we'll do our bit

los contratan para cumplir las misiones más difíciles — they are hired to carry out o do the most difficult tasks

• la cárcel no cumple su función preventiva — prison is failing to fulfil its role as o failing to act as a deterrent

• cumplió su palabra de aumentarnos el sueldo — he kept his promise to give us a pay rise

les ha acusado de no cumplir su palabra — he has accused them of failing to keep o breaking their word

solo estoy cumpliendo órdenes — I'm only carrying out o obeying orders

• hacer cumplir la ley/un acuerdo — to enforce the law/an agreement

estos productos no cumplen las condiciones sanitarias exigidas — these products do not comply with o fulfil o meet the necessary health requirements

tiene el servicio militar cumplido — he has done o completed his military service

tengo la tranquilidad de haber cumplido — at least I can say that I did my duty o what was expected of me

mi marido no cumple en la cama — hum my husband isn't performing (in bed)

para cumplir con los criterios de Maastricht — in order to comply with o meet the Maastricht criteria

mañana cumple 20 años — she'll be o she's 20 tomorrow

mañana cumplimos 20 años de casados — (AmL) tomorrow we'll have been married 20 years

lo invité a comer, creo que cumplí — I took him out for lunch, so I think I've done my duty o (colloq) my bit

con los Lara ya hemos cumplido — we've done our bit as far as the Laras are concerned (colloq)

me/nos cumple informarle que... — (Corresp) I am/we are writing to inform you that... (frml)

mañana cumple 20 años — she'll be o she's 20 tomorrow

mañana cumplimos 20 años de casados — (AmL) tomorrow we'll have been married 20 years

lo invité a comer, creo que cumplí — I took him out for lunch, so I think I've done my duty o (colloq) my bit

con los Lara ya hemos cumplido — we've done our bit as far as the Laras are concerned (colloq)

me/nos cumple informarle que... — (Corresp) I am/we are writing to inform you that... (frml)

Ex: Any library coming into OCLC has to agree to abide by those standards.

ir al grano — (fam) to get (straight) to the point

separar el grano de la paja — to separate the wheat from the chaff

aportar su (or mi etc) granito de arena — to do one's bit (colloq)

ir al grano — (fam) to get (straight) to the point

separar el grano de la paja — to separate the wheat from the chaff

aportar su (or mi etc) granito de arena — to do one's bit (colloq)

Ex: Most of these (like the photo on the right) are aluminum oxide, but a few grains of spinel have also been found.

Ex: If you try to squeeze the whitehead you may easily break the skin which will result in permanent, reddish scar.

aportaremos nuestro granito de arena — we'll do our bit *

Ex: After the Civil War, Emerson saw in collegiate education 'a cleavage occurring in the hitherto firm granite of the past'.

por cumplido — (=por cortesía) out of politeness, as a matter of courtesy; (=por obligación) out of a sense of duty

con lo cumplido que es! — he's always so polite o correct

una visita de cumplido — a duty o courtesy call

vamos, sin cumplidos or no te andes con cumplidos — don't stand on ceremony

con lo cumplido que es! — he's always so polite o correct

una visita de cumplido — a duty o courtesy call

vamos, sin cumplidos or no te andes con cumplidos — don't stand on ceremony

Ex: Nine percent of the questions analyzed were placed in the 'other' category, which included notes of thanks and compliments on good service, suggestions for improving the library's services, and messages sent from listservs = El nueve por ciento de las cuestiones analizadas se colocaron en la categoría "otros", que incluía notas de agradecimiento y felicitaciones por el buen servicio, sugerencias para mejorar los servicios de la biblioteca y mensajes enviados de servidores de listas de correo.

Ex: Again, in the past, as many aeons ago as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, a Buddha named Jewel Nature appeared in the world.

viva la patria! — God save Colombia (o Spain etc)!

hacer patria — to fly the flag (for one's country)

viva la patria! — God save Colombia (o Spain etc)!

hacer patria — to fly the flag (for one's country)

Ex: When the Second World War broke out, my motherland was arduously fighting against Japanese imperialism.

no entiende nada — he doesn't understand a thing o anything

• nada de, no sabe nada de español — he knows no Spanish at all, he doesn't know any Spanish at all

-¿qué te cuentas? -nada de particular — "what's new?" - "nothing much" o "not a lot"

• estuvo en nada que lo perdiesen — they very nearly lost it

• no me falta de nada — I've got everything I need

• hace nada — just a moment ago

• no se parecen en nada — they're not at all alike

• quedar(se) en nada — to come to nothing

• no reparar en nada — to stop at nothing

• no servir para nada — to be utterly useless

• no ha sido nada — it's nothing, it doesn't matter

• antes de nada, antes de nada tengo que telefonear — before I do anything else I must make a phone call

• a cada nada — LAm * constantly

• casi nada, no costó casi nada — it cost next to nothing

• como si nada, se lo advertí, pero como si nada — I warned him but it was as if I hadn't spoken

• de nada, -¡gracias! -de nada — "thanks!" - "don't mention it" o "you're welcome"

• dentro de nada — very soon

• nada más, -¿desea algo más? -nada más, gracias — "can I get you anything else?" - "no, that's all thank you"

estas flores aparecen nada más terminado el invierno — these flowers come out just after the winter o as soon as the winter is over

nada más que estoy muy cansado — And, Méx it's just that I'm very tired

• (nada más y) nada menos que... — (no more and) no less than...

• ni nada — or anything

pues no es feo ni nada — iró he's not ugly... much!

• para nada — at all

• por nada, por nada se echa a llorar — she's always crying over nothing o for no reason at all

¡por nada! — Cono Sur not at all!, don't mention it!

pues no eres tú nada ambicioso — iró well you're not very ambitious, are you?... much!

antes que or de nada — first of all

nada de nada — (fam) not a thing

nada más: no hay nada más there's nothing else; ¿algo más? - nada más anything else? - no, that's it o that's all; nada más fui yo (Méx) I was the only one who went; salí nada más comer I went out right o straight after lunch; sacó (nada más ni) nada menos que el primer puesto she came first no less; nada más que: no se lo dije nada más que a él he's the only one I told; para nada: no me gustó para nada I didn't like it at all; como si nada (fam): me lo dijo como si nada! she told me as if it was nothing; se quedó como si nada she didn't even bat an eyelid; no hay nada que hacerle — (fam) that's all there is to it

con or de nada se rompe — it breaks just like that

pues nada, ya veremos qué pasa — well o anyway, we'll see what happens

no está nada preocupado — he isn't at all o the least bit worried

esto no me gusta nada — I don't like this at all o (colloq) one bit

se creó de la nada — it was created from nothing o from the void

antes que or de nada — first of all

nada de nada — (fam) not a thing

nada más: no hay nada más there's nothing else; ¿algo más? - nada más anything else? - no, that's it o that's all; nada más fui yo (Méx) I was the only one who went; salí nada más comer I went out right o straight after lunch; sacó (nada más ni) nada menos que el primer puesto she came first no less; nada más que: no se lo dije nada más que a él he's the only one I told; para nada: no me gustó para nada I didn't like it at all; como si nada (fam): me lo dijo como si nada! she told me as if it was nothing; se quedó como si nada she didn't even bat an eyelid; no hay nada que hacerle — (fam) that's all there is to it

con or de nada se rompe — it breaks just like that

pues nada, ya veremos qué pasa — well o anyway, we'll see what happens

no está nada preocupado — he isn't at all o the least bit worried

esto no me gusta nada — I don't like this at all o (colloq) one bit

se creó de la nada — it was created from nothing o from the void

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'.