Thread: you will do no good for yourself

I admit it's a collocation I use quite often, but trust me I never realized I was using it in those many different contexts!

I'd rather say there is not one but many ways of conveying that meaning in Spanish. Apart from what I already suggested, for a sentence like "He wants to climb Mt. Everest but if he wants to kill himself he'd be better off by just jumping off a tall building closer to home." I'd say: "Quiere escalar el Monte Everest; pero, si quisiera matarse (or "buscar una forma de matarse"), más le valdría intentar tirándose de un edificio bien alto cerca de su hogar/casa/cercano a donde vive."

As you see, there are many different ways to say it. I always remember Hemingway's love and admiration for the Spanish language (learnt in Spain during the Civil War) and based on its "flowery" grammar and vocabulary.

Originally Posted by vicente

"I'd be better off dead rather than telling my wife what I did last night."

I bet you are in Texas, but...have you been to Vegas?