BUENA GENTE
1.
(it)couldn’t have / happened to a nicer / bloke person – se lo merecía
I hear Ed has just won 150000€ on the lottery. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer bloke!
2.
guardian angel – angel de la guarda
a Knight in shining armour – salvador
-So there we were, no petrol, cold, wet and completely lost in the middle of nowhere, and then this Knight in shining armour appears out of nowhere in a Volvo and solves all our problems in a 20 minutes.
3.
to have a heart of gold – ser un buenazo, ser un trozo de pan
-I know she can give the impression at times that she’s a difficult person, but she really does have a heart of gold, you know.
4.
(one’s) heart’s in the right place – ser buena persona
-What she said about the Project was really stupid, and offensive!
-Well, I know what you mean, but her heart is in the right place.
-Is it? Well I can tell you that her head isn’t!
5.
(to be) a real catch – ser un buen partido
-She’s got everything; brain, beuty, money… and oh, yes, a wonderful personality; she’s a real catch
6.
(the) Salt of the Earth – íntegro, sencillo y honrado, como Dios manda
-And this photo is Ana, who used to work here. Woderful person, the salt of the Earth.
MALA GENTE
1.
(to be) bad news – no es trigo limpio, da mal rollo
-I wouldn’t go near her; she’s bad news.
2.
a fair-weather friend – amigo de conveniencia
-I did warn you, didn’t I, about your fair-weather friends? Now look at the mess they’ve Leith you in.
3.
his bark’s worse than his bit – perro ladrador poco mordedor
-Don’t worry about the manager; he talks as if he’s a dictador, but it’s only for the sake of appearance.
-So hes bark’s worse than his bit, eh?
4.
a kick in the teeth – patada en la entrepierna
-There was no need to say that to him.
Couldn’t you see the state he was in? Do you think he needed a Kick in the teeth?
5.
(to be) a pain in the arse/ass/butt* – ser un coñazo
-Know what you are? You are a pain in the ass, sister!
6.
(to be) a pain in the neck – ser un rollo
-Having to wait around all day for the electrician to come is a real pain in the neck.
7.
(it) takes all sorts (to make a World) – de todo hay en la viña del Señor
-Some of the people in the pub were really quite rude.
-Well, it takes all sorts, doesn’t it?
8.
He thinks he’s God’s gift to women – Se cree es el único gallo del corral
-So what did you think of your dat last night?
-Not much; he thinks he’s God’s gift to women; I won’t be seeing him again.
9.
he/she thinks the World owes him/her a living – cree que tiene derecho a que se lo den todo regalado, va de sobrado, se cree el novamás
-So what did you think of that last candidate for the job?
-Well, he thinks the World owes him a living. Let’s see if we have any normal people waiting.
10.
(all) sweetness and Light – la mar de amable
-So he Leith his wife, went off for two years with this other woman, then asked her to take him back, and she did, and now it’s all sweetness and light.