8/13/2019 Hit Expressions

1/2

Hit ExpressionsNow, "Words and their stories", a VOA Special English program about Americanexpressions. !m ich #lein$eldt with some expressions containing the word H%.

H% is a small word, but it has a lot o$ power. &aseball pla'ers hit the ball.(issiles hit an airplane. A car hits a tree. H% also )oins with other words to

create man' color$ul expressions. One is *hit the road.+ t means to trael or toleae a place, as suggested in this song *Hit the oad.+hit the ball- batear golpear una pelota con un bate/0 hit an airplane- dar en elblanco un ai1n/0 hits a tree- choca con un 2rbol0 )oins with- se une a, se )untacon0 color$ul- pintorescos3as0 hit the road- retirarse de un lugar uso in$ormal/0

Hit the road 4ac5 and don6t 'ou come bac5no more, no more, no more, no more.Hit the road 4ac5 and don6t 'ou come bac5 no more.What 'ou sa'7Hit the road 4ac5 and don6t 'ou come bac5no more, no more, no more, no more.

Hit the road 4ac5 and don6t 'ou come bac5 no more...

Another common expression is *hit the spot+. At $irst it meant hitting a spot atthe center o$ a target with an arrow. Someone who did so was satis$ied with hisshooting. Now, hitting the spot usuall' means that a $ood or drin5 is especiall'satis$'ing. (an' 'ears ago, 8epsi 9ola sold its drin5 with a song that began*8epsi 9ola hits the spot, twele $ull ounces, that!s a lot:+hit the spot- ser exactamente lo ;ue hace $alta0 target- blanco, ob)etio0 arrow-$lecha0 who did so- ;ue as< lo hac

8/13/2019 Hit Expressions

2/2

%o build something o$ wood, 'ou usuall' need a hammer. %hat is what 'ou useto hit nails into the pieces o$ wood to hold them together. When 'ou *hit thenail on the head+ == exactl' on its top == it goes into the wood per$ectl'. Andwhen someone sa's 'our words or actions *hit the nail on the head+ he meanswhat 'ou said or did was exactl' right.

to build- para construir in$initio de prop1sito/0 wood- madera0 hammer-martillo0 to hit nails- para claar claos in$initio de prop1sito/0 to hold themtogether- para mantenerlos unidos in$initio de prop1sito/0 hit the nail on thehead- acertar, dar en el clao0

$ 'ou are tired a$ter hitting all those nails on the head, then it is time to *hitthe ha'+. %hat expression comes $rom the da's when people slept on beds$illed with dried grass or ha'. Some people slept on ha' in barns where the'5ept their $arm animals. Hitting the ha' simpl' means going to bed. %hat is agood idea. thin5 will hit the ha' now.hit the ha'- irse a dormir0 $illed with dried grass or ha'- rellenas de pasto secoo heno0 barns- graneros, establos.

%his VOA Special English program "Words and their stories" was written b'@ran5 &eardsle'. !m ich #lein$eldt.