Food Idioms

Let go over some interesting English expressions which have but do not mean food items!

  

   

   1.  to take ….  with a grain/pinch of salt: to accept that …..might be exaggerated

   2.  like chalk and cheese: opposites

   3.  to go pear-shaped: to fail or to turn out unexpectedly wrong

   4.  …doesn’t cut the mustard: ….doesn’t meet or live up to the required standard

   5.  a hard nut to crack: a difficult person to understand or difficult problem to solve

   6.  a bad apple or a bad egg: a bad influence or someone who brings trouble

   7.  to butter someone up: to flatter/ brownnosing someone in the hopes of receiving special

   8.  to egg someone on: to push or urge someone to do (something mischievous or bad)

   9.  a smart cookie: a clever person who makes good decisions

  10.               icing on the cake: This expression can either be used in a positive or a negative situation. In a positive situation, it means “an additional good thing that happens to something that is already good” or “something that makes situation even better”

In a negative situation, it means “an additional bad thing that makes the already bad situation worse”.  In this case, the icing on the cake is used with a sarcastic attitude.

Time to practice! Fill in the following blanks with proper idioms learned above.

   

   1.   Hans’s car is such a fast beauty, and the addition of a turbo adds _______________________________________.

   2.   Everyone in my family knows that auntie Kirsten is a big talker. I just take whatever she says with _________________________________.

   3.   Coach Miller didn’t want to let one bad _________________ ruin the entire team. He made Tim, who had kept picking a fight with other players, benched for a year.

   4.   Have you seen the latest episode of Star Wars? Well, I think it doesn’t cut _______________________________, and most of Star Wars maniacs left the theatre a little disappointed.

   5.   Little have I imagined that you and Paul are brothers!! You guys are so different and totally opposite to each other in every way like __________________ and __________________.

   6.   What’s the answer to question #5 on the pop quiz yesterday? I still can’t figure out what the question itself means. Such a hard __________________________________!

   7.   The surprise birthday party for Ethan went __________________ as he had happened to find out about it.

   8.   Are you snapping at me? Hey, I guess you should at least  __________________ me up if you want to borrow my car!

   9.   I think you are underestimating your daughter. If you give her a chance, she’ll be one ____________________________ and make the right thing to do!

   10.               Don’t _______________ him on to drive faster. The speed limit on this road is only 45 mph!

Answer Keys

   

   

   1.  icing on the cake

   2.  a grain of salt  or a pinch of salt

   3.  apple or egg

   4.  the mustard

   5.  chalk and cheese

   6.  nut to crack

   7.  pear-shaped

   8.  butter

   9.  smart cookie

   10.              egg

Find a "Missing Word" in Sentences

It is not impossible but very hard to get your ideas across in English, using incorrect grammar. Why don’t you test out your grammatical competence? One word is missing in each sentence. Find and rewrite the sentence with the Missing Word.    (source from http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/mw001.html)

    

    

    1.   When visitors come, don't forget keep these chipped dishes out of sight.

ð   ________________________________________________________.

    2.   The car wasn't a success, so they decided to work a new model.

ð  _________________________________________________________.

    3.   The books used in our school published in the USA.

ð  _________________________________________________________.

    4.   If you don't know the meaning of a word, look up in the dictionary.

ð  ________________________________________________________.

    5.   She was little late, but still in time for the closing session.

ð  ______________________________________________________.

    6.   Young boy finally plucked up courage to invite his beautiful classmate to dinner.

ð  _________________________________________________________.

     7.   You shouldn't live memories of your childhood.

ð   ________________________________________________________.

     8.   The girl was dressed in blue head to foot.

ð  _________________________________________________________.

     9.   When they looked through the window, saw a boy hiding behind a tree.

ð  _________________________________________________________.

     10.Don't fill the glasses to brim.

ð  _________________________________________________________.

<Answer Keys>

1.  “to”:      When visitors come, don’t forget to keep these chipped dishes out of sight.

2.  “on”:    The car wasn't a success, so they decided to work on a new model.

3.  “are/ were”:  The books used in our school are/ were published in the USA.

4.  “it”:  If you don't know the meaning of a word, look it  up in the dictionary.

5.  “a” :  She was a little late, but still in time for the closing session.

6.  “The”:  The young boy finally plucked up courage to invite his beautiful classmate to dinner.

7.  “on”:  You shouldn't live on memories of your childhood.

8.  “from”: The girl was dressed in blue from head to foot.

9.  “they”: When they looked through the window, they saw a boy hiding behind a tree.

10.              “the”: Don’t fill the glasses to the brim.

Are You Saying It Right or Wrong???

Prescriptive Grammar   VS    Descriptive Grammar

Are you a grammar Nazi? Grammar is definitely needed to learn and speak a language the proper way. Then, what is “proper” and what is not? Who decides if an expression is grammatically correct or wrong? The criteria to tell correct ways of saying English from wrong ones is becoming blurred today. According to Linguistic Society of America, “The prescriptive grammarians follow the tradition of classical grammars of Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin”, whereas descriptive grammarians focus on describing what people actually use in various situations.

This week, let us take a look at the expressions based on the classical prescriptive grammar and descriptive grammar in use.

PRESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR

DESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR

1.   If I were….            2.   A: Do you mind if I …?      B: No, go ahead.      3.   There’re a couple of things to do.      4.   It’s a whole other story.      5.   It’s I.      Between you and I       6.   I lay down at the beach and basked in the sun for hours yesterday.            7.   Whom did you go to the party with?      8.   (at a grocery store) If you have 10 items or fewer, use this checkout counter.      9.   Tom got it free.     10.               Does anyone have some cash?           11.               They don’t have any.      12.               Could you speak a bit slowly?            13.               I couldn’t care less.

ð  If I was … ð  Sure/ Absolutely, go ahead. ð  There’s a couple of things to do. ð  It’s a whole nother story. ð  It’s me.         Between you and me ð  I laid down at the beach and basked in the sun for hours yesterday. ð  Who did you go to the party with? ð  If you have 10 items or less, use this checkout counter.     ð  Tom got it for free. ð  Anyone have some cash?        ð  They don’t have none. ð  Could you speak a bit slow? ð  I could care less.

Another Batch of English Idioms related to Physical Fitness

Some say Summer is not a good time of the year for exercise because of scorching heat. Other active fellas would beg to defer. They say Summer is the best season to break a sweat, soak up the Vitamin D source outside, and drink up lots of water throughout the day without having to make it a chore. This week, let us work on exercise idioms and get more physically active!

1.   to get ripped: to have clear muscle definition/to be toned/have very low body fat and muscle separation is visible

2.   spare tire: the fat around the side of your body/ also called as muffin tops or love handle

3.   to hit the wall: In endurance sports such as cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk is a condition of sudden fatigue and loss of energy which is caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles

4.   to get a new lease on life: to become more energetic and active than before/ or to have been ill for awhile but start to feel better now

5.   to max out: to put far too much weight on a barbell

6.   to get a spot: When someone assists another person with an exercise. ie: “Can you spot me?” or “I need a spotter.”

7.   BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the amount of calories you burn at rest.

8.   Roid rage: spontaneous anger outburst due to overuse of steroids, this refers to those juice heads who are clearly getting a little help outside of the gym and are in a little bit of a mood.

9.   a weekend warrior: the people who only make it to the gym on a Saturday or Sunday when they can be bothered

10.           beast mode: the state of serious/ focused training at a level of high effort

Wanna use them in sentences now? Let us fill in the blanks below with the most appropriate expressions.

   

   

   1.   A: Have you heard about last night’s fist fight at the gym?

B: Yes, I was there witnessing the ugly scene caused by their _______________ rage between two bodybuilders. They’ve been taking too much steroids.

   2.   A: Excuse me, sir. I think you must be a trainer here. Could I get a ___________  for a minute, if you don’t mind?

B: Sure. I’ve happened to see you training here from time to time. Well, I think you often _____________ out doing the weightlifts.

   3.   Quite a lot of marathoners hit the ______________ at 18- to 20-mile mark of the race.

   4.   Tom and Nate have been in _______________ mode with their training since April, because they are serious about winning the upcoming road race.

   5.   Ted: Felicia, you got __________!! How did you get rid of all the ______________ tires you’d complained about all the time?

Felicia: Thanks, Ted. I started to add more cardio exercises like running or spinning to my daily training, which has also raise my _______________.

   6.   It looks like my grandpa got a new _______________ on life since he started to work out every day. He used to be only a weekend __________________.

Answer Keys

   

   1.  Roid

   2.  spot, Max

   3.  wall

   4.  beast

   5.  ripped, spare, BMR

   6.  lease, warrior

Word Scramble with Law Enforcement Words

This week, let us play Word Scramble with Law Enforcement Words. The first letter of each word is bold faced.

(*Source from the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Fund booklet)

Example:  gaedB => Badge,         mboB   Suqad => Bomb Squad

     1.   lnhdlaeCgit ligiV => ______________________    ____________

     2.   outCmnyim => __________________

     3.   aylDed pWonea => _________________   ____________________

     4.   Folyne  => _____________________

     5.   ftihF etmndeAmn => __________________   ______________________

     6.   aLw cnrmenofetE  => ____________   _________________________

     7.   Leni Of uytD  => ________________ of  ____________________

     8.   ltianoNa  cPolei  Wkee => ___________________

      ____________________   ________________

     9.   hcSear  aatWrnr => _______________     _________________

10.     cerndreoUv => ___________________

Answer Keys

    

    1.  Candlelight Vigil

    2.  Community

    3.  Deadly Weapon

    4.  Felony

    5.  Fifth Amendment

    6.  Law Enforcement

    7.  Line of Duty

    8.  National Police Week

    9.  Search Warrant

    10. Undercocver