Tag: Expressions Sessions

English Expression: Bite the bullet. This expression is said to have come from the 1800s when people may have literally bit down on a bullet during sugery to handle the pain in a war situation. Today we use it in a much different context, but the image of someone biting on a bullet can help you remember the expression more easily.

BITE THE BULLET

• to decide or accept to do something that you really do not want to do
• to face a difficult situation
  • I bit the bullet and took the exam yesterday. Let’s see what happens.
  • She might just have to bite the bullet and pay for the repairs eventhough it’s almost the same price as a new car.
  • Have you considered just biting the bullet and showing up at her work to talk to her? She is your daughter.

Expression Sessions

Now that you have seen English Expression: Bite the bullet, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: have a crack at it
Expression Session: be worth it

Cursos Inglés

En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava tenemos cursos de inglés para todos los niveles y necesidades. Ponte en contacto con nosotros para recibir más información

• Preparación de exámenes de A2, B1, B2, C1, C2
• Business English
• Inglés general
• Clases particulares y In Company

Have a crack at something. This is a way of showing your enthusiasm to try to do something but making it clear that you don’t think you will be successfull.

HAVE A CRACK AT SOMETHING

• an attempt to do something
• usaully meaning that you don’t think you will be successful
• can be used with ‘crack’, ‘go’, ‘stab’ or ‘whack’
• can also be used with take
  • I’ve never ice skated before, but I took a crack at it this weekend and I rather enjoyed it.
  • Dad would like to have a go at it if you don’t mind.
  • Look, I know this isn’t your job, but would you mind taking a stab at it?
  • Can you have a whack at the new TV, please? I can’t figure anything out.

Expression Session

Now that you had a look at Have a crack at something, have a go at our other expression session posts:
Expression Session: be worth it
Expression Session: drop the ball

Cursos inglés

En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava, tenemos cursos de inglés para todos los niveles y necesidades para mayores de 16 años. Apúntate a un curso de inglés aquí o ponte en contacto con nosotros a idiomas@camaradealava.com

English Expression: be worth it. In Spanish you say ‘vale la pena‘ and in English we say ‘it’s worth it’ The word ‘worth’ means having value.

TO BE WORTH IT (SOMETHING)

FORM

Subject + to be + worth + object

MEANING AND EXAMPLES

• The value of something is more than what it cost
  • It’s expensive to have a financial advisor, but it’s worth it. You save in the long run.
  • I think buying a new car is worth it if you have the money.
  • It’s not worth getting upset over. We can replace the bike.
• The value of something is more than the effort you put into it
  • I know therapy can be difficult, but it is worth it in the long run.
  • I don’t think being upset all the time is worth it.
  • Is it really worth all the time you put into studying?

TO BE WORTH IT (SOMEONE)

FORM

Subject + to be + worth + object

MEANING AND EXAMPLES

• Someone is worth the effort you put into them (usually in a relationship)
• Use when you want to emphasize that the worth is the person and not the effort.
  • You seem to be always fighting. Is she really worth it? (Is she more important than all the fighting?)
  • I know I am making a lot of effort with him, but I think he is worth it. (emphasis on he)
  • I know I am making a lot of effort with him, but I think it’s worth it. (emphasis on my effort)

English Expressions

Now that you have seen English Expression: be worth it, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: drop the ball
Expression Session: kill time

Cursos Inglés

En la Escuela de idiomas de la Cámara de Alava en Vitoria, tenemos cursos de inglés para todos los niveles y necesidades. Ponte en contacto con nosotros para recibir más información.

English Expression: drop the ball. I have to admit, I love baseball expressions. It’s a sport I started playing at age 6. And I promise that it was never a good thing to ‘drop the ball’. That’s why it is such a good way of expressing how you feel about a mistake you have made.

DROP THE BALL

• to make a mistake by not doing something you should have done
• to miss out on an opportunity because you didn’t do something you should have done
  • Joe dropped the ball and waited to too long to ask her out. She’s already dating someone new.
  • I really dropped the ball at work and am worried about getting fired.
  • Don’t drop the ball! We are all counting on you.

Expressions in English

Now that you have learned English Expression: drop the ball, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: kill time
Expression Session: waste of time

Cursos Inglés Vitoria

En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava tenemos todos tipos de clases de inglés. Ponte en contacto con nosotros para buscar un nivel adecuado a idiomas@camaradealava.com o llamarnos a 945 150 190. Puedes recibir más información aquí

• Business English
• Preparación de Exámenes
• Conversation
• Inglés General

English Expression: Kill time. Another nice expression that translates perfectly into Spanish: matar tiempo. This makes it easy to remember and use so you can bump up your exam points or impress your boss.

KILL (THE) TIME

• to do something not important while waiting for someone or something.
  • My flight doesn’t leave for another three hours, so I’m just killing time shopping and buying things I don’t need.
  • You know you always have to wait at the doctor’s office, so take something to kill the time.
  • Yesterday I had to wait for 30 minutes to talk to someone in customer service. Luckily, I was at home and killed time by cooking while I was waiting.

English Expressions

Now that you have learned English Expression: Kill time, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: waste of time
Expression Session: it is what it is

Cursos Ingles Vitoria

En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava, tenemos cursos de inglés para todos los niveles y necesidades. Pincha aquí para recibir más información sobre las clases.

• Preparación de Examenes de Cambridge, EILTS, Oxford Test of English
• Business English – grupos presenciales y online
• Business InCompany – individual o de grupos individualizados para tu empresa
• Conversation classes
• Inglés General

English Expressions: Waste of time. This is the perfect expression to say that something is ‘una perdida de tiempo’. It’s a perfect translation, which doesn’t happen very often.

WASTE TIME

A WASTE OF (SOMEONE’S) TIME (noun phrase)

• a pointless activity that does not make good use of your time
• Both examples below have the same meaning. Using someone may give a bit more emphasis to the person.
• a waste + of + time
  • Having to talk to each person individually is a waste of time.
  • I hate commuting to work every day. It’s a waste of time.
• a waste + of + someone’s + time
  • Having to talk to each person individually is a waste of their time.
  • I hate commuting to work every day. It’s a waste of my time.

WASTE (SOMEONE’S) TIME (verb phrase)

• to not use your time correctly
• to not use the time you have available in a productive way
  • You should be doing your homework and not wasting time playing video games.
  • Don’t waste my time. I have a lot of things to do today.
  • I don’t know why they waste their time calling everyone when they can just send a text message.

Cursos inglés

En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava tenemos cursos de inglés para todos los niveles y necesidades

English Expressions

Now that you have seen English Expressions: Waste of time, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: it is what it is
Expression Session: level the playing field

English Expression: It is what it is. There are those times when you need to say ‘es lo que hay’ and this is the phrase you will need to use in this case.

IT IS WHAT IT IS

• Used to say that we can not change the situation and that we have to accept it.
• An expression to say ‘there’s nothing we can do about it now’.
  • If only I knew earlier that it was going to rain. I would have brought the clothes inside. Well, I can’t do anything about it now. It is what it is.
  • It is what it is. He doesn’t want to go to the game. We aren’t going to force him.

Cursos de inglés

Si estás buscando cursos de inglés, tenemos una oferta amplia en la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava. Ponte en contacto con nosotros idiomas@camaradealava.com o llamanos a 945 150 190.

• Inglés para negocios (niveles A2 a C1)
• Preparación de exámenes de Cambridge y de Oxford Test of English. Somos centro examinador de Oxford Test of English. Puedes programar un examen hoy para la semana que viene.
• Inglés general (niveles A1 a C2)
• Clases de conversación una vez o dos veces a la semana
• Cursos InCompany para ti y para tu empresa.

English Expressions

Now that you have seen English Expression: It is what it is, have a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: level the playing field
Expression Session: turn over a new leaf

English Expression: turn over a new leaf. This seems like the perfect idiom for this time of year when the leaves on the trees are falling. Turning over a new leaf means starting fresh and changing your behavior.

TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF

• to say that someone is beginning to behave in a better, kinder way.
• to behave in a positive way
  • I’m so glad that you spoke to Sarah. She’s really turned over a new leaf and even seems happier in her job.
  • You can’t expect him to just turn over a new leaf if he doesn’t even know that he is behaving poorly. Talk to him.

Expression Session

Now that you have seen English Expression: turn over a new leaf, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: have skeletons in one’s closet
Expression Session: bear in mind

Cursos de inglés

En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava, tenemos cursos para todos los niveles y necesidades. Para poder inscribirte en un curso o para recibir información, pinche aquí.

• Cursos para principiantes, nivel A1 y A2, inglés general y de negocios
• Cursos de preparación de exámenes de niveles A2, B1, B2, C1 y C2
• Inglés para negocios (grupales, individuales, presencial y online)
• Conversación, nivel B2, C1, C2

English Expression: neither here nor there. Want a nice way to say ‘ what you are saying is irrelevant’? Here is your expression. Although, like so many expressions in Enlgish, be careful with your tone.

NEITHER HERE NOR THERE

• Used to say that something is not important
• somethng is not relevant to the currect conversation or problem.
  • Whether she was drinking or not is neither here nor there. I just want to know if she is safe.
  • His looks are neither here nor there. I just want to know if he is a nice guy.
  • Their nationality is neither here nor there. Can they work?

English Expressions

Now that you have seen English Expression: neither here nor there, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: dodge the bullet
Expression Session: hang in there

Cursos inglés

En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Alava, tenemos todos tipos de cursos para las personas de 16 a 99 años.

• Cursos de preparación de exámenes de Cambridge y Oxford B1, B2, C1, C2
• Inglés General A2, B1, B2, C1, C2
• Inglés para negocios / Business English A2, B1, B2, C1

Para ver más sobre los cursos que ofrecemos, pincha aquí.

English Expressions: Dodge the Bullet. As you can see in the photo, a bullet (una bala) is what comes out of a gun (pistola). To dodge something is to avoid something by jumping out of the way quickly. The expression comes from the idea that if you get out of the way of a bullet, you can save your life. Although the expression isn’t used in this way today, it does refer to dodging something bad.

DODGE THE BULLET

• To avoid an unpleasant situation or even danger
  • I’m so glad she broke up with him. She really dodged the bullet because he has a terrible reputation.
  • We really dodged a bullet by not going on vacation because there was a hurricane where we

English Expressions

Now that you have seen English Expressions: Dodge the Bullet, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: Hang in there
Expression Session: Hammer out the details

Cursos de inglés

En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio tenemos cursos de inglés para todos los niveles y necesidades. Pincha aquí para apuntarte ahora o escribirnos a idiomas@camaradealava.com

• Cursos de preparación de exámenes de A2 a C1
• Oxford Test of English – www.oxfordtestofenglish.es
• Cursos de preparación para el Oxford Test of English
• Business English
• In Company – cursos deseñados para ti y tu empresa
• Inglés General
• C1/C2 Mantenimiento