1 Idioms

HEALTH
IDIOMS DESCRIBING HEALTH
Under the weather I’ve been feeling under the weather this week. Encontrarse mal
Look/feel like death He shouldn't be working when he's so ill - he looks Parecer/sentirse muy
warmed up like death warmed up! enfermo
Recharge your batteries I could do with a holiday to recharge my batteries. Recargar energías
Feel off-colour I’m feeling a bit off-colour today. Indispuesto
On the road to recovery It's been two weeks since her surgery, and she is on En el camino hacia la
the road to recovery. recuperación
Be on the mend I cared for my father while he was on the mend. Ir mejorando
As fit as a fiddle My grandmother's 89, but she's as fit as a fiddle. Estar en plena forma
As right as rain Helen had flu last week, but now she’s as right as Estar perfectamente
rain. sano
INFORMAL IDIOMS FOR MAD
Be not all there So, his name's Mikey and he's not all there. No estar muy cuerdo
Off your trolley Have you gone completely off your trolley? Comportarse de forma
estúpida
Be not right in the head The person in question is said to be not right in the No estar bien de la
head cabeza
Have a screw loose She obviously has a screw loose if she thinks she’s Faltarle un tornillo a
going to make it as a pop singer. alguien
Off your rocker You know for many months I thought you all were Estar chiflado
off your rocker.
INFORMAL IDIOMS FOR DIE
Pop your clogs I think I'll leave all my money to charity when I pop Morir
my clogs.
Bite de dust That’s another scheme which has bitten the dust. Morir/fracasar en algo
Give up the ghost He finally gave up the ghost after a long illness. Entregar el alma (morir)

Kick the bucket He kicked the bucket today, we better prepare for Estirar la pata
his funeral.
Fall off your perch the suspicious circumstances under which John Morir (informal
finally fell off his perch humorístico)
IDIOMS BASED ON MEDICAL IMAGES
A sore point/spot Don't ask him about the job search - it's a bit of a Un tema delicado
sore point.
Give someone a Refusing to lend him money now would give him a Dar a alguien un sorbo
taste/dose of their own taste of his own medicine – he’s never lent you any. de su propia medicina
medicine
A bitter pill to swallow Losing my job was initially a bitter pill to swallow. Pasar por un mal trago
Sugar the pill The boss has sugared the overtime pill by offering a Endulzar un asunto
large extra payment. (hacer que parezca
mejor de lo que es)
Have itchy feet After three years in the job she began to get itchy Estar muy inquieto (con
feet. ganas de hacer algo
distinto)
2 Idioms

HAPPINESS AND SADNESS

EXTREME HAPPINESS
To be thriller to bits She was thrilled to bits with her present. Muy emocionado
Be/feel on top of the They make me feel like I'm on top of the world. Sentirse en la cima del
world mundo
To be on cloud nine "Was Helen pleased about getting that job?" Muy feliz (estar como
"Pleased? She was on cloud nine!" en las nubes)
Be over the moon She was over the moon about/with her new bike. Estar muy content
To be in seventh Since they got married, they've been in seventh Estar en el séptimo cielo
heaven heaven. (muy feliz)
OTHER HAPPINESS IDIOMS
Get a (real) kick out of I get a (real) kick out of going for a run first thing in Disfrutar mucho
something the morning before anyone else is up. haciendo algo (inf.)
Do something for kicks Sandra is keen to have a go at bungee-jumping – just Hacer algo (peligroso)
for kicks. por ser emocionante
Jump for joy She jumped for joy when she heard that she’d won Saltar de alegría
first prize.
Be floating/walking on I’ve been walking on air ever since Chris and I started Estar extremadamente
air going out together. feliz
Something makes your It’s great to hear from you. I’s really made my day. Algo que te alegra el día
day
SADNESS
Be out of sorts I've been feeling tired and headachy and generally Estar indispuesto
out of sorts.
Be down in the dumps She's a bit down in the dumps because she failed Deprimido
one of her exams.
It’s not the end of the We’re hoping to win, but if we finish second it won’t No es el fin del mundo
world be the end of the world.
Grin and bear it I really don't want to go, but I guess I'll just have to Aceptar una situación
grin and bear it. que no te gusta pero
que no puedes cambiar
Sour grapes I don't think it's such a great job - and that's not just Ser muy envidioso
sour grapes because I didn't get it.
Put a damper on sth Both the kids were sick while we were in Boston, so Poner una nota de
that put a damper on things. tristeza a
3 Idioms

ANGER
BEING ANGRY
Be fed up with I’m fed up with my job. Estar harto de algo
Be at your wits’ end She was at her wits’ end trying to figure out how to Estar al borde de la
control her 14-year-old son. locura
Have had it (up to here) I've had it up to here with you - get out! Estar hasta el moño (de
with aguantar algo)
Have/throw a fit My mother threw a fit when she saw the mess we Ponerse histérico/muy
made. enfadado
Go nuts My sister will go nuts when she finds out I crashed Enfadarse mucho
her car.
Somebody’s blood is up It's best to stay away when his blood is up. Hervir la sangre
Be after somebody’s You'd better stay out of her way - she's after your Tenérsela jurada a
blood blood. alguien
ANGRY RELATIONSHIPS
drive someone nuts/up Be quiet! You're driving me up the wall! Sacar a alguien de sus
the wall casillas
Drive/send smb around Staying at home all day was driving her around the Enfadar/aburrir mucho
the bend/twist bend. a alguien
Rub smb up the wrong As soon as they met, they started to rub each other Buscarle a alguien las
way up the wrong way. cosquillas
Get/put someone’s He put my back up with his boasting. Exasperar/poner de los
back up nervios
Ruffle someone’s She knows how to ruffle his feathers. Contrariar a alguien
feathers
Put/sent the cat among Danny put the cat among the pigeons by suggesting Decir/hacer algo que
the pigeons that the company might have to make some enfade a mucha gente
redundancies.
Not be on speaking They haven’t on speaking terms for years although No hablarse con alguien
terms neither can remember what happened before
Give someone an earful The old lady gave the children an earful for nearly Decirle a alguien que
knocking her over. estás enfadado con él
Give someone a piece If he does that again I’m going to give him a piece of Cantar a alguien las
of your mind my mind. cuarenta
4 Idioms

KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING

KNOWING AND NOT KNOWING
Know something inside Let Meg drive – she knows these roads inside out. Conocer algo como la
out palma de la mano
Know one’s stuff He really knows his stuff when it comes to French Saber mucho de algo
history.
Have a familiar ring (to didn't know who was speaking, but his voice had a Sonarte algo (por ya
it) familiar ring. haberlo oído antes)
Ring a bell His name rings a bell, but I don’t remember where Sonarte algo, pero no
I’ve heard it before. poder recordarlo
Not have a clue I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about. No tener ni idea
Not have the faintest "Is she going to stay?" "I haven't the faintest idea." No tener ni idea
idea
Not have the foggiest I didn't have the foggiest idea what he was talking No tener ni idea
idea about.
For the life of you I can't remember her name for the life of me. No ser capaz de
recordar algo
Out of touch (with) Older people sometimes seem out of touch with the Estar desconectado de
modern world. algo
Not ring any bells with I’m sorry, that name doesn’t ring any bells with me No sonarte de nada
(very common use with “name”)
COMING TO CONCLUSIONS
Put two and two "How did you know they were having an affair?" "I'd Sumar dos más dos
together seen them out together a couple of times, so I just
put two and two together."
Get the wrong end of Her friend saw us arrive at the party together and No entender una
the stick got the wrong end of the stick. situación correctamente
5 Idioms

EXPERIENCE AND PERCEPTION

LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCIES
Put it down to There's nothing we can do about it now, we'll just Aprender de la
experience have to put it down to experience. experiencia
(Not) now where you I know where I stand on this issue - I'm against the Saber/no saber cuál es
stand war. tu posición sobre algo
Give smb food for The recent events have certainly given me food for Hacer que alguien
thought thought. piense sobre algo
Learn a/your lesson I got horribly drunk once at college and that was Aprender la lección
enough - I learned my lesson.
Teach smb a lesson Having my car stolen really taught me a lesson - I'll Cuando algo/alguien te
never leave it unlocked again. enseña la lección
Get the message I never answer his calls, so you'd think he'd get the Entender el mensaje
message.
Put/set the record Although the firm quickly put the record straight, the Dejar las cosas claras
straight news had a negative impact on their shares. (sobre algo)
OTHER COMMON IDIOMS CONNECTED WITH PERCEIVING SITUATIONS
Hear (sth) through/on I heard through the grapevine that he was leaving - Escuchar algo que ha
the grapevine is it true? pasado por varias
personas
A figment of your The dinosaurs he said he saw were figments of his Algo producto de tu
imagination imagination. imaginación
Lose sight of She lost sight of him in the crowd. Perder de vista algo
importante
It beats me What beats me is why she stays with him. No entender una
situación/conducta
Have second thoughts You're not having second thoughts about getting Pensárselo dos veces
(about) married, are you?
The ins and outs (of) I know how to use computers, but I don't really Los detalles más
understand the ins and outs of how they work. concretos de algo
6 Idioms

SUCCESS AND FAILURE

WHEN THINGS GO WELL
Make all the difference Putting up some new wallpaper has made all the Marcar la diferencia
(to something) difference to the place.
Work/go/run like a He let me drive his new car last night - it goes like a Funcionar muy bien
dream dream.
Work like magic/ work Flattery usually works like a charm (magic) on him. Ser algo muy efectivo
like a charm
Do the trick This sauce needs more flavour - I know, some lemon Tener un efecto positivo
juice should/ought to do the trick. sobre algo
Go from strength to The firm's gone from strength to strength since the Ir de bien a mejor
strength new factory was built.
The be-all and end-all We all agreed that winning was not the be-all and Ser lo más importante
(of something) end-all.
A blessing in disguise Losing that job was a blessing in disguise really. Algo que al principio
parecía ser malo, pero
tiene efectos positivos
… AND WHEN THEY DON’T
Be a victim of your own The school has become a victim of its own success, Tener problemas a raíz
success as parents with children who have special needs del propio éxito
now actively seek it out.
Not have a/the ghost of They don't have a ghost of a chance of winning. No tener la más mínima
a chance (on someone/ oportunidad
something)
Someone/something All I'd cherished from early childhood had been Dejar de intentar
give up the ghost denied me, so I simply gave up the ghost. conseguir algo
Someone/something The heart attack left its mark on him, and he was Dejar huella
leaves its/their mark never quite the same after it.
Be out of your league He was so good-looking and so popular that I felt he Estar fuera de tu liga (de
was out of my league. tu alcance)