American expressions
A shot in the arm
Un empujón de ánimo. Un estímulo.
A helpful boost or surge of motivation that improves a situation. A stimulous
Cost an arm and a leg
Costar un ojo de la cara
An extremely high, sometimes excessive, amount of money
As easy as pie
Pan comido
Surprisingly simple to accomplish
As happy as a clam
Feliz como una almeja
Completely content and satisfied
Back to the drawing board
De vuelta a la mesa de diseño
Restarting a plan or project after the initial attempt fails
Back-seat driver
El copiloto que da órdenes. Un criticón.
Someone who offers unsolicited advice or criticisms from the sidelines
Barking up the wrong tree
Ladrar al árbol equivocado
Pursuing a misguided approach or making an incorrect assumption
Bats in the belfry
Murciélagos en el campanario
Informally used to describe someone as odd or eccentric
Between a rock and a hard place
Entre la espada y la pared
Trapped in a situation with no good options
The birds and the bees
Las abejas y los pajaritos
A mild or euphemistic way of explaining sexual and reproductive facts to children
A blast from the past
Un recuerdo del pasado
Something that reappears after a long time, often evoking fond memories
Blaze a trail
Abrir camino
To act as a pioneer or be the first to do something notable
A blonde bombshell
Una rubia explosiva
A stunningly attractive blond woman
Break a leg!
¡Mucha mierda! (forma coloquial de desear suerte en teatro)
A way to wish good luck to performers before a show
Brownie points
Puntos de brownie
Symbolic credit or favor earned by doing something commendable
Bury the hatchet
Enterrar el hacha de guerra
To mend a relationship and move on from past conflicts
Catch
Un círculo vicioso
A contradictory situation in which attempting to escape only makes it more impossible
Cold turkey
El mono o A las bravas
Stopping an addictive habit abruptly or speaking frankly
A dead ringer
Una copia exacta
A perfect duplicate or an exact look-alike
Double whammy
Un doble golpe, dos desgracias seguidas
A pair of setbacks or difficulties happening at once
Down the tubes
Por el desagüe
Lost beyond recovery; wasted
Drop-dead gorgeous
Guapísimo/a de infarto
Exceptionally beautiful in a way that captures attention
Face the music
Afrontar la música, dar la cara
Confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Fancy pants
Pantalones pomposos
Overly showy or pompous, often referring to style or behavior
Filthy rich
Podrido de dinero
Extremely wealthy, sometimes hinting at dubious methods
Fly off the handle
Perder los estribos
Lose one’s temper abruptly and with little warning
A foot in the door
Un pie adentro, meter la cabeza
A small initial opportunity that could lead to something bigger
A fuddy-duddy
Un chapado a la antigua
A person who is old-fashioned or set in their ways
The funny farm
El manicomio (coloquial)
A casual term for a psychiatric hospital
Go haywire
Desmadrarse
Go wildly out of control or malfunction
Gung ho
Con mucho entusiasmo
Extremely enthusiastic or eager
A heads up
Un aviso
A warning or notice to be alert; also used to mean paying attention
The heebie-jeebies
Los tembleques
A sudden feeling of nervousness or unease
A hissy fit
Un ataque de berrinche
A dramatic outburst of anger or frustration
Hold your horses
Aguanta tus caballos
Slow down and wait patiently
Hunky-dory
Todo va sobre ruedas
Everything is going smoothly or just fine
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
Si no aguantas el calor, sal de la cocina
If you cannot handle the pressure, remove yourself from the situation
In the bag
En la bolsa
Virtually guaranteed or assured
Joined at the hip
Unidos por la cadera (como hermanos siameses)
Inseparable or extremely close in relationship
Keep the ball rolling
Mantener la pelota en juego
Maintain momentum and continue progress
Keep your chin up
Mantén la barbilla en alto
Remain optimistic and confident in adversity
The kit and caboodle
El paquete completo
The entire group or collection
Lose your marbles
Perder un tornillo
Go insane or lose mental composure
My bad
Mi error
My mistake; acknowledging one’s error
The nitty-gritty
La cuestión de fondo
The essential details or core elements
A no-brainer
Pan comido
Something so straightforward that it requires no real thought
Off the record
Extraoficialmente
Not intended for official use or public knowledge
On cloud nine
En el séptimo cielo
Extremely happy or delighted
Paint the town red
Pintar la ciudad de rojo
Go out for an exciting, energetic night on the town
Pass the buck
Pasar la pelota
Shift responsibility or blame to someone else
A piece of cake
Pan comido
An undertaking that is very easy to achieve
Play by ear
Tocar de oído
Manage a situation spontaneously, without a rigid plan
Pull the wool over your eyes
Echarte humo a los ojos
To mislead or trick someone into believing something false
Rise and shine
Levántate y reluce
Get up from bed and start the day energetically
Run of the mill
Común y corriente
Ordinary or lacking special features
Skid row
La calle de la amargura
A rundown area associated with poverty and homelessness
Spill the beans
Derramar las alubias
Reveal confidential information, intentionally or not
A stool pigeon
Un soplón
Someone who acts as an informer or decoy, often for law enforcement
Talk to the hand
Háblale a la mano
A dismissive phrase used to show disinterest in another’s viewpoint
The real McCoy
El auténtico McCoy
The genuine item, as opposed to a copy or imitation
The pits
Lo peor
The worst or most unpleasant scenario possible
Top notch
De primera
Of the highest standard or quality
Let the cat out of the bag
Soltar el gato de la bolsa
To accidentally or intentionally expose a hidden fact
Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched
No vendas la piel de oso antes de cazarlo
Avoid assuming success or results before they’re certain
Once in a blue moon
De Pascuas a Ramos
Something that occurs very rarely
Mind your p’s and q’s
Cuida tus modales
Be particularly mindful of your manners and behavior
As American as apple pie
Tan americano como el pastel de manzana
Something quintessentially American in character
Knee-high to a grasshopper
Chiquitín como un saltamontes
Very young or small; often used to show someone’s childhood or small stature
Take a rain check
Tomar un vale para después
Politely decline an invitation while implying a willingness to do it at a later time
Hit the sack
Irse al sobre
Go to bed or retire for the night
When pigs fly
Cuando las ranas críen pelo
Used to say something will never happen—an impossibility
