Appendix

Common Idioms

Eb’ li modismo neke’oksiman rajlal

Jun modismo a’an jun ch’ol aatin jalan jalanq li naraj naxye chiru li naraj naxye li junjunq chi aatin naq junajinb’ileb’. Qilaq li ch’ool aatin “piece of cake.” Wi ninye, “I want a piece of cake,” a’an naraj naxye naq nawaj jun li pastel. A’b’an wi ninye, “Learning English with EnglishConnect is a piece of cake,” a’an naraj naxye naq li xtzolb’al li Ingles rik’in EnglishConnect a’an moko ch’a’aj ta xb’aanunkil. Li modismo “piece of cake” naraj naxye “moko ch’a’aj ta xb’aanunkil.”

Wi nakawoksiheb’ li modismo naq yookat chi aatinak, chanchanat chik jun aj aatinanel nativo naq yookat chi aatinak. Li modismo naxyiib’ jun jalam-uuch sa’ li qak’a’uxl ut wan li naxk’e chiqeek’a. Sa’ Ingles, naq wan li yooko chixnumsinkil chiqajunilo sa’ komonil, naqaye, “We’re all in the same boat.” A’in naxk’e jun xjalam-uuch li kristiaan li yookeb’ chi k’anjelak sa’ komonil sa’ jun jukub’ re xik’ sa’ junaq na’ajej. Li xyeeb’al, “We’re all in the same boat” naxk’e chiqeek’a naq nokob’eek sa’ komonil ut naq naqataw qib’ chiqib’il qib’.

Xnawb’al ru ut roksinkil jun modismo, a’an jwal chaab’il! Arin tustuukeb’ jun raqal reheb’ li modismo neke’oksiman rajlal sa’ Ingles.

Chan ru xtzolb’al jun modismo:

1. Il li modismo. Tz’il rix li naraj naxye ut chan ru na’oksiman.

2. K’oxlaheb’ li modismo sa’ laa waatinob’aal li chanchan a’an.

3. K’oxla chan raj ru taawoksi li modismo.

4. Tz’iib’aheb’ li ch’ol aatin wan wi’ li modismo. Oksi naq yookat chi aatinak.

5. K’e reetal li modismo naq yookat chirilb’al malaj chirab’inkil li Ingles.

Modismo	Naraj naxye	Chan ru na’oksiman
Modismo a piece of cake	Naraj naxye moko ch’a’aj ta	Chan ru na’oksiman That test was a piece of cake!
Modismo a blessing in disguise	Naraj naxye jun k’a’aq re ru chaab’il li sa’ xtiklajik chanchan naq moko chaab’il ta	Chan ru na’oksiman She lost her job, but it was a blessing in disguise. She found a better job.
Modismo all in the same boat	Naraj naxye chixjunileb’ wankeb’ sa’ komonil	Chan ru na’oksiman Nobody can leave this room. We’re all in the same boat.
Modismo barking up the wrong tree	Naraj naxye xyalb’al xb’aanunkil k’a’ruhaq a’b’an li xb’aanunkil moko tawb’il ta ru	Chan ru na’oksiman If you think I’m going to loan you more money, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Modismo better late than never	Naraj naxye us naq taak’ulmanq moqon chiru naq maajo’q’e taak’ulmanq	Chan ru na’oksiman A: He didn’t repay the money until last week. B: That’s okay. Better late than never.
Modismo birds of a feather flock together	Naraj naxye eb’ li kristiaan juntaq’eeteb’ xwanjik, xna’leb’, xseeb’al, malaj rajom rajlal neke’xch’utub’ rib’	Chan ru na’oksiman I was right that Paul and Ben would get along. Birds of a feather flock together.
Modismo no use crying over spilled milk	Naraj naxye li k’oxlak malaj ilok chi ixb’ej chirix li ink’a’ us xk’ulman maak’a’ na’ok wi’ xb’aan naq ink’a’ naru xjalb’al	Chan ru na’oksiman We can’t get the money back, so let’s make a new plan. It’s no use crying over spilled milk.
Modismo don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched	Naraj naxye maji’ nakanaw ma taak’ulmanq k’a’ruhaq, jo’kan naq ink’a’ taak’uub’ aana’leb’ a’ yaal a’an	Chan ru na’oksiman A: I will probably get a raise soon, so I bought a new bed! B: Well, don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. You might not get the raise.
Modismo get all your ducks in a row	Naraj naxye ch’utub’ chixjunil re naq yo’on wanq choq’ re li chal re	Chan ru na’oksiman We have to get all our ducks in a row before the family comes for a visit. Let’s start cleaning and cooking right now.
Modismo give me a hand	Naraj naxye tenq’ahin	Chan ru na’oksiman I can’t lift this sofa on my own. Can you give me a hand?
Modismo hang in there	Naraj naxye maakanab’ xyalb’al aaq’e	Chan ru na’oksiman I know learning English is very difficult. Hang in there.
Modismo it takes two to tango	Naraj naxye teneb’anb’ileb’ xkab’ichaleb’ li kristiaan sa’ li xb’aanuman malaj sa’ li majelal	Chan ru na’oksiman It is partially my fault that we were fighting. It takes two to tango.
Modismo keep an eye on	Naraj naxye yo’len	Chan ru na’oksiman My son has been misbehaving a lot lately, so please keep an eye on him to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
Modismo let the cat out of the bag	Naraj naxye xk’utb’esinkil jun muqmuukil na’leb’ chi k’oxlanb’il malaj ink’a’	Chan ru na’oksiman I heard that someone let the cat out of the bag, so I might as well tell you myself—I’m pregnant!
Modismo out of the frying pan and into the fire	Naraj naxye nume’k chalen jun ch’a’ajkilal toj sa’ jun ch’a’ajkilal jwal nim wi’chik	Chan ru na’oksiman He didn’t like his previous job, so he quit, but now he can’t find a new job. He’s out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Modismo go out on a limb	Naraj naxye xyalb’al k’a’ruhaq xiwxiw li maare tatxq’unob’resi	Chan ru na’oksiman I’m going to go out on a limb here and invest some money in this project, even though I don’t know if the project will be successful.
Modismo preaching to the choir	Naraj naxye xyalb’al xq’unb’esinkil xch’ool li ani ak naxpaab’ aawe	Chan ru na’oksiman They are already going to vote for him. He’s just preaching to the choir.
Modismo rub salt in the wound	Naraj naxye xch’a’ajkilob’resinkil li wankex wi’ rik’in xk’eeb’al chi xutaanak jun kristiaan malaj xjultikankil lix majelal chiru	Chan ru na’oksiman I know I shouldn’t have done it. You don’t have to remind me and rub salt in the wound.
Modismo so far, so good	Naraj naxye toj sa’ li hoonal a’in, us yoo chixjunil	Chan ru na’oksiman This first month, they haven’t had any problems building the house. So far, so good.
Modismo the straw that broke the camel’s back	Naraj naxye jun ch’ina ch’a’ajkilal li jwal nim lix q’ajkamunkil xb’aan naq a’an roso’jikeb’ li k’iila ch’a’ajkilal	Chan ru na’oksiman We had a terrible week. Everything was going wrong. So when we missed the bus, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Modismo you’re pulling my leg	Naraj naxye xyalb’al xq’unob’resinkil xch’ool junaq chixpaab’ankil li k’a’ru moko yaal ta rik’in b’atz’unk; xb’alaq’inkileb’	Chan ru na’oksiman No, that celebrity isn’t calling me. You’re pulling my leg.

Note

Ch’ina esil

Eb’ laj tzolonel nawulak chiruheb’ xtzolb’aleb’ li modismo. Arin wankeb’ junjunq na’leb’ re xtenq’ankileb’ chixtzolb’aleb’.

• Sik’ ru jun modismo te’xtzol laj tzolonel rajlal kutan. Ch’olob’ li naraj naxye ut aatinak chirix roksinkil.

• K’e xhoonaleb’ laj tzolonel re te’xwotz jun modismo chiruheb’ li jun siir chik sa’ li ch’uut. Naru te’xk’ut jun reheb’ li modismo sa’ li tusulal wan taqe’q malaj naru te’xsik’ jun chik ak neke’xnaw. Li junjunq chi aj tzolonel naru taak’utuq xjunes, malaj naru te’xb’aanu sa’ ka’kab’il.

• Patz’ reheb’ laj tzolonel naq te’xjuntaq’eetaheb’ li modismo a’in rik’ineb’ li modismo sa’ raatinob’aaleb’ a’an. Qayehaq, re k’ojob’ank ch’oolej sa’ jun hoonal ch’a’aj, eb’ li kristiaan aran Estados Unidos neke’xye, “Hang in there!” Ma wankeb’ li modismo sa’ raatinob’aaleb’ laj tzolonel li na’oksiman ajwi’ sa’ li hoonal a’an.