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REFRANES, FRASES HECHAS

NIM LS

as free as a bird = free, without worries a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush= ms vale pjaro en mano que cien

volando the early bird catches the worm= al que madruga Dios lo ayuda

birds of a feather flock together = Dios los cra y ellos se juntan

to kill two birds with one stone = matar dos pjaros de un tiro to eat like a bird= eat very little

a bird's eye view = a vuelo de pjaro

an early bird = a person who arrives or gets up early a bird of ill omen = un pjaro de mal agero

as the crow flies= in a straight line a little bird told me something= expression used to say that you know something

but you will not say how you found out = me cont un pajarito

to take the bull by the horns = face a difficulty boldly

ike a bull in a china shop = a rough and clumsy person

like a red tag to a bull= likely to cause anger

a cock and bull story = an absurd and improbable story, used as an excuse or explanation

= un cuento chino

to move like a bull at a gate = to move very fast, ignoring everything in your way

to hit the bull's eye= dar en el blanco

to shoot the bull (US) = to have an informal conversation about unimportant things

don't mess with the bull, you'll get the horns!= if you look for trouble, you'll find it

a cat has nine lives = un gato tiene siete vidas (Ntese que en ingls el gato tiene dosvidas ms!)

curiosity killed the cat (satisfaction brought it back) = it may be dangerous to be toocurious

to fight like cat and dog = to fight a lot

has a cat got your tongue?= te comieron la lengua los ratones?

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to let the cat out of the bag= to reveal a secret carelessly

like a cat on hot bricks= very nervous

no room to swing a cat= not enough space

to have a cat nap= to have a short sleep

to play cat and mouse with somebody= to keep somebody in uncertain expectation,treating him alternately cruelly and kindly

When the cat's away, the mice will play = cuando el gato no est, los ratones sedivierten

all cats are grey in the dark = por la noche todos los gatos son pardos

to put/set the cat among the pigeons= to introduce somebody/something that is likely

to cause trouble

CHICKEN, HEAN, STAG, COCK

never count your chickens before they are hatched = no cantes victoria antes de

tiempo (lit. nunca cuentes tus pollos antes de que nazcan) which came first, the chicken or the egg? = it is difficult or impossible to decide

which of two things happened first a chicken and egg situation = a situation in which it is difficult or impossible to

decide which of two things happened first somebody's chickens have come home to roost= somebody's bad actions in the

past cause problems now to run around like a headless chicken= to go from one place to another in a

disorganized way chicken feed = small amount of money, almost useless

to chicken out= to decide at the last moment not to do something because you are

afraid chicken pox= illness which causes fever and spots on your skin = varicela

somebody is no spring chicken = somebody is no longer young

to behave like a hen mother = to be very protective

a hen party = party for women only, usually the night before one of them getsmarried

a stag party/night = party for men only, usually the night before one of them gets

married a cock and bull story = an absurd and improbable story, used as an excuse or

explanation = un cuento chino to live like fighting cocks = to enjoy the best possible food

cock of the walk = person who dominates others

DOG

a dog's life = constantly worried, troubled or miserable every dog has his day= everyone can succeed sooner or later love me, love my dog= if one loves somebody, one should love everyone and

everything associated with him to be like a dog with two tails= to be very happy

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to give a dog a bad name (and hang him)= once a person has lost his reputation, it's

difficult to regain it to go to the dog = (an organization) become less efficient to let sleeping dogs lie= to let it be quiet to make a dog's breakfast of something= to do something very badly not to stand/have a dog's chance= to have no chance at all

to work like a dog= to work a lot to treat somebody like a dog= to treat somebody with no respect at all to die like a dog= to die in misery, with no honour nor dignity dog eat dog= (adj) when people compete against each other and do anything to get

what they want; a dog eat dog world/situation. the tail wagging the dog= situation in which a minor part of something controls the

course of the whole his bark is worse than his bite= perro que ladra no muerde barking dogs seldom/never bite= people who look aggressive are not really too bad you can't teach an old dog new tricks= it's difficult for an old person to change or

do new things top dog = person who has the most power in a group the underdog= a person or team that is weaker than the others, and is always

expected to be unsuccessful doggy bag = small bag for taking home the food that is left over from a meal in a

restaurant

a sitting duck= somebody easy to attack an ugly duckling= a person who at first seems unpromising but later becomes

admired like a duck to water = without fear, naturally like water off a duck's back = (of criticisms) without any effect a dead duck = a plan that will probably fail

a lame duck = a person/organization in trouble that needs help to duck a subject/question= to avoid a difficult or unpleasant subject/question