Special Vocabulary: Snow

- blizzard: nevasca; tempestad de nieve

- chionophobia: quinofobia, miedo irracional a la nieve

- covered with snow: cubierto de nieve

- edelweiss: flor de nieve; estrella de la nieve; estrella alpina

- slush: aguanieve

- snow: nieve / nevar

- snowball: bola de nieve

- snow blindness: ceguera por reflejo de la nieve

- snow block: bloqueo de nieve

- snowboard: tabla para nieve

- snow boot: bota para nieve

- snow-bound: varado por la nieve

- snowdrift: acumulación de nieve

- snowfield: campo nevado

- snowflake: copo de nieve

- snowman: muñeco de nieve

- snowmobile: moto de nieve

- snow plough: pala de nieve

- snowslide: alud de nieve

- snowsuit: traje / equipo para nieve

- snowstorm: tormenta de nieve; ventisca

- Snow White: Blancanieves

- stiff peak: punto de nieve

- white as snow: blanco como la nieve

- White Christmas: Navidades Blancas

- whiteout: falta de visibilidad por caída de nieve

Vocabulary: All About Cheese

cheeseburger: hamburguesa con queso

cheesecake: pastel de queso

cheese flavoured

cheese-like: parecido al queso

cheese making: elaboración de queso

cheese rind: cáscara del queso

cheese store: quesería

cheese stuffed crust pizza

cheesy smell: olor a queso

cheetos:

cream and cheese sauce: salsa de crema y queso

four cheese sauce

grated cheese: queso rallado

Welsh rarebit: pan con queso tostado

casuliflower vcheese

Special Vocabulary: Christmas

Spanish Phrases: Christmas and the New Year

This list deals with various Spanish words and phrases connected with Christmas. The first are general items of vocabulary for naming dates and general Christmas activities:

la Navidad - Christmas
¡feliz Navidad! - Merry Christmas!
¡feliz año nuevo! - Happy New Year!
navideño - Christmas (adjective), Christmassy
durante las vacaciones de Navidad - in the Christmas Holidays
regalos - presents
la Nochebuena - Christmas Eve
el Día de Navidad - Christmas Day
el Día de Reyes - Epiphany
el 26 de diciembre - Boxing Day (not really a special day outside the UK!)
la Nochevieja, la Noche del año viejo - New Year's Eve
el Día del Año Nuevo - New Year's Day
envolver los regalos - to wrap the presents
mandarles tarjetas/regalos de Navidad a sus amigos - to send friends Christmas cards/presents
(ir a) un mercado navideño - (to go to) a Christmas market
(organizar) una fiesta navideña - (to have) a Christmas party
la comida navideña - Christmas food/dinner
me regalaron para la Navidad ... - I got ... for Christmas

Christmas decorations

Here are the Spanish names of some common Christmas decorations:

adornos de Navidad - Christmas decorations
poner un árbol de Navidad - to put a Christmas tree up
un pino - a pine tree
decorar el árbol - to decorate the tree
esferas - baubles
diamantina - glitter
oropel - tinsel
una piñata - Christmas cracker
(las) luces de Navidad - (the) Christmas tree lights, Christmas lights
un belén - a crib, Nativity
velas - candles
colgar - to hang

Things, events, places and figures associated with Christmas

Here are the Spanish words for various things associated with Christmas. Of course, not all of these images are culturally relevant in all Spanish-speaking countries, which are largely Catholic and predominantly hot (if it could snow, your snowmen would melt pretty quickly at 30 degrees Celcius!)

Belén - Bethlehem
María y José - Mary and Joseph
el nacimiento de Jesús - the Birth of Jesus
el pesebre - the Manger
los reyes (magos) - the Three Wise Men
la Misa del Gallo - Midnight Mass
Papá Noel, Santa Claus - Father Christmas, Santa, Santa Claus
un reno - a reindeer
los renos - the reindeer
el trineo de Papa Noel - Santa's sleigh
cascabeles - sleighbells
"Rodolfo de la Nariz Roja" - "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (generally less known in Spanish speaking countries)
Santa Claus - Santa, Santa Claus
San Nicolás - St Nicholas
Groenlandia - Greenland
villancicos - carols
niños/personas que cantan villancicos - (child/adult) carolsingers
la nieve - snow
está nevando - it's snowing
(hacer) un muñeco de nieve - (to make) a snowman
(lanzar) bolas de nieve - (to throw) snowballs

Christmas food and drink

Here are some translations of Anglosaxon Christmas food, plus the names of some traditional Christmas food from Spanish-speaking countries:

bacalao - cod (eaten in Latin American countries where it is more of a delicacy than in Europe)
budín - pudding
buñuelos - type of fritters
brandy - brandy
champán - champagne
cidra - cider
colaciones - chocolate or sugar-coated nut snacks
fruit cake - Chritsmas cake, fruit cake
cerdo mechado - stuffed pork
pavo - turkey
ponche - fruit punch
una rosca de reyes - a king cake, Epiphany cake (common in Spain and Mexico)
un tronco de Navidad - a Yule log

Vocabulary: All About Peppers

Jamaica pepper /allspice: pimienta de Jamaica
The name "allspice" was coined as early as 1621 by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

bell pepper: morrón.
There are many colour varieties: red pepper, yellow and green pepper.

black pepper: pimienta negra
It is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning.

capsicum: ají.
Apart from having a cuisine use, it has a medical usage: capsicum is an excellent source of laxative (purgative) and pain relief.

chili pepper: pimiento chile (muy picante)
Christopher Columbus was one of the first Europeans to encounter them (in the Caribbean), and called them "peppers" because they, like black and white pepper known in Europe, have a spicy hot taste unlike other foodstuffs.

chili powder: ají molido
It is used in many different cuisines, including Indian, Tex-Mex, Chinese and Thai.

hot sauce, chili sauce or pepper sauce: salsa picante.
It refers to any spicy sauce made from chili.

paprika: pimentón
Paprika is a spice used in many cuisines to add colour and flavour to dishes.

white pepper: pimienta blanca
White pepper is sometimes used in dishes like light-coloured sauces or mashed potatoes, where ground black pepper would visibly stand out.

Special Vocabulary: Milk Products

adapted / modified milk: leche modificada (para bebés)

almond milk: leche de almendras

baby milk: leche maternizada

boiled milk: leche hervida

bottled milk: leche en botella

breast milk: leche materna

breast milk jaundice: ictericia por lactancia materna

chocolate milk: leche chocolatada

cleansing milk: cream desmaquillante

coconut milk: leche de coco

coffee with dash of milk: café con un chorro de leche

coffee with milk: café con leche

condensed milk: leche condensada

cow's milk: leche de vaca

cry over spilt milk: llorar sobre la leche derramada

cultured milk: leche cultivada

drop of milk: gota de leche

flavoured milk: leche saborizada

fortified milk: leche fortificada

full-cream milk: leche entera

goat milk: leche de cabra

low-fat milk: leche descremada

low lactose milk: leche deslactosada

malted milk: leche malteada

milk tooth: diente de leche

milky: lácteo; hecho con leche

Milky Way: Vía Láctea

pasteurized milk: leche pasteurizada

powdered milk: leche en polvo

scum of the milk: nata de leche

skimmed milk: leche descremada

sour milk: leche agria

soya milk: leche de soja

UHT milk (ultra-high-temperature milk): leche larga vida

Did you know?

The expression witch's milk refers to a secretion of the mammary gland of the newborn of both sexes due to the presence of the hormone prolactin that travels from the blood of the mother into the fetus. It is also known as sorcerers' milk.

Special Vocabulary: Gym & Fitness

dumbbell: pesas

changing room: vestuario

exercise machines: aparatos para hacer ejercicio

fitness: mantenerse en forma

fitness center: gimnasio

fitness instructor: profesor de gimnasia; entrenador

gymnasium / gym: gimnasio

health club: gimnasio

leotard: malla para gimnasia

localized gym: gimnasia localizada

mat: colchoneta de gimnasia

personal trainer: entrenador personal

showers: duchas

stationary exercise bike: bicicleta fija

tights: calzas

to do a handstand: hacer la vertical

to do a somersault: hacer la vuelta carnero

track suit: equipo de jogging

to do sit-ups: hacer abdominales

toning exercises: ejercicios para tonificar

trainers: zapatillas deportivas

treadmill: cinta fija

shaping exercises: ejercicios modeladores

step aerobics: step

weight training: entrenamiento con pesas

workout: ejercicio físico

workout area: área de ejercicios

Special Vocabulary: Bees

English-Spanish Glossary: Bees

as busy as a bee: estar muy ocupado

beehive: colmena

beekeeper: apicultor

beekeeping: apicultura

bee-sting: picadura de abeja

beeswax: cera de abejas

bumblebee: abejorro

drone honey bee: zángano

honey: miel

honey bee: abeja melífera

honeycomb: panal de miel

honey house: almacén de venta de miel

killer bee: abeha asesina

queen bee: abeja reina

royal jelly: jalea real

spelling bee: concurso de deletreo u ortografía

swarm of bees: enjambre de abejas

worker bee: abeja obrera

Did you know?

- In Spanish there is an embroidery technique known as "nido de abejas" (bee nest). In English, however, it is called smocking.

- Melissa is a given name for a female child. The name has a Greek origin and it means "honey bee". Melissa also refers to the plant known as lemon balm, which attracts bees. The herb has a long reputation for its calming properties and is widely used in aromatherapy.

The Wonderful World of the Circus

English-Spanish Glossary: The Circus



acrobat: acróbata

bearded lady: mujer barbuda

big top: carpa de circo

clown: payaso

conjurer (Brit. E) / magician (Am. E): mago

contortionist: contorsionista

dwarf: enano

fire eater: lanzallamas

hooper: gimnasta rítmica con aros

juggler: malabarista

knife thrower: lanzador de cuchillos

lion tamer: domador de leones

magic tricks: trucos de magia

plate spinning: malabarismo con platos

ring: pista del circo

ringmaster: maestro de ceremonies

stilt walker: acróbata en zancos

sword swallower: tragasables

tightrope: cuerda floja

tightrope walker: equilibrista

trapeze: trapecio

trampoline: trampolín

unicyclist: monociclista



Sad Clowns: Myth or Reality?



A clown is an entertainer, especially in the circus, who wears funny clothes and special make-up, often with a large painted smile and a red plastic nose. A clown tries to make people laugh by jokes, tricks or actions. However, it is often said that people who work as clowns are really sad persons, underneath all that make-up and acting.

English-Spanish Glossary: Toys for Babies & Children

Babies' Toys

blocks: cubos apilables
educational toys: juguetes educativos
inflatable toy: juguete inflable
mobile: móvil para bebé
rattle: sonajero
rubber duck: patito de goma
stuffed animal (also plushie): animalito de peluche
teddy bear: osito de peluche

Children's Toys

bow and arrow: arco y flecha
bucket and spade: balde y palita de playa
collectible: juguete de colección
chemistry set: juego de química
chess set: juego de ajedrez
construction set / Lego bricks: juguete para armar
doll: muñeca/muñeco
doll's house: casa de muñecas
hobby horse: caballito de juguete
jenga: jenga
jigsaw puzzle: rompecabezas
kendama: balero
marbles: bolitas
Play-Doh: masa para modelar
rocking horse: mecedora con forma de caballito
spinning top: trompo
toy box / toy chest: juguetero
toy soldier: soldado de juguete
train model: tren para armar
yo- yo: yo-yo
Wendy house (also cubby house or play house): casita de juguete desarmable

The Cubic Toy: Rubik's Cube

Rubik's Cube (or Rubik Cube) is a type of toy consisting of a cube with nine smaller coloured cubes on each side. The small cubes must be turned so that each side of the toy shows one colour only. Solving a Rubik's Cube requires logic and thinking. Rubik's Cube was a very popular toy in the 1970s.
The Rubik's cube was invented by Hungarian sculptor and architect Ernő Rubik in 1974. In 1975 a Hungarian toy-maker started to make it in large numbers but it was originally called the "Magic Cube". In 1977 it got sold to Ideal Toys Corporation who renamed it Rubik’s cube. The Spanish for Rubik's Cube is cubo mágico.

Games that children play

English-Spanish Glossary

Blind man's buff: gallito ciego

Board games: juegos de mesa

Dress up games: juegos de disfraces

Hide-and-seek: escondida

Hopscotch: rayuela

Let's pretend: juego de rol

Skipping the rope: saltar a la soga

Tag: mancha

Vocabulary: All About Cats

English-Spanish Glossary: Types of Cats

Angora cat: gato de angora

clowder: conjunto de gatos

kitten: gatito

marmalade cat: gato con pelaje naranja

Persian cat: gato persa

pussy cat: gatito (término cariñoso)

Siamese cat: gato siamés

silver cat: gato con el pelaje gris

tabby cat: gato atigrado



tom cat: gato macho

tuxedo cat: gato blanco y negro

Idioms with the word "cat"

a bag of cats: Irish informal a bad-tempered person she's a real bag of cats this morning

fight like Kilkenny cats: to fight until both parties are destroyed

let the cat out of the bag: to disclose a secret, often by mistake

like a cat on a hot tin roof or on hot bricks: in an uneasy or agitated state

like cat and dog: quarrelling savagely

look like something the cat brought in: to appear dishevelled or bedraggled

not a cat in hell's chance: no chance at all

not have room to swing a cat: to have very little space

play cat and mouse: to play with a person or animal in a cruel or teasing way, esp before a final act of cruelty or unkindness

put, set, etc., the cat among the pigeons: to introduce some violently disturbing new element

rain cats and dogs: to rain very heavily



More Expressions in English related to cats



- There's more than one way to skin a cat: there are more ways or methods of getting something done. This phrase, often changed, is usually used to suggest that there is a different, possibly illegal, way of doing something when the usual method is not possible.

- The adjective skittish is used to refer to a cat and it means easily excited and made afraid.

Vocabulary: Kinds of Brushes

English-Spanish Glossary: Brushes

brush: escobillón

broom: escoba

hairbrush: cepillo para pelo

make-up brush: brocha de maquillaje

nailbrush: cepillo para uñas

paintbrush: pincel

scrubbing brush: cepillo para fregar

shaving brush: brocha para afeitar

toothbrush: cepillo para dientes

Vocabulary: Words related to School

* Types of Students



The Swot: el traga

The Crybaby: el llorón

The Butterfingers: el manos de manteca

The Fink: el buchón

The Bully: el buscapleitos

The Apple Polisher: el chupamedias

The Teacher’s Pet: el preferido de la maestra

The Clockwatcher: el impaciente

The Stiff: la "mosquita muerta"

The Copycat: el imitador

The Scaredy Cat: el miedoso

The Know-all: el sabelotodo

* Some words related to school

Crib: machete

Fink: buchonear

Bully: molestar a otros



* Good & Bad Students



In the US, a Valedictorian is the student who has received the best marks overall in his or her years in high school, college or university and who gives the farewell speech at commencement.

On the other hand, the term spitball is generally associated with bad students. A spitball is a small piece of paper which has been shaped into a ball and made wet with saliva.

The boys were throwing spitballs when the teacher came back to the classroom.

Vocabulary: Kinds of Chairs

English-Spanish Glossary

armchair: sillón

deckchair (Br. E) / beachchair (Am. E): reposera de playa

garden chair (Br. E) / lawn chair (Am.E): silla de jardín

high chair: silla alta

pushchair (Br. E) / stroller (Am. E): sillita de paseo de bebé

rocking chair: mecedora

wheelchair: silla de ruedas

swivel chair: silla giratoria