All politicians should have 3 hats – one to throw into the ring, one to talk through, and one to pull rabbits out of if elected. (Carl Sandburg)
You may have heard the story of the fisherman’s shoes. It’s an old Arabian tale about a king who insisted on being happy. It was not riches or power he was after. Pure happiness was his primary concern in life, so he decided to ask the wisest man in his kingdom what he must do in order to fulfil his dream, and the learned sage told him that all that was required was to find a man who was happy and ask him for his shoes. I won’t bore you with the rest of the story, which I suppose you’re all familiar with. I’ll just remind you, dear readers, that in the end, after a long, fruitless quest, the king’s emissaries found a singing fisherman who declared himself to be perfectly happy, but when they asked him for his shoes he said he had none…
My friend P.L., the prestigious politician, running for senator for the XX party seven years ago, knew this little tale only too well, but he also knew that in our consumer society people who have no shoes cannot be expected to be exactly happy, so that on this rainy morning a few days before the elections, as he shaved in his luxurious, fashionable, en suite bathroom, his mind was not on fishermen or on shoes. Trimming his moustache with care, he grinned contentedly at his reflection in the mirror and thought about the speech he would deliver in the afternoon.
He knew he projected a good image, no worries about that: he was a prosperous, honest professional, loving father and husband, a handsome healthy man women adored and men respected, the perfect candidate, somebody who inspired trust in all and sundry. And he came over rather well on TV, too: only the other day, when he had been interviewed, together with the leader of the main rival party, he had come through with flying colours. He was conscious of that, but today it was something special: on his electoral whistle-stop tour, he was visiting N. of the C., a small village in the mountains near his home town, not very important for the number of voters, but a significant rural community any serious candidate had to include in his visiting campaign. It was the sort of village where people did not believe in politicians; the young had all emigrated to the bigger industrial towns in search of better job prospects, and the old, though they made a point of attending all political meetings, could not be trusted to understand or care about politics, and as you stood there speaking to them, just by looking at their sly, malicious faces, you always had a pretty good idea of what they thought of you and your speech.
Anyway, N. of the C. was a touchstone in any political campaign, a kind of acid test you had to pass if you wanted to know what your real chances were among the rural electorate. That’s why P.L. was not willing to run any risks. He would take the bull by the horns and would bravely tackle all the main issues: in plain ordinary words that everybody could understand, he would tell these simple country people that if he got elected he would do the best for them. He would see to it that good roads were built, making the access to their village easier, and bringing prosperity to everybody; he would make the National Health Service work at last; there would be no children without school, no unemployed, and the retired would get better pensions, without anybody having to pay more taxes. He had his lesson well learnt; no need to rehearse it any longer, he knew it by heart, and he was full of self-confidence…
And sure enough, at the beginning nothing could have gone better: it stopped raining at midday, and a warm bright sun shone on the large crowd that had gathered in the main square. Practically all the inhabitants of N. of the C. had come to the meeting, and there were many others who had travelled in from the neighbouring villages. P.L. was glad to see that his speech was going down quite well, and he had just said he would create ten thousand new jobs every month, and was making a short pause for effect, to let his words sink in, when the incident happened. At first, it was only a question: an old man with a wrinkled face and mocking mischievous eyes, grasping a walking stick in his gnarled hands, was asking: “How?” A single question by a single man in the crowd, but in the silence that ensued it had more effect than a bomb going off in the square. The orator immediately felt the tension in the air, but when his followers tried to shout the fellow down, he raised a firm, authoritarian hand to stop them. “No, no, please, he was right to ask”, and addressing the poor old devil: “Tell me, my friend, what do you mean by how?” “What I mean is how are you going to do it? To achieve all that you promise. How?” My friend listened attentively, and man of the world that he was and not without a sense of humour, he was half tempted to answer: “I wish I knew myself.” But no, he checked himself in time; he could not afford to be facetious. Politically speaking, that would be suicide.
All this had flashed through his mind in a fraction of a second, and he was now ready to give an answer, but the man kept saying how, how, and a few other hows were beginning to be heard, here and there among the crowd. And then, suddenly it was a clamour: how, how, how, a thousand thundering hows rose unanimously from the multitude and, echoing in the mountains nearby, they came rolling back to him with enhanced violence, menacingly…how, how, how, how…, he looked around and behind him at comrades, and he could see alarm and fear written on their faces. This was disaster, the end of his career; a single question by a single man in a single village, but now it was the voice of the people, and the voice of the people could not be ignored. He noticed that his bodyguards were nervously fingering their guns and making a circle around him, thinking of nothing but a hasty retreat to the safety of the caravan. But it was at this point that my friend’s stamina showed: brushing the guards aside, he raised his arms in a big V, and switching on his best manly smile, he began to shout with the best in the crowd: “how, yes, how, you ask me how I will do it, and I will tell you how.” The populace had indeed stopped shouting by then, and my friend could speak…
And I’ve never found him so convincing. He spoke and spoke, and he sounded so sincere; he was magnificent, splendid, really brilliant, and in the end, there were tears in the women’s eyes, and the men cheered and applauded like mad. The moment of danger was over, the road to success, clear…But later, that night, in the silence of his own home, preparing for bed, my friend P.L. looked at his haggard reflection in the mirror and could not help thinking of the old man, with the wrinkled face and the mocking eyes that had not been convinced…How?…How?…He wondered…how?
Well, this is purely anecdotical, of course, and it did not affect my friend’s career in the least: his party didn’t win the elections, but he became a senator, was re-elected four years later and is still in office. What really worries me a bit, and him, too, no doubt, is that now, running for senator again, seven years after that eventful day in the mountainous village, he still doesn’t know how.
SEMANTIC ANALYSIS (for help go here)
10.2.1 LEARNING NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
to achieve (lograr, conseguir)
to applaud (aplaudir)
to be in office (estar en el poder, gobernando)
consumer society (sociedad de consumo)
to check oneself (controlarse, contenerse)
to cheer (vitorear)
to echo (resonar)
en suite bathroom (cuarto de baño adjunto al dormitorio) (for rooms in the house, see 7.2.6b)
to enhance (aumentar)
eventful (accidentado)
to finger (tocar con el dedo)
facetious (bromista, gracioso)
fruitless (infructuoso)
full of self-confidence (lleno de seguridad en sí mismo)
gnarled [deformada (mano)]
to grasp (agarrar, asir) (for ways of holding sth see, 5.2.7c)
haggard (demacrado, macilento, con ojeras)
hasty (precipitado)
I wish I knew myself (¡ojalá yo mismo lo supiera!)
in the end (al final)
in time (a tiempo) (cf. on time – puntual, en punto)
manly (varonil, viril)
mocking (burlón)
the National Health Service (la Seguridad Social)
a poor old devil (un pobre diablo)
quest (búsqueda)
to rehearse (ensayar)
retired (jubilado)
retreat (retirada)
riches (riqueza)
sly (astuto, taimado)
stamina (energía)
to tackle all the main issues (abordar/hacer frente a todos los grandes problemas)
thundering (atronador)
touchstone (piedra de toque)
unemployed (desempleado, parado, en el paro)
walking stick (bastón)
wrinkled (arrugado)
(see also IDIOMS, 10.2.11 and PHRASAL VERBS, 10.2.12)
10.2.2 SYNONYMS AND NEAR-SYNONYMS
to applaud (to clap, to cheer, to acclaim)
crowd (multitude, populace, mob)
to finger (to touch, to stroke)
to gather (to assemble, to congregate)
haggard (pale, pallid, sallow, gaunt, emaciated)
in office (in power)
menacingly (threateningly)
pretty (adv.) (quite, rather, fairly)
self-confidence (self-assurance, belief in oneself, aplomb)
story (tale)
10.2.3 ANTONYMS
eventful (uneventful, dull)
facetious (serious)
hasty (slow)
self-confident (diffident, unsure)
to shout (to whisper)
wrinkled (smooth)
10.2.4 POLYSEMOUS TERMS
concern (preocupación; interés; negocio; to concern: incumbir; interesar; preocupar; concerned: preocupado, involucrado; to be concerned with tratar/versar sobre; as far as I’m concerned por lo que a mí respecta)
to deliver [ repartir (correo), entregar (paquetes, mercancías, mensajes); pronunciar (discurso, veredicto); entregar (persona, ciudad); ayudar a nacer, atender en el parto; (rel) librar del mal: deliver us from evil líbranos del mal]
issue (see 4.2.9)
10.2.5 LEXICAL FIELDS
occupations and professions:
accountant (contable)
actor/actress (actor/actriz)
agent (agente, representante)
air hostess (azafata)
archaelogist (arqueólogo,-a)
architect (arquitecto,-a)
author (autor,-a)
babysitter (canguro)
baker (panadero,-a)
bank clerk (empleado,-a de banca)
banker (banquero,-a)
barber (barbero)
barmaid (camarera que atiende la barra)
barman/bartender (AmE) (barman)
beautician/beauty consultant (esteticista/esteticién)
biologist (biólogo,-a)
bodyguard (guardaespaldas)
bookseller (librero,.a)
bricklayer (albañil)
builder (constructor, contratista)
bus conductor (cobrador,-a de autobús)
bus driver (conductor,-a de autobús)
businessman/businesswoman (hombre/mujer de negocios)
butcher (carnicero,-a)
cabinet-maker (ebanista)
cameraman (cámara)
carer (BrE)/caregiver (AmE) (cuidador,-a de persona anciana/enferma/discapacitada)
car park attendant (guardacoches)
caretaker (conserje, esp. en un colegio)
carpenter (carpintero,-a)
cartoonist (dibujante de dibujos animados)
cashier (cajero,-a en un banco/hotel)
chambermaid (camarera de hotel)
chauffeur (chófer)
checkout assistant (cajero,-a en supermercados)
chef (chef)
chemist (químico)
chief constable (jefe,-a de policía)
chief executive (officer) (consejero,-a delegado,-a)
childminder (cuidador,-a de niños)
chimney sweep (deshollinador,-a)
cleaner (limpiador,-a)
cleaning lady (señora de la limpieza, empleada del hogar)
clerk/office worker (oficinista)
clown (payaso)
commercial artist (dibujante publicitario)
computer programmer (programador,-a de ordenadores)
conductor (director,-a de orquesta)
constable (agente de policía)
consultant (asesor,-a)
cook (cocinero,-a)
customs officer (aduanero,-a)
dancer (bailarín,-a)
designer (diseñador,-a)
detective (detective)
diplomat (diplomático)
disc jockey/DJ (pinchadiscos)
doctor (médico, doctor,-a)
doorman (portero, conserje)
draughtsman [dibujante (de dibujo lineal)]
dressmaker (modista)
driver (conductor,-a, chófer)
dustman/refuse collector (basurero,.a)
economist (economista)
editor (editor/montador de películas/TV; redactor,-a de diario/revista)
electrician (electricista)
employee (empleado,-a)
employer (empresario,-a)
engineer (ingeniero,-a)
film director (director,-a de cine)
firefighter (bombero,-a)
fireman/firewoman (bombero,-a)
fisherman (pescador)
fishmonger (pescadero,-a)
flight attendant (asistente de vuelo)
florist (florista)
foreman (capataz)
gardener (jardinero,-a)
geologist (geólogo,-a)
glazier (cristalero)
governess (institutriz)
GP/general practitioner (médico de cabecera/de medicina general)
greengrocer (frutero,-a)
grip [(cine/TV) ayudante de cámara]
grocer (tendero,-a de tienda de comestibles)
guard (guarda, vigilante)
hairdresser (peluquero,-a)
head of department (director,-a de departamento)
headmaster/headmistress (director/directora de un colegio)
hotelier (hotelero,-a)
housekeeper (ama de llaves)
housewife (ama de casa)
image consultant (asesor,-a de imagen)
inspector (inspector,-a)
interpreter (intérprete)
jeweller (joyero,-a)
joiner (carpintero,-a de obra)
journalist (periodista)
judge (juez,-a)
land surveyor (agrimensor, topógrafo,-a)
landlord/landlady (casero,-a; tabernero,-a)
landowner (terrateniente)
lawyer (abogado,-a)
lecturer (profesor,-a de universidad)
librarian (bibliotecario,-a)
lifeguard (socorrista)
locksmith (cerrajero,-a)
manager (gerente)
managing editor/editor in chief (redactor,-a jefe)
masseur/masseuse (masajista)
master mason (maestro albañil)
mechanic (mecánico)
midwife (comadrona)
miner (minero, -a)
model (modelo)
musician (músico)
nanny (niñera)
newsreader (locutor,-a)
night watchman (vigilante nocturno)
nurse (enfermero,-a)
optician (óptico)
page boy/bellboy (botones)
painter (pintor,-a)
pharmacist/chemist (farmacéutico,-a)
photographer (fotógrafo,-a)
physio(therapist) [fisio(terapeuta)]
pilot (piloto)
plumber (fontanero,-a)
poet (poeta)
poetess (antic) (poetisa)
policeman/policewoman/police officer (policía)
politician (político)
porter (mozo de cuerda, maletero; portero de edificio/de hotel)
postman (cartero)
presenter (presentador,-a)
prison officer (funcionario,-a de prisiones)
professor (catedrático,-a, profesor,-a)
publicist (publicista)
publisher (editor,-a)
quantity surveyor/assistant architect (aparejador,-a)
real estate agent (agente inmobiliario)
receptionist (recepcionista)
roof aerial fitter (antenista)
sailor (marinero)
salesman/woman (vendedor,-a)
scientist (científico,-a)
secretary (secretario,-a)
shepherd (pastor,-a)
shoeblack/shoeshine boy (BrE)/bootblack (AmE) (limpiabotas)
shoemaker (zapatero,-a)
shop assistant (dependiente,-a)
shopkeeper (tendero,-a)
shorthand typist (taquígrafo,-a)
shutterer (encofrador,-a)
singer (cantante)
social worker (asistente social)
soldier (soldado, militar)
superintendent (BrE)/captain (AmE) (comisario,-a)
tailor (sastre)
taxi driver (taxista)
teacher (maestro,-a)
technician (técnico)
telephone operator (telefonista)
teller (cajero,-a en un banco)
translator (traductor,-a)
travel agent (agente de viajes)
typist (mecanógrafo,-a)
vet/veterinary doctor (veterinario)
waiter/waitress (camarero,-a)
warden [(BrE) celador, encargado en un asilo/(AmE) director de prisión, alcaide)]
welder (soldador)
window cleaner (limpiacristales)
worker (obrero,-a)
writer (escritor,-a)
See also 3.2.7c (legal terms) and 7.2.6a (medical specialists)
10.2.6 ANALYSIS BY DISTINCTIVE SEMANTIC FEATURES
- A) shouting:
to shout (gritar)
to bawl [ + loudly, in an unpleasant or angry way; (of babies) to cry loudly] [gritar a, vociferar; de manera desagradable, con enfado, etc.; (niños) berrear]
to bellow [ + roar with pain, angrily] [vociferar, bramar, rugir (de dolor o rabia)]
to holler ( = to bellow AmE)
to howl [+ loud (with pain, anger, laughter)] [gritar, aullar, dar alaridos, de dolor, rabia, risa; (niños) berrear]
to scream [ + loud, high-pitched, in pain, fear] (gritar, chillar, de miedo, dolor, etc.)
to screech [ + loudly, in an unpleasant high voice because you are angry, afraid or excited] [chillar (de manera desagradable), dar alaridos, chillidos, gritos (de miedo, rabia, excitación, etc.)] (see also B below)
to shriek [ + sharp, with excitement, laughter, in fright] (gritar, chillar, de miedo, dolor, rabia, etc.)
to squeak [ + high-pitched, because you are nervous or excited] (chillar, gritar por nervios o excitación) (see also B below)
to squeal [ + high-pitched, strident, long, with laughter, delight, pain] [chillar, dar chillidos, dar gritos agudos (de dolor, alegría, etc.) (see also B below)]
to yell [ + loud, sharp, in pain, fear, anger, excitement] (gritar, aullar, dar alaridos, de miedo, dolor, rabia, etc.)
- B) other loud sounds
to creak [+ long, high (door, wooden floor, stair, etc.)] [crujir (puerta, suelo de madera, escalera, etc.)]
to screech [ + harsh, unpleasant (the wheels of a vehicle when it stops or moves along)] [chirriar (ruedas/frenos, etc.)]
to squeak [+ short, harsh, unpleasant (wheels, doors, engines, etc.; shoes, wooden floor, etc.)] [chirriar (ruedas, puertas, ejes, máquinas); crujir (zapatos, suelo de madera, etc.)]
to squeal [+ long, high (brakes, tyres, etc.)] [chirriar (frenos, neumáticos, etc.)]
(see also animals’ cries, 4.2.6f)
10.2.7 WORDS EASILY CONFUSED
to expect/to wait/to hope (esperar)
to expect (to regard as likely): The rate of inflation was higher than the government had expected (la tasa de inflación era más alta de lo que el gobierno había esperado); he’s expected to arrive this afternoon (se espera que llegue esta tarde); special collocations: She’s expecting a baby (está esperando un bebé); I expect so (supongo que sí); I expect not (supongo que no)
to wait (not to do something until sth else happens or someone arrives): Wait for me at the bus stop (espérame en la parada de autobús), she was waiting for the train (estaba esperando el tren)
to hope (to want something to happen and believe it’s possible): I hope you pass your exam (espero que apruebes tu examen), I hope you get getter (espero que te mejores)
10.2.8 GRAMMATICAL COLLOCATIONS
to begin to do sth/doing sth (empezar a hacer algo)
to finish doing sth (terminar de hacer algo)
to insist on/that… (insistir en/que)
to keep doing sth (seguir haciendo algo)
to let sb do sth (dejar/permitir a alguien hacer algo)
to raise sth/sb (see lexical collocations: 10.2.9 below)
to rise (see lexical collocations: 10.2.9 below)
to stop doing sth (dejar de hacer algo)/to stop to do sth (parar para hacer algo)
10.2.9 LEXICAL COLLOCATIONS
to run
debts can run up (las deudas pueden acumularse)
his nose is running (le moquea la nariz)
patience/money/time can run out (la paciencia/el dinero/el tiempo pueden acabarse/agotarse)
run for your lives! (¡sálvese quien pueda!)
the battery has run down (la batería se ha descargado)
the trains are running behind schedule (los trenes llevan retraso sobre el horario previsto)
to run a bath (preparar un baño, llenar la bañera)
to run a business (llevar/dirigir un negocio)
to run a comb through one’s hair (pasar el peine por el pelo)
to run a race (correr una carrera)
to run across sb/sth (encontrar por casualidad, tropezarse con alguien/algo)
to run after sth/sb (ir/correr tras, perseguir algo/a alguien)
to run aground (encallar)
to run away from (huir de)
to run dry (secarse: río, pozo; agotarse: reservas)
to run errands (hacer recados)
to run for office/president/senator/Congress (presentarse a unas elecciones/a presidente/senador/al Congreso)
to run in the family/in sb’s blood (ser cosa de familia, llevar en la sangre)
to run into sb (encontrarse/toparse con alguien)
to run into trouble (meterse en problemas/líos)
to run on petrol/diesel (funcionar con gasolina/diesel)
to run over (salirse líquido)
to run over sth (repasar)
to run sb over (atropellar con un coche, etc)
to run short of (acabarse, agotarse algo)
to run sth off (vaciar líquido)
to run wild (a.- desmadrarse, desmandarse; b.- vivir animales en su hábitat natural)
to tackle
to tackle a difficulty, a problem, an issue (hacer frente a, abordar: dificultad, problema, asunto, cuestión)
to tackle sb about sth (plantearle a alguien una cuestión, tantear a alguien sobre algo)
to tackle an opponent (sport) (hacer una entrada, placar a un rival)
to switch on
to switch on the radio, the TV, the lights, a heater (encender: la radio, la TV, las luces, un calentador)
to swith on the engine (poner en marcha el motor del coche)
to switch on a smile (adoptar, valerse de una sonrisa)
to raise (verbo transitivo)
to raise sth/sb (levantar algo/a alguien)
to raise oneself from the floor (levantarse del suelo)
to raise the price (subir el precio)
to raise the temperature (of a room) [subir la temperatura (de una habitación)]
to raise the rent/the salary/taxes (subir la renta/el sueldo/los impuestos)
to raise one’s voice (levantar la voz)
to raise one’s voice against sth/sb (alzar la voz/protestar contra algo/alguien)
to raise doubts/hopes/fears/suspicions (suscitar dudas/esperanzas/temores/sospechas)
to raise objections (poner reparos)
to raise money/funds (recaudar dinero/fondos)
to raise an army (reclutar un ejército)
to raise children (educar a niños)
to raise horses/dogs (criar caballos/perros)
to raise a question/an issue/a point (mencionar/plantear: tema/cuestión/punto)
to raise a monument/a statue/a building (erigir: monumento/estatua; construir: un edificio)
to raise a siege/a blockade/an embargo/a ban (levantar: asedio/bloqueo/embargo/prohibición)
to raise one’s eyebrows (alzar las cejas)
to raise one’s hands against sb (levantarle la mano a alguien)
to raise one’s glass to sb (alzar la copa/brindar por alguien)
to raise the alarm (dar la voz de alarma)
to raise sb’s spirits (levantarle la moral a alguien)
to raise a laugh/a smile (provocar risa/una sonrisa)
to raise sb on the radio/phone (localizar a alguien por radio/teléfono)
to raise sb from the dead (resucitar a alguien de entre los muertos)
not to raise a finger to help sb (no mover un dedo para ayudar a alguien)
to raise Cain/hell (armar el taco)
to rise (verbo intransitivo)
sb rises (alguien se levanta)
sth rises (algo sube, se eleva, se levanta, surge)
he rose early (se levantó temprano)
to rise to one’s feet (ponerse en pie)
his voice rose above the din (su voz se elevó/alzó por encima del ruido)
sth rises in the air (algo se eleva por los aires)
the big tree rises above the rooftop (el gran árbol se eleva por encima del tejado)
the sun/the moon/the stars rise (el sol/la luna/las estrellas salen)
a wind/a storm rises/is rising (se levanta viento/surge una tempestad)
sth rises to the surface (algo sale a la superficie)
prices/the temperature/ unemployment/inflation/tension can rise (los precios/la temperatura/el desempleo/la inflación/la tensión pueden subir/aumentar)
to rise to important positions/to a higher status (ascender a puestos importantes/subir de categoría)
voices of protest rose from the crowd (se alzaron voces de protesta de entre la multitud)
his spirits rose when he saw her (se le levantó la moral al verla)
to rise to the occasion/challenge (estar a la altura de las circunstancias)
to rise against a dictator/the oppressor (levantarse/sublevarse contra el dictador/opresor)
the river had risen several feet after the heavy rains (el río había crecido varios pies tras las fuertes lluvias)
Parliament rose at midnight (la sesión parlamentaria se levantó a medianoche)
to rise to the bait (morder el anzuelo)
to rise from the dead (resucitar de entre los muertos)
to rise from the ashes (resurgir de las cenizas)
to rise (up) in arms (alzarse en armas)
tears rise to sb’s eyes (saltársele las lágrimas a alguien)
the Mississipi rises in Lake Itasca (Minnesota) [el Mississipi nace en el lago Itasca (Minnesota)]
10.2.10 WORD FORMATION
adjectives ending in –ous:
ambitious (ambicioso),
cautious (cauto),
conscious (consciente),
courageous (valiente),
facetious (gracioso, bromista),
furious (furioso),
generous (generoso),
glorious (glorioso),
malicious (malicioso),
mountainous (montañoso),
poisonous (venenoso),
virtuous (virtuoso),
conversion: finger (dedo) → to finger (tocar con el dedo) (for other examples of conversion, see 4.2.10, 11.2.10 and 12.2.10)
acronyms:
- a) pronounced as a sequence of letters (alphabetisms)
BBC. (British Broadcasting Corporation) – BBC
COD (cash on delivery) – pago contra reembolso
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) – FBI
GP (general practitioner)- médico de cabecera/de medicina general
GPS (Global Positioning System) – navegador
MP (Member of Parliament) – parlamentario, diputado
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) – doctor (título académico)
UFO (unidentified flying object) – ovni
UK (United Kingdom) – Reino Unido
UNO (United Nations Organization) – ONU
USA (United States of America) – Estados Unidos de América
VIP (very important person) – VIP/vip
- b) pronounced as a word (acronyms proper):
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) – sida
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) – OTAN
radar (radio detecting and ranging) – radar
RAM (random access memory) – RAM
UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) – UNESCO
- c) either way:
VAT (value-added tax) – IVA
the RAF (the Royal Air Force) – la RAF
10.2.11 IDIOMS
acid test (prueba de fuego)
all and sundry (todo el mundo, todo quisque) (for binomials, see 1.2.12b)
by heart (de memoria)
man of the world (hombre de mundo)
sure enough (tal como se esperaba, como era de esperar)
to come through with flying colours (hacer algo muy bien, sacar nota)
to make a point of (asegurarse de hacer algo) (for other idioms with point, see 1.2.12a)
to pull a rabbit out of a hat (sacar un conejo de la chistera)
to take the bull by the horns (coger al toro por los cuernos)
to talk through one’s hat (decir tonterías sin saber de lo que se habla)
to throw one’s hat into the ring (lanzarse al ruedo)
10.2.12 PHRASAL VERBS
to be after sth/sb (ir tras, tratar de conseguir)
to brush sth/sb aside (hacer caso omiso de, apartar)
to come over well (dar buena imagen)
to go down well (ser bien acogido, caer bien)
to go off [explotar (bomba)]
to run for [presentarse a (elecciones, etc)]
to see to sth (ocuparse de algo)
to shout sb down (callar a gritos, no dejar hablar)
to sink in (darse cuenta de la importancia de algo)
to switch sth on [valerse de, hacer uso de (encanto, sonrisa)]
10.2.13 DIFFERENCES BRE./AME.
moustache/mustache (bigote), pyjamas/pajamas (pijama), etc. (see also 6.2.11 and 9.2.12)
10.2.14 CULTURAL NOTES
Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) – famous American poet.
10.3 GRAMMAR REVISION
10.3.1 May used to indicate possibility or probability
You may have heard to story of the fisherman’s shoes
10.3.2 Must used to indicate necessity
…what he must do in order to fulfil his dream…
10.3.3 -Ing participial clauses (see also 4.3.4)
…trimming his moustache with care…
…brushing the guards aside…
…switching on his best manly smile…
…preparing for bed…
…running for senator again…
10.3.4 Nominalized adjectives
…the young had all emigrated to…
…the old…could not be trusted to…
10.3.5 Conditional sentences: type 2
…if he got elected he would do the best for them
10.3.6 I wish meaning ‘ojalá’
(I wish + simple past) I wish I knew myself! – ¡0jalá yo mismo lo supiera!
(I wish + would) I wish she would marry me! – ¡Ojalá se casara conmigo!
(I wish + past perfect) I wish you had told me!-. ¡Ojalá me lo hubieras dicho!