ENGLISH IDIOMS - MODISMOS EN INGLÉS

Idiom Meaning Usage

A blessing in a good thing that seemed as part of a

disguise bad at first sentence

A dime a dozen Something common as part of a

sentence

Beat around the Avoid saying what you as part of a

bush mean, usually because it is sentence
uncomfortable

Better late than Better to arrive late than not by itself

never to come at all

Bite the bullet To get something over with as part of a

because it is inevitable sentence

Break a leg Good luck by itself

Call it a day Stop working on something as part of a

sentence

Cut somebody Don't be so critical as part of a

some slack sentence

Cutting corners Doing something poorly in as part of a

order to save time or money sentence

Easy does it Slow down by itself

Get out of hand Get out of control as part of a

sentence

Get something out Do the thing you've been as part of a

of your system wanting to do so you can sentence
move on
Get your act Work better or leave by itself
together

Give someone the Trust what someone says as part of a

benefit of the doubt sentence

Go back to the Start over as part of a

drawing board sentence

Hang in there Don't give up by itself

Hit the sack Go to sleep as part of a

sentence

It's not rocket It's not complicated by itself

science

Let someone off To not hold someone as part of a

the hook responsible for something sentence

Make a long story Tell something briefly as part of a

short sentence

Miss the boat It's too late as part of a

sentence

No pain, no gain You have to work for what by itself

you want

On the ball Doing a good job as part of a

sentence

Pull someone's leg To joke with someone as part of a

sentence

Pull yourself Calm down by itself

together

So far so good Things are going well so far by itself

Speak of the devil The person we were just by itself
talking about showed up!

That's the last My patience has run out by itself

straw

The best of both An ideal situation as part of a

worlds sentence

Time flies when You don't notice how long by itself

you're having fun something lasts when it's fun

To get bent out of To get upset as part of a

shape sentence

To make matters Make a problem worse as part of a

worse sentence

Under the weather Sick as part of a

sentence

We'll cross that Let's not talk about that by itself

bridge when we problem right now
come to it

Wrap your head Understand something as part of a

around something complicated sentence

You can say that That's true, I agree by itself

again

Your guess is as I have no idea by itself

good as mine

Idiom Meaning Usage

A bird in the hand is What you have is worth by itself

worth two in the more than what you might
bush have later

A penny for your Tell me what you're thinking by itself

thoughts

A penny saved is a Money you save today you by itself

penny earned can spend later

A perfect storm the worst possible situation as part of a

sentence

A picture is worth Better to show than tell by itself

1000 words

Actions speak Believe what people do and by itself

louder than words not what they say

Add insult to injury To make a bad situation as part of a

worse sentence

Barking up the To be mistaken, to be as part of a

wrong tree looking for solutions in the sentence
wrong place

Birds of a feather People who are alike are by itself

flock together often friends (usually used
negatively)

Bite off more than Take on a project that you as part of a

you can chew cannot finish sentence

Break the ice Make people feel more as part of a

comfortable sentence

By the skin of your Just barely as part of a

teeth sentence

Comparing apples Comparing two things that as part of a

to oranges cannot be compared sentence
Costs an arm and a Very expensive as part of a
leg sentence

Do something at the Do something without as part of a

drop of a hat having planned beforehand sentence

Do unto others as Treat people fairly. Also by itself

you would have known as "The Golden
them do unto you Rule"

Don't count your Don't count on something by itself

chickens before good happening until it's
they hatch happened.

Don't cry over spilt There's no reason to by itself

milk complain about something
that can't be fixed

Don't give up your You're not very good at this by itself

day job

Don't put all your What you're doing is too by itself

eggs in one basket risky

Every cloud has a Good things come after bad by itself

silver lining things

Get a taste of your Get treated the way you've as part of a

own medicine been treating others sentence
(negative)

Give someone the Ignore someone as part of a

cold shoulder sentence

Go on a wild goose To do something pointless as part of a

chase sentence

Good things come Be patient by itself

to those who wait
He has bigger fish He has bigger things to take by itself
to fry care of than what we are
talking about now

He's a chip off the The son is like the father by itself
old block

Hit the nail on the Get something exactly right by itself

head

Ignorance is bliss You're better off not by itself

knowing

It ain't over till the This isn't over yet by itself

fat lady sings

It takes one to know You're just as bad as I am by itself

one

It's a piece of cake It's easy by itself

It's raining cats and It's raining hard by itself

dogs

Kill two birds with Get two things done with a by itself
one stone single action

Let the cat out of Give away a secret as part of a

the bag sentence

Live and learn I made a mistake by itself

Look before you Take only calculated risks by itself

leap

On thin ice On probation. If you make as part of a

another mistake, there will sentence
be trouble.

Once in a blue Rarely as part of a

moon sentence

Play devil's To argue the opposite, just as part of a

advocate for the sake of argument sentence

Put something on Put a projet on hold as part of a

ice sentence

Rain on someone's To spoil something as part of a

parade sentence

Saving for a rainy Saving money for later as part of a

day sentence

Slow and steady Reliability is more important by itself

wins the race than speed

Spill the beans Give away a secret as part of a

sentence

Take a rain check Postpone a plan as part of a

sentence

Take it with a grain Don’t take it too seriously as part of a

of salt sentence

The ball is in your It's your decision by itself

court

The best thing since A really good invention as part of a

sliced bread sentence

The devil is in the It looks good from a by itself

details distance, but when you look
closer, there are problems

The early bird gets The first people who arrive by itself
the worm will get the best stuff

The elephant in the The big issue, the problem as part of a

room people are avoiding sentence

The whole nine Everything, all the way. as part of a

yards sentence

There are other fish It's ok to miss this by itself

in the sea opportunity. Others will
arise.

There's a method to He seems crazy but actually by itself

his madness he's clever

There's no such Nothing is entirely free by itself

thing as a free lunch

Throw caution to Take a risk as part of a

the wind sentence

You can't have your You can't have everything by itself

cake and eat it too

You can't judge a This person or thing may by itself

book by its cover look bad, but it's good inside

Idiom Meaning Usage

A little learning is a People who don't by itself

dangerous thing understand something
fully are dangerous

A snowball effect Events have momentum as part of a

and build upon each sentence
other
A snowball's chance in No chance at all as part of a
hell sentence

A stitch in time saves Fix the problem now by itself

nine because it will get worse
later

A storm in a teacup A big fuss about a small as part of a

problem sentence

An apple a day keeps Apples are good for you by itself

the doctor away

An ounce of prevention You can prevent a by itself

is worth a pound of problem with little effort.
cure Fixing it later is harder.

As right as rain Perfect as part of a

sentence

Bolt from the blue Something that as part of a

happened without sentence
warning

Burn bridges Destroy relationships as part of a

sentence

Calm before the storm Something bad is as part of a

coming, but right now it's sentence
calm

Come rain or shine No matter what as part of a

sentence

Curiosity killed the cat Stop asking questions by itself

Cut the mustard Do a good job as part of a

sentence

Don't beat a dead Move on, this subject is by itself

horse over

Every dog has his day Everyone gets a chance by itself

at least once

Familiarity breeds The better you know by itself

contempt someone the less you
like him

Fit as a fiddle In good health as part of a

sentence

Fortune favours the Take risks by itself

bold

Get a second wind Have more energy after as part of a

having been tired sentence

Get wind of something Hear news of something as part of a

secret sentence

Go down in flames Fail spectacularly as part of a

sentence

Haste makes waste You'll make mistakes if by itself

you rush through
something

Have your head in the Not be concentrating as part of a

clouds sentence

He who laughs last I'll get you back for what by itself
laughs loudest you did

Hear something Hear something from the as part of a

straight from the person involved sentence
horse's mouth

He's not playing with a He's dumb by itself

full deck
He's off his rocker He's crazy by itself

He's sitting on the He can't make up his by itself

fence mind

It is a poor workman If you can't do the job, by itself

who blames his tools don't blame it on others

It is always darkest Things are going to get by itself

before the dawn better

It takes two to tango One person alone isn't by itself

responsible. Both people
are involved.

Jump on the Follow a trend, do what as part of a

bandwagon everyone else is doing sentence

Know which way the Understand the situation as part of a

wind is blowing (usually negative) sentence

Leave no stone Look everywhere as part of a

unturned sentence

Let sleeping dogs lie Stop discussing an issue as part of a

sentence

Like riding a bicycle Something you never as part of a

forget how to do sentence

Like two peas in a pod They're always together as part of a

sentence

Make hay while the sun Take advantage of a as part of a

shines good situation sentence

On cloud nine Very happy as part of a

sentence

Once bitten, twice shy You're more cautious by itself

 when you've been hurt
before

Out of the frying pan Things are going from by itself

and into the fire bad to worse

Run like the wind Run fast as part of a

sentence

Shape up or ship out Work better or leave by itself

Snowed under Busy as part of a

sentence

That ship has sailed It's too late by itself

The pot calling the Someone criticizing as part of a

kettle black someone else he is just sentence
as bad

There are clouds on Trouble is coming by itself

the horizon

Those who live in glass People who are morally by itself

houses shouldn't throw questionable shouldn't
stones criticize others

Through thick and thin In good times and in bad as part of a

times sentence

Time is money Work quickly by itself

Waste not, want not Don't waste things and by itself

you'll always have
enough

We see eye to eye We agree by itself

Weather the storm Go through something as part of a

difficult sentence
Well begun is half done Getting a good start is by itself
important

When it rains it pours Everything is going by itself

wrong at once

You can catch more You'll get what you want by itself
flies with honey than by being nice
you can with vinegar

You can lead a horse You can't force someone by itself

to water, but you can't to make the right
make him drink decision

You can't make an There's always a cost to by itself

omelet without doing something
breaking some eggs