سلسلة تعلّم العامّية الامريكيّة والمصطلحات الإنجليزيّة
☞ A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush
عصفور في اليد خير من عشرة على الشجرة
Having something for certain is better than the possibility of something better but uncertain.
When offered a new job, he decided to stay with his current one because "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
☞ A Blessing In Disguise
نعمة في ثوب نقمة؛ رب ضارة نافعة
Something that appears to be a problem or misfortune can turn out to be a good thing in the end.
Losing my job was a blessing in disguise because it gave me the opportunity to start my own business.
☞ A Chip On Your Shoulder
متضايق أو عنده عقدة من أمر ما حدث له في الماضي
To bear a grudge or be upset about something that happened in the past.
He always seems angry and ready to fight; he's constantly carrying a chip on his shoulder.
☞ A Dime A Dozen
مُتَوافِرٌ: موجودٌ بكثرَةٍ؛ في المُتناوَلِ
Something that is very common and easy to find.
In this digital age, smartphones are a dime a dozen with so many brands and models available.
☞ A Doubting Thomas
شَخص شَكّاك/ الشَّخص الذي لا يُؤمِن بوُجود شيء إلاّ إذا كانت هناك حقائق ثابِتة تُؤكِّد ذلك
A person who is skeptical and reluctant to believe something without solid evidence.
Even though we showed him all the research, he's still a doubting Thomas who questions everything.
☞ A Drop in the Bucket
غيْضٌ من فَيْضٍ: أيْ قَلِيلٌ
A very small and insignificant part of a much larger whole.
Donating a few dollars to the charity was just a drop in the bucket compared to what they needed to fund their projects.
☞ A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted
المال والغباء لا يجتمعان
Unwise people tend to spend their money carelessly and lose it quickly.
A fool and his money are easily parted, so he squandered his inheritance on frivolous things.
☞ A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand
البيت القائم على الخلافات سينهار/ الانقسامات تقود إلى المشاكل والنجاح لا يأتي سوى بالاتحاد والتعاون
If a group or organization is divided and in conflict, it will not succeed or survive.
A house divided against itself cannot stand, so they need to resolve their differences and work together to achieve their goals.
☞ A Leopard Can't Change His Spots
من شب على شيء شاب عليه / الطبع يغلب التطبع
A person's character, especially if it's bad or flawed, is unlikely to change.
A leopard can't change his spots, so don't expect him to behave differently.
☞ A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned
خذ من غناك لفقرك
It's wise to save money because every small amount you save adds up over time.
A penny saved is a penny earned, so he decided to cut down on unnecessary expenses.
☞ A Picture Paints a Thousand Words
الصورة تغني عن ألف كلمة
A visual image can convey information or emotions more effectively than a large amount of text.
A picture paints a thousand words, and this photograph tells a powerful story of their journey.
☞ A Piece of Cake
هين أو بسيط
Something that is very easy to do or accomplish.
After all the preparation, the exam turned out to be a piece of cake.
☞ A Slap on the Wrist
توبيخ أو تحذير للإنذار فقط
A very mild or lenient punishment or warning.
Given the seriousness of the offense, the fine imposed on him was merely a slap on the wrist.
☞ A Taste Of Your Own Medicine
ذاق المرّ من نفس الكأس: اختبرَ نفس الشعور
Making someone experience the same negative treatment or difficulty that they have inflicted on others.
He finally understood the consequences of his actions when he got a taste of his own medicine.
☞ A Toss-Up
أَمْرٌ لا يُمكِن الجَزْم بِهِ
A situation where it's hard to predict or decide the outcome because both options seem equally likely.
The game was so close that it was a toss-up as to who would win until the very end.
☞ Actions Speak Louder Than Words
الأفعال أبلغ من الأقوال
What you do is more significant than what you say.
Actions speak louder than words, so he decided to show his commitment through his deeds.
☞ Add Fuel To The Fire
زادَ الطِّينَ بَلَّةً: زادَ الأمرَ تعقيدًا وسُوءًا
To make a situation worse or increase hostility or tension.
Bringing up that sensitive topic will only add fuel to the fire of their argument.
☞ Against The Clock
في سباق مع الزمن
Doing something in a hurry and with limited time available.
He had to finish the project against the clock because the deadline was approaching fast.
☞ All Bark And No Bite
ينبح ولا يعض/ أسمَعُ جَعْجَعَةً ولا أَرى طِحْناً
Someone who talks tough or threatens but doesn't take action or follow through.
He likes to make threats, but he's all bark and no bite; he won't actually do anything.
☞ All Greek to me
غير مفهوم / لا أفهمه
Something that is difficult to understand or confusing.
The instructions for assembling the furniture were all Greek to me; I couldn't make sense of them.
☞ All In The Same Boat
كُلّنا في الهوى سوا: كُلُّنا في الأمر سواء
In a difficult or challenging situation together with others.
We're all facing the same financial crisis; we're all in the same boat.
☞ Cost An Arm And A Leg
غالي / باهظ / مكلّف
Something that is very expensive or costs a lot of money.
Buying that luxury car would cost an arm and a leg; it's way beyond my budget.
☞ Have An Axe To Grind
له مأرب/ غرض/ أو غاية شخصية
To have a personal motive or agenda, often hidden, for doing something or having a strong opinion.
He always criticizes that company, but I think he has an axe to grind because they turned down his job application.
☞ Apple of My Eye
قُرّة عيني
Someone or something that is cherished or loved deeply.
My daughter is the apple of my eye; I love her more than anything in the world.
☞ As High As A Kite
مُخَدَّرٌ/ مَخْمورٌ
Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol and acting in an intoxicated or erratic manner.
After consuming too much alcohol at the party, he was as high as a kite.
☞ At The Drop Of A Hat
على الفَوْرِ/ دون تردّد
Doing something immediately and without hesitation.
If you need help, I'll be there at the drop of a hat; just give me a call.
☞ Back Seat Driver
الشخص الفضولي الذي يدس أنفه في عمل غيره
Someone who gives unsolicited advice or criticizes while not being responsible for the task at hand.
She can be annoying; she's like a back seat driver always telling me how to do my job.
☞ Back To Square One
عاد إلى نقطة البداية
Returning to the initial stage or starting point of a task or project.
After the computer crashed, we had to go back to square one and start all over again.
☞ Back To The Drawing Board
بدأ من جديد
Starting a project or task over because the previous attempt failed or was unsatisfactory.
The prototype didn't work as expected, so it's back to the drawing board to redesign it.
☞ Baker's Dozen
١٣ قطعة
A group of thirteen items, typically in a set or batch.
When ordering, they gave me a baker's dozen of bagels, so I received thirteen instead of twelve.
☞ Barking Up The Wrong Tree
قصد الشخص/الهدف الخطأ ؛ ضل في مسعاه
To pursue the wrong course of action or direct efforts in the wrong direction.
If you think I'm the one who took your book, you're barking up the wrong tree; I didn't even touch it.
☞ Beat A Dead Horse
ينفخ في قربة مقطوعة
To waste time and effort on something that is already settled or decided.
Continuing to argue about it is like beating a dead horse; the decision is final.
☞ Beating Around The Bush
يحوم حول الموضوع/ لَفّ ودارَ حَوْلَ المَوْضُوعِ
Avoiding the main topic or issue and not getting to the point.
Instead of answering my question directly, he kept beating around the bush and never gave a clear answer.
☞ Bend Over Backwards
بذل جهدا جبارا/ فعل المستحيل لإرضاء...
To make a great effort or go to great lengths to accommodate someone or achieve something.
He'll bend over backwards to make sure all his customers are satisfied.
☞ Between A Rock And A Hard Place
بين أمرين أحلاهما مر/ بين المطرقة و السندان
Facing a difficult choice between two equally undesirable options.
He was between a rock and a hard place when he had to choose between losing his job or working overtime every day.
☞ Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
تحمِّل نفسك فوق طاقتها
To take on a task or responsibility that is too difficult or more than one can handle.
He bit off more than he could chew by accepting all those projects at once; now he's overwhelmed.
☞ Bite Your Tongue
سكت وصمَتَ.. لأن ما سيقوله قد يجرَح أو يؤدي مشاعِر الطّرف الآخر
To stop oneself from speaking, especially to avoid saying something inappropriate or offensive.
When she heard his offensive comment, she had to bite her tongue to keep from starting an argument.
☞ Blood Is Thicker Than Water
رابِطة الدَّم أَقوى من أَيّ رابِطة.. مهما يكن بين الأقارب من شقاق فالدم الذي
يجمعهم واحد ولابد لهم يوما من الائتلاف (الضفر ما يطلعش من اللحم/
/الدم مايبقاش ميه)
Family bonds are stronger than any other relationships, no matter how much family members may argue or disagree, they will eventually come together.
Blood is thicker than water, and when times get tough, family members usually support each other.
☞ Blue Moon
نادر جدًا.. لا يحدث دائمًا
A rare event that doesn't happen frequently.
I only see him once in a blue moon; he rarely visits.
☞ Break A Leg
تقال لشخص ما سيؤدي عرضاً ما: بالتوفيق / حظا سعيدا
An expression of good luck or encouragement, especially before a performance or event.
Before going on stage, the actors wished each other to break a leg.
☞ A Lemon
قطعة خردة غير صالحة/ لا قيمة لها
Something of poor quality or that is worthless.
That old car is a lemon; it keeps breaking down, and I've spent more on repairs than I paid for it.
☞ Can't Cut The Mustard
لم يرقى إلى مستوى التطلعات/ ليس في مستوى التطلعات
Not capable of meeting expectations or performing well.
He applied for the job, but unfortunately, he can't cut the mustard and doesn't have the necessary skills.
☞ Cast Iron Stomach
نصف بها شخص معدته قوية لا تتأثر بما يأكل
Referring to someone who can eat food without getting sick or having digestive problems.
Even though they ate street food all day, his cast iron stomach never gave him any trouble.
☞ Charley Horse
شد عضلي
A sudden painful muscle cramp, often in the leg.
I had to stop running because I got a charley horse in my calf muscle.
☞ Chew someone out
توبخه/ تنتقده بشدة
To criticize or reprimand someone harshly.
The boss chewed him out for being late to work again.
☞ Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
الجمال في عين الناظر
Perception of beauty varies from person to person.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so different people find different things attractive.
☞ Bite The Bullet
عَضَّ على جُرْحِهِ: صَبَرَ وَتَحَمَّلَ؛ تقبّل المَحتُوم.. ما لا رَجْعَةَ عَنْهُ، ما لا مَهْرَبَ مِنْهُ.
To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage and determination.
She had to bite the bullet and speak in front of the large audience despite her fear of public speaking.
