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raferguson

Jan 4, 2011, 9:41 PM

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Idioms

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I am working on translating some idioms for my ESL students. Some are pretty easy, but I am having trouble with some.

close thing - Whew, that was a close thing
close call
by the skin of my teeth

call it a day - parar trabajando?

all wet - His idea is all wet. - idea malo? How do I convey that "all wet" applies to opinions more than to things?

on the go - muy activo?

Bottom line - Lo importante?

Hard feelings - enojo?

in over his head -

live from hand to mouth

so so

I am sure that I will find more......

Gracias de antemano, como siempre.

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

Maritsa

Jan 5, 2011, 6:33 AM

Post #2 of 13 (12131 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Idioms

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I am not working right now, so I took your challenge. I like my Collins Dictionary because it does have a lot of idioms. So here is what I found. Hope it helps.

close thing - close call - it was a close shave: se salvaron por un pelo, or de milagro
by the skin of one's teeth - por los pelos

call it a day: dejarlo por hoy

on the go - he's always on the go: nunca para

hard feelings - to bear malice - harbor a grudge: guardar rencor
rencoroso - spiteful

to live from hand to mouth - vivir al dia

so so - (couldn't find exactly, but I think they say mas o menos)

two heads are better than one: cuatros ojos ven mas gue dos

Barbara

Rolly

Jan 5, 2011, 7:47 AM

Post #3 of 13 (12121 views)

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Re: [Maritsa] Idioms

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How about "crying in my beer"

Rolly Pirate

Peter

Jan 5, 2011, 10:05 PM

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Re: [raferguson] Idioms

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So so - así así

Rolly

Jan 5, 2011, 10:13 PM

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Re: [Peter] Idioms

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All I ever hear for so-so is más o menos. I know the dictionary says asi asi, but...

Rolly Pirate

Peter

Jan 6, 2011, 6:42 AM

Post #6 of 13 (12082 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Idioms

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Mas o menos - more or less, I guess it can convery the same thought. Could be regional, I hear "así así" being spoken here. It may not be a favorite idiom but it's not a "Spain only" sort of thing,

norteño

Jan 6, 2011, 8:11 AM

Post #7 of 13 (12073 views)

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Re: [Peter] Idioms

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Actually there is a Spanish word "soso" whose meaning ("bland, insipid") whether by coincidence or otherwise is somewhat similar to the English "so so".

sioux4noff

Jan 6, 2011, 8:03 PM

Post #8 of 13 (12043 views)

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Re: [Peter] Idioms

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I have only heard mas o menos here in Bucerias. When I used asi asi one time, I was corrected to say mas o menos.

surjo666

May 6, 2011, 2:22 AM

Post #9 of 13 (11024 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Idioms

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This is a great post. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge. This really helps beginners like me improve a lot faster.

alex .

May 7, 2011, 7:55 AM

Post #10 of 13 (10986 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Idioms

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es-o-si-que-es calcetines <)

blogs

Feb 24, 2012, 6:44 AM

Post #11 of 13 (9122 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Idioms

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I am not working right now, so I took your challenge. I like my Collins Dictionary because it does have a lot of idioms.

blogs

Feb 24, 2012, 7:04 AM

Post #12 of 13 (9119 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Idioms

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How about "crying in my beer"

zaragemca

Feb 29, 2012, 12:45 PM

Post #13 of 13 (9022 views)

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Re: [blogs] Idioms

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Greetings. The expression craying in my beer, is history. Somebody was in a party and something happened to a child and he came crying, without realizing that he was on top of that person glass of beer. The actual meaning could be when you are enjoying a good time, ( beers), and somebody comes with a bad story, a complaint, ( the crying). Gerry Zaragemca
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