Expresiones y frases - Letra A

a blank look	una mirada inexpresiva
a blessing in disguise	no hay mal que por bien no venga
a budding genius	un genio en ciernes
a chip off the old block	de tal palo, tal astilla
a close call	un escape por los pelos
a cog in the machine/wheel	una pieza más de la organización

When I told my parents I was pregnant, they just gave me a blank look.
Since I was fired I started spending more time with my son. It was a blessing in disguise.
At the age of 3, Mark showed he was a budding genius: he could read and write!
He leaves all the lights on like his father when he leaves a room. A chip off the old block!
I almost got run over by a car today, thank God it was just close call.
What makes you think you can't be fired? You're just a cog in the machine!

I'm moving to Berlin in a month so I'm taking a crash course in German.
John said he was alone but the two extra plates on the table were a dead give-away.
These reality TV shows are a dime a dozen nowadays.
I think telling our secret to Jack would be a false move. He'd tell everyone about it.
Our holidays in Greece this Summer were a far cry from the ones we had in Sweden.
The fat cats of the company are thinking about selling it to the Japanese.

a feather in one's cap	un triunfo
a fly in the ointment	el único problema
a fly on the wall	Ser mosca para escuchar una conversación
a fool's errand	algo completamente inútil
a foregone conclusion	un resultado obvio
a glutton for punishment	masoquista

Winning an Olympic gold medal has been a feather in your cap.
My sister followed me everywhere I went when we were kids. She was a fly in the ointment.
George's going to ask Sarah to marry him tonight! If only I were a fly on the wall...
Many people think that demonstrating against the war is a fool's errand.
It's obvious that Manchester United will win the cup. It's a foregone conclusion.
You take too many extra-curricular activities at school. You're a glutton for punishment.

Ann's a real go-getter. She's got lots of projects and works hard to carry them out.
Pam's a good Samaritan. She'll help you whenever you're in need.
When I married Paul, his son didn't like me. He was a hard nut to crack.
The Conservatives have a head start in the election thanks to their anti-abortion campaign.
Owen isn't exactly handsome, but he has a je ne sais quoi that makes him very attractive.
Adam's getting married! Will it be the end of his days as a lady-killer?

a long shot	una posibilidad remota
a losing/lucky streak	una racha de mala/buena suerte
a matter of life and death	un asunto de vida o muerte
a pack of lies	una sarta de mentiras
a pain in the ass/neck	un plomazo
a pick-me-up	un estimulante

The exercise was a piece of cake. I finished it in two minutes.
I'm not keen on buying things on the web. They might sell you a pig in a poke.
'Lolita', by Vladimir Nabokov, is full of plays on words. It's fantastic!
Dave always wears a poker face. You can never tell what he's thinking or feeling.
Oh, my God! My son's tidied up his room! It's a red-letter day!
Ben won't remember to bring the cake. It's a safe bet.

These new computers were a shot in the arm for the students. Now they are really learning.
Danny! You're a sight for sore eyes! I don't know anyone in here!
If we don't defend the goal, it'll be a sitting duck for the other team.
The thieves had stolen two million dollars and each of them wanted a slice of the cake.
The candidate said that justice was not part of the agenda. Quite a slip of the tongue...
Doug is such a smart-alec. He thinks he knows everything!

a snake in the grass	un traidor
a wet blanket	un aguafiestas
a wild-goose chase	un intento totalmente inútil
a wolf in sheep's clothing	un lobo disfrazado de cordero
acid test	prueba de fuego
airy-fairy	fantasioso
alive and kicking	vivito y coleando

Eva told the teacher I cheated on the test. She's a snake in the grass!
My neighbour is such a wet blanket. They always call the police when we have a party.
He didn't need a new brush. He sent me on a wild-goose chase so I would leave him alone.
At first he was sweet and kind but in the end he turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
John's new job as a manager will be a real acid test for him.
Ted wants to buy a castle and live there. I think it's quite airy-fairy.
Everyone thought Tiffany was dead, but she was alive and kicking!

all in all	en conjunto
all things being equal	si todo va de acuerdo a mis planes
all thumbs	torpe
an old flame	un viejo amor
an old wives' tale	un cuento de viejas
an ugly duckling	un patito feo
any Tom, Dick or Harry	cualquier hijo de vecino

I've had my problems this year, but all in all, it wasn't so bad.
Everything's ready for the trip. All things being equal, we'll be there by noon.
Pete is always dropping things. He's all thumbs.
Lucy is not just a friend to Jim. She's an old flame. They were together once.
Is it true that if you go swimming after eating you die or is it an old wives' tale?
Sue was the ugly duckling of the class, but now she's one of the prettiest girls in school.
Lisa's very picky when it comes to men. She won't date any Tom, Dick or Harry.

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