Live and Learn English with Jean Lee

Let me share the interesting Sunday Puzzle, which is an on-air challenge, on National Public Radio (NPR). (October 28th, 2018) This Sunday, the caller was supposed to give a word or name that has the accented syllable of the sound "row" somewhere inside it . For example, what is the word meaning savagely violent? The answer is FE RO CIOUS 1. What is the noun meaning ‘a smell, especially an inviting one’? 2. Name the Kraft pasta product with cheese. 3. Brand name of the Mexican beer usually served with a lime wedge. 4. What are the vigorous physical exercises that you might do in a class or any exercises designed to strengthen the heart and lungs? 5. Name the capital of Liberia. 6. Name the capital of Kenya. 7. What is the adjective meaning ‘brave, courageous, valiant, valorous, intrepid’ as in the act of a lifeguard saving a drowning person or a hero saving people in need. 8. Give me the adjective meaning ‘not correct as a statement’. ...

I have always been a morning person who wakes up in the wee hours no matter how late I go to bed. Although I do not have to get out of bed that early to go somewhere for work, I just do. Being wide awake in the hours of serenity that is only sporadically interrupted by birdcalls like owl’s hooting or some random cars with loud engine noise out there in a distance brings me to the sense of peace. Doing my daily pre-run stretching, I wonder where and why the sounds out there are being made. It feels good to know that I am not the only one being awake in this quiet time slot. Even with those total strangers, some kind of comradeship is coming to my mind hearing the sounds. Among the people who had shared my mornings through the years, the exercise cohort at dawn and the fitness coach (who is also the gym manager) are always the most important and precious group of friends in my life. We are different ages with different backgrounds in life, but all single-hearted when it comes to ...

The time has come to feel wintry chill in the North hemisphere. Even in this State where Summer never seems to go, it has started to feel chilly. With a decade in the Midwest town in my life, the memory of shoveling the snow from our driveway will always be fresh enough to give me goosebumps. Why don’t we brace ourselves to survive the upcoming winter and brush up on some interesting English idioms that have “cold” words that are or are not related to cold weather. (source from https://www.kaplaninternational.com/blog/winter-idioms-vocabulary-english-lesson )    1.    to put ….. on ice : to stop (doing) something or to postpone/ delay acting on something    2.    the snowball effect : when something small keeps growing in importance or significance    3.    to weather the storm : to survive a difficult situation/ to find one’s way out of troubles    4.    pure as the driven snow : abs...

Are you in good relationship with food? Some might indulge in their favorite dish without worrying about getting fat, whereas most others always watch what and how much they take into their mouth. Well, one thing that we all have in common is that we love food! 😊     This week, let us brush up on some idiomatic expressions that have food and taste in them to mean something else. (source from https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/10-food-idioms )    1.    to cut the mustard : to achieve the standard of performance necessary for success   to succeed; to have the ability to do something; to come up to expectations', but the phrase is most often used in the negative form, as "can't cut the mustard,"    2.    meat and drink : When you find a task, that others find difficult, easy and pleasant, it is meat and drink to you.    3.    cheap as chips : very cheap    4.  ...