to see if it fits
Turn 'own decrease volume
Turn !n 6) submit classwork 7) go to bed
Turn 8ff stop a machine, e+uipment, light etc.
Turn 8n start a machine, e+uipment, light etc.
Turn 8ut e)tinguish a light
Turn Jp increase volume or intensity
Linkers
iving e7amples
for instance, namely
+ainly, there are two problems, namely, the expense and the time. 0rincipalmente, hay dos problemas, a
saber, el coste y el tiempo.
Adding information
and, in addition, as well as, also, too, apart from, furthermore, moreo"er, in addition to, besides
Dlso is used to add an e)tra idea or emphasis. ,e also spoke about marketing.
Gou can use also with not only to give emphasis. ,e are concerned not only by the costs, but also by the
competition.
We don"t usually start a sentence with also. !f you want to start a sentence with a phrase that means also,
you can use !n addition, or !n addition to thisN
0age O
Ds well as can be used at the beginning or the middle of a sentence. s well as the costs, we are concerned
by the competition. ,e are interested in costs as well as the competition.
Too goes either at the end of the sentence, or after the subject and means as well. They were concerned too.
I, too, was concerned.
Dpart from and besides are often used to mean as well as, or in addition to. part from *o"er, we are the
largest sports car manufacturer. -esides *o"er, we are the largest sports car manufacturer.
.oreover and furthermore add e)tra information to the point you are making. +arketing plans gi"e us an
idea of the potential market. +oreo"er, they tell us about the competition.
)ummarising
in short, in brief, in summary .en resumen/, to summarise, in a nutshell .en dos&pocas palabras/, to conclude, in
conclusion
We normally use these words at the beginning of the sentence to give a summary of what we have said or
written.
)e8uencing ideas
The former0 the latter. 1irstly, secondly... finally. The first point is. !astly. The following
The former and the latter are useful when you want to refer to one of two points. +arketing and finance are
both co"ered in the course. The former is studied in the first term and the latter is studied in the final term.
*irstly, N secondly, N finally (or lastly) are useful ways to list ideas. !t"s rare to use PfourthlyP, or PfifthlyP.
!nstead, try the first point, the second point, the third point and so on.
The following is a good way of starting a list. The following people ha"e been chosen to go on the training
course2 # 3eters, 4 'ones and (wen.
iving a reason
due to & due to the fact that, because, because of, since, as
'ue to must be followed by a noun. 5ue to the rise in oil prices, the inflation rate rose by 67.
!f you want to follow these words with a clause (a subject, verb and object), you must follow the words with
the fact that.5ue to the fact that oil prices ha"e risen, the inflation rate has gone up by 67.
%ecause of is followed by a noun. -ecause of bad weather, the football match was postponed.
%ecause can be used at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. *or e)ample, -ecause it was raining,
the match was postponed. ,e belie"e in incenti"e schemes, because we want our employees to be more
producti"e.
,ince C Ds . ,ince and Ds mean because. Since the company is expanding, we need to hire more staff. s the
company is expanding, we need to hire more staff.
iving a result
therefore, so, conse8uently, this means that, as a result
Therefore, so, conse+uently and as a result are all used in a similar way. The company are expanding.
Therefore & So & 4onse8uently & s a result, they are taking on extra staff. ,o is more informal.
Contrasting ideas
but, howe"er, although & e"en though, despite & despite the fact that, in spite of & in spite of the fact that, in stead of
.en "e9 de/ , ne"ertheless& nonetheless .a pesar de, no obstante/, while & whereas .mientras/, unlike .a diferencia de/, in
theory0 in practice0
%ut is more informal than however. !t is not normally used at the beginning of a sentence. He works hard,
but he doesn)t earn much. He works hard. Howe"er, he doesn)t earn much.
Dlthough, despite and in spite of introduce an idea of contrast. With these words, you must have two halves
of a sentence. lthough it was cold, she went out in shorts. In spite of the cold, she went out in shorts.
'espite and in spite of are used in the same way as due to and owing to. They must be followed by a noun.
!f you want to follow them with a noun and a verb, you must use the fact that. 5espite the fact that the
company was doing badly, they took on extra employees.
9evertheless and nonetheless mean in spite of that or anyway. The sea was cold, but he went swimming
ne"ertheless. (!n spite of the fact that it was cold.) The company is doing well. #onetheless, they aren)t going
to expand this year.
While, whereas and unlike are used to show how two things are different from each other. ,hile my sister
has blue eyes, mine are brown. Taxes ha"e gone up, whereas social security contributions ha"e gone down.
:nlike in the :;, the :S has cheap petrol.
!n theoryN in practiceN show an une)pected result. In theory, teachers should prepare for lessons, but in
practice, they often don)t ha"e enough time.
0age Q
English Collocations
!ave
have a bath
have a drink
have a good time
have a haircut
have a holiday
have a problem
have a relationship
have a rest
have lunch
have sympathy
Do
do business
do nothing
do someone a favour
do the cooking
do the housework
do the shopping
do the washing up
do your best
do your hair
do your homework
$ake
make a difference
make a mess
make a mistake
make a noise
make an effort
make furniture
make money
make progress
make room
make trouble
*ake
take a chance
take a look
take a rest
take a seat
take a ta)i
take an e)am
take notes
take someone"s place
take someone"s
temperature
Break
break a habit
break a leg
break a promise
break a record
break a window
break someone"s heart
break the ice
break the law
break the news to someone
break the rulescatch a ball
Catch
catch a bus
catch a chill
catch a cold
catch a thief
catch fire
catch sight of
catch someone"s attention
catch someone"s eye
catch the flu
'ay
pay a fine
pay attention
pay by credit card
pay cash
pay interest
pay someone a compliment
pay someone a visit
pay the bill
pay the price
pay your respects
)ave
save electricity
save energy
save money
save one"s strength
save someone a seat
save someone"s life
save something to a disk
save space
save time
save yourself the trouble
#eep
keep a diary
keep a promise
keep a secret
keep an appointment
keep calm
keep control
keep in touch
keep +uiet
keep someone"s place
keep the change
Come
come close
come complete with
come direct
come early
come first
come into view
come last
come late
come on time
come prepared
come right back
come second
come to a compromise
come to a decision
come to an agreement
come to an end
come to a standstill
come to terms with
come to a total of
come under attack
o
go abroad
go astray
go bad
go bald
go bankrupt
go blind
go cra2y
go dark
go deaf
go fishing
go mad
go missing
go on foot
go online
go out of business
go overseas
go +uiet
go sailing
go to war
go yellow
et
get a job
get a shock
get angry
get divorced
get drunk
get frightened
get home
get lost
get married
get nowhere
get permission
get pregnant
get ready
get started
get the impression
get the message
get the sack
get upset
get wet
get worried
$iscellaneous
*ime
bang on time
dead on time
early 67th century
free time
from dawn till dusk
great deal of time
late 7Rth century
make time for
ne)t few days
past few weeks
right on time
run out of time
save time
spare time
spend some time
take your time
tell someone the time
time goes by
time passes
waste time
Business english
annual turnover
bear in mind
break off negotiations
cease trading
chair a meeting
close a deal
close a meeting
come to the point
dismiss an offer
draw a conclusion
draw your attention to
launch a new product
lay off staff
go bankrupt
go into partnership
make a loss
make a profit
market forces
sales figures
take on staff
Classifiers
a ball of string
a bar of chocolate
a bottle of water
a bunch of carrots
a cube of sugar
a pack of cards
a pad of paper
0age S