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Proverbs, Idioms Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

You do the crime, you do the time.

A

El que la hace, la paga

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2
Q

A chip off the old block

A

De tal palo, tal astilla

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3
Q

Brighten up the day

A

If something brightens up your day, something happens that makes you feel positive and happy all day long.

Example: Thanks for buying me lunch, it really brightened up my day.
(= me ha alegrado el día)

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4
Q

Cloud Nine

A

If you are on cloud nine, you are extremely happy.

Example: She has been on cloud nine since getting married.
= in seventh heaven

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5
Q

Every cloud has a silver lining

A

every bad situation has a positive side to it.

Example: I’m not going on holiday this year, but every cloud has a silver lining, as I’m able to spend more time with my family at home!
(= no hay mal que por bien no venga)

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6
Q

Come rain or shine

A

whatever happens.

Example: I will play football tonight come rain or shine.

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7
Q

Bad Apple

A

Troublemaker

Example sentence: “Mik is a real bad apple. He always causes trouble at work.”

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8
Q

Face like Thunder

A

Being clearly very angry or upset (tener cara de perro)

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9
Q

Storm in a teacup

A

Exaggerate a problem; a lot of trouble about something that is not important.

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10
Q

Chase rainbows

A

Try to achieve the impossible

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11
Q

Lighting fast

A

Being very fast

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12
Q

Head in the clouds

A

Have unrealistic or impractical ideas

estar en las nubes, en babia..

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13
Q

Itchy Feet

A

A strong impulse to travel.

“I have permanently itchy feet, which I attribute to having spent most of my childhood in Africa”.

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14
Q

Old Hand

A

someone who has been doing something for a long time and is very good at it
old hand at: After bringing up six kids, I’m an old hand at it.

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15
Q

Sweet tooth

A

A great liking for sweet-tasting foods
““Not really so odd,” said Poplicola, who had a sweet tooth and was slurping at a confection of sesame seeds bound with honey.” -Simon & Schuster: Antony and Cleopatra

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16
Q

Eye-Catching

A

Tending to attract attention

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17
Q

Egghead

A

someone who has a lot of knowledge and intelligence and is only interested in academic subjects

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18
Q

Big Cheese

A

Influential, important or powerful person

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19
Q

Couch Potatoe

A

Lazy person who watches too much Tv

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20
Q

Tough cookie

A

someone who is strong enough to deal with difficult or violent situations

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21
Q

The Lesser of Two Evils

A

El menor de los males

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22
Q

The pen is mightier than the sword

A

Trying to convince people with ideas and words is more effective than trying to force people to do what you want.
(mightier: strong. Poderoso, Fuerte, Potente, Intenso)

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23
Q

When in Rome, do as the Romans

A

Act the way that the people around you are acting. This phrase might come in handy when you’re traveling abroad notice that people do things differently than you’re used to.

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24
Q

The Squeaky wheel gets the grease

A

You can get better service if you complain about something. If you wait patiently, no one’s going to help you. (=El que no llora, no mama)
(squeaky: chirriante, chillón)

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25
Q

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

A

(lit. Cuando las cosas se ponen duras/difíciles, los duros se ponen en marcha)
Strong people don’t give up when they come across challenges. They just work harder.

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26
Q

No man is an island

A

You can’t live completely independently. Everyone needs help from other people.

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27
Q

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

A

Don’t criticize other people if you’re not perfect yourself.

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28
Q

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst

A

well, just that.

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29
Q

birds of a feather flock together

A

(lit. aves del mismo plumaje vuelan juntos)
People like to spend time with others who are similar to them.

(=dios les cria y ellos se juntan?)

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30
Q

A picture is worth a thousand words

A

Pictures convey emotions and messages better than written or spoken explanations.

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31
Q

There’s no such thing as a free lunch

A

Things that are offered for free always have a hidden cost. (=nadie regala nada, o nadie da duros a pesetas)

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32
Q

The early bird catches the worm

A

You should wake up and start work early if you want to succeed.

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33
Q

Never look a gift horse in the mouth

A

If someone offers you a gift, don’t question it.

a caballo regalado no le mires los dientes

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34
Q

Beggars can’t be choosers

A

If you’re asking for a favor from someone else, you have to take whatever they give you.
(conformate con lo que te den)

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35
Q

Actions speak louder than words

A

Just saying that you’ll do something doesn’t mean much. Actually doing it is harder and more meaningful.

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36
Q

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

A

Don’t try to improve something that already works fairly well. You’ll probably end up causing new problems.

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37
Q

Practice makes perfect

A

You have to practice a skill a lot to become good at it.

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38
Q

Too many cooks spoil the broth

A

When there are too many people trying to lead and give their opinions, it’s confusing and leads to bad results. Jobs and projects should have one or two strong leaders.
(=demasiados gallos en el gallinero)

39
Q

Easy come, easy go

A

When you get money quickly, like by winning it, it’s easy to spend it or lose it quickly as well.

40
Q

All good things must come to an end

A

You can’t keep having good luck or fun forever; eventually it will stop.

41
Q

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em

A

When you try to change someone’s behavior and it doesn’t work, you might have to change instead. For example, if you’re trying to get your classmates to focus on studying but they want to party, maybe you should just party with them.
(si no puedes vencerlos, únete a ellos)

42
Q

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

A

Different people have different ideas about what’s valuable.

43
Q

There is no time like the present

A

If you need to do something, don’t wait until later. Do it now. (= lo que puedas hacer hoy, no lo dejes para mañana)

44
Q

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

A

Different people have different ideas about what’s beautiful.
(beholder: onlooker, watcher/ espectador, observador)

45
Q

Necessity is the mother of invention

A

When you’re really in need, you think of creative solutions to your problems.

46
Q

Familiarity breeds contempt

A

When you’re around someone for too long, you get tired of them and annoyed by them.
(contempt = scorn, hatred / desprecio, desdén, menosprecio). (=la confianza da asco)

47
Q

Good things come to those who wait

A

Be patient.

48
Q

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

A

Have a backup plan. Don’t risk all of your money or time in one plan.

49
Q

The grass is alwasy greener on the other side of the hill

A

People tend to want whatever they don’t have

50
Q

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

A

Don’t do mean things to people.

no hagas a los demás lo que no quieras para tí

51
Q

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link

A

If one member of a team doesn’t perform well, the whole team will fail.

52
Q

Honesty is the best policy

A

Don’t lie.

53
Q

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

A

Sometimes it’s good to be away from your partner, because it makes you want to see each other again
(fonder: más afectuoso, cariñoso..)

54
Q

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.

A

If you try to help someone, but they don’t take your advice or offers, give up. You can’t force someone to accept your help.

55
Q

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

A

Your plans might not work out, so don’t start thinking about what you’ll do after you succeed. Wait until you’ve already succeeded, and then you can think about what to do next.
(hatch - nazcan/salgan del cascarón)

56
Q

If you want something done right, you’ve to do it yourself

A

Don’t trust other people to do important things for you. You have to do things yourself to control the quality of the results.

57
Q

Desperate times call for desperate measures

A

Tiempos (o situaciones) desesperados requieren medidas desesperadas.

58
Q

(someone) is preaching to the choir

A

“Preaching to the choir” is an idiom which means sharing your ideas with people who already agree with those ideas. It is considered to be a bit of a waste of time.
When someone tries hard to convince you of something that you already believe, you can tell them that you already agree by saying “You’re preaching to the choir.”

59
Q

“Easier said than done.”

A

Use this expression when someone talks about something and makes it sound easy, but you think it’s difficult.
Es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo.

60
Q

“Fake it ‘till you make it!”.

A

There’s a saying in English, “Fake it ‘till you make it.” It means to pretend to be good at something, and pretend to feel confident. As you continue and build your skill, your fake confidence will be replaced by real confidence.

61
Q

I heard it through the grapevine.

A

Lo oí por radio macuto.

62
Q

Fight fire with ice

A

Combatir el fuego con hielo.
“What you have to do is fight fire with ice, keep very cool, very calm and hopefully at some point, they will realize that, actually, they look a bit silly, undignified, unprofessional and unlikeable”.

63
Q

All hell will break lose / All hell was let loose

A

“Se armará (se armó) la de Dios es Cristo”.

64
Q

To Miss the Boat

A

missed the boat - missed an opportunity

65
Q

Down the Line

A

This English idiom is just another way of saying “in the future”

66
Q

(to be) a breeze

A

to be easy (ser pan comido)
Example: This exam is going to be a breeze.

(breeze also means brisa)

67
Q

Safe and Sound

A

Sano y Salvo

68
Q

We were bored to tears

A

Nos aburrimos como ostras

69
Q

A Match Made In Heaven

A
  • A marriage that is likely to be happy and successful because the two people are very compatible with each other.
  • A very successful combination of two people or things.

Example sentence: “Balint and Nora are really well suited. They are a match made in heaven.”

(La pareja perfecta, pareja ideal)

70
Q

Where there is a will, there is a way

A

This is a famous saying. It means that you can accomplish anything if you work hard.

In this case, “will” means a strong motivation to accomplish something. So you can understand the phrase to mean “If you have a strong motivation to accomplish something, there’s a way to accomplish it.”

Example: You are raising three young children as a single parent while also working full time. You’re talking to a coworker who says that it must be hard for you. It is, but you’re able to survive. You say this in response: - “You know what they say: where there’s a will, there’s a way”.

71
Q

Beat the Clock

A

succeed in something before time is up.

72
Q

Turn back the hands of time

A

to go back to the past. (volver atrás en el tiempo)

73
Q

Once in a blue moon

A

something that happens very rarely.
‘They come to visit once in a blue moon’
(de pascuas a ramos)

74
Q

Behind the times

A

Being old-fashioned
If a person or organization is behind the times, they are not modern because they have not changed as much or made as much progress as others.

75
Q

The Big Time

A

The top level of a profession.
The highest and most successful level in a profession, especially entertainment or politics
- “She had finally made it to the big time”.

76
Q

What goes up must come down

A

todo lo que sube, baja.

77
Q

On the Tip of my Tongue

A

to be almost able to remember or expressed

  • His name was on the tip of my tongue, but I needed to ask him.
78
Q

Off the top of my head

A

information offered quickly, without research or calculation

- Off the top of my head, I remember 11 people on the guest list.
Así, de primeras/ Así, a ojo.. / A bote pronto

79
Q

To cost an arm and a leg

A

to be very expensive

- That shirt from Hermes costs an arm and a leg!

80
Q

Get something off one’s chest

A

to tell someone your problems or frustrations

  • Thanks for listening to me complain about my brother. I needed to get it off my chest.
81
Q

Keep your Chin Up

A

to try to stay positive when things seem negative

  • Keep your chin up! Things will get better soon.
82
Q

A limp handshake leaves a bad impression

A

If you do something that makes people think badly of you, it’s known as this

83
Q

A broken clock is right twice a day

A

When an old clock stops working, it shows one specific time but doesn’t move. So once in the day and once at night, the clock is pointing to the correct time. In the same way, even a person who’s not very smart can sometimes be correct by accident.

84
Q

A friend in need is a friend indeed

A

If someone helps you when you’re in trouble, that person is a true friend.

85
Q

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing

A

Sometimes when a person knows a little bit about something, they feel like they’re an expert. Because they feel like an expert, they try to do things that they shouldn’t and they mess everything up.

86
Q

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

A

Some things, like learning to speak English fluently, take a really long time. It might seem like too much work. But the only way to achieve your goals is to start working now.

87
Q

All is fair in love and war

A

In love and romance, you sometimes do things that aren’t very nice. For example, you might break up with someone or steal another person’s partner. This phrase means that that’s OK.

88
Q

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

A

You can’t work all of the time. You have to relax as well.

89
Q

Better safe than sorry

A

You should be careful, even if it seems like it’s not necessary. The consequences if something goes wrong are much worse than wasting a little time and effort by being careful.

90
Q

Better the devil you know that the one you don’t

A

When you have a choice between two bad things, it’s safer to pick the bad thing that you’ve already experienced. The other bad thing might be worse.

(más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer)

91
Q

Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes

A

Sometimes people criticize each other. But it’s not fair to criticize someone else if you haven’t had the same experiences.

92
Q

It Takes Two to Tango

A

Esas cosas no se hacen sin cooperación (parecido a ‘dos no se pelean si uno no quiere’?

93
Q

Cut to the chase

A

Get straight to the point.
Ir al grano.
( = ‘corta el rollo’)

94
Q

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst and expect nothing.

A

Just to remember one of my fav ‘sayings’

Set Phrases, Expressions, Idioms (3 decks)

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