to be useless at sth

ser negado para algo — to be hopeless o useless at sth

es un negado — he's hopeless o useless, he's a dead loss *

es negado para la geografía — he's useless o hopeless at geography

es negado para la geografía — he's useless o hopeless at geography

Ex: Having them call him a lame duck is just one more way for them to underestimate what they are up against.

• ser incapaz de hacer algo — (=no atreverse, no querer) to never do sth, be incapable of doing sth frm; (=no poder) to be unable to do sth

¿es que eres incapaz de hablar en serio? — can't you ever talk seriously?, aren't you capable of talking seriously? frm

• ser incapaz para algo — to be useless at sth

¿haría tal cosa? - no, hombre, es incapaz — would he do such a thing? - no way, he'd never do a thing like that (colloq)

¿haría tal cosa? - no, hombre, es incapaz — would he do such a thing? - no way, he'd never do a thing like that (colloq)

Ex: It is not always correct to conclude that if users fail to frame their questions more specifically it is because they are incapable of doing so.

¡vete con la música a otra parte! — clear off! *

sus ideas me suenan a música celestial — iró his ideas sound like hot air to me

música PARA algo — hopeless at something (colloq)

música en directo or en vivo — live music

la música amansa las fieras — (fr hecha) music has a great calming effect

irse con la música a otra parte — (fam)

vámonos con la música a otra parte — let's get out of here (colloq)

vete con la música a otra parte — clear off! (colloq)

sonar a/ser música celestial — (fam) to be music to one's ears

música PARA algo — hopeless at something (colloq)

música en directo or en vivo — live music

la música amansa las fieras — (fr hecha) music has a great calming effect

irse con la música a otra parte — (fam)

vámonos con la música a otra parte — let's get out of here (colloq)

vete con la música a otra parte — clear off! (colloq)

sonar a/ser música celestial — (fam) to be music to one's ears

Ex: Music can include a variety of forms, such as works about musicians and music, music scores and recordings.

su señora madre — esp Méx your mother

él no tiene madre — * he's a real swine *

esto no tiene madre — * this is the limit

salirse de madre — [río] to burst its banks; [persona] to lose all self-control; [proceso] to go beyond its normal limits

lengua madre — (Ling) parent language

una regañada madre — a real telling-off *, one hell of a telling-off **

estar hasta la madre de algo — (Méx fam) to be fed up to the back teeth of something

mentarle la madre a alguien — to insult somebody (by referring to his/her mother)

no tener madre — (Méx fam) to be shameless

ser un/una madre para algo — (Chi fam) to be brilliant at something

madre mía! or mi madre! — (my) goodness!, (good) heavens!

la madre que te parió! — (fam: en algunas regiones vulg) you jerk! (colloq), you bastard! (sl)

tu madre! — (vulg) screw you! (vulg), up yours! (BrE sl)

chinga (a) tu madre! — (Méx vulg) screw o fuck you! (vulg)

me vale madres — (Méx vulg) I don't give a damn (colloq) o (vulg) shit

estar hasta la madre de algo — (Méx fam) to be fed up to the back teeth of something

mentarle la madre a alguien — to insult somebody (by referring to his/her mother)

no tener madre — (Méx fam) to be shameless

ser un/una madre para algo — (Chi fam) to be brilliant at something

madre mía! or mi madre! — (my) goodness!, (good) heavens!

la madre que te parió! — (fam: en algunas regiones vulg) you jerk! (colloq), you bastard! (sl)

tu madre! — (vulg) screw you! (vulg), up yours! (BrE sl)

chinga (a) tu madre! — (Méx vulg) screw o fuck you! (vulg)

me vale madres — (Méx vulg) I don't give a damn (colloq) o (vulg) shit

Ex: Under WOMEN -- EMPLOYMENT, for instance, are listed works on the health and safety hazards of employment, the wages of employment, the problems of mothers, married and/or single women and employment, and so on.

esa tontería le valió un rapapolvo — that piece of stupidity got o earned him a telling-off

su ausencia le valió la pérdida del contrato — his absence lost o cost him the contract

este coche vale muy caro — this car is very expensive o costs a lot of money

vale mucho como intérprete — he's an excellent o first-rate interpreter

su última película no vale gran cosa — his latest film is not up to much o is not much good

• hacer valer, hizo valer su derecho al veto — he exercised his veto

• hacerse valer — to assert o.s.

• valer por — (=equivaler a) to be worth

cada cupón vale por un paquete de azúcar — each coupon is worth o can be exchanged for one bag of sugar

cuatro fichas azules valen por una negra — four blue counters equal o are worth one black one

• eso no vale — that's no good o use

ya no me vale — it's no good o use to me now

• valer para algo, es viejo, pero vale para la lluvia — it's old, but it'll do for when it rains

este sombrero me vale aún — I can still wear o use this hat

me vale la ropa de mi hermana — my sister's clothes do for *o fit me as well

su situación privilegiada no le valió — his privileged position was no help o use to him

no le valdrán excusas — excuses won't help him o do him any good

el chico no vale para el trabajo — the boy is no good o not right for the job

• no vales para nada — you're hopeless o useless, you're a dead loss *

• valga la expresión — for want of a better way of putting it

-¡pero querido! -¡no hay querido que valga! — "but darling!" - "don't darling me!" *

más vale que me vaya — I'd o I had better go

más vale que te lleves el abrigo — you'd o you had better take your coat

-le han dado el trabajo al hijo del jefe -¡pues, eso no vale! — "they've given the job to the boss's son" - "that's not on!" *o"they can't do that!"

-¿vamos a tomar algo? -¡vale! — "shall we go for a drink?" - "OK!" o"all right!"

vale que discutan, pero que se peguen es imperdonable — having an argument is one thing but hitting each other is another matter entirely o is inexcusable

esta obra le valió un premio — this play earned o won her a prize

hacer valer algo — < derecho> to assert, enforce

hizo valer su autoridad — he used o imposed his authority

no valer para algo — to be useless o no good at something

sus consejos me valieron de mucho — her advice was very useful o valuable to me

¿valer así? — is that OK o enough?

valga la comparación — if you know o see what I mean

... y valga la expresión —... for want o lack of a better expression

a mí eso me vale — I don't give a damn about that (colloq)

mi coche ya valió — my car's had it (colloq)

se valió de sus apellidos para conseguirlo — he took advantage of o used the family name to obtain it

valerse solo or por sí mismo — to look after oneself

esta obra le valió un premio — this play earned o won her a prize

hacer valer algo — < derecho> to assert, enforce

hizo valer su autoridad — he used o imposed his authority

no valer para algo — to be useless o no good at something

sus consejos me valieron de mucho — her advice was very useful o valuable to me

¿valer así? — is that OK o enough?

valga la comparación — if you know o see what I mean

... y valga la expresión —... for want o lack of a better expression

a mí eso me vale — I don't give a damn about that (colloq)

mi coche ya valió — my car's had it (colloq)

se valió de sus apellidos para conseguirlo — he took advantage of o used the family name to obtain it

valerse solo or por sí mismo — to look after oneself

Ex: As an inveterate user of the British Museum Library he was able to confirm that 'a library is not worth anything without a catalogue'.