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Idioms for Decisions and Consequences
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October 20, 2026
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Everyday idioms describe waiting, making a choice, and dealing with the results. Follow one person's plans to open a coffee shop with Maya, from early doubts to costly mistakes. The examples use vivid expressions for delaying decisions, committing to plans, and accepting consequences.
Voca cards
1.
sleep on it
consultarlo con la almohada
Maya wants me to open a coffee shop with her, but I'll sleep on it.
Maya quiere que abra una cafetería con ella, pero voy a consultarlo con la almohada.
'Sleep on it' usually suggests a short delay, often until the next day.
2.
keep one's options open
mantener abiertas las opciones
I'll keep my options open by staying at my job while we look for space.
Voy a mantener abiertas mis opciones y seguir en mi trabajo mientras buscamos un local.
'Keep one's options open' suggests avoiding commitments that would remove other possible choices.
3.
play it by ear
improvisar, decidir sobre la marcha
I haven't planned tomorrow's shop visits; Maya and I will play it by ear.
No he planeado las visitas a los locales de mañana; Maya y yo iremos decidiendo sobre la marcha.
'Play it by ear' emphasizes adapting as events happen, rather than simply delaying a decision.
4.
sit on the fence
no decidirse, seguir indeciso
I can't sit on the fence forever; Maya needs an answer about the shop.
No puedo seguir sin decidirme para siempre; Maya necesita una respuesta sobre la cafetería.
'Sit on the fence' often sounds critical, especially when someone is expected to choose a side.
5.
get cold feet
acobardarse, echarse atrás
I hope I don't get cold feet before Maya and I sign the lease.
Espero no acobardarme antes de que Maya y yo firmemos el contrato de alquiler.
'Get cold feet' is usually about a planned commitment, not fear in general.
6.
bite the bullet
hacer de tripas corazón
I'll bite the bullet and tell my boss, Dan, I'm leaving, even though I'm nervous.
Voy a hacer de tripas corazón y decirle a mi jefe, Dan, que me voy, aunque me ponga nervioso.
'Bite the bullet' stresses accepting something unpleasant, not simply taking a risk.
7.
take the plunge
dar el paso, lanzarse
I can't sit on the fence anymore; I'll take the plunge and open the shop.
Ya no puedo seguir sin decidirme; voy a dar el paso y abrir la cafetería.
'Take the plunge' often describes a major step taken after hesitation.
8.
go all in
apostarlo todo, ir con todo
I've decided to go all in and put all my savings into our shop.
He decidido apostarlo todo e invertir todos mis ahorros en nuestra cafetería.
Informal. 'Go all in' suggests full commitment, not just agreeing to try.
9.
no turning back
no hay vuelta atrás
There's no turning back now; Maya and I have signed a five-year lease.
Ya no hay vuelta atrás; Maya y yo firmamos un contrato de alquiler por cinco años.
'No turning back' commonly follows 'there's' or 'there is' to mark a point of commitment.
10.
face the music
dar la cara, afrontar las consecuencias
I have to face the music and tell Maya I ordered the wrong tables.
Tengo que dar la cara y decirle a Maya que pedí las mesas equivocadas.
'Face the music' normally concerns blame, criticism, or punishment, not ordinary difficulties.
11.
pay the price
pagar el precio, pagar las consecuencias
I'll pay the price for hiring too few people when I'm working every weekend.
Voy a pagar el precio de haber contratado a tan poca gente cuando me toque trabajar todos los fines
'Pay the price' can involve lost time, health, or relationships, not just money.
12.
come back to bite someone
pasarle factura a alguien, volverse en contra de alguien
Ignoring Maya's warning about cheap chairs could come back to bite me when they break.
No hacerle caso a Maya cuando me advirtió sobre las sillas baratas podría pasarme factura cuando se
'Come back to bite someone' is informal and usually describes a delayed, unwanted result.
13.
take a leap of faith
dar un salto de fe
I'll take a leap of faith and hire Maya's brother, despite his lack of experience.
Voy a dar un salto de fe y contratar al hermano de Maya, aunque no tenga experiencia.
'Take a leap of faith' emphasizes acting with trust despite a lack of proof.
14.
roll the dice
arriesgarse, jugársela
I won't roll the dice on another cheap machine after ours broke last week.
No voy a arriesgarme con otra máquina barata después de que la nuestra se descompusiera la semana pa
'Roll the dice' emphasizes chance; 'take a leap of faith' emphasizes trust.
15.
burn one's bridges
quemar los puentes, cerrarse las puertas
I don't want to burn my bridges with Dan; I might need my job back.
No quiero cerrarme las puertas con Dan; puede que necesite volver a mi antiguo trabajo.
Use the plural 'bridges', even when only one relationship is involved.
16.
pass the buck
pasarle la responsabilidad a otro
I can't pass the buck to Maya when customers complain about chairs I chose.
No puedo pasarle la responsabilidad a Maya cuando los clientes se quejan de las sillas que yo elegí.
'Pass the buck' is disapproving and usually takes 'to' before the person given responsibility.
17.
kick the can down the road
seguir postergando el problema, dejar el problema para después
I can't kick the can down the road; we need to fix the roof now.
No puedo seguir postergando el problema; tenemos que arreglar el techo ahora.
'Kick the can down the road' is disapproving: the problem remains for later.
18.
hedge one's bets
no apostar todo a una sola carta
I'll hedge my bets by selling coffee beans online in case our shop stays quiet.
No voy a apostar todo a una sola carta: también venderé café en grano por internet por si la cafeter
'Hedge one's bets' stresses spreading risk, while 'keep one's options open' stresses preserving choices.
19.
cross that bridge when we come to it
ya nos ocuparemos de eso cuando llegue el momento
When Maya mentions expanding, I say we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Cuando Maya menciona ampliar el negocio, le digo que ya nos ocuparemos de eso cuando llegue el momen
'Cross that bridge when we come to it' postpones a possible future problem, not an urgent existing one.
20.
take one's lumps
aceptar las críticas, aguantar el golpe
I'll take my lumps at tonight's meeting; choosing those chairs was my mistake.
Voy a aceptar las críticas en la reunión de esta noche; elegir esas sillas fue un error mío.
'Take one's lumps' is informal and emphasizes accepting criticism or punishment without complaining.
21.
reap what you sow
cosechar lo que se siembra
Maya told me, "You reap what you sow," after my rude reply cost us customers.
Maya me dijo: «Cosechas lo que siembras», después de que perdiéramos clientes por una respuesta gros
'Reap what you sow' can describe good results too, but often sounds like a warning.
22.
the chickens come home to roost
las malas decisiones pasan factura
I'm watching the chickens come home to roost as our cheap chairs start breaking.
Ahora que nuestras sillas baratas empiezan a romperse, estoy viendo cómo las malas decisiones pasan
'The chickens come home to roost' often sounds critical: earlier bad choices finally cause trouble.
23.
let the chips fall where they may
que pase lo que tenga que pasar, que sea lo que sea
I'll tell Maya I lost our savings and let the chips fall where they may.
Voy a decirle a Maya que perdí nuestros ahorros y que pase lo que tenga que pasar.
'Let the chips fall where they may' often follows a decision to act honestly or firmly.