Compound Forms:
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get a handle on [sth],
have a handle on v expr | figurative, informal (understand) (coloquial) | encontrarle el truco a, encontrarle la vuelta a loc verb + prep |
| | | comprender⇒, entender⇒ vtr |
| | I can't get a handle on this at all. Can you explain it again? |
| | No consigo encontrarle el truco a esto. ¿Me lo puedes explicar de nuevo? |
get the drop on [sb],
have the drop on [sb] v expr | US, informal (draw gun faster than) | sacar la pistola antes que loc verb |
| | | desenfundar antes que loc verb |
get the drop on [sb],
have the drop on [sb] v expr | US, informal (have at a disadvantage) | aventajar a vtr + prep |
get the jump on,
get a jump on,
have the jump on,
have a jump on v expr | US, informal (gain an initial advantage) | adelantar a vtr + prep |
| | | adelantarse a v prnl + prep |
| have a chip on your shoulder v expr | figurative (have a resentful attitude) | ser un resentido, ser una resentida loc verb |
| | | ser un rencoroso, ser una rencorosa loc verb |
| | Kate has a chip on her shoulder because, while she works a low-paid job, her three sisters are all running successful businesses. |
| have a cob on v expr | UK, informal (be in a bad mood) | estar de mal humor vi + loc adv |
| | | estar enojado, estar enfadado v cop + adj |
| have a corner on [sth] v expr | idiom (own enough of to control market) | acaparar⇒ vtr |
| | | monopolizar⇒ vtr |
| | I tried to have a corner on the silver market by buying low priced contracts, but I failed miserably. |
| | Traté de acaparar el mercado de la plata comprando a precio reducido, pero fallé miserablemente. |
| | | controlar el mercado de loc verb |
| | (figurado) | manejar el cotarro loc verb |
| have a crush on [sb] v expr | (be attracted to: [sb]) | estar enamorado de alguien loc verb |
| | (ES: coloquial) | estar colado por loc verb |
| | (AR, CR, HN: coloquial) | estar enganchado con loc verb |
| | (CO: coloquial) | estar tragado de loc verb |
| | Wendy had a crush on a boy in her class. |
| | Wendy estaba enamorada de un chico de su clase. |
| have a flutter on [sth] v expr | UK, slang (place a bet) | apostar a vtr + prep |
| | | hacer un apuesta en loc verb |
| | John and Mike had a flutter on the outcome of the elections. |
| have a good head on your shoulders v expr | figurative (be sensible) | tener la cabeza en su sitio loc verb |
| | I don't mind him dating my daughter. That boy has a good head on his shoulders. |
| | No me importa que salga con mi hija: ese chico tiene la cabeza en su sitio. |
| have a grip on [sth] v expr | figurative, informal (understand) | entender⇒, comprender⇒ vtr |
| | | dominar⇒ vtr |
| have a handle on [sth] v expr | (have a firm understanding) (coloquial) | agarrarle la mano a loc verb |
| | | entender⇒, saber⇒ vtr |
| | | tener controlado loc verb |
| | Now I have a handle on what I'm doing, I think I should be able to get through the project fairly quickly. |
| | Ahora que le agarré la mano a lo que estoy haciendo, creo que debería poder terminar el proyecto rápidamente. |
| have a hold on [sth] v expr | (grasp firmly) | tener bajo control loc verb |
| | Sally had a hold on the horse's reins. |
| | Sally tenía bajo control las riendas del caballo. |
| have a hold on [sth] v expr | (account: be blocked) | tener carencia loc verb |
| | Any check I deposit has a hold on it for 7 days. |
| | Todos los cheques depositados tienen una carencia de siete días. |
| have a hold on [sb] v expr | informal, figurative (exert control) | tener controlado loc verb |
| | In New Jersey, Democrats have had a hold on the Senate seats for many years. |
| | En Nueva Jersey, los demócratas tienen controlada una banca en el senado desde hace muchos años. |
| not have a leg to stand on v expr | figurative (have no support for a claim, etc.) | no tener pruebas loc verb |
| have a leg up on [sb] v expr | figurative, informal (have an advantage: over [sb]) | tener ventaja sobre, tener una ventaja sobre loc verb |
| | She's got a leg up on most of the kids in the team, as her dad's a professional player. |
| | Tiene ventaja sobre los demás niños del equipo, ya que su padre es un jugador profesional. |
| have a stranglehold on [sth/sb] v expr | figurative (control, stifle) | tener dominado loc verb |
| | | tener controlado loc verb |
| have an edge on v expr | slang (be mildly drunk) (coloquial) | estar alegre loc verb |
| | | estar achispado loc verb |
| | (CO: coloquial) | estar prendido loc verb |
have blinkers on,
be wearing blinkers v expr | figurative (not perceive [sth] clearly) | no ver algo con claridad loc verb |
| have designs on [sb/sth] v expr | (aim to obtain) | tener interés en loc verb |
| | He has designs on my girlfriend. |
| | Él tiene interés en mi novia. |
| have egg on your face v expr | figurative (be embarrassed) | quedar en ridículo vi + loc adv |
| have it on good authority v expr | (know from a reliable source) | saber de buena fuente loc verb |
| Note: Usually followed by that + clause. |
| have no cop on v expr | Irish, informal (lack common sense) | no tener dos dedos de frente loc verb |
| have nothing on v expr | informal (be naked) | estar desnudo v cop + adj |
| | | no tener nada puesto loc verb |
| | Don't come in! I've got nothing on! |
| | ¡No entres! ¡Estoy desnudo! |
| have nothing on [sb/sth] v expr | slang (be inferior) (coloquial) | nada que ver con expr |
| | | no ser nada comparado con loc verb + prep |
| | Richard is lovely, but he's got nothing on his brother. |
| | Richard no está mal, pero nada que ver con su hermano. |
| have nothing on [sb] v expr | informal (have no evidence against) | no tener evidencia contra loc verb + prep |
| | (coloquial) | no tener nada contra loc verb + prep |
| | The police can't arrest me. They've got nothing on me! |
| | La policía no me puede arrestar. ¡No tienen evidencia contra mí! |
| have [sth/sb] on the brain v expr | informal (think obsessively about) | tener en la cabeza loc verb |
| | | no dejar de pensar en loc verb + prep |
| have [sth] on your conscience v expr | (feel guilty about [sth]) | tener algo en la conciencia loc verb |
have a lot on your plate,
have too much on your plate v expr | figurative, informal (be overburdened) | tener demasiado entre manos loc verb |
| | | tener demasiadas cosas en la cabeza loc verb |
| have passed on v expr | euphemism (be dead) (eufemismo, morir) | haber pasado a mejor vida loc verb |
have pity,
have pity on [sb] v expr | (be merciful, show compassion to) | tener piedad de loc verb |
| | | tener compasión con loc verb |
| | Have pity on her. She comes from a poor family. |
| have things on your mind v expr | (be preoccupied) | tener cosas en la cabeza loc verb |
| | Joanna has several things on her mind at the moment. |
| have time on your hands v expr | figurative (have spare time) | tener tiempo libre loc verb |
| | | tener tiempo de sobra loc verb |
have [sth] to hand,
have [sth] on hand v expr | (have [sth] within easy reach) | tener algo a la mano, tener algo a mano loc verb |
| | I'll give you Jo's phone number. Do you have a pen to hand? |
have your ears on,
have got your ears on v expr | figurative, informal (be listening) | estar escuchando, estar oyendo loc verb |
| | | escuchar⇒, oír⇒ vi |
| have your eye on [sth] v expr | (want) (coloquial) | echarle el ojo a loc verb + prep |
| | I've got my eye on a little yellow handbag I saw in a shop window. |
| | Le he echado el ojo a un pequeño bolso amarillo que vi en un escaparate. |
| have your eye on [sb] v expr | (watch) | vigilar⇒ vtr |
| | | mirar⇒ vtr |
| | I've got my eye on you, young man. So behave! |
| | ¡Te estoy vigilando, jovencito, así que compórtate! |
| have your eye on [sth] v expr | (aim, intend) | aspirar a vi + prep |
| | | apuntar a vtr + prep |
| | | tener el objetivo de loc verb |
| | The company has an eye on future expansion into overseas markets. |
| | La compañía aspira a expandirse a mercados internacionales en el futuro. |
| have your eye on doing [sth] v expr | (aim, intend) | tener intenciones de loc verb + prep |
| | | tener la intención de loc verb + prep |
| | I keep working this job, but I have my eye on going back to college. |
| | Sigo con este trabajo, pero tengo intenciones de volver a estudiar. |
| have your feet on the ground v expr | (be a pragmatic person) | tener los pies sobre la tierra expr |
| have your head screwed on v expr | informal, figurative (be sensible, practical) (informal) | tener la cabeza en su sitio expr |
| | (informal) | tener la cabeza bien puesta, tener la cabeza en los hombros expr |
| | It is best to have your head screwed on when dealing with money. |
| | I'm confident he'll make a wise decision; he's got his head screwed on right. |
| | Es mejor tener la cabeza en su sitio cuando manejes asuntos de dinero. |
keep your eye on the ball,
keep an eye on the ball,
have your eye on the ball v expr | figurative (be attentive, alert) | mantenerse alerta v prnl + adj mf |
| | | estar alerta v cop + adj mf |
not have a stitch on,
not wearing a stitch expr | (person: naked) | no tener nada puesto loc verb |
| | | no tener ropa loc verb |
set your heart on [sth],
have your heart set on [sth] v expr | (desire greatly, long for) | desear de todo corazón loc verb |
| | | poner toda la ilusión en loc verb |
| | She had set her heart on a trip to Japan. |
| | The little boy had his heart set on getting a puppy for Christmas. |
| | Deseaba de todo corazón viajar a Japón. |
take vengeance on [sb],
have vengeance on [sb] v expr | (be avenged) | vengarse de v prnl + prep |
| | Mark took vengeance on his old girlfriend by putting embarrassing pictures online. |
| | Mark se vengó de su ex novia subiendo fotos vergonzosas a Internet. |