Help the English learners. Ayuda a los estudiantes de inglés.

Question

And practice your Spanish.

English is full of idiomatic utterings.

This one for example. Pie in the sky.

Explain what it means in English and Spanish.

Maybe the best way is to use the phrase in context.

Then post a new idiomatic uttering. of your own.

Click on latest to see the last post.

Good one, Ian. Thanks for posting! xo - rac1, Apr 19, 2015

De nada princesa xx - ian-hill, Apr 19, 2015

Great idea mate , I hope it is not a pie in the sky ;) - ray76, Apr 19, 2015

:) - ian-hill, Apr 19, 2015

Would the word "utterance" not be more grammatically correct? - BailaBailaBaila, Apr 23, 2015

I just checked in my dictionary and I could not find "uttering" but "utterance" is in there. But I have heard the word "utterings". :) - ian-hill, Apr 23, 2015

Answer 1

"Tickled Pink" It means that something really great has happened y que estás contentísimo/a.

Literally (palabra por palabra--más or menos) Es que algo (o alguien) te ha hecho cosquillas hasta que te has puesto rosado/a.

Next idiom: It costs an arm and a leg. (In Spanish it costs something else but there is a good idiom--see if you can get it.

OK, Jubi? - Daniela2041, Apr 20, 2015

Perfect! So do I say in Spanish "Perfecto" referring to your post or "Perfecta" referring to you? I hope some of our other regulars pick up on this! - Jubilado, Apr 20, 2015

Looks great to me, amiga. :)♥ - rac1, Apr 20, 2015

Great to see this thread "taking off". :) - ian-hill, Apr 20, 2015

Answer 2

It means a wishful thinking- castillos en el aire

Next: have a finger in every pie

Siguiente:

Él quiere de ser un perejil de todas salsas

The new "uttering" should be in Engliah porcu. - ian-hill, Apr 19, 2015

Don't forget to vote. ♥ - rac1, Apr 19, 2015

The English could be "He wants to be all things to all men" that is not idiomatic porcu. - - ian-hill, Apr 19, 2015

I have just corrected it - porcupine7, Apr 19, 2015

Thank you amiga. - ian-hill, Apr 19, 2015

Answer 3

"Out of the frying pan, into the fire" is used when a person goes from a bad situation to one that is even worse.

New idiom: to step up to the plate.

:) - ian-hill, Apr 22, 2015

Answer 4

'That's the pot calling the kettle black'

El comal le dijo a la olla: "¡qué tiznada estás!" O simplemente: El comal le dijo a la olla.

The comal said to the pot: 'how blackened you are!'

It means that someone criticizes in another person for a defect that he/she has himself/herself or for something that he/she does himself/herself.

Next one: Out of the frying pan into the fire

Good one.. - rac1, Apr 21, 2015

:) - ian-hill, Apr 22, 2015

Answer 5

Under my thumb means a person is under my (excessively burdensome) control.

"Bajo mi pulgar' significa que una persona está debajo mi control (una carga excesiva).

Next idiom: flipped his lid.

:) - ian-hill, Apr 20, 2015

Very ilustrative! - LuisCache, Apr 21, 2015

Answer 6

La frase significa que algo es excesivamente costoso, como perder un brazo y una pierna. En español usamos la frase: "cuesta un ojo de la cara." con el mismo significado.

The phrase means that something is excessively expensive, like losing an arm and a leg. In Spanish we use the phrase: "It costs an eye of the face." with the same meaning.

Next:

"Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente."

"Shrimp who falls asleep, is carried away by the current."

:) - ian-hill, Apr 20, 2015

esto suele ocurrir con frecuencia - adrityan, Apr 25, 2015

Answer 7

I don't know, but let's give it a try.

Pie is a round circle with something good and tasty in it.

Sky simbolizes something huge and enormous.

And you see a group of morocyclists, people that I think are very daring and brave.

Putting all together could be a group of people that belongs to a closed circle in the entire world that are good, tasty, and brave ready to go for a challenge.

Sentences are good , but not the meaning , "a pie in the sky is something imaginary , A wild idea to make money that will never work , "Is a pie in the sky idea" . My vote. - ray76, Apr 19, 2015

What is your English idiomatic uttering amiga? - for the next poster. - ian-hill, Apr 19, 2015

Ray76 - thanks for your explanation, I never would have guessed it. - jemamu, Apr 19, 2015

Ian-hill - I heard a lot in education about shortcuts, referring to students and their school work. Many of them choose the shortcuts such as coping homework answers instead doing their homework themselves. - jemamu, Apr 19, 2015

......... copYing homework ...... Yes it is a major problem for universities too. - ian-hill, Apr 19, 2015

Answer 8

'It's a walk in the park' quiere decir que algo es fácil porque caminar por el parque no es tan difícil...

Próxima: 'That's the pot calling the kettle black' or simply 'Pot or kettle ?'...

La cacerola acusa la tetera de ser negra...

:) - ian-hill, Apr 21, 2015

Answer 9

Under the gun...

Supongo que se refiere a una situación difícil, estresante o muy complicada.

I think it means that something is unbearable or very demanding, a stressful situation.

Next one:

Under my thumb.

:) - ian-hill, Apr 20, 2015

Answer 10

Barking up the wrong tree - Buscar la solución de un problema en un lugar en cual no existe o estar equivocado(a) en tus acciones.

If you think you are going to get rich by gambling, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Si piensas que vas a hacerte rico(a) en juegos de azar, estás equivocado(a).

Este expresión viene de la caza de mapaches. El mapache subiría un árbole, saltaría a otro y lo bajaría para escaparse. Los perros creyendo que ya está en el primer árbol continuan a ladrar allá.

This expression comes from racoon hunting. The racoon would climb a tree, jump to another, and climb down it to escape. The dogs thinking that it is still in the first tree continue to bark there.

Disculpar mis errores en español si hay y favor de correjirlos.

Oops, Ian, I think I messed up! Well, maybe it will help an English learner. - Jubilado, Apr 19, 2015

Can you post one for the next person to figure out? :) - rac1, Apr 19, 2015

It seems that this thread is fated to fade amigo. Never mind. - ian-hill, Apr 19, 2015

Jubilado, you have to explain the one from the person before you. - rac1, Apr 19, 2015

I know now how it works, but this took some time to post and I need to go on to other things. Sorry. - Jubilado, Apr 19, 2015

My apologies amigo. :) - rac1, Apr 19, 2015

Hey, Jubi, I made the same goof. I joined your club. ♥♥ However, Amber forgave me. - Daniela2041, Apr 19, 2015

Lol, I know all this because my answer was a goof and I quickly changed it before Ian saw it. jejejeje - rac1, Apr 20, 2015

Answer 11

A penny for your thoughts....

Un centavo para los pensamientos....

Next idiom

At the drop of a hat...

:) - ian-hill, Apr 19, 2015

Answer 12

Flipped his lid...Go crazy, react very strongly to something.

Ha perdido la chaveta

Next idiom:

it's a walk in the park...

:) - ian-hill, Apr 21, 2015

Answer 13

"It stands to reason" means that something is likely to be true because it seems logical. A Spanish equivalent might be "parece lógico."

Next: under the gun

:) - ian-hill, Apr 20, 2015

Answer 14

"Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente." "Shrimp who falls asleep, is carried away by the current."

This must mean that it is important to stay alert so as not to be overwhelmed. Quiere decir es importante mantenerse alerta para que no sea alumbrado.

A good English equivalent is "you snooze you loose" which rhymes (que rima).

Next: It stands to reason

Excellent mate!, I might not remember it; but that was the phrase I wanted to say. - crucesignatus, Apr 20, 2015

This phrase: "you snooze, you loose." :) - crucesignatus, Apr 20, 2015

:) - ian-hill, Apr 20, 2015

Answer 15

Voy a continuar porque tengo tiempo ahora,

At the drop of a hat - immediately, without delay. Apparently related to dropping one's hat because it is urgent to leave without putting it on.

A la caída de un sombrero - en seguida, sin retraso. Evidente dejar caer su sombrero porque se apura con urgencia y no tiene tiempo ponérselo.

Next tickled pink

:) - ian-hill, Apr 20, 2015

Gracias amigo. - ian-hill, Apr 20, 2015