Online workshop: English idiomatic expressions translated into Spanish - Part 7

Pay lip service  to sth=Hablar de boquilla, decir con la boca pequeña/chica.

The fundamental problem is that aviation is a rogue industry, darting across international borders to escape climate justice. While paying lip service to environmental concerns, its masters use the complexity of attempting to curb the carbon emissions of a global business to avoid any curbs at all: El problema fundamental es que la aviación es una industria deshonesta, que cruza volando las fronteras internacionales para escapar de la justicia climática. Mientras hablan de boquilla de sus inquietudes medioambientales, sus peces gordos utilizan la complejidad que supone para una empresa mundial el proceso de reducción de las emisiones de CO2 para no reducirlas en absoluto. The Guardian

She claims to be in favour of training, but so far she's only paid lip service to the idea: Dice que está a favor de la formación pero de momento sólo lo dice con la boca pequeña.

Work one's fingers to the bone=Dejarse la piel, deslomarse.

She worked her fingers to the bone to provide a home and food for seven children: Se dejó la piel para dar techo y comida a sus siete hijos.


Fíjate cómo se usa esta expresión en esta canción:




Brown Bird-Fingers to the bone
I’ve worked my fingers to the bone
not a pretty little penny have I got to show
I ain’t looking for much
just a little bit of rest by the side of the road

I lift my voice to the forces above
the Lords of labor and the Goddess of love
ain’t I been a good, hard working
faithful servant and son

then the sky turns black
and it cracks with a thundering voice
work is what you are when you’re breathing in and out
til your final breath falls to the floor

so swing down that sledgehammer through the wood
a little test of mind over flesh oughtta do you good
get up off the ground
you can lay down when the day is done
and on the seventh day
you can lay in the morning sun

I want to make my home on a mountain high
just me and my lover and the big old sky
I ain’t asking for much
just a little bit of rest before the day that I die

I lift my voice to the forces above
the Lords of labor and the Goddess of love
ain’t i been a good, hard working
faithful servant and son

then the sky turns black
and it cracks with a thundering voice
work is what you are when you’re breathing in and out
til your final breath falls to the floor

so swing down that sledgehammer through the wood
a little test of mind over flesh oughtta do you good
get up off the ground
you can lay down when the day is done
and on the seventh day
you can lay in the morning sun

Be hoist(ed) with/by your own petard=  Salirse el tiro por la culata.

She intended to murder her brother but was hoist with her own petard when she ate the poisoned food intended for him: Tenía la intención de matar a su hermano pero le salió el tiro por la culata al comer de la comida envenenada que iba dirigida a él.

At the ready=A mano, en ristre.
He stood by the phone, pencil at the ready: Estaba junto al teléfono lápiz en ristre.

Come /go/turn full circle=Regresar al punto de partida, volver al principio, volver a los orígenes, dar un giro completo, cumplir un ciclo.

The affair began when Spain's El Pais newspaper published documents written by Luis Barcenas, which were alleged to be a set of the PP's undeclared, and possibly untaxed, accounts.

At the time Mr Barcenas was in denial. The handwriting was not his, he said.

He seemed to be loyal to, and in line with, the rest of the party.

However, in recent weeks he has gone full circle, telling journalists and judges that the handwritten documents were his; and passing them a steady stream of allegations, which have subsequently been put into the public domain:

El asunto empezó cuando el periódico El País publicó documentos escritos por Luis Bárcenas, con cuentas del PP presuntamente sin declarar y posiblemente sin gravar.

Entonces el señor Bárcenas lo negaba todo. Aseguraba que la letra no era suya.

Parecía ser leal y estar en línea con su partido.

Sin embargo, en las últimas semanas ha dado un giro completo al declarar ante periodistas y jueces que los documentos escritos a mano eran suyos además de hacer un chorreo constante de acusaciones, que han sido posteriormente del dominio público. BBC News

The family sold the house generations ago, but things have come full circle and one of their descendants lives there now: La familia vendió la casa hace generaciones pero han vuelto a los orígenes y uno de los descendientes vive ahí ahora.


"It's come full circle for us. We've had the most wonderful experience doing Dancing On Ice and we just wanted to finish at the top of our game and for the show to be on top of its game so we just felt it was the right time," Dean said: "Se ha cumplido un ciclo para nosotros. Hacer Dancing On Ice ha sido una experiencia increíble y queríamos poner punto final en nuestro mejor momento y en el mejor momento del programa, por lo que sentíamos que éste era ese momento", dijo Dean. The Guardian

Idiomorigins

Make no bones about it=No tener ningún reparo en admitir o reconocer algo, no ocultar algo, no tener pelos en la lengua.

George Clooney is the face of Nespresso, the Nestle capsule coffee company, and makes no bones about it. "I'm very comfortable with commercials. I've done them most of my life," he said on Tuesday in Paris, as he provided star power to the newly unveiled Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board (NSAB): George Clooney es la cara de Nespresso, la compañía Nestle de cápsulas de café, y no tiene ningún reparo en admitirlo. "Me siento cómodo haciendo anuncios. Los he hecho casi toda mi vida," dijo el martes en París al apadrinar el recien inaugurado Consejo Asesor de Sostenibilidad de Nespresso. The Guardian

He made no bones about his dissatisfaction with the service: No tuvo pelos en la lengua para expresar su insatisfacción con el servicio.

He makes no bones about his feelings towards the militants: No oculta lo que piensa de los militantes.