sábado, 30 de octubre de 2010

a backroom boy 20715


a backroom boy (informal)
someone who does a lot of work in the type of job where they are not often seen by the public (often plural) Editors are very much the backroom boys of the film world.

I don't pray because I don't want to bore God 20714


I don't pray because I don't want to bore God.
Orson Welles

cut and dried 20713


cut and dried
fixed; determined beforehand; usual and uninteresting. (Can be hyphenated before nominals.) I find your writing quite boring. It's too cut and dried. The lecture was, as usual, cut and dried.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.20712


Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

gandhy

Put someone away 20711

Put someone away

Definition: put in prison

They put him away for twenty years.
Jason was put away for life in prison

worth its weight in gold 20710


worth its weight in gold

Fig. very valuable. This book is worth its weight in gold. Oh, Bill. You're wonderful. You're worth your weight in gold.

viernes, 29 de octubre de 2010

your wedding tackle 20709


your wedding tackle (British humorous)
a man's sexual organs He wears special padding to protect his wedding tackle

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you; cry, and you wet your face."20708

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you; cry, and you wet your face."

'Heart of glass 20707


'Heart of glass'

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When someone has a heart of glass, they are easily affected emotionally.

A lot on my plate 20706


A lot on my plateShare .
Idiom Definitions for 'A lot on my plate'

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If you have got a lot on your plate, you are very busy and have commitments.

as a consequence of 20705


as a consequence of

run a fever 20704


run a fever
to have a high body temperature caused by an illness He developed a very bad ear infection and ran a fever for a couple of days.

Take in 20703


Take in

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Meaning: Absorb information

Example: The lecture was rather boring and I didn't TAKE IN much of what the lecturer said.

disposable goods 20702

disposable goods
pl n
(Business / Marketing) consumer goods that are used up a short time after purchase, including perishables, newspapers, clothes, etc. Compare durable goods Also called disposables

drifting into 2701

If someone or something drifts into a situation, they get into that situation in a way that is not planned or controlled.

at rest 20700


at rest Adjetivo
1.en reposo; In a state of repose or especially sleep.

involve [ɪnˈvɒlv]20699

involve [ɪnˈvɒlv]
vb (tr)
1. to include or contain as a necessary part the task involves hard work

this job involves essential hard work

jueves, 28 de octubre de 2010

throw an amount of light on someone or something 20698

throw an amount of light on someone or something
to present some revealing information about someone or something. What you have just told me throws a lot of light on George and his motivation. Will you please throw some light on the problem?

history in the making 20697


history in the making

something very important that is happening now The broadcast gave a vivid account of medical history in the making.

miércoles, 27 de octubre de 2010

still tongue makes a wise head 20696


still tongue makes a wise head
Prov. If you are wise, you do not talk very much.; You should only speak when you have judged that it is appropriate to do so. Don't chatter about whatever comes to your mind. A still tongue makes a wise head. Kathy really offended Mr. Parker by talking so much about his ex-wife. She needs to learn that a still tongue makes a wise head.

perform/work miracles 20695


perform/work miracles
to be extremely effective in improving a situation Di's worked miracles in the kitchen - I've never seen it look so clean. These days plastic surgeons can perform miracles.

SMASH 20694

To strike or collide suddenly, noisily, and violently: The car smashed into a tree.

wealth 20693


wealth (wĕlth)

noun
1.a. An abundance of valuable material possessions or resources; riches.
b. The state of being rich; affluence.
2.All goods and resources having value in terms of exchange or use.
3.A great amount; a profusion: a wealth of advice



A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ,ABUNDANCIA DE INFORMACION

fa on deaf earsll 20692

what the poiliticia what saying fell on deaf ears last night

scarcely had they come out of the building when the alarm went off 20691


the alarm went off just as they come out of thr building

Blurt out 20690


Blurt out Say something quickly without thinking, especially if you shouldn't

Example: I was really angry when he BLURTED OUT the secret.

line up 20689


line up
1. To arrange in or form a line.
2. Football To take one's position in a formation before a snap or kickoff.
3. To organize

martes, 26 de octubre de 2010

the great and the good (humorous)20688


the great and the good (humorous)
important people The move toward a more democratic state will not be universally welcomed by the great and the good.

born out of wedlock 20687


born out of wedlock

born to an unmarried mother. The child was born out of wedlock. In the city many children are born out of wedlock.

low life 20686


low life
the behaviour and activities of people from a low social class, especially criminal activities She worked as a prostitute and experienced the harsher side of Parisian low life.

inexhaustible 20685


inexhaustible


That cannot be entirely consumed or used up: an inexhaustible supply of coal.
Never wearying; tireless: an inexhaustible campaigner.
inexhaustibility in'ex·haust'i·bil'i·ty or in'ex·haust'i·ble·ness n.
inexhaustibly in'ex·haust'i·bly adv.

prop up 20684

Verb 1. prop up - support by placing against something solid or rigid; "shore and buttress an old building"
prop, shore up, shore
hold up, support, sustain, hold - be the physical support of; carry the weight of; "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror?"
bolster - prop up with a pillow or bolster

come into play 20683


come into play
to be involved Oh, I'm sure personalities always come into play in situations like this.

spending power 20682


poder adquisitivo

be in the driving seat (British) also be in the driver's 20681 20681seat (American & Australian)


be in the driving seat (British) also be in the driver's seat (American & Australian)

to be in control of a situation The consumer is in the driving seat due to the huge range of goods on the market.

Bad money drives out good 20680


Bad money drives out good.
Prov. If there is counterfeit or inflated currency in circulation, people will hoard their genuine currency; worthless things will drive valuable things out of circulation. (This principle is also known as Gresham's Law.) When the government reduced the amount of copper in the pennies it produced, we saw that bad money drives out good; everyone saved copper pennies and only spent the less pure ones. Ever since cheap, flimsy furniture began to be manufactured in large quantities, it has been very difficult to find solid, well-made furniture. Bad craftsmanship, like bad money, drives out good

lunes, 25 de octubre de 2010

Love will find a way 20679


Love will find a way.
Prov. People who are in love will overcome any obstacles in order to be together. (Sometimes used ironically, to suggest that someone is in love with whatever he or she is struggling to be near, as in the second example.) Jill: I feel so sorry for Lily and Craig. They just got engaged, and now his job is transferring him across the country. Jane: Love will find a way, I'm sure. Alan: Fred's feeling discouraged because he didn't get the loan he needed to buy the sports car he wants. Bill: I'm sure he'll get that car eventually. Love will find a way

get your feet under the table (British)20678


get your feet under the table (British)

to become familiar with and confident in a new job or situation It's better to wait until you've got your feet firmly under the table before you make any big changes

Pull up a chair 20677


Pull up a chair.
Please get a chair and sit down and join us. (Assumes that there is seating available. The speaker does not necessarily mean that the person spoken to actually has to move a chair.) Tom: Well, hello, Bob! Bob: Hi, Tom. Pull up a chair. The three men were sitting at a table for four. Bob came up and said hello. Bill said, "Pull up a chair." Bob sat in the fourth chair at the table.

race through something 20676


race through something

to perform some task very rapidly. They raced through their prayers and jumped into bed. The children raced through dinner, in a hurry to get outside to play

We think too much and feel too little 20675

We think too much and feel too little.
Charlie Chaplin

Take the bitter with the sweet 20674


Take the bitter with the sweet.

Prov. Accept the bad things as well as the good things that happen. (Implies that the bad and good things you are talking about are very serious or important.) If you intend to get married, you must be prepared to take the bitter with the sweet.

big drink of water and a tall drink of water 20673

big drink of water and a tall drink of water
1. Fig. a very tall person. Tim is sure a big drink of water. Kelly grew into a tall drink of water.
2. Fig. a boring person or thing. (A pun on "hard to take.") She is a big drink of water, but she could be worse. The lecture was a big drink of water.

domingo, 24 de octubre de 2010

cross someone's palm with silver 20672

cross someone's palm with silver
Fig. to pay money to someone in payment for a service. (A fortune-teller might ask for a potential customer to cross her palm with silver. Used in that sense or jocularly for something like tipping a porter.) I crossed his palm with silver, but he still stood there. You will find that things happen much faster in hotels if you cross the staff's palms with silver fairly often.

vanity bag, case, box 20671


vanity bag, case, box
n
(Clothing & Fashion) a woman's small bag or hand case used to carry cosmetics, etc

Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly20670


Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly.
Plato

behind the eight ball 20669


behind the eight ball
1. Fig. in trouble; in a weak or losing position. (Alludes to the eight ball in pool, which in certain games cannot be touched without penalty. *Typically: be ~; get ~; have someone ~; put someone ~.) I'm behind the eight ball again and can't see how to relieve my dilemma. John is behind the eight ball because he started writing his term paper far too late.
2. Fig. broke. Sorry, I'm really behind the eight ball this month. I can't make a contribution. (*Typically: be ~; get ~; have someone ~; put someone ~.) I was behind the eight ball again and couldn't make my car payment

It takes a long time to become young 20668


It takes a long time to become young.
Pablo Picasso

a greasy spoon (informal)20667


a greasy spoon (informal)
a small, cheap restaurant which mainly serves fried food of a low quality There's a greasy spoon on the corner of his street where he usually has breakfast.

Don't get mad, get even 20666


Don't get mad, get even.

something that you say in order to tell someone not to be angry when someone has upset them, but to do something that will upset them as much This is my advice to wives whose husbands have left them for a younger woman - don't get mad, get even!

be in Queer Street (British old-fashioned, humorous)20665


be in Queer Street (British old-fashioned, humorous)

to owe a lot of money to other people Now don't you go doing anything that'll land you in Queer Street

whitewash = cover up the truth: "I don't believe his story. I think it's all a whitewash 20664


whitewash = cover up the truth: "I don't believe his story. I think it's all a whitewash

sábado, 23 de octubre de 2010

on cloud nine 20663


on cloud nine

Fig. very happy. When I got my promotion, I was on cloud nine. When the check came, I was on cloud nine for days

If anything can go wrong, it will 20662


If anything can go wrong, it will.
Prov. Every possible disaster will occur, whether you have prepared for it or not. (This saying is also referred to as "Murphy's Law.") Fred: Your car should be fine now, as long as the battery doesn't die. Alan: Then we'd better put a new battery in. If anything can go wrong, it will; so let's make sure it can't go wrong.

get your brain in gear (informal)20661


get your brain in gear (informal)

to make yourself start thinking clearly and effectively I've got to get my brain in gear for the meeting this

cool, calm, and collected 20660


cool, calm, and collected

Cliché [of a person] very calm and poised. James did very well in his TV appearances. He stayed cool, calm, and collected. The bad news didn't seem to distress Jane at all. She remained cool, calm, and collected.

customer is always right 20659


customer is always right

Prov. In order to keep customers happy, the people who serve them should always obey their wishes. (Often cited as a principle of good business dealings; customers sometimes say it to the people serving them in order to try to get good service.) When I began working at the gift shop, my boss told me, "Remember, the customer is always right, no matter how stupid or rude you may think he is being

mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken 20658

mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken

Prov. It is dangerous to always depend on just one thing, because if it fails you, you will not have any alternatives. Don't put all your money in a single bank account. The mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken.

dead center 20657


dead center

Definition: exact middle; right on the money

Explanation: Used when saying that something is physically on target, or when speaking figuratively about something that is correct.

Examples: You were dead center about my brother. - He hit the basket dead center

leave somebody to somebody's tender mercies (humorous)20656

leave somebody to somebody's tender mercies (humorous)
to let someone be dealt with by another person who is not likely to show them any kindness or sympathy Should I have a word with her myself or leave her to Mick's tender mercies

leave a bad taste in someone's mouth 20655


leave a bad taste in someone's mouth
[for something] to leave a bad feeling or memory with someone. The whole business about the missing money left a bad taste in his mouth. It was a very nice hotel, but something about it left a bad taste in my mouth.

root and branch 20654


root and branch (formal)

if something is changed or removed root and branch, it is changed or removed completely because it is bad Racism must be eliminated, root and branch.

a toy boy (British, American & Australian informal) also a boy toy 20653


a toy boy (British, American & Australian informal) also a boy toy (American informal)
a young man who is having a sexual relationship with a woman who is much older than him Sheila's gone out rowing with Dieter, her new toy boy. These movie stars seem to have a new boy toy every week

fly the coop 20652


fly the coop
Fig. to escape; to get out or get away. (Alludes to a chicken escaping from a chicken coop.) I couldn't stand the party, so I flew the coop. The prisoner flew the coop at the first opportunity.