Live and Learn English with Jean Lee

(*source from http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idiom-categories/health/health1-bad-dogs.html ) 1.       I’ve been overtraining by logging more than 10 miles a day for a couple of weeks. My ______________________. 2.       The police officer found a body in a dumpster, which was as _____________________________. 3.       You ate up the hot spicy tofu stew to the last drop?!! Are you serious? You must have a _______________________________. 4.       Irene looked totally _________________ after she had cleaned the entire house for two hours. 5.       Patty’s mother is over 80 years old, but she is still full _________________________. 6.       At the shocking news, my grandfather ________________________. 7.       Many people create a bucket list bef...

What’s the biggest obstacle in your journey of exploring English? It could be grammar, pronunciation, or huge amount of vocabulary that seems to be endless. Above all, idiomatic expressions that have hidden, figurative meanings. Without understanding the cultural background or conventional usage of idioms, one can hardly imagine what those words are supposed to mean. Using the given list of idioms and your imagination, try to choose a proper expression to fill in the blank of each sentence below. a.    milk somebody or something for money/ information b.    down the hatch c.    a pick-me-up d.    Here’s mud in your eye! e.    not for all the tea in China f.     binge and purge g.    bitter pill to swallow h.    can’t stomach something i.      either feast or famine j.     have a sweet tooth 1. I hate those unscrupulous people that have ...

I still remember those miniature airplanes soaring high and low up in the spotless blue sky. It was a huge competition among the aircraft lovers, but to me, it was more of a personally joyful and exciting outing that had made me feel joyful as a skylark. Not because I was one of the contestants who took part in the annually held RC Model Airplane Contest but just because I was able to stay right there next to my mom all day long. It felt more than happy and special to be with mom without worrying about her leaving for other countries to attend the international conferences of pilots. My mother is the first female pilot in the Republic of Korea. Back in the old days of the severely conservative society, she was ahead of her time dreaming to fly and had forged ahead with her passion to become a pilot. Despite her parents’ strong opposition to her daffy goal and threatening to repudiate her, she did not give up on her dream. Yes, she is the woman of conviction and indefatigable...

Have you guys reached the definition of life? Some of you might have already decided or nailed it while most are still working on it. There are sunny days, somber days, funny days, painfully boring days, healthy days and morbid days…..At one moment we fly like a skylark, but the other we fall down in bitterness. We are getting tired of ups and downs full of switcheroos in life, feeling like a ragged cloth in the kitchen. Until the final day, the meaning of life will be constantly processed in every minute, and my primary thoughts on “what it truly is” are also being shaped and molded at the moment. It is too early to despair and give up, because there are many more songs of our lives unsung waiting in store for us. Today, I would like to share many words of wisdom found in the old saying from Native American culture. These quotes have been excerpted from the book “The Soul Would Have No Rainbow If the Eyes Had No Tears” written by Guy A. Zona. Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Kno...

  Navigating through the journey of studying a foreign language takes much time and patience, because learners need to work on not only the currently used expressions, but the old and the newly coined ones as well. This week, we would like to go over some funny vocabs that you might or might not have heard. (source from dictionary.com) 1.    to bumfuzzle : (verb)  to confuse (*originated from Southern US dialect) e.g., Did you figure out the question #4 on the Math test? It totally bumfuzzled me! 2.    to canoodle : (verb) to be touchy feely/ caress/ fondle/pet amorously (* British English) e.g., In Paris, it is easy to find young couples and lovers canoodling in the street. 3.    cattywampus (or catawampus) : (adjective) askew/ awry/ diagonally located/ kitty-cornered e.g., Joshua’s house is cattywampus from my studio apartment. 4.    diddly-squat (or doodly-squat) : (noun) something that is minimal/incons...

English words are being developed, newly coined, clipped, and mixed into brand new words while we are sleeping. The following words are one of those popular additions in use today, which are collected and organized by the Oxford dictionary team. Let’s check them out. 1. bling (noun): Expensive, ostentatious clothing and jewelry. e.g., Look at all those blings the Jamaican rapper’s wearing! 2 . bromance (noun): A close but non-sexual relationship between two men. e.g., Ted and Roger have been such close buddies for all those years. Their full-on bromance will never fade. 3. chillax (verb): Calm down and relax. e.g., Chillax , dude! Losing a part time job is not the end of the world! 4. crunk (adjective): Very excited or full of energy. (This word is a blend of crazy and drunk) e.g., It’s time to get crunk with some nice hip hop tune! 5. funk or blue funk (adjective) : state of depression e.g., I’ve been in a blue funk since I lost my best friend. ...

There are many things in life that would make you feel jittery and fidgety , sweat bullets , and sit on the edge of your seat . Job interview might be one of those mind-blowing, nerve-racking experiences.  Like it or lump it , the day for the job interview comes on the appointed day, and your interviewer can be an ultracrepidarian or a heartless curveball who would put on the spot by shooting a fusillade of tough questions. However, it could be a golden opportunity for you to shine! Be prepared. Be confident. And Smile. Here’s the list of   top 10 ways to nail the interview written by Vicky Oliver, the award-winning copywriter at brand-name, top-tier advertising agencies in NYC. Let’s take a look. (source: 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions) 1.    Breathe deeply, and try not to panic. 2.    Try to set up your meeting for one full week (i.e., 5 business days) from the time that you first receive the call to come in. 3.  ...