Spanish idioms

Like every language does, Spanish accumulates many idioms that reflect the Spanish popular way of thinking. “El refranero español” (The Spanish book of proverbs) is one of the most complete in the world, with nearly 100,000 registered idioms and proverbs. But also, they are very useful for students of Spanish because they are an essential part of the popular and informal way of speaking.

Here you have a short list with some of the most used and useful Spanish proverbs and idioms, their literal translations and their equivalent in English:

Del dicho al hecho hay un trecho.
Literal translation: From the spoken words to the facts there is a long way.
English equivalent: Easier said than done a stretch.

A buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan.
Literal translation: To the good listener, few words are enough.
English equivalent: A word is enough to the wise.

Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando.
Literal translation: A bird in the hand is worth hundred flying.
English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Cuando hay hambre, no hay pan duro.
Literal translation: When you are hungry, there is no hard bread.
English equivalent: Beggars can’t be choosers.

Dios los cría y ellos se juntan.
Literal translation: God raises them and they get together.
English equivalent: Birds of a feather flock together.

No vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo.
Literal translation: Don’t sell the bear’s skin before you get to hunt it.
English equivalent: Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.

No te lo juegues todo a una sola carta.
Literal translation: Don’t bet all to one card.
English translation: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Hecha la ley, hecha la trampa.
Literal translation: Done the law, done the trick.
English equivalent: Every law has its loophole.

Por un perro que maté, mataperros me llamaron
Literal translation: I killed a dog and now they call me dog killer.
English equivalent: Give a dog a bad name and hang it.

Dios aprieta pero no ahoga.
Literal translation: God squeezes but does not choke.
English equivalent: God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.

Vísteme despacio que tengo prisa.
Literal translation: Dress me slowly that I’m in a hurry.
English equivalent: More haste, less speed.

Lo cortés no quita lo valiente.
Literal translation: Politeness doesn’t override bravery.
English equivalent: Politeness costs nothing.

En casa del herrero, cuchillo de palo.
Literal translation: In the Blacksmith’s home they use a wooden knife.
English equivalent: The shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot.

Cuando el río suena, agua lleva.
Literal translation: When you hear the river it’s because it carries water.
English equivalent: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

http://nyork.blogs.cervantes.es/2014/06/06/dichos-espanoles-y-sus-equivalentes-en-ingles-spanish-idioms-and-their-english-equivalents/#cookies

Happy New Year !

Hello everyone!
The year 2014 is almost over and people tend to make plans for the new year. With New Year's Eve, not only a new year starts, but for many people it means a new beginning. That's why today's topic will be idioms with the word 'new'. I also tried something new: instead of posting exercises or a text, I made a podcast today. Just click on play and enjoy the new idioms you'll learn today.

http://idiomswithnew.podomatic.com/entry/2014-12-30T02_02_30-08_00

Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho! Although it's holiday time, when everything is about family, food, and fun, you could use some of your free time to learn something new, exciting and related to Christmas. The authors of this blog want to celebrate this happiest time of the year with You, by publishing a post about idioms and phrases concerning Christmas.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year :)

(to) beat the holiday blues – to do something so that one does not feel stressed and depressed during the holidays

(to) get in the holiday spirit – to start having good feelings about the holidays

Stocking stuffer - a small gift given at Christmas time

Secret Santa - when members of a group are assigned a person to give a gift to, often by randomly                             selecting a name

(to) trim the tree - to decorate a pine tree with ornaments, lights...

White Christmas - when it snows at Christmas time

Quiz about body parts

Hello everyone, This is a quiz with idioms related to body parts. Good luck!
For more quizes, check: https://www.englishclub.com/ref/Idioms/Quizzes/ 
To do the exercise, just click on the link below.

http://uk3.hotpotatoes.net/ex/130311/MGRXXRZR.php

Cockney Slang

Hello guys, our today's lesson is something different from what we had before. 

This post will provide you with some of the new "slang" from one of the most famous English accents: Cockney English

Originally a pejorative applied to all city-dwellers, it was eventually restricted to Londoners and particularly to the "Bow-bell Cockneys": those born within earshot of Bow Bells, the bells of st Mary-le-Bow in east London's Cheapside district. More recently, it is variously used to refer to those in London's East End, or to all working-class Londoners generally.

APPLE CIDER - SPIDER

FRANKIE HOWARD - COWARD

SPANISH ONION - BUNION

DEAD LOSS - BOSS

WATCH AND CHAIN - BRAIN

THICK AND THIN - SKIN

LIFE AND DEATH - BREATH

ALL BEHIND - BLIND

English in Belgium

Hello,

Today I would like to show you my Belgian roots and teach you some idioms that are quite similar in Belgium as well as in English. Sometimes languages can have similarities. The next idioms are idioms that we also use in Belgium, but translated almost literally.

The apple does not fall far from the tree.





This means: Children observe daily and — in their behaviour  — often follow the example of their parents







The best defence is a good offense

This means that you are more likely to win if you take the initiative and make an attack rather than preparing to defend yourself.

Variety pleases

This means that variety often is much better and interesting than the same thing over and over again.

Every little helps

This means that all contributions, however small, are useful.


Every why has a wherefore

Everything has an underlying reason

Rats desert a sinking ship 

A leader or organization in trouble will quickly be abandoned

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link

A weak part or member will affect the success or effectiveness of the whole

People are like fish; the big ones devour the small

Small organizations or insignificant people tend to be swallowed up or destroyed by those that are greater and more powerful

The walls have ears. 

What you say may be overheard; used as a warning





http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dutch_proverbs

Idioms related to time

An African proverb says: You have the watches, but we have the time. This sums up very well the importance of being productive, of working very hard to achieve one's goals in America. They take only two weeks off in August, and the rest of the time they are at work so they can buy all kinds of things, as opposed to the poor Africans who have all the time in the world in their hands but can't even buy a bicycle.

That is why I wanted to teach you some idioms related to the time, a very important Anglo-saxon value, as in their view, time should not be wasted.

in the blink of an eye	If something happens in the blink of an eye, it happens nearly instantaneously, with hardly enough time to notice it. The pickpocket disappeared in the blink of an eye.
by degrees	If something happens or develops by degrees, it happens gradually or little by little as time goes by. By degrees their business relationship grew into friendship.
clock in/out	When you clock in or out, you record the time you arrive or leave your job by punching a time clock to the show the  number of hours you have worked. I'm going to clock out early today.  I've got a dental appointment.
cut it/things fine	If you cut it/cut things fine, you leave barely enough time to do something. You're counting just an hour between the airport and the train station - isn't that cutting things a bit fine?
a day late and a dollar short	If something is a day late and a dollar short, it comes too late and is not good enough. They offered me an internship when I had already found a job - a day late and a dollar short!
donkey's years	If someone has been doing something for donkey's years, they have been doing it for a very long time. He knows the town inside out.  He's been living here for donkey's  years.
down to the wire	If something such as project or a match goes down to the wire, the situation can change up until the last possible moment. There's nothing as exciting as watching a game that goes down to the wire.
at the eleventh hour	If something happens at the eleventh hour, it happens when it is almost too late, or at the last possible moment. Our team won after they scored a goal at the eleventh hour.
five o'clock shadow	This expression refers to a patch of stubble on the face of a man who hasn't shaved for at least a day. He looked tired and had a five o'clock shadow.
in the interim	Something that happens in the interim takes place during a period of time between two events. I won't have the apartment until next month. In the interim I'm staying at a local hotel.
in the long run	This term refers to something that will have effect over or after a long period of time. Learning Chinese is going to be difficult, but it'll be worth it in the long run because it will help me to get a better job.

Idioms of the World

I would like to present a list with 10 idioms from non-English speaking countries with the translation into their languages and a short description.

1. “Into the mouth of a wolf”

Language: Italian
Translation: In bocca al lupo
Meaning: Good luck!

“Into the mouth of a wolf” is a very popular Italian phrase that’s similar to our “break a leg”, and perhaps much more understandable. You’d say it to someone facing a tough trial or nerve-wracking performance, such as an exam or a concert. But don’t say “thank you” in response: it’s bad luck. The correct answer is “may the wolf die”.

2. “Not my circus, not my monkey

Language: Polish
Translation: Nie mój cyrk, nie moje malpy
Meaning: Not my problem

While more cryptic than just saying “not my problem”, the Polish expression “not my circus, not my monkeys” makes perfect sense, and is a lot more fun to say. Poland can offer a traveller some difficulties in terms of cultural customs – holding your thumbs means good luck, not crossing your fingers, for example. You’ll probably need a bit of luck, what with all those monkeys running around.

3. “To have a wide face”

Language: Japanese
Translation: Kao ga hiro i
Meaning: To have many friends

We all know that Asian countries have the best proverbs. Well, they also have some fantastic idioms too. “Having a wide face” means you have lots of friends and are well liked. It could be based on reality, as men with wide faces supposedly earn more money and are more attractive to women. Or it could come from the Chinese concept of “face”, which is where we get our own term, “losing face”, from.

4. “To have the midday demon”

Language: French
Translation: Le démon de midi
Meaning: To have a midlife crisis

For the funniest idioms, look no further than our cross-channel neighbours in France. “To have the midday demon” means “to have a midlife crisis”. And what better way to explain reaching 50 and suddenly swapping the suit and tie for a ponytail and a Harley than demonic possession?

5. “To feed the donkey sponge cake”

Language: Portuguese
Translation: Alimentar um burro a pão-de-ló
Meaning: To give good treatment to someone who doesn’t need it

Portugal’s variation on the Bible’s advice about pearls and swine, “don’t feed the donkey sponge cake”, means don’t give fine treatment to those who don’t deserve it. After all, why should we have to sit around chewing raw oats because some idiot’s given all the cake to the donkey?

6. “A cat’s jump”

Language: German
Translation: Katzensprung
Meaning: A short distance away

“A cat’s jump” is in the minority of German idioms in that it doesn’t refer to either beer or sausages. Katzensprung simply means a short distance away, or “a stone’s throw” as we’d say in English. Use whichever one you’d prefer, it’s all sausages to us.

7. “To give someone pumpkins”

Language: Spanish
Translation: Dar calabazas a alguien
Meaning: To reject somebody

As we’re sure you’ve guessed, “to give someone pumpkins” means to turn somebody down. It’s just one example of the colourful idioms you’ll find in Spain, and it originates from Ancient Greece, where pumpkins were considered an anti-aphrodisiac. Try eating one seductively, and you’ll probably see why.

8. “To ride as a hare”

Language: Russian
Translation: Exatj zajcem
Meaning: To travel without a ticket

As home to the Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia probably has quite a few train-related idioms. “To ride as a hare” means to ride the train without a ticket, as we all know hares are prone to do. Apparently it comes from the fact that fare-dodgers would shake like a hare whenever the ticket inspectors would come round.

9. “To let a frog out of your mouth”

Language: Finnish
Translation: Päästää sammakko suusta
Meaning: To say the wrong thing

Finnish idioms have a lovely tone to them, often referencing Mother Nature and their homeland. Having “rye in your wrists” means to be physically strong, for instance, while “own land strawberry, other land blueberry” reflects Finns’ love for the motherland. “Letting a frog out of your mouth” means to say the wrong thing, which makes sense, as spitting a frog at someone is almost always the wrong thing to do.

10. “To have a stick in your ear”

Language: Danish
Translation: At have en pind i øret
Meaning: To not listen to someone

A lot of Danish idioms will sound familiar to us – “not the sharpest knife in the drawer”, for instance. But Danes would “go absolutely cucumber” at you if you were to “have a stick in your ear”. This means to not listen to someone, which can be a very bad thing to do to somebody with a strong Viking ancestry.

Link: http://www.hotelclub.com/blog/idioms-of-the-world-infographic/