to squeeze oneself into a skirt (that is too tight)

sa robe la boudine — her dress shows every bulge

être boudiné dans quelque chose — to be squeezed into something

serrer quelqu'un/quelque chose dans ses bras — to hug somebody/something

serrer quelque chose entre ses dents — to clench something between one's teeth

serrer la main de quelqu'un — to shake hands with somebody

serrer les poings — to clench one's fists

la peur me serrait la gorge — my throat was constricted with fear

ça me serre le cœur de voir ça — it wrings my heart to see that

serre bien tes lacets — do your shoelaces up tight

tu as trop serré ton nœud de cravate — your tie is too tight

mon chignon n'est pas assez serré — my bun is (too) loose

nous sommes trop serrés dans la cuisine — there are too many of us in the kitchen

serrer le vent — to sail close to the wind

ils se sont serrés les uns contre les autres — they huddled together

se serrer dans une jupe — to squeeze oneself into a skirt

nous nous sommes serré la main — we shook hands

avoir le cœur qui se serre — to feel deeply upset

serrer qn dans ses bras — to hug sb

serrer la main de qn — to shake sb's hand

serrer la main à qn — to shake hands with sb

serrer les dents — to clench one's teeth, to grit one's teeth

serrer la vis à qn — to clamp down on sb

Ce pantalon me serre trop. — These trousers are too tight for me.

serrer les rangs — to close ranks

serrer qn de près — to follow close behind sb

serrer le trottoir — to hug the kerb

serrer sa droite — to keep well to the right

serrer à droite — to keep to the right

"serrer à droite" — "keep right"

aprieta el botón derecho del ratón — press the right-hand button on the mouse

apretaba entre sus manos un ramo de flores — he was clutching a bunch of flowers in his hands

con un puro apretado entre los dientes — with a cigar between his teeth

hay que apretar el compost con los dedos — you have to press the compost down with your fingers

nos aprieta mucho para que estudiemos — he puts a lot of pressure on us to study, he pushes us to study hard

• apretar el paso — to quicken one's pace

aprieta mucho la letra cuando escribe — he bunches up the words when he writes

estos zapatos aprietan — these shoes are too tight, these shoes pinch my feet

este vestido me aprieta en la cintura — this dress is too tight for me around the waist

es media mañana y el hambre aprieta — it's half way through the morning and I'm beginning to feel hungry

cuando el frío aprieta — when the cold gets worse, when it gets really cold

donde más aprieta el calor — where the heat is at its worst

la oposición aprieta cada vez más — the opposition are putting on more and more pressure

si le aprietan un poco más, confesará — if they put a bit more pressure on him, he'll confess

si apretáis un poco al final, aprobaréis — if you make an extra effort at the end, you'll pass

• apretar a hacer algo, si aprieta a llover — if it starts to rain heavily

apretamos a correr — we broke into a run

¡aprieta! — nonsense!, good grief!

apretemos que viene la profesora — let's run for it, the teacher's coming

fueron los primeros en salir apretando después del golpe — they were the first ones to make a getaway after the coup

apretó bien la tapa — he screwed the lid on tightly

aprieta el puño — clench your fist

apreté los dientes — I gritted my teeth

apretar el paso or la marcha — to quicken one's pace o step

el vestido le aprieta — the dress is too tight for her

cómo aprieta el calor! — it's incredibly hot!

cuando el hambre aprieta... — when people are in the grip of hunger...

apretó bien la tapa — he screwed the lid on tightly

aprieta el puño — clench your fist

apreté los dientes — I gritted my teeth

apretar el paso or la marcha — to quicken one's pace o step

el vestido le aprieta — the dress is too tight for her

cómo aprieta el calor! — it's incredibly hot!

cuando el hambre aprieta... — when people are in the grip of hunger...