WATER EXPRESSIONS

AUDIO
Now, the VOA Special English program "Words and their stories".
Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of
the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.
almost as common as: casi tan comunes como; unpleasant meanings:
significados antipticos o desagradables;

The expression to be in hot water is one of them. It is a very old expression.

"Hot water" was used five-hundred years ago to mean being in trouble. One
story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot
water down on enemies attacking a castle.
to be in hot water: estar en apuros; esta expresin es similar a to be in deep
water (que vers ms abajo) con la diferencia que hot water implica un posible
castigo por el accionar; to mean being in trouble: para indicar que se estaba en
problemas; from the custom of throwing: por la costumbre de arrojar; extremely
hot water: agua hirviente; on enemies attacking a castle: sobre los enemigos
que atacaban un castillo;

That no longer happens. But we still get in hot water. When we are in hot
water, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble serious or not so
serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A
young boy can be in hot water with his mother, if he walks in the house with
dirty shoes.
that no longer happens: eso ya no sucede; any kind of trouble: cualquier tipo de
problema; serious: grave; not so serious: no tan grave; who breaks a law: que
viola o infringe una ley; if he walks in the house: si el entra en la casa; dirty
shoes: zapatos sucios;

Being in deep water is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are
in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot
swim being thrown in water over his head. You are in deep water when you
are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. The problem
is too deep. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks
without knowing anything about the stock market.
to be in deep water: estar con el agua hasta el cuello, en apuros; in a difficult
position: en una situacin muy problemtica; being thrown in water over his
head: ser arrojada al agua de cabeza; facing: enfrentando; the ability to solve: la
habilidad de solucionar; too deep: demasiado grave; invest in stocks: inviertes en
acciones; without knowing: sin saber; stock market: mercado burstil;

To keep your head above water is a colorful expression that means staying
out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during
economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above
water until he finds a new job.
to keep your head above water: salir a flote, superar las dificultades; staying out
of debt: desendeudarse; seeks: busca; hard times: crisis; who loses his job: que
pierde su trabajo; until he finds: hasta que encuentra;

Water over the dam is another expression about a past event. It is

something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes

from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back
again. When a friend is troubled by a mistake she has made, you might tell
her to forget about it. You say it is water over the dam.
water over the dam: mucha agua corri por el dique (muchas cosas cambiaron
durante este tiempo); about a past event: sobre algo ocurrido en el pasado; that
has flowed over a dam: el agua que ha corrido por un dique; be brought back: no
puede recuperarse; troubled: afligido, preocupado; mistake: error;

Another common expression, to hold water, is about the strength or

weakness of an idea or opinion that you may be arguing about. It probably
comes from a way of testing the condition of a container. If it can hold
water, it is strong and has no holes in it. If your argument can hold water, it
is strong and does not have any holes. If it does not hold water, then it is
weak and not worth debating.
to hold water: hacer agua, ser inconsistente o incoherente; strength: fortaleza;
weakness: debilidad; you may be arguing about: acerca de la cual puedes estar
discutiendo; testing the condition of a container: probar el estado o calidad de un
recipiente; can hold water: puede retener el agua; strong: robusto, en buen
estado; has no holes in it: no tiene agujeros en su interior; not worth debating:
no tiene argumentos vlidos;

Throwing cold water also is an expression that deals with ideas or

proposals. It means to not like an idea. For example, you want to buy a new
car because the old one has some problems. But your wife throws cold
water on the idea because she says a new car costs too much.
throw cold water: enfriar el entusiasmo; that deals with: que se relaciona con;
proposals: propuestas; to not like an idea: no gustarle a alguien una idea.
COMPLETA AHORA ESTAS ORACIONES CON 5 DE LAS EXPRESIONES IDIOMTICAS
QUE APRENDISTE MAS ARRIBA. REVISA LUEGO LAS RESPUESTAS AL FINAL DE
BOLETN.

1. I fought with my brother once over a woman we both liked, but it's all
now.
2. I really don't want to
work.
3. I'm going to
client's account.

on your plan, but I really don't think it will

with my boss when he finds out that I lost our

4. The reason she gave for being late for class didn't
she was lying.
5. I'll be
to get into university.

; I'm sure

unless I pass that exam. Without a pass, I won't be able