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Trust and Doubt Idioms
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October 20, 2026
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Everyday idioms express trust, doubt, and the choice to give someone a fair chance. A buyer, a friend, and a seller work through questions about a used car. The expressions describe changing reactions as the buyer checks the seller's claims.
Voca cards
1.
take someone's word for it
creerle a alguien, confiar en la palabra de alguien
Dan says the car runs well, but I can't take his word for it.
Dan dice que el auto funciona bien, pero no puedo confiar solo en su palabra.
'Take my word for it' can sound reassuring or pushy, depending on the speaker.
2.
keep an open mind
mantener la mente abierta
Maya asked me to keep an open mind about Dan's old car.
Maya me pidió que mantuviera la mente abierta respecto al viejo auto de Dan.
3.
take something at face value
tomar algo al pie de la letra, aceptar algo sin cuestionarlo
I can't take Dan's promise at face value without seeing the car.
No puedo aceptar sin más lo que promete Dan sin antes ver el auto.
'At face value' often follows 'take' or 'accept'.
4.
take something with a grain of salt
tomar algo con reservas
Maya says I should take Dan's claims with a grain of salt.
Maya dice que debería tomar con reservas lo que afirma Dan.
'Take something with a grain of salt' suggests caution, not complete disbelief.
5.
too good to be true
demasiado bueno para ser verdad
A car that cheap sounds too good to be true to me.
Un auto tan barato me parece demasiado bueno para ser verdad.
'Too good to be true' usually expresses suspicion, not just excitement.
6.
raise a red flag
ser una señal de alerta, despertar sospechas
The missing service records raise a red flag for me.
Que falten los registros de mantenimiento me parece una señal de alerta.
'Raise a red flag' points to a warning sign, not proof of dishonesty.
7.
have second thoughts
empezar a tener dudas, pensarlo dos veces
I'm starting to have second thoughts about buying Dan's car.
Estoy empezando a tener dudas sobre si comprar el auto de Dan.
8.
something doesn't add up
algo no cuadra
Dan's story doesn't add up because the dates on his papers are different.
La historia de Dan no cuadra porque las fechas de sus documentos no coinciden.
'Something doesn't add up' suggests a problem without directly accusing anyone of lying.
9.
smell a rat
sospechar que hay gato encerrado
I smell a rat because Dan won't let my mechanic see the car.
Sospecho que hay gato encerrado porque Dan no deja que mi mecánico revise el auto.
Informal. 'Smell a rat' suggests deliberate dishonesty rather than a simple mistake.
10.
give someone the benefit of the doubt
darle a alguien el beneficio de la duda
I smell a rat, but Maya wants to give Dan the benefit of the doubt.
Sospecho que hay gato encerrado, pero Maya quiere darle a Dan el beneficio de la duda.
'Give someone the benefit of the doubt' applies when the facts are unclear, not when innocence is proven.
11.
get to the bottom of something
llegar al fondo de algo
I want to get to the bottom of the missing service records.
Quiero llegar al fondo del asunto de los registros de mantenimiento que faltan.
12.
put something to the test
poner algo a prueba
I asked my mechanic to put Dan's claims to the test.
Le pedí a mi mecánico que pusiera a prueba las afirmaciones de Dan.
'Put something to the test' can be used with claims, ideas, skills, and even people.
13.
give someone a fair shake
darle a alguien una oportunidad justa
I'll keep an open mind and give Dan a fair shake before deciding.
Voy a mantener la mente abierta y darle a Dan una oportunidad justa antes de decidir.
Informal, especially American English. 'Give someone a fair shake' emphasizes fair treatment, not automatic trust.
14.
reserve judgment
reservarse el juicio, esperar antes de opinar
I'll reserve judgment until my mechanic checks Dan's car.
Voy a reservarme el juicio hasta que mi mecánico revise el auto de Dan.
'Reserve judgment' sounds more formal than 'wait and see'.
15.
poke holes in something
encontrar fallas en algo, rebatir algo
Maya helped me poke holes in Dan's explanation of the strange engine noise.
Maya me ayudó a encontrar fallas en la explicación que dio Dan sobre el ruido extraño del motor.
'Poke holes in something' challenges weak points; it does not mean offering a better answer.
16.
hold water
sostenerse, tener fundamento
Dan's excuse doesn't hold water; my mechanic says cold weather can't cause that noise.
La excusa de Dan no se sostiene; mi mecánico dice que el frío no puede causar ese ruido.
'Hold water' is usually used with negatives or questions about claims and explanations.
17.
pull the wool over someone's eyes
engañar a alguien, darle a alguien gato por liebre
I worry Dan might pull the wool over my eyes with fake repair bills.
Me preocupa que Dan intente engañarme con facturas falsas de reparaciones.
'Pull the wool over someone's eyes' implies deliberate deception, not an honest mistake.
18.
take someone for a ride
estafar a alguien
I won't let Dan take me for a ride by charging me for fake repairs.
No voy a dejar que Dan me estafe cobrándome por reparaciones que nunca se hicieron.
Informal: 'take someone for a ride' often suggests cheating someone out of money.
19.
ring true
sonar creíble, parecer cierto
Dan's explanation about the missing papers didn't ring true to me.
La explicación de Dan sobre los documentos que faltaban no me sonó creíble.
'Ring true' describes what seems believable; it does not prove something is true.
20.
the jury is still out
todavía no hay una conclusión, aún está por verse
I'll reserve judgment because the jury is still out on whether Dan's car is safe.
Voy a reservarme el juicio porque aún está por verse si el auto de Dan es seguro.
'The jury is still out' often takes 'on' before the unresolved question.
21.
on the level
honesto, de fiar
The shop confirmed Dan's repair bills, so I think he's on the level.
El taller confirmó que las facturas de reparación de Dan eran auténticas, así que creo que es honest
Informal. 'On the level' can describe a person, an offer, or a whole situation.
22.
put one's faith in someone
depositar la confianza en alguien, confiar en alguien
I can put my faith in Dan now that my mechanic trusts him.
Ahora que mi mecánico confía en Dan, yo también puedo confiar en él.
'Put one's faith in someone' suggests deeper personal trust than simply believing one statement.
23.
beyond a shadow of a doubt
sin la menor duda, sin lugar a dudas
After the final check, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt Dan was honest.
Después de la última revisión, supe sin la menor duda que Dan era honesto.
'Beyond a shadow of a doubt' is emphatic and expresses complete certainty.