Live and Learn English with Jean Lee

  Have you seen the latest talk of the town flick “TENET”? The word tenet is spelled and sounds the same forwards and backwards. Just like “tenet” (meaning “basic doctrine”), there are many English words or phrases that can be read the same way backwards or forwards. Such words are called PALINDROMES. Based on the following definitions, give English words that are palindromes.  Each space represents one letter.   Example:  baby's napkin     ______    ______   ______   -> answer: bib   1. parent (female)     ______   O   ______ 2. a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle ; an Eskimo watercraft ______   A   ______   A   ______ 3.    pertaining or related to cities/ government C   _____   _____   _____   C   4. Twelve O'clock _____   O O   _____   5. a locat...

  Time to solve another fun batch of puzzle created by Will Shortz and aired on NPR last Sunday (August 23, 2020). It is titled "Low and Inside." Every answer is a word or name that has the syllable sound of "low" somewhere inside it (not at the start or the end). The "low" syllable is always accented.  Example : Like the U.S. before 1776 >> CO LO NIAL   1. Greeting in Hawaii   2. House speaker Nancy   3. Tennis star Martina   4. Spanish city that hosted the 1992 Olympics   5. Powerful land in ancient Mesopotamia   6. Everyday sandwich meat   7. Sounding pleasant to the ear, as music   8. Informal, as speech   9. Religious scholar   10. Kind of tube that a fertilized egg passes through   11. Relating to or involved in crime   12. Running away to get married   Answer Keys     1.   Aloha     2.   Pelosi     3. ...

  Are you suffering from Monday blues or cabin fever these days? Welp, everyone in this world has been badly affected by this damn pandemic. Let us just stop and have a moment for a good laugh. This week, I am sharing some fun jokes/ riddles so we can chilaaaaaax for a minute or two in a loooooooong day. (source from www.beano.com)   😆    1.    Q: What’s a waste of energy?    A: Telling a hair-raising story to a __________ man.         2.    Q: What’s round and dangerous?     A: It’s a _____________ circle.          3.    Q: What do you call a dinosaur fart?      A: A ___________   from the ____________.        4.    Q: What’s the difference between a well-dressed man on a bike and a poorly   dressed man on a unicycle?      A: ________________       ...

  Time to solve the puzzle created by Will Shortz from NPR Sunday Word Puzzle. Every answer today is the name of a major foreign city that is not the capital of its country. I'll give you anagrams. You name the cities. ( https://www.npr.org/2020/08/16/902845585/sunday-puzzle-city-shuffle ) (picture source:  https://www.pcma.org/london-tops-2019-worlds-best-cities-list/ )  Example: EDSEL, England --> Leeds     1. ROCK, Ireland 2. AVENGE, Switzerland 3. GOALS, Nigeria 4. REDDENS, Germany 5. PLANES, Italy 6. DRAMAS, India 7. ONLY, France 8. NEW PART, Belgium 9. VALIANCE, Spain 10. APROPOS, Japan   Answer Key      1.   Cork       2.   Geneva       3.   Lagos       4.   Dresden       5.   Naples       6.   Madras       7.   Lyon       8.  ...

  A lot of my EFL students used to ask me if they’d need to learn about slangs. I found it a good question. Are language students supposed to learn about the slangy expressions of target language? My answer to the question have always been “well, yes, you don’t need to use the expressions, but it will certainly help you to understand the meaning, usage, and contexts of those slangs for the sake of LIVING and LEARNING the language and culture as well.” Here are some of the slangs mostly used in the West coast and the East coast of the United States. (source: http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t7748.htm and Urban Dictionary, picture source from http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t7748.htm )   West Coast Slangs 1.    hella …..meaning “really/ very”       2.    gansta …..meaning “gangster/ rapper”       3.    chill ….meaning “cool/ awesome/ or to calm down”            4.  ...

Time to solve the NPR weekend word puzzle created by Will Shortz. Every answer today is the name of a famous person whose first initial and last name, in order, spell a word. For example, take Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence. The B of Benjamin + his last name spells BRUSH. I'll give you clues to the parts. You give me the names.  https://www.npr.org/2020/08/09/900450455/sunday-puzzle-famous-names 1. Oscar-winning actor (3,5) — expression of appreciation 2. Singer with the Supremes (5,4) — worthless stuff 3. Former baseball star (4,4) — writing that's not poetry 4. Comedian and former host of the Oscars (5,4) — earthenware pot 5. Singer with the group Hole (8,4) — garlic bulb 6. Oldtime comedian with a radio show (4,5) — opposite of risen 7. Co-star of "Desperate Housewives" (4,7) — former British prime minister   Answer Keys    1.   Tom Hanks - Thanks    2.   Diana Ross - Dross      ...

Are you saying these idioms the right way? Quite often times, even native English speakers use some of the idioms wrong. Let us get clarified with the following idiomatic phrases by choosing the right one. (source from www.dictionary.com and https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/phrases-people-say-wrong/ )      1.    We are living in the (A. doggie-dog world     B. dog-eat-dog world) . …….meaning “We are living in the highly competitive world where people would do whatever it takes to reach their goals even if that means harming others.”       2.    I (A. couldn’t care less        B. could care less). …… meaning “I really don’t care at all.” 3.     To (A. all intensive purposes      B. all intents and purposes) , the local trail has been closed. ……meaning “for every practical/ important reason”       4.    Sports inju...