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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Vocabulary
Vocabulary
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Pedro14
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Vocabulary
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Hi there,
I wonder if there is a funny expression to express that someone is ubiquitous.In Spain there is an expression which says:you are the bride at a wedding, the baby at a christening and the corpse at a burial. On the other hand, I would like to know if there is an expression to mean that has the ability to deal with any problem that may encounter. Maybe he knows how to paddle his own boat? In Spanish we say sacarse las casta�as del fuego. Thanks a million for your help. Have a nice weekend. |
28 Feb 2020
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savilla
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It�s not the same, but "social butterfly" is similar, I think. I am guessing that the Spanish expression is a bit negative and that you�d rather the person wasn�t everywhere? Calling someone a social butterfly is more neutral. It�s just an observation that they get along well with others and like to talk to everyone. A person who can deal with any problem? A bright spark, a walking encyclopedia, s/he�s as smart as a whip? I hope you have a nice weekend too! |
28 Feb 2020
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maryse pey�
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Well I don�t speak Spanish but we have in French an expression that, I think, is similar to "sacarse las castanas del fuego". This expression is "sortir les marrons du feu" (put the chesnuts away from the fire) and it is really pejorative as the meaning is "a person actually does the work and someone else is congratulated and benefits of the good results". |
29 Feb 2020
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Jayho
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For the second, a fount of all knowledge perhaps |
29 Feb 2020
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FrauSue
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I would use �smart as a whip� etc. for someone who knows a lot. For someone who is always lucky and seems to get out of bad situations, you can say that they �always land on their feet.� For someone who doesn�t need help, you can say that they �can take care of themself.� (Sophie�s going backpacking for a year all alone. But she�ll be fine, she can take care of herself. / John�s trapped in an earthquake zone, but he�ll get home somehow. You know what he�s like, he can take care of himself.) None of these seem to exactly correspond to your nice boat paddling idiom, though. |
1 Mar 2020
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redcamarocruiser
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He can handle anything that life throws at him. � She is here there and everywhere. (Love FrauSue�s bad penny idiom).�
She could sell ice in a snow storm.
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1 Mar 2020
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Pedro14
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Thank you all for your quick replies. Your help is really valuable!
Have a nice day!
Pedro |
3 Mar 2020
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douglas
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Not exactly what you are looking for, but close: He�s a "Jack of all trades". |
6 Mar 2020
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