EXPRESIONES IDIOMÁTICAS EN
ESPAÑOL – UK ENGLISH – US ENGLISH
Por Vicente Bastante Jiménez Intérprete Jurado de Inglés
ESPAÑOL Abuela ¡Cuéntaselo a tu abuela! Agua Ahogarse en un vaso de agua Anteojeras Llevar las anteojeras puestas Asno Asno muerto, la cebada al rabo Barbas Subirse a las barbas de alguien Bastón Meter un bastón (o palo) en las ruedas de alguien Batuta Llevar la batuta (o los pantalones) Baza Meter baza en algo No dejar meter baza a alguien Bicho Ser un mal bicho Blanco No parecerse ni en el blanco de los ojos Dar en el blanco (o clavo) en algo
U.K. ENGLISH Pull the other one! To blow one’s own trumpet
U.S. ENGLISH Tell that to the marines! To blow one’s own horn
To start a storm in a teacup
To start a tempest in a teapot
To be blinkered To look (or shut) the stable door after the horse has bolted (or gone)
To have blinders on To lock the barn door after the horse is stolen
To get cheeky with someone
To get fresh with someone
To throw a spanner in/to the works To put a spoke in someone’s wheel To wear the trousers
To throw a monkey wrench in/to the works To wear the pants To carry the ball
To put in one’s (two) pennyworth Not to let someone get a word edgeways
To put in one’s two cents’ worth Not to let someone get a word in edgewise
To be a rotter
To be a man son of a bitch
To be as chalk and cheese To be spot-on (with something) / to strike (or hit) home
To be as different as night and day To be right on (with something)
ESPAÑOL Bola/s Estar como una bola de billar Pillar en bolas a alguien Breva Ser algo una breva Buenas De buenas a primeras Buey A paso de buey (o tortuga) Burro Una vez puesto en el burro / De perdidos, al río Cabeza Apostar la cabeza a que… Tener la cabeza en su sitio Cabo Estar al cabo de la calle Cadáver Tener un cadáver en el armario Calabazas Darle calabazas a alguien Campante Quedarse tan campante
U.K. ENGLISH
U.S. ENGLISH
To be as bald as a billiard ball To catch someone with his trousers down
To be as bald as a cue ball To catch someone with his pants down
To be a doddle
To be a snap (or breeze)
Out of the blue At a snail’s pace
Right off the bat As slow as (or slower than) molasses (in January)
In for a penny, in for a pound
In for a dime, in for a dollar
You can bet your life that… To have one’s head screwed on
To know what the score is
You can bet your bottom dollar… To have one’s head screwed on tight To have gotten to the bottom of something
To have a skeleton in the cupboard
To have a skeleton in the closet
To plough someone
To flunk someone
Not to bat an eyelid
Not to bat an eyelash
ESPAÑOL Cangrejo Ponerse rojo como un cangrejo Cántaros Llover a cántaros Carabina Hacer de carabina Cargarse Cargarse a alguien Castañuelas Estar alegre como unas castañuelas / estar más contento que unas pascuas Cisco Estar hecho cisco (o polvo) Claras Cantarlas claras a alguien Coba Darle coba a alguien Cobre Batirse el cobre Coche Ir en el coche de San Fernando Codo/s Empinar el codo
U.K. ENGLISH To blush like a beetroot To go as red as a beetroot
To turn as red as a beet
To be bucketing down
To open the floodgates of heaven
To play gooseberry
To go along (or play) chaperon
To have it off with someone
To deep-six someone
To be as happy as a sandboy ( or as Larry) To be completely shattered (or knackered or whacked or shagged out)
To be very chipper (or chirpy) To be as happy as a clam (or lark)
To give it to someone straight To suck up to someone To toady to someone
To talk turkey with someone To sweet-talk someone To soft-soap someone
To put one’s back into it
To bust a gut
To go on Shank’s pony
To go on Shank’s mare To hoist one or a few To belt one (or a few) down
To bend (or lift) one’s elbow
U.S. ENGLISH
To be completely pooped (or beat)
ESPAﾃ前L Hablar por los codos Cola Guardar (o hacer) cola Copas Ir de copas Coronilla Estar hasta la coronilla de algo Coser Ser coser y cantar / ser pan comido Cuba Estar mﾃ｡s borracho que una cuba Cuento Ser un cuento chino Chaveta Perder la chaveta Descoyuntarse Descoyuntarse (o desternillarse) de risa Diamante Ser un diamante en bruto Diestro A diestro y siniestro Eje Partir por el eje a alguien
U.K. ENGLISH To talk nineteen to the dozen
U.S. ENGLISH To take a mile a minute
To queue (up)
To line up / to stand in line
To go on a pub-crawl
To be a doddle
To go on a bat To be fed up with something (or with the whole ball of wax) To be a breeze To be like shooting fish in a barrel
To be as drunk as a lord
To be (as) drunk as a skunk
To be a load of rubbish
To be a load of bull
To go bonkers
To go ape
To crease up
To crack up
To be a rough diamond
To be a diamond in the rough
Left, right and centre
Left and right To knock someone for a loop To knock somebody sideways
To be cheesed off with something
To knock someone for six
ESPAÑOL Enganchado Estar enganchado (a las drogas) Estacada Dejar en la estacada a alguien Fideo Estar hecho un fideo de delgado Flamenco Ponerse flamenco (o impertinente) Gota Sudar la gota gorda / matarse a trabajar Horas A buenas horas, mangas verdes Lata Darle la lata (o tabarra) a alguien Ligue Salir de ligue Madera ¡toca madera! Maleta Hacer la maleta / liar los bártulos Mil Preso por mil, preso por mil quinientos
U.K. ENGLISH To be hooked (on drugs)
U.S. ENGLISH To have a monkey on one’s back
To leave someone holding the baby To leave someone the bag To be as thin as a rake
To be as thin as a rail
To get cheeky
To get fresh (or sassy)
To slog away To slog (or sweat) one’s guts out To lock (or shut) the stable door after the horse has bolted (or gone) To get on someone’s wick
To work one’s butt off To lock the barn door after the horse is stolen To bend someone’s ear To bug somebody
To go out on the pull
To go out on the make
Touch wood!
Knock on wood!
To pull up sticks
To pull up stakes
In for a penny, in for a pound
In for a dime, in for a dollar
ESPAÑOL Mochuelo Cargar con el mochuelo Narices Tocarse las narices Novillos Hacer novillos / hacer rabona Orejeras Llevar orejeras Oro Guardar algo como oro en paño Pasaporte Darle el pasaporte a alguien Pegársela Pegársela (o engañar) a alguien Pelo Tomarle el pelo a alguien Pino Estar en el quinto pino Perras Costar unas perras Pez Ser un pez gordo
U.K. ENGLISH To be left holding the baby To have to carry the can
U.S. ENGLISH To be left holding the bag
To sit on one’s backside
To sit on one’s butt
To play truant
To play hooky
To have blinkers To treasure something as gold dust
To have blinders To treasure something as if it were gold
To give someone his cards
To give someone the pink slip
To do someone down To take the mickey out of someone To have a lark with someone To rag (or chip) someone
To cheat on someone
To be at the back of beyond
To put someone on To be (way) out in the boonies (or boondocks)
To cost a few quid
To cost a few bucks
To be a top nob / to be a big shot
To be a fat cat
ESPAÑOL Pie Levantarse con el pie izquierdo Pieza Quedarse de una pieza Piltra Irse a la piltra Pisto Darse pisto (o importancia) Platos Pagar los platos rotos Pulgas Buscarle las pulgas a alguien Rosa Verlo todo de color de rosa Sablazo Darle un sablazo a alguien Sombra Estar a la sombra (o en chirona) Tablas Tener muchas tablas Tieso Estar tieso / estar sin blanca Tilín Hacerle tilín a alguien
U.K. ENGLISH
To be knocked for six
U.S. ENGLISH To get up on the wrong side of the bed To be knocked sideways To be knocked for a loop
To hit the sack
To hit the hay
To swank
To put on the dog
To carry the can
To take the rap
To wind someone up To see everything (or things) through rose-tinted spectacles To touch someone for money
To put someone on To see everything thru rose-colored glasses To tap someone for money To hit on somebody for money
To do bird
To be in the can
To be a top nob To be skint To be down to one’s last penny
To be a fat cat To be stone-broke To be down to one’s last nickel
To be right up someone’s street
To be right up someone’s alley
To get out of bed on the wrong side
ESPAÑOL Tormenta Una tormenta en un vaso de agua Tornas Se han vuelto las tornas Tortuga Ser más lento que una tortuga Trago Echar un trago / mojar el gaznate Trapos Sacar a relucir los trapos sucios Tres Tan seguro como que tres y dos son cinco Va Creerse el no va más Vago Ser un vago sin oficio ni beneficio Victoria Cantar victoria
U.K. ENGLISH
U.S. ENGLISH
A storm in a teacup
A tempest in a teapot
Now the boot’s on the other foot
To wet one’s whistle To bring out the skeletons in the cupboard
Now the shoe’s on the other foot To be a slowpoke To be as slow (or slower) than molasses (in January) To hoist one To belt one down To bring out the skeletons in the closet
As sure as eggs are eggs As sure as night follows day
As sure as sure can be As sure as the day is long
To think one is the cat’s pyjamas
To think one is the cat’s pajamas
To be a good-for-nothing layabout
To be a lazy bum
To be out of the wood
To be out of the woods
To be (such) a slowcoach