martes, 2 de diciembre de 2014


  ARMED TO THE TEETH


 It means to be heavily armed. In Spanish this expression would be "armarse hasta los dientes". An example may be:
"Don't even think about going into Chicago's housing projects unless you are armed to the teeth."

 ORIGIN:
 This idiom is a pirate phrase with its origin in Port Royal Jamaica in the 1600's. Having only a shot black powder weapons, they would carry many of these weapons to fight. In addition, they also carried a knife in their teeth to have more arms capability.





  HOLD YOUR FEET TO THE FIRE

 The meaning of this expression is to subject someone to strong and painful persuasion; use maximum pressure. An example of this idiom may be: “The only way you'll get him to agree is to hold his feet to the fire.”

ORIGIN:
 This phrase is related to torture used in the Crusade's. As a method to achieve a confession for heresy. Non-believers were placed in a way that allowes the inquisitor to burn the feet of the accused until the accused confessed or died.



BEE'S KNEES

It's an expression that means perfection. In Spanish is something like "ser el mejor". An example of this idiom may be: "Try this chocolate. It's the bee's knees, it really is."

ORIGIN:
In the 1920s there was a great popular phrase, although its actual origin has not been determined, there are several theories: some people believe that it's related to the fact that bees carry pollen in sacks on their knees, and that the expression alludes to this concentrated goodness. Others theories said that this idiom is related just a corruption of the word 'business'.



                  



  



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