Spanish expression De buenas a primeras = suddenly / all of a sudden
This morning as I was walking down the street, two women were having an animated conversation and just as they passed me, one of them said "...y de buenas a primeras me dice que no".
This is one of those idioms whose literal translation makes no sense at all in English but does have an equivalent meaning "suddenly / all of a sudden" emphasizing the unexpectedness of whatever is being discussed. So the lady actually said "...and all of a sudden he said no" and she by using this expression she was emphasizing that she wasn't expecting the negative answer. It's a common expression - maybe you'll find it useful.
Brad
