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Today we are going to learn a few popular expressions in English which will surely enhance our speaking skills
Once you get to speak English fluently, say intermediate-upper intermediate level, it is time for you to start incorporating idioms and expressions to your day-to-day language. Idioms or expressions are defined by the Cambridge dictionary as “a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own”. Today we are going to learn a few amongst the most popular ones in English language, including definitions, examples and their equivalents in Spanish language.
- Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t (it can be shortened to just better the devil you know). This idiom refers to those situations in which it is better to deal with persons or issues that are familiar to us, even if we don’t like them, than dealing with other options that might be worse.
- Example: For the next local election I think I’m going to vote for the current mayor, you know, better the devil you know…
- A blessing in disguise. This idiom is used when something positive comes out of a negative or unlucky situation.
- Example: Being fired was a blessing in disguise, because I found a better job two weeks after that.
- You cannot judge a book by its cover. It means that appearances can be deceiving, so we shouldn’t rush to make judgments.
- Example: I thought he was very conservative due to his appearance and the way he talked but I was wrong. You cannot judge a book by its cover.
- Beggars can’t be choosers. This one is used when we have to accept an offer or a situation that we know is the only one available, even if we do not like it.
- Example: I wanted to buy a brand new car but I couldn’t afford it, so I got a second-hand one. Beggars can’t be choosers…
- You cannot have the cake and eat it. A very obvious one, it means that we cannot do or have two good things at the same time that can’t be enjoyed at the same time due to their different nature.
- Example: Helen wanted to spend time with her family and go to the beach but I told her she could not have the cake and eat it.
- Easy come easy go. This idiom reminds us of how volatile or ephemeral good news can be, or that things easily achieved can also be easily lost.
- Example: I won 200 € on the lottery and the following day I had to use it to pay a parking fine…as the old saying goes: easy come, easy go.
We will soon introduce more expressions, now try and match today’s ones with their equivalents in Spanish:
For more English tips, take a look to the posts below 😉 «Sigue aprendiendo inglés uniéndote a nuestra comunidad. Recibirás todas las semanas artículos de interés, lecciones, audios, ejercicios y mucho más 😉 «Sigue aprendiendo inglés uniéndote a nuestra comunidad. Recibirás todas las semanas artículos de interés, lecciones, audios, ejercicios y mucho más 😉
