Expresiones binomiales en inglés

En inglés, existen unas expresiones llamadas “expresiones binomiales” (binomial pairs en inglés) en el que se caracterizan por estar formadas por dos palabras y unidas por una conjunción

Normalmente, las expresiones están prefijadas, por ejemplo, la frase “rock and roll” no podría decirse al revés, es decir, “roll and rock”. Vamos, que aprenderse este tipo de expresiones hará que te conviertas en una máquina :P

A continuación veremos los “binomial pairs” más utilizados en la lengua inglesa e incluso hay algunas de ellas que significan literalmente lo mismo en español. Si conoces alguno que no esté en el listado o ves que hay algún error, no dudes en comunicarlo:

 

Binomials pairs usando la conjunción “and”:

• Neat and tidy – Limpio y ordenado Impecable, impoluto, de punta en blanco.

• She needs to believe that everything is neat and tidy.
• Well, I guess you’re not so neat and tidy either.
• It is our duty to keep our school neat and tidy.

 

• Sick and tired – Hasta el gorro (o coronilla, o moño), harto, más que harto, hasta las narices.

• I’m sick and tired of your passive-aggressive attitude towards me.
• I’m sick and tired of answering all these nonsense questions.
• I am sick and tired of hearing about your misfortune.

 

• Short and sweet – Bueno y breve (o si es breve, dos veces bueno)

• Okay, guys. Let’s keep it short and sweet today.
• I know you’re all probably tired, and so I’ll make this short and sweet.
• Since you’ve been here many times, I’m gonna make it short and sweet.

 

– Wine and dine – Comer en un buen restaurante. También significa impresionar llevando a alguien importante a un buen restaurante. Agasajar.

• If you’re serious about Naomi, you should wine and dine her.
• Maybe he brought her here to wine and dine her and then asked her to marry him.
• Wine and dine, and be happy for a thousand oncoming years.

 

• Up and down – Altibajos, por todas partes,

• Life had its up and downs.
• The economy fluctuates up and down in a way they can’t predict.
• The business will go up and down.

 

• Odds and ends – Este idiom tiene varios significados:

Puede ser chismes, cosas que guardas en un cajón. Cachivaches.

• There were lots of odds and ends in the attic, but nothing of real value.

Comida que ha sobrado.

• I´ve got some odds and ends left over. We could make something with them.

Y una sección del periódico que se podría traducir como noticias varias, miscelánea o variedades.

• Odds and ends books are my favorite.

 

• Skin and bone – Estar en los huesos, esquelético

• Soon she’ll be skin and bone.
• Take a look in the mirror, you look awful skin and bone!
• Look at how thin you’ve got; you’re all skin and bones!

 

– Loud and clear – Alto y claro

• I hear you loud and clear, my dear.
• His words were loud and clear.
• Your heart’s still beating loud and clear.

 

• Back and forth – De aquí para allá, ir de un lado a otro. Dar vueltas. Un tira y afloja

• He rides back and forth all day long.
• The disciple walks back and forth across the water.
• This whole back and forth game for leverage is pointless.

 

• By and large – En lineas generales, por lo general.

• By and large, Spain works. But nobody knows why.
• Your report shows that, by and large, we are in agreement.
• The problem might be due, by and large, to cultural factors.

 

• Far and wide – A lo largo y ancho. Por todos los rincones. Largo y tendido.

• Rumours of your beauty have travelled far and wide.
• She is a woman known far and wide for her sweet-potato pies.
• Once upon a time there was a lion whose fame spread far and wide.

 

• Pros and cons – Pros y contras.

• Listen, there are pros and cons to be the best in this area.
• You should make a pros and cons list.
• The pros and cons of these proposals will need to be examined carefully.

 

• Part and parcel – Parte esencial, parte fundamental

• Disability issues are part and parcel of all policy areas.
• Child protection is part and parcel of our culture and tradition.
• Social fundamental rights form part and parcel of traditional fundamental rights.

 

• Safe and sound – Sano y salvo

• I want you to return home safe and sound.
• I’m just happy to have our kids home safe and sound.
• The next morning, the two children were found, safe and sound.

 

• Live and learn – Vivir y aprender, vivir para ver, todos los días se aprende algo nuevo. Siempre se aprende algo nuevo. De los errores se aprende. Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo.

• I live and I learn and I am pleased to be that old dog who can occasionally manage to master a new trick.
• Live and learn from fools and from sages
• So you live and you learn and hopefully you grow.

 

• Hustle and bustle – Ajetreo,vaivén, bullicio

• We like to get away from the hustle and bustle.
• I dislike the hustle and bustle of the big city.
• The hotel has some wonderful gardens where the hustle and bustle of the city seems a million miles away.

 

• Wear and tear – Uso y desgaste, desgaste natural.

• The wear and tear of their long journey is now showing.
• The vehicle shows signs of excessive wear and tear.
• Replacement of these items is based on obsolescence of current equipment and wear and tear.

 

 

 

Binomials pairs usando la conjunción “or”:

• Make or break – Decisivo, determinante. Hacerlo ahora o nunca. Hacer o deshacer.

• A haircut can make or break a career.
• How you handle this first crisis will make or break the rest of your relationship.
• He has enough power to make or break this nation.

 

• Take it or leave it – O lo tomas o lo dejas, esto es lo que hay, Si te gusta bien, y si no también.

• Stop moaning, take it or leave it, but shut your mouth, please.
• Twelve hundred bucks, take it or leave it, that’s all.
• I would like to tell you “take it or leave it” but I know you will not say anything.

 

• Sooner or later – Tarde o temprano.

• And then sooner or later you’re questioning yourself.
• Sooner or later, you’re going to have to trust yourself.
• Look. Sooner or later, everybody in this place stops caring about hopeless.

 

• More or less – Más o menos.

• The car is more or less intact.
• This is more or less the same thing as getting married.
• His wife said more or less the same.

 

 

Otro tipo de binomial pairs:

• Back to front – Al revés. Lo cambia todo.

• You’ve got your pants on back to front.
• We must not do things back to front.
• That puts everything back to front.

 

• Step by step – Paso a paso (pasito a pasito), poco a poco.

• Please read the instructions carefully and follow them step by step.
• So I will explain again, slowly and step by step.
• We must reinforce our diplomatic options step by step.

 

• Willy-nilly – De cualquier manera, de cualquier forma, guste o no guste, te guste o no, a tontas y locas, sin comerlo ni beberlo, sin querer queriendo (referencia al chavo del ocho)

• I can’t just prescribe drugs willy-nilly.
• She cannot continue to slander me willy-nilly.
• I do a lot of research about every topic and I take a strong position on, so don’t think I’m just throwing things out there willy-nilly.

 

 

Fuentes: EspressoEnglish, SpeakSpeak y Reverso