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WATER EXPRESSIONS 

AUDIO 

Now, the VOA Special English program "Words and their stories".

 Expressions ao!t water are almost as common as water itsel. #!t man$ o the expressions !sing water ha%e !npleasant meanings.almost as common as: casi tan comunes como; unpleasant meanings:significados antipáticos o desagradables; 

&he expression to e in hot water is one o them. It is a %er$ old expression."'ot water" was !sed i%e(h!ndred $ears ago to mean eing in tro!le. Onestor$ sa$s it got that meaning rom the c!stom o throwing extremel$ hotwater down on enemies attac)ing a castle.to be in hot water: estar en apuros; esta expresión es similar a to be in deepwater (que verás más abajo) con la diferencia que hot water implica un posiblecastigo por el accionar; to mean being in trouble: para indicar que se estaba enproblemas; from the custom of throwing: por la costumbre de arrojar; extremelyhot water: agua hirviente; on enemies attacking a castle: sobre los enemigosque atacaban un castillo; 

&hat no longer happens. #!t we still get in *hot water.+ When we are in *hotwater,+ we are in tro!le. It can e an$ )ind o tro!le serio!s or not soserio!s. A person who rea)s a law can e in hot water with the police. A$o!ng o$ can e in hot water with his mother, i he wal)s in the ho!se withdirt$ shoes.that no longer happens: eso ya no sucede; any kind of trouble: cualquier tipo de

problema; serious: grave; not so serious: no tan grave; who breaks a law: queviola o infringe una ley; if he walks in the house: si el entra en la casa; dirtyshoes: zapatos sucios; 

#eing in deep water is almost the same as eing in hot water. When $o! arein deep water, $o! are in a diic!lt position. Imagine a person who cannotswim eing thrown in water o%er his head. -o! are in deep water when $o!are acing a prolem that $o! do not ha%e the ailit$ to sol%e. &he prolemis too deep. -o! can e in deep water, or example, i $o! in%est in stoc)switho!t )nowing an$thing ao!t the stoc) mar)et.to be in deep water: estar con el agua hasta el cuello, en apuros; in a difficultposition: en una situación muy problemática; being thrown in water over his

head: ser arrojada al agua de cabeza; facing: enfrentando; the ability to solve: lahabilidad de solucionar; too deep: demasiado grave; invest in stocks: inviertes enacciones; without knowing: sin saber; stock market: mercado bursátil; 

&o )eep $o!r head ao%e water is a color!l expression that means sta$ingo!t o det. A compan$ see)s to )eep its head ao%e water d!ringeconomic hard times. A man who loses his o tries to )eep his head ao%ewater !ntil he inds a new o.to keep your head above water: salir a flote, superar las dificultades; staying outof debt: desendeudarse; seeks: busca; hard times: crisis; who loses his job: quepierde su trabajo; until he finds: hasta que encuentra; 

Water o%er the dam is another expression ao!t a past e%ent. It issomething that is inished. It cannot e changed. &he expression comes

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rom the idea that water that has lowed o%er a dam cannot e ro!ght ac)again. When a riend is tro!led $ a mista)e she has made, $o! might tellher to orget ao!t it. -o! sa$ it is water o%er the dam.water over the dam: mucha agua corrió por el dique (muchas cosas cambiarondurante este tiempo); about a past event: sobre algo ocurrido en el pasado; that

has flowed over a dam: el agua que ha corrido por un dique; be brought back: nopuede recuperarse; troubled: afligido, preocupado; mistake: error; 

Another common expression, to hold water, is ao!t the strength orwea)ness o an idea or opinion that $o! ma$ e arg!ing ao!t. It proal$comes rom a wa$ o testing the condition o a container. I it can holdwater, it is strong and has no holes in it. I $o!r arg!ment can hold water, itis strong and does not ha%e an$ holes. I it does not hold water, then it iswea) and not worth deating.to hold water: hacer agua, ser inconsistente o incoherente; strength: fortaleza;weakness: debilidad; you may be arguing about: acerca de la cual puedes estardiscutiendo; testing the condition of a container: probar el estado o calidad de un

recipiente; can hold water: puede retener el agua; strong: robusto, en buenestado; has no holes in it: no tiene agujeros en su interior; not worth debating: no tiene argumentos válidos; 

&hrowing cold water also is an expression that deals with ideas orproposals. It means to not li)e an idea. /or example, $o! want to !$ a newcar eca!se the old one has some prolems. #!t $o!r wie *throws coldwater+ on the idea eca!se she sa$s a new car costs too m!ch.throw cold water: enfriar el entusiasmo; that deals with: que se relaciona con;proposals: propuestas; to not like an idea: no gustarle a alguien una idea !"#$%&' "* &+'+ "*!"-&+ !"- . /& %+ &0$*&+"-&+ /"#1'!+

23& $*&-/+'& #+ **4 REVIS !"E#$ !S RES%"ES&S ! 'I(! )E*$!E&+(, 

0. I fought with my brother once over a woman we both liked, but it's all

now. 

1. I really don't want to on your plan, but I really don't think it willwork. 

2. I'm going to with my boss when he finds out that I lost our

client's account. 

3. The reason she gave for being late for class didn't ; I'm sureshe was lying. 

4. I'll be unless I pass that exam. Without a pass, I won't be ableto get into university.