lunes, 31 de agosto de 2009

writting /247


THE MOMENT WE ENTERED THE RESTAURANT WE BEGAN TO FEEL HUNGRY,AS THE DELICIOUS SMELL OF FINE COOKING REACHED US FROM THE KITCHEN

'Lose your bottle' 246

Idiom Definitions for 'Lose your bottle'
If someone loses their bottle, they lose the courage to do something

'Under a cloud' 245


Definitions for 'Under a cloud'
If someone is suspected of having done something wrong, they are under a cloud

Idiom: Place in the sun 244


Idiom Definitions for 'Place in the sun'
If you have your place in the sun, you find wealth, happiness or whatever you are looking for in life.

Idiom Definitions for 'Made of money' 243


Idiom Definitions for 'Made of money'
If you are made of money, you have a lot of money

the world is your oyster 242


the world is your oyster
if the world is your oyster, you have the ability and the freedom to do anything or go anywhere You're young and healthy and you've got no commitments, so the world is your oyster.
See also: world

Money does not grow on trees 241


Money does not grow on trees.
Prov. It is not easy to get money. (Implies that the person you are addressing spends money too easily.) Child: Can I have ten dollars to go to the movies? Father: Ten dollars?! Money doesn't grow on trees.
See also: does, grow, money

something takes the cake 240


something takes the cake
something is the most extreme example I've known some jerks but you take the cake.
Usage notes: usually said about something

give somebody the kiss of life 239


give somebody the kiss of life (British & Australian)
to help someone who has stopped breathing to breathe again by blowing into their mouth and pressing their chest A doctor who had witnessed the accident gave the victim the kiss of life but failed to revive him.
See also: give, kiss, life

THE PHONE IS RINGING OFF THE HOOK 238


RING REPEATEDLY

NEVER HAVE I HEARD A WEAKER EXCUSE 237


THERE WERE RUMOURS ABOUT HER HAVING MARRIED A RICH FILM STAR 236


SHE WAS RUMOURED TO HAVE MARRIED WITH A RICH FILM STAR

I CANT UNDERSTAND WHY SHE IS UNWILLING TO TELL US THE TRUTH 235


I AM BAFFLED BY HIS UNWILLINGNESS TO TELL US THE TRUTH

I THING YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION FOR THOSE WHOM DON T HAVE LIVES AS PRIVILIGED AS YOURS 234


I THING YOU SHOUL SPARE A THOUGHT FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES ARENT AS PRIVILIGED AS YOURS

IF YOU HADNT CHANGED OUR ORIGINAL AGREEMENT,EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE 233


HAD YOU STUCK TO WHAT WE ORIGINALLY AGREED,EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE

DAVID PLAYED THE MAIN ROLE WHEN THE PROPOSAL WAS DRAFTED 232

DAVID WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE DRAFOTING OF THE PROPOSAL

: A month of Sundays 231

A LONG PERIOD OF TIME,I HAVENT SEEN HIM IN A MONTH OF SUNDAYS

When in Rome do as the Romans do 230


DONDE FUERES HAZ LO QUE VIERES

gross someone out 229


your John Hancock (American humorous) 228


your John Hancock (American humorous)
your signature
Usage notes: John Hancock's signature was the biggest signature on the American Declaration of Independence in 1776.If you put your John Hancock on the last page we'll be finished with the formalities.
See also: Hancock, john
IdiI()
Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed. Copyright © Cambridge

Let the cat out of the bag 227


Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning
Disclose a secret.
Origin
There are two commonly heard suggested origins of this phrase. One relates to the fraud of substituting a cat for a piglet at markets. If you let the cat out of the bag you disclosed the trick - and avoided buying a pig in a poke (bag). This form of trickery is long alluded to in the language and 'pigs in a poke' are recorded as early as 1530.
The other theory is that the 'cat' referred to is the cat o' nine tails, which was used to flog ill-disciplined sailors. Again, this has sufficient historical record to be at least possible. The cat o' nine tails was widely used and was referred to in print many years prior to the first use of 'let the cat out of the bag'. The 'nine tails' part of the name derives from the three strands of cord that the rope lashes were made from. Each of the cords were in turn made from three strands of string. When unbraided a piece of rope separated into nine strings. The 'cat' part no doubt alluded to the scratches that the knotted ends of the lash made on the victim's back, like those from a cat's claws.
Of the two explanations, the 'pig in a poke' derivation is the more plausible, although I can find no direct documentary evidence to link 'letting the cat out of the bag' to the selling of livestock. Versions of the phrase exist in both Dutch - 'Een kat in de zak kopen' and in German - 'Die Katze im Sack kaufen'. These both translate loosely as 'to buy a cat in a bag', i.e. to buy false goods.
The cat o' nine tails story is dubious at best. It is reported that the lashes were sometimes stored in bags, but the suggested nautical punishment origin fails at the critical point, in that it doesn't match the 'disclose a secret' meaning of the phrase.
The first known use of the phrase in print that I have found is in a 1760 edition of The London Magazine:
"We could have wished that the author... had not let the cat out of the bag."
There are several other literary references to the phrase in the 1760s and 1770s, most of which place it in quotations marks - a sure sign of it being not commonly understood and consequently, newly coined.
Cats feature very often in English proverbs:
A cat may look at a king - 1546All cats are grey in the dark - 1596Curiosity killed the cat - 1921There are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream - 1855 When the cat is away, the mice will play - 1607
This routine appearance of cats in the language is no doubt a consequence of them being widely kept as mousers and pets in domestic houses. As to 'who let the cats out?', we can't be certain; but it probably wasn't a sailor.

before long: soon. 226


before long: soon.
A: "I'm really tired of working."B: "Just be patient. The weekend will be here before long."

domingo, 30 de agosto de 2009

A person who has "a chip on his shoulder" is angry because of some thing that happened in the past. 225


A person who has "a chip on his shoulder" is angry because of some thing that happened in the past. Example: "He lost his game this morning, and now he has a chip on his shoulder." It is easy for a person to get in a fight when he has a chip on his shoulder, because he is already angry about something else. Example: "Watch out for that guy, he's got a chip on his shoulder." To start a fight, men used to put chips of wood on their shoulder and challenge others to "try to knock it off". Example: "What's bothering that guy?" Reply: "Nothing. He's just got a chip on the shoulder." Example: "Tom had a tough time growing up, so he's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder." You can use the definite article ("the") which sounds more general ("a chip on the shoulder"), but more often people use the personal pronoun ("his", "her", "their") to say that that specific person has "a chip on his (her, their) shoulder."

When Pigs Fly ( that thing will never happen ... ) 224


When Pigs Fly ( that thing will never happen ... )
"when pigs fly

have a whale of a time 223


have a whale of a time
Fig. to have an exciting or fun time; to have a big time. (Whale is a way of saying big.) We had a whale of a time at Sally's birthday party. Enjoy your vacation! I hope you have a whale of a

blood, sweat, and tears 222


blood, sweat, and tears
- great personal effortWe put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into fixing our old house

what goes around,comes around 221


you get what you give; our actions are passed on until they return to us
Wise folks have learned that you eventually get what you give - what goes around comes around,tambien se puede utilizar tanto va el cantaro a la fuente,que al final se rompe

he shouldnt have been so savegely criticised for his effort to find a sollution 220


his efort to find a sollution didnt deserve such savage criticism

if sales decreased dramatically,the company might go bust 219


were there to bea dramatic fall in sales the company might go bust

WHATEVER HAPPENS,YOU ARE NOT TO EMBARK ON THE JOURNEY ALONE 218


UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO SET OUT ON THE JOURNEY ALONE

be all mouth 217


be all mouth (British, American & Australian informal) also be all mouth and (no) trousers (British informal)
if someone is all mouth, they talk a lot about doing something but they never do it She says she'll complain to the manager but I think she's all mouth. You're all mouth and no trousers. Why don't you just go over there and ask her out?

: All dressed up and nowhere to go 216


Idiom: All dressed up and nowhere to go
Idiom Definitions for 'All dressed up and nowhere to go'

Hand to mouth 215


Idiom: Hand to mouth
Idiom Definitions for 'Hand to mouth'
Someone who's living from hand to mouth, is very poor and needs the little money they have coming in to cover their expenses.

Give someone the runaround 214


Idiom: Give someone the runaround
Idiom Definitions for 'Give someone the runaround'


to act in a way which makes it difficult for someone to do something, for example by refusing to tell them things they need to know I'm trying to get a visa, but the embassy staff keep giving me the runaround. (informal)
See also: give, runaroundto act in a way which makes it difficult for someone to do something, for example by refusing to tell them things they need to know I'm trying to get a visa, but the embassy staff keep giving me the runaround. (informal)
See also: give, runaround

Eat my hat 213


Idiom: Eat my hat
Idiom Definitions for 'Eat my hat'
People say this when they don't believe that something is going to happen e.g. 'If he passes that exam, I'll eat my hat

Dear John letter 212


Idiom: Dear John letter
Idiom Definitions for 'Dear John letter'
A letter written by a partner explaining why they are ending the relationship is a Dear John letter.

Champagne taste on a beer budget 211


Idiom: Champagne taste on a beer budget
Idiom Definitions for 'Champagne taste on a beer budget'

Idiom: All talk and no trousers 210


Idiom: All talk and no trousers
Idiom Definitions for 'All talk and no trousers'
Someone who is all talk and no trousers, talks about doing big, important things, but doesn't take any action.
British English Category: ClothesIdiom: All talk and no trousers

sábado, 29 de agosto de 2009

inversions 209


Inversion not only can be used to form questions and conditional sentences. Also, we can use inversion for emphasis.
Little did she know how much work was left.
On no account must you sleep at school.
Never should you remember who's your boss.
Only then can you belong to me.
Here comes the sun.
All these structure are rather

inversions 4 208


Only then did I understand the problem. Only after understanding the situation does the teacher make a comment

inversions 3 207


Had he understood the problem, he wouldn't have committed those mistakes.Should he decide to come, please telephone.

inversions 2 206


Inversion refers to an irregular verb placement form:
Use of Question Form
In this case, the question form (auxiliary + subject + main verb) takes the place of the standard positive sentence structure (i.e. He goes to work every day):
Examples
Not only do I enjoy classical music, but I also have a season ticket to the symphony.Seldom has the boss been so upset!

miércoles, 26 de agosto de 2009

BE IN FOR THE HIGH JUMP 205


BE ABOUT TO BE PUNISHED

GIVE UP SOMETHING AS A BAD JOB 204

STOP DOING SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU DO NOT FEEL TO CONTINUE IT

lunes, 24 de agosto de 2009

inversions 203


RARELY DOES BOB SPEAK TO HIMSELF

marked man 202


marked man
Fig. to be someone, usually a male, who is in danger from harm by someone else. (*Typically: be ~; live like ~.) Bob's a marked man. His parents found out that he's skipping school. Fred's a marked man, too. Jack is looking for him to get his money back.
See also: man, marked

see stars 201


see stars
Fig. to seem to see flashing lights after receiving a blow to the head. I saw stars when I bumped my head on the attic ceiling. The little boy saw stars when he fell headfirst onto the concrete.
See also: see, star

on pain of something (slightly formal 200

on pain of something (slightly formal)
at risk of experiencing something bad She says she was asked to approve the report on pain of losing her job.
See also: pain

in dribs and drabs 199


in dribs and drabs
in small portions; bit by bit. I'll have to pay you what I owe you in dribs and drabs. The whole story is being revealed in dribs and drabs.
See also: and

nose out 198


nose out
To defeat by a narrow margin.


21.
nose out,
a.
to defeat, esp. by a narrow margin: The other candidates had been nosed out in the final returns.
b.
to learn or discover, esp. by snooping or prying: to nose out a secret.

dash out (for something) 197


dash out (for something)
[for someone] to leave a place in a hurry to get something. Harry dashed out for some cigarettes. Excuse me. I just have to dash out.
See also: dash, out

throw down the gauntlet 196


throw down the gauntlet
Fig. to challenge someone to an argument or to (figurative) combat. When Bob chal— lenged my conclusions, he threw down the gauntlet. I was ready for an argument. Frowning at Bob is the same as throwing down the gauntlet. He loves to get into a fight about something.
See also: gauntlet, throw

throw down the gauntlet
to invite someone to argue, fight, or compete with you A price war could break out in the High Street after a leading supermarket threw down the gauntlet to its competitors.
See also: gauntlet, throw
to invite someone to argue, fight, or compete with you A price war could break out in the High Street after a leading supermarket threw down the gauntlet to its competitors.
See also: gauntlet, throw

now and then 195


lunes, 17 de agosto de 2009

a man may learn wit every day 194

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Pregunta:¿Cómo se hace una composición en inglés? Alejandra.***********Respuesta:¡ Hola Alejandra!Soy Marta ( colaboradora del blog para aprender inglés) Te cuento mi experiencia personal. Espero que te pueda ayudar.
Una de las cosas que más nos cuesta "a todos" cuando aprendemos una lengua nueva e incluso también en nuestra lengua materna es escribir.
Yo, después de un tiempo "disgustada" porque no me salian bien las "compositions" llegué a una conclusión: no sabemos escribir redacciones porque nadie nos ha dado las pautas que seguir para que queden bien.
Esto es igual que lo de estudiar. Mucha gente se pasa horas y horas esforzandose, estudiando y no aprueba. Se desespera porque ve que "no sirve para estudiar".Y... realmente el problema no esta en ellos ( ya que ponen esfuerzo en conseguirlo) esta en que nadie nos ha dado las pautas que seguir para estuidar, nadie nos ha enseñado nunca a estudiar (hacer esquemas, resumes, la importancia de los repasos... así como el funcionamiento de nuestro "coco" a la hora de memorizar y aprender cosas)
Bueno, yo te voy a dar mis pautas para hacer una "buena redacción en inglés". Me sirvió mucho una profesora de francés que tuve (si de francés, no de inglés). Resulta que ella es bilingüe español-francés. Se puso a prender inglés y fué viendo la enseñanza de idiomas desde un punto más real, el punto de vista del alumno.
No me enrollo más y aquí te dejo un serie de pautas.
Lo primero a tener en cuenta cuando escribimos un texto en un idioma diferente al nuestro son varias cosas:
1.- Tipo de texto que nos piden ( narración, texto de opinión..etc).
2.- Tema a tratar ( para ello es importante estar al día de temas de actualidad,leer periodico, ver noticias...)
3.- Hacer un listado de vocabulario que conozcamos sobre el tema para incluirlo en la redacción.
4.- Hacer un listado de conectores ( esto da mucho prestigio al texto que escribamos. La puntuación sera por lo tanto mejor)
5.- Incluir diferentes tiempo verbales (sobre todo en narraciones)
6.- No complicarnos la vida con frases largas y complejas. Mejor :Sujeto+ verbo+ complementos ( Nota: podemos utilizar algún relativo pero sin abusar)
7.-Olvidarnos del Spanglish ( ejje.. nos resulta muy fácil hacer traducciones literales de expresiones hechas y eso queda horrible. Es mejor aprenderse unos cuantos proverbios o frases hechas de las más utilizadas y olvidarse de lo anterior).
8.-Hacer un listado de expresiones adaptadas a nuestro nivel ( para demostrar a quien nos lo corrija que lo tenemos. Imagínate que estás en un nivel avanzado y por ejemplo solo escribes en presente simple, no utilizas conectores, ni frases gramaticales que has aprendido o que se corresponden con el nivel que dices que tienes pensarán que tienen un nivel muy elemental.
9.-Utilizar un vocabulario rico. Para ello son muy utiles los "diccionarios visuales" que agrupan el vacabulario por familias tipo: la salud, la natualeza, el cuerpo humano, la moda, la religion..etc..) Para tener un vocabulario rico de nada nos sirve "darnos un atracón" y "meternos" todo el diccinario en 2 o 3 días. Nos haremos un follón que no veas y terminaremos "odiando profundamente el inglés". Todo en exceso es malo, asi que poco a poco.
10- Tener en cuenta que el medio escrito es mucho más formal que el oral. Cuando hablamos tenemos más libertad. Cuando escribimos tenemos que tratar de cuidar más la lengua. Por ejemplo: cuando hablamos "hay que utilizar contracciones siempre: isn´t, aren´t, etc. Cuando escribimos es mejor no utilizarlas.
Y sobre todo y lo más importante no agobiarnos, practicar mucho las redacciones y poco a poco iremos mejorando. Nadie nace sabiendo.
A man may learn wit every day.Todos los días se aprende

TILL THE COWS COME HOME 193


Meaning
For a long but indefinite time.

time and again 192

time and again
Again and again; repeatedly.

it would have been impolitic to arrive late 191


impolitic