Let's solve NPR word puzzle!

This week, let me share the NPR weekend puzzle (that was on air on August 25, 2019). It is a bit challenging but fun brainteaser.

For each question, give the name of a famous person with only one name, either because they literally had only one name or because they're generally known by one name. For example, if the question is “usual - U-S-U-A-L - minus U for a biblical king”, the answer is “Saul”.

<1> video - V-I-D-E-O - minus E for a Roman poet.

<2> chrome - C-H-R-O-M-E - minus C for a Greek poet.

<3> Leader - L-E-A-D-E-R - minus R for a singer.

<4> S-H-A-K-E-N - minus N for a singer.

<5> Titanic - T-I-T-A-N-I-C - minus C for an Italian artist.

<6> Pearlash - P-E-A-R-L-A-S-H - minus S for a painter.

<7> Optician - O-P-T-I-C-I-A-N – minus one I, a Native American leader which is also the name of a bygone car.

<8> Palacetour - P-A-L-A-C-E-T-O-U-R - minus U for an Egyptian queen.

<9> Merchandise - M-E-R-C-H-A-N-D-I-S-E - minus N for an ancient Greek mathematician inventor.

<Answer Keys>

    1.   Ovid

    2.   Homer

    3.   Adele

    4.   Kesha

    5.   Titian

    6.   Raphael

    7.   Pontiac

    8.   Cleopatra

    9.   Archimedes

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.