eight-hundred service

• echar horas — to put the hours in

• media hora — half an hour

la media hora del bocadillo — half-hour break at work, ≈ tea break

• por horas — by the hour

trabajar por horas — to work on an hourly basis o by the hour

hora puente — Arg, Uru hour off

horas de consulta — opening hours ( of surgery)

horas de mayor audiencia — (TV) prime time sing

horas de vuelo — (Aer) flying time sing; (fig) (=experiencia) experience sing; (fig) (=antigüedad) seniority sing

horas extra, horas extraordinarias — overtime sing

horas libres — free time sing, spare time sing

horas muertas — dead period sing

• llegar a la hora — to arrive on time

• a altas horas (de la madrugada) — in the small hours

• a una hora avanzada — at a late hour

• dar la hora — [reloj] to strike (the hour)

• poner el reloj en hora — to set one's watch

• no comer entre horas — not to eat between meals

• a estas horas, a estas horas ya deben de estar en París — they must be in Paris by now

• buena hora, es buena hora para empezar — it's a good time to start

• es hora de hacer algo — it is time to do sth

• le ha llegado la hora — her time has come

• mala hora, es mala hora — it's a bad time

• en la hora de su muerte — at the moment of his death

• a primera hora — first thing in the morning

• a última hora — at the last moment, at the last minute

dejar las cosas hasta última hora — to leave things until the last moment o minute

última hora — [noticias] stop press

• la hora de la verdad — the moment of truth

• ¡ya era hora! — and about time too!

ya es o va siendo hora de que te vayas — it is high time (that) you went, it is about time (that) you went

hora de comer — [gen] mealtime; [a mediodía] lunchtime

hora de recreo — playtime, recess (EEUU)

hora de salida — [de tren, avión, bus] time of departure; [de carrera] starting time; [de escuela, trabajo] finishing time

hora insular canaria — local time in the Canary Islands

hora judicial — time when the courts start hearing cases

hora peninsular — local time in mainland Spain

hora pico — Méx rush hour

hora punta — [del tráfico] rush hour

horas punta — [de electricidad, teléfono] peak hours

horas de clase — (=horas lectivas) teaching hours; (=horas de colegio) school hours

doy ocho horas de clase — [profesor] I teach for eight hours

media hora — half an hour, a half hour (AmE)

8.000 pesetas la hora or por hora — 8,000 pesetas an hour

el avión llegó antes de (su) hora — the plane arrived ahead of schedule o arrived early

la decisión se conocerá a las 20 horas — (period) they will give their verdict at 8pm

el ataque se inició a las 20 horas — (frml) the attack commenced at 20.00 hours (léase: twenty hundred hours) (frml)

desde las cero horas — (period) from midnight

no dar ni la hora — (fam)

ésa no da ni la hora! — I'll/you'll/he'll get nothing out of her, she's as mean as they come (colloq)

desde que es jefa, no nos da ni la hora — now that she's been made boss, she won't even give us the time of day

es hora de irse a la cama — it's bedtime o time for bed

a altas horas de la madrugada — in the early o small hours of the morning

una noticia de última hora — a late o last-minute news item

a buena hora or a buenas horas: ¿y me lo dices ahora? a buenas horas! now you tell me!, it's a bit late to tell me now!; a buenas horas llegas this is a fine time to arrive!; a la hora de: a la hora traducirlo when it comes to translating it; a la hora de la verdad when it comes down to it; en buena hora: en buena hora compramos esta casa we bought this house at just the right time; en mala hora: en mala hora se nos ocurrió invitarla it was a really bad move inviting her; entre horas between meals; hacer hora (Chi) to kill time; llegarle a alguien su (última) hora: le llegó su (última) hora his time had come; no ver la hora de: no veo la hora de que lleguen — I'm really looking forward to them coming, I can't wait for them to come

media hora — half an hour, a half hour (AmE)

8.000 pesetas la hora or por hora — 8,000 pesetas an hour

el avión llegó antes de (su) hora — the plane arrived ahead of schedule o arrived early

la decisión se conocerá a las 20 horas — (period) they will give their verdict at 8pm

el ataque se inició a las 20 horas — (frml) the attack commenced at 20.00 hours (léase: twenty hundred hours) (frml)

desde las cero horas — (period) from midnight

no dar ni la hora — (fam)

ésa no da ni la hora! — I'll/you'll/he'll get nothing out of her, she's as mean as they come (colloq)

desde que es jefa, no nos da ni la hora — now that she's been made boss, she won't even give us the time of day

es hora de irse a la cama — it's bedtime o time for bed

a altas horas de la madrugada — in the early o small hours of the morning

una noticia de última hora — a late o last-minute news item

a buena hora or a buenas horas: ¿y me lo dices ahora? a buenas horas! now you tell me!, it's a bit late to tell me now!; a buenas horas llegas this is a fine time to arrive!; a la hora de: a la hora traducirlo when it comes to translating it; a la hora de la verdad when it comes down to it; en buena hora: en buena hora compramos esta casa we bought this house at just the right time; en mala hora: en mala hora se nos ocurrió invitarla it was a really bad move inviting her; entre horas between meals; hacer hora (Chi) to kill time; llegarle a alguien su (última) hora: le llegó su (última) hora his time had come; no ver la hora de: no veo la hora de que lleguen — I'm really looking forward to them coming, I can't wait for them to come

Ex: Most host are not available twenty-four hours a day, seven days of the week.

• menos aún — even less

• menos de — [con sustantivos incontables, medidas, dinero, tiempo] less than; [con sustantivos contables] fewer than

llegamos en menos de diez minutos — we got there in less than o in under ten minutes

• en menos de nada — in no time at all

• menos que — less than

• al menos — at least

• de menos, hay siete de menos — we're seven short, there are seven missing

me dieron un paquete con medio kilo de menos — they gave me a packet which was half a kilo short o under weight

• echar de menos a algn — to miss sb

• ir a menos — to come down in the world

• lo menos diez — at least ten

• eso es lo de menos — that's the least of it

• ¡menos mal! — thank goodness!

• era nada menos que un rey — he was a king, no less

• no es para menos — quite right too

• por lo menos — at least

• ¡ qué menos!, -le di un euro de propina -¡qué menos! — "I tipped her a euro" - "that was the least you could do!"

• quedarse en menos, no se quedó en menos — he was not to be outdone

• tener a menos hacer algo — to consider it beneath o.s. to do sth

• venir a menos — to come down in the world

• y menos, no quiero verle y menos visitarle — I don't want to see him, let alone visit him

• ¡ ya será menos! — come off it!

• menos... que, A tiene menos ventajas que B — A has fewer advantages than B

no soy menos hombre que él — * I'm as much of a man as he is

este es menos coche que el anterior — * this is not as good a car as the last one

• ser menos que, ganaremos porque son menos que nosotros — we'll win because there are fewer of them than there are of us

cinco menos dos — five minus o less two

• a menos que — unless

ahora lo vemos menos — we don't see him so often o we don't see so much of him now

menos (...) que: un hallazgo no menos importante que éste a find which is no less important than this one; ella menos que nadie puede criticarte she of all people is in no position to criticize you; menos (...) de less than; pesa menos de 50 kilos it weighs less than o under 50 kilos; no lo haría por menos de cien mil I wouldn't do it for less than a hundred thousand; éramos menos de diez there were fewer than ten of us; los niños de menos de 7 años children under seven; es menos peligroso de lo que tú crees — it's not as dangerous as you think

cuando menos lo esperábamos — when we were least expecting it; para locs ver menos III 2)

ya hace menos frío — it's not as o so cold now

menos (...) que: tengo menos tiempo que tú I haven't as o so much time as you; menos estudiantes que el año pasado fewer students than last year; yo no soy menos que él — he's no better than me

de menos: me ha dado 100 pesos de menos you've given me 100 pesos too little; me has cobrado de menos you've undercharged me; lo menos (fam) at least; menos mal just as well, thank goodness; menos mal que no me oyó just as well o it's a good thing he didn't hear me; por lo menos at least; ir a menos to go downhill; ser lo de menos: eso es lo de menos, a mí lo que me preocupa es... that's the least of it, what worries me is...; la fecha es lo de menos the date is the least of our/their problems; tener a alguien en menos to feel somebody is beneath one; tener algo a menos to think something is beneath one o beneath one's dignity; venirse a menos — to come down in the world

firmaron todos menos Alonso — everybody but Alonso signed, everybody signed except o but Alonso

menos estos dos, todos están en venta — apart from o with the exception of these two, they are all for sale

ahora lo vemos menos — we don't see him so often o we don't see so much of him now

menos (...) que: un hallazgo no menos importante que éste a find which is no less important than this one; ella menos que nadie puede criticarte she of all people is in no position to criticize you; menos (...) de less than; pesa menos de 50 kilos it weighs less than o under 50 kilos; no lo haría por menos de cien mil I wouldn't do it for less than a hundred thousand; éramos menos de diez there were fewer than ten of us; los niños de menos de 7 años children under seven; es menos peligroso de lo que tú crees — it's not as dangerous as you think

cuando menos lo esperábamos — when we were least expecting it; para locs ver menos III 2)

ya hace menos frío — it's not as o so cold now

menos (...) que: tengo menos tiempo que tú I haven't as o so much time as you; menos estudiantes que el año pasado fewer students than last year; yo no soy menos que él — he's no better than me

de menos: me ha dado 100 pesos de menos you've given me 100 pesos too little; me has cobrado de menos you've undercharged me; lo menos (fam) at least; menos mal just as well, thank goodness; menos mal que no me oyó just as well o it's a good thing he didn't hear me; por lo menos at least; ir a menos to go downhill; ser lo de menos: eso es lo de menos, a mí lo que me preocupa es... that's the least of it, what worries me is...; la fecha es lo de menos the date is the least of our/their problems; tener a alguien en menos to feel somebody is beneath one; tener algo a menos to think something is beneath one o beneath one's dignity; venirse a menos — to come down in the world

firmaron todos menos Alonso — everybody but Alonso signed, everybody signed except o but Alonso

menos estos dos, todos están en venta — apart from o with the exception of these two, they are all for sale

Ex: Service to the whole community implies positive discrimination towards those who through social or educational deprivation are least adept at using information tools.