سلسلة تعلّم العامّية الامريكيّة والمصطلحات الإنجليزيّة
Apple of one's eye
Someone's most cherished or favorite person.
قُرَّةُ العَيْنِ.
His daughter is the apple of his eye; she always brings a smile to his face.
(Have a) bun in the oven
Pregnant.
حُبْلَى: حامِلٌ.
She's got a bun in the oven and is due in a few months.
Bad egg
A person who is dishonest or troublesome.
غَادِرٌ؛ ماكِرٌ؛ مُخادِعٌ؛ مُحْتالٌ.
Watch out for him; he's a bad egg.
Big cheese
An important or influential person.
(شخصٌ) بارِزٌ، هامٌّ، ذو شأن.
The CEO is the big cheese of the company.
Bread and butter
Main source of income or livelihood.
مَصْدَرُ رِزْقِهِ؛ مَصْدَرُ الدّخل.
His job as a lawyer is his bread and butter.
Bring home the bacon
Earn a living or provide for one's family.
يُعيلُ: يُؤَمِّن لُقْمَةَ العَيْش.
He works hard to bring home the bacon for his family.
Butter someone up
Flatter or praise someone to gain their favor.
داهَنَهُ: تَمَلَّقهُ.
She tried to butter him up before asking for a favor.
You can't have your cake and eat it
You cannot have or do two things at the same time that are impossible to have or do at the same time. You must decide which one you want because you can't have both.
لا يمكِنُك أن تجمَع بين/أو تحصُلَ على أمرينِ في آنٍ واحد؛ عليك أن تختار: يا هذا أم ذاك.
You can't have your cake and eat it; you have to make choices in life.
Carrot top
A person with red hair.
الأمْغَرُ: الأَحْمَرُ الشَّعَرِ.
As a child, Lily's carrot top made her stand out in family photos, and she cherished her unique look.
Cheesy
Lacking in taste, tacky, or overly sentimental.
مُبْتَذَلٌ: تافهٌ؛ ردِيءٌ.
The romantic movie was so cheesy that it made us cringe.
Cool as a cucumber
Very calm and composed, especially under pressure.
هادئ البال: مُطْمئنّ؛ رابط الجأش؛ متّزن؛ متماسك.
Even during the crisis, she remained cool as a cucumber.
Cream of the crop
The best of a group or selection.
الخِيرة؛ النُّخْبة؛ الصّفْوَة؛ الأَفْضَلُ؛ الأحْسَنُ؛ الأَجْوَدُ.
These top students are the cream of the crop.
(Don't) cry over spilled milk
Don't waste time worrying about things that can't be changed.
(لا تَـ) تلهَّفَ على الشَّيءِ: تَحَسَّرَ عَلَيْهِ.
Don't cry over spilled milk; it's already done.
Cup of joe
A cup of coffee.
فِنْجَانُ القَهْوَةِ.
I'll take a cup of joe with cream and sugar.
(Not my) cup of tea
Something that is not to one's liking or preference.
لا يَرُوقُني/ لا يعجبُني/ لا يُثير اهتمامي.
Watching sports is not my cup of tea; I prefer reading.
Egg someone on
Encourage or provoke someone to do something.
حَرَّضَـهُ على أَمْرٍ ما: حَثَّهُ عَلَيْهِ.
His friends egged him on to perform the daredevil stunt.
Freeze one's buns off
Feel extremely cold.
يَتَجَمَّدُ من شدَّةِ البَرْدِ.
Without a jacket, you'll freeze your buns off in this weather.
Full of beans
Energetic and enthusiastic.
مُفْعَمٌ بِالنَّشَاطِ والْحَيَوِيَّةِ.
After a good night's sleep, she's full of beans in the morning.
Gravy train
An easy way to make money without much effort.
وسيلَة سهلة لكسْبِ/ رِبْحِ المال دُونَ تَعَبٍ أو جَهْدٍ.
Investing in real estate can be a gravy train if done right.
(Have something) handed to someone on a silver platter
Receive something without having to work for it.
(قُدِّمَ لَهُ) على طَبَقٍ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ: دُونَ تَعَبٍ؛ دُونَ جَهْدٍ.
He didn't earn his wealth; it was handed to him on a silver platter.
Hard nut to crack
A difficult problem or person to understand or solve.
أَمْرٌ عَوِيصٌ؛ شَائِكٌ؛ صَعْبٌ؛ مُعَقَّدٌ؛ مُلْتَبِسٌ.. يَصْعُبُ فَهْمُهُ أو حلُّه. ـــ شخصٌ غَامِضٌ؛ مُعَقَّدٌ؛ صَعْبُ المِرَاسِ.
Sarah is a brilliant detective, but this case is a hard nut to crack.
She's a hard nut to crack; I can't figure her out.
Hot potato
A controversial or sensitive issue that is difficult to handle.
موْضُوع حَسَّاس: مَوْضُوع شَائِك.
The issue of gun control is a hot potato in today's political climate.
In a nutshell
In a brief or concise manner.
بِاخْتِصَارٍ: بِإيجَازٍ؛ بِاقْتِضَابٍ
To put it in a nutshell, we need more time to complete the project.
Nuts about something, someone
Extremely enthusiastic or fond of something or someone.
مَفْتُونٌ بِـ: مَأْخُوذٌ، مُوَلَّهٌ بِهِ.
She's nuts about her favorite band and attends all their concerts.
Out to lunch
Not paying attention or behaving strangely.
مُشوَّشٌ/ مَعتوهٌ: قَليل الفَهْم.
He's out to lunch if he thinks that plan will work.
One smart cookie
A very intelligent or clever person.
أَريبٌ: ذو دهاء وفطنة.
She's a one smart cookie who excels in all her classes.
Peach fuzz
Fine, soft hair, especially on a young person's face.
الزَّغَبُ: شعرٌ ناعم.. أَوَّلُ ما يبدُو مِنَ الشَّعْرِ على وجهِ من صارَ في سِنِّ المُراهَقَةِ.
He's growing peach fuzz on his cheeks as he enters adolescence.
Piece of cake
An easy task or something that is simple to do.
هَيِّنٌ: سَهْلٌ، يَسِيرٌ.
The math exam was a piece of cake for her.
Put all of one's eggs in one basket
Rely entirely on one plan or resource.
وضَع البيض في سلَّة واحدة: اعتمد على شيء واحد اعتمادًا كليًّا.
Diversify your investments; don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Souped up
Enhanced or modified to perform better.
مُعَدَّلٌ؛ مُحسَّنٌ: لزيادة القُوَّة أو الكفَاءة.
His car is souped up with a high-performance engine.
Sell like hot cakes
Sell quickly and in large quantities.
يَلقَى رَواجًا كَبيرًا: أيْ كَثُرَ الإِقْبالُ عَلى شِرَائِهِ، وبكمِّيَّاتٍ كبيرَةٍ.
The new video game is selling like hot cakes among gamers.
Spice things up
To add excitement, variety, or interest to something that has become dull, boring, or routine.
جَدَّدَهُ؛ نَوَّعَهُ؛ بَعَثَ رُوحَ الحَياةِ فيهِ؛ جعلَهُ أكثر تشويقًا وإثَارة.
To spice things up at the party, we hired a live band instead of just playing recorded music.
Spill the beans
Reveal a secret or confidential information.
أفشى السِّرَّ: باحَ بهِ وكَشَفَ عنهُ.
She couldn't resist and ended up spilling the beans about the surprise party.
Take something with a pinch (grain) of salt
Be skeptical or not entirely believe something.
يَتَحَفَّظُ منه: يشَكِّك فِي أمرِه ولايصدّقه تصدِيقاً مُطلَقاً.
His story sounded exaggerated, so I took it with a pinch/grain of salt.
Use your noodle
Use your intelligence or think carefully.
شَغِّل عَقْلَك.
You need to use your noodle to solve this puzzle.
Top banana
The person in charge or the leader.
الآمِرُ؛ القَائد؛ المَسؤول الأوّل.
He's the top banana in the organization and makes all the decisions.
Sour grapes
Used to describe someone who is trying to make something seem less desirable or valuable because they cannot have it themselves.
يقابِلُهُ المثل السّعودي (اللي ما يطول العنب حامض عنه يقول): يقال تعبيرًا عن أنّ كل من لا يمكنه الوصول لشيء مّا يقوم بالتقليل منهُ أو يُعيبُهُ كحجة لتبرير فشَلِه أو للتنفِيس عن إحباطِه.
She said that the job wasn't worth it, but I think she's just being sour grapes because she didn't get it.
When the rival team won the championship, our coach tried to downplay it, saying their victory was due to luck. That's just sour grapes.
Nutty as a fruitcake
Crazy or eccentric.
غَرِيبُ الأَطْوَارِ: شَاذُّ الطِّبَاعِ.
Some people think he's nutty as a fruitcake because of his unusual behavior.
Slow as molasses
Extremely slow or sluggish.
بَطيءٌ جدًّا؛ بَطيءٌ كالسّلحفاة.
The old computer was slow as molasses and barely functional.
The line at the grocery store was moving as slow as molasses.
Go bananas
To become very excited, agitated, or enthusiastic.
ثَارَ؛ هَاجَ؛ صَخِبَ؛ مَاجَ.
The crowd will go bananas when their favorite band performs.
Cut the cheese
A humorous or informal way to refer to flatulence (passing gas).
أطلق ريحًا (غازات).
Cutting the cheese can be embarrassing in public situations.
Food for thought
Something that makes you think or consider a topic deeply.
وقْفَة للتَّفَكُّر.
The documentary provided a lot of food for thought on environmental issues.
Go pear-shaped
To go wrong or become a disaster.
أخذ منعطفاً سيِّئاً.
The project started well, but it went pear-shaped due to unexpected issues.
Know your onions
To be knowledgeable or skillful in a particular subject or field.
مُتَضَلِّعٌ/ مُتَمَكِّنُ مِنْ أَمْرٍ: لَهُ مَعْرِفَةٌ وَخِبْرَةٌ وَاسِعَةٌ فيه.
Knowing your onions about computers can be a valuable skill in today's world.
Like chalk and cheese
Used to describe two things or people that are completely different.
مُختلِفان تمَامًا.
Despite being twins, they are like chalk and cheese in terms of personality.
The proof is in the pudding
The real value or quality of something can only be judged when it's put to the test or tried.
الطريقة الوحيدة لنعرِفَ ما إذا كان شيء ما أو شخص ما صادق أو صحيح أو جيد هي إخضاعه للتجربة. الميّه تكذّب الغطاس (تعبير مصري).
The proof is in the pudding - let's see how well the new product performs in the market.
Worth one's salt
To be competent or effective in one's job or role.
ذُو سُمعَة وكفَاءة عَالية.
As a manager, he's definitely worth his salt in leading the team.
Compare apples and/to/with oranges
To compare two completely different things.
مقارنة التّفاح بالبرتقال! نستخدمه عند المقارنة بين شيئين لايتساويان أو لا يتشابهان.. أي مختلفان تمامًا. بحيت نودّ أن نخلُص إلى أنّ المقارنَة لا تَصِحُّ.
Comparing the two companies is like comparing apples and oranges. They're both in the tech industry, but they have completely different business models.
Couch potato
A person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching television.
تُطلق على الشّخص الخَامِل (ضدُّ النّشيط)، الذي يجلس أمام التّلفاز لساعات طويلة.
He's become a couch potato since he started binge-watching TV shows.
Upset the applecart
To disrupt or spoil a plan or situation.
أعاقَ؛ عَرْقَلَ الأَمْرَ.
The team was on track to win the championship, but a series of injuries upset the applecart.
Eat humble pie
To admit one's mistakes and apologize.
أقَرَّ بذَنْبِهِ وأبدَى عُذْرَهُ عَمَّا بَدَرَ مِنْهُ؛ طلَبَ الصَّفْحَ وَالتَّجاوُزَ عَمَّا حَدَثَ.
The politician had to eat humble pie after he was caught lying about his qualifications.
Pay peanuts
To pay a very low salary or wage.
(يُعْطي/ يدفَع/ يؤدِّي) قَدْرًا زَهيدًا مِنَ المَالِ.
They can't attract top talent if they continue to pay peanuts.
Pie in the sky
Something that is unlikely to happen or is too idealistic.
صَعْبُ/ بَعِيدُ المَنَالِ؛ يتعذّر بلوغُه.. أي لا يمكن تحقيقه أو وجوده.
Their promises of a perfect world are often seen as pie in the sky.
Have a finger in a/the/every pie
To be involved or have influence in various activities or situations.
لَهُ ضِلْعٌ فِي: لَهُ يَدٌ فِيهَا؛ مُشَارِكٌ فِيهَا.
He seems to have a finger in every pie in the company, always involved in different projects.
Have bigger fish to fry
To have more important or pressing matters to attend to.
عِندَهُ أمورٌ أكثر أهمّيّة ليقومَ بها أو ينجزهَا.
She didn't have time for small talk; she had bigger fish to fry in the meeting.
Red as a cherry
To be very red or flushed, often due to embarrassment or excitement.
احْمَرَّ (وَجْهُهُ): عَلَتْهُ حُمْرَةٌ.
When she received the surprise gift, her cheeks turned red as a cherry.
Cheap as chips
Very inexpensive or affordable.
زَهِيدٌ: رَخيصٌ جِدًّا.
The street food in that market is cheap as chips and delicious.
Cut the mustard
To meet the required standards or expectations.
يرقَى إلى المستوى المَطلُوب/ مستوى التَّطلُّعات.
Her performance cut the mustard and impressed the judges.
The best/greatest thing since sliced bread
Used to describe something or someone that one thinks is very good, useful, etc.
(شيءٌ) مُبْتَكَرٌ ـــ (شخصٌ) فَرِيدٌ؛ مُميَّزٌ؛ رائِعٌ.
The new smartphone is often touted as the best/greatest thing since sliced bread.
My new teacher is the best/greatest thing since sliced bread. She's passionate about her subject, and she makes learning fun.
In a pickle
In a difficult or challenging situation.
في مَأْزِقٍ: في مَوْقِف حَرِج، وَرْطة
When his car broke down in the middle of nowhere, he found himself in a pickle.
Icing on the cake
Something that makes a good situation even better.
مِسْكُ الخِتَامِ؛ ملحُ الطّعام.. أي كان أفضل منه وزاد عليه.. أفضل بكثير.
Getting a promotion at work was great, but getting a raise too was the icing on the cake.
Like two peas in a pod
Used to describe two people who are very similar or alike.
مُتشَابهَان/ مُتوافِقَان/ مُنسَجمَان في كلِّ شَيءٍ: كأنَّهُما شخصٌ واحِدٌ. نُسْخَةٌ طِبْق الأصْلِ. فُولة وانقسمت نُصِّين (تعبير مصري).
They are like two peas in a pod - they even finish each other's sentences.
