Live and Learn English with Jean Lee

Wanna learn some idioms or funny phrases originated from Texas with me? As a newly moved resident here in Texas, I am pretty much interested in local colors especially in language. Let us explore some interesting and appealing expressions of this Lone Star State together! (source from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/27/texas-slang_n_5526788.html ) Guess the meanings of the given expressions (in the box) and fill in the blanks of the following sentences. madder than a wet hen,   all hat and no cattle,   more than you can shake a stick at,     ready and rarin’ to go,       bless your heart,    sure n’uff,     y’all, fixin’ to 1. Just can’t wait to go to the concert!!! I am __________________ to go~! 2. The famous Southern cook Paula Deen opens her cooking show by saying “Hey, _____________! Welcome to Paula Deen show!” 3. A: What’s u...

Wrapping up the decade of life in one place and moving to some unfamiliar region did not sound very heartsome or attractive to me at all. Besides the fact that I am not the kind of person who welcomes a challenge or any kind of abrupt changes in life, leaving those friends of mine who have known me so well enough to read my mind without asking was like a home truth or some kind of a bad plisky of your destination. However, I know for sure it all depends on how you look at things in life. Change could mean building new expectation, not just being pushed to venture out of the comfort zone. It is no one else but you that creates another happy chapter in life. Having to say goodbye to the old friends of yours doesn’t and should not mean at all to sever all ties with them in your future life. Leaving them would rather make your hearts grow fonder and realize once again how precious those people are to you. To me, living in a new place means having a new addition of human relationsh...

We see a lot of international students on college campuses in the States today. A lot of them are identified as American with their own ethnic backgrounds, whereas quite a lot of them are called “ FOB ” that stands for “ Fresh Off the Boat” , meaning the ones who have just come to America or immigrants. Sadly, quite often times, FOB is used with a pejorative or not very pleasant connotation towards the immigrants. L This week, let me share some English slangs or idiomatic expressions that are often used among college students. (*source from https://share.america.gov/learn-some-american-college-slang/ )   1.    GPA Killer: (noun) GPA stands for “Grade Point Average”, so GPA killer refers to a very challenging/ difficult course that could be detrimental to your grade. Synonymous expressions include grade RIPer/ death trap   2.    to ace a test/ exam : (verb) to get the best grade possible   3.    to put an all-nighter: (verb...