What's your new year's resolutions?

The first month of a year is called January. Named for the two-faced Roman god Janus, who looks forward to a new beginning as well as backward for reflection and resolution. The Romans would offer sacrifices to Janus and make promises of good behavior for the coming year.

 

In the United States, New Year’s resolutions are a tradition, but the type of resolutions have changed. In the early 1900s, resolutions were more religious or spiritual in nature, reflecting a desire to develop stronger moral character, a stronger work ethic, and more restraint in the face of mundane pleasures. Over the years, the new year’s resolutions have been gravitating more towards general self-improvement than denying or suppressing one’s inner feelings or voice. Why don’t we take a look at the differences of resolutions between the old days and today?

(*source from The Old Farmer’s Almanac founded in 1792 by Robert B. Thomas)

 

Resolutions from 1947 (Gallop Poll):

1.   Improve one’s disposition: Be more understanding & control my temper

2.   Live a better life

 

3.   Stop smoking/ smoke less

4.   Save more money

5.   Stop drinking/ drink less

6.   Be more religious (in other words, go to church more often)

7.   Be a more efficient worker

8.   Take better care of my health

9.   Take greater part in home life

10.               Lose(or gain) weight           

 

Today’s Resolutions:

1.   Lose weight

2.   Get organized

3.   Spend less and save more

4.   Enjoy life to the fullest

5.   Stay fit and healthy

6.   Learn something exciting

7.   Quit smoking

8.   Help others fulfill their dreams

9.   Fall in love

10.               Cross out at least one thing from my bucket list

TIme to play the Puzzle aired on NPR last Sunday! Can you name the 2-word tourist spots that rhyme with these words?

Every answer today is the two-word name of a well-known tourist site or attraction somewhere in the world. I'll give you rhymes for the two words. You name the sites.

 

Ex. Tight blouse --> WHITE HOUSE

 

1. Rifle power

2. Heavy mountain

3. Pig pen

4. Phony highland

5. Climbs there

6. Greater snake

7. Mix bags

8. Planned banyan

9. Honks grew

10. Failing mall

11. Shock stress

12. Turban sheet

13. Dead bear

 

Answer Keys

    1.  Eiffel Tower (in France)

    2.  Trevi Fountain (in Italy)

    3.  Big Ben (in London)

    4.  Coney Island (in Brooklyn, NY)

    5.  Six Flags (famous amusement park in the US)

    6.  Grand Canyon (in Arizona)

    7.  Bronx Zoo (in NY)

    8.  Wailing Wall (in Jerusalem)

    9.  Loch Ness (in Scotland)

   10. Bourbon Street (in New Orleans, LA)

   11. Red Square (in Moscow)

Time to savor the latest Sunday Puzzle from NPR On-Air Challenge!

With each of the following five-letter words, change the first letter to make a new word that doesn't rhyme with the original.

 

Ex. Catch --> WATCH

 

 

1. Horse

2. Beard

3. Hound

4. Mouth

5. Donor

6. Blown

[Two different answers ...]

7. Lover

[Three different answers ...]

8. Rough

 

Answer Keys

    1.  worse

    2.  heard

    3.  wound

    4.  youth

    5.  honor

    6.  clown

    7.  rover, mover

    8.  cough, bough, dough  

    

    (*Picture Source: https://boldomatic.com/p/PYQ0Rw/there-is-no-rhyme-or-reason-to-anything-anymore) 

*

Contronyms

You Say the Same Words to Mean Different/Opposite Things!

English learners often get confused with a wealth of contronyms that look the same but mean something different or even opposite/ contrasting within their own definitions. Let’s go over some of those words/phrases that have contrasting meaning.

 

1.   bad: meaning ‘of poor quality/ evil/ low standard’ ó ‘excellent’

 

e.g., My dad was not thrilled by my choice of friends. He thought they all had a bad influence on my academics.

ó I loved Janet Jackson’s concert a few years ago. It was really bad and perfectly outrageous!

 

 

 

2.  dope: meaning ‘illegal drugs/ substances’ ó ‘awesome/cool/fabulous’

 

e.g., She was the leading advocate of RAD campaign, which stands for Running Against Dope’, in the later years of her running career.

ó Look at his super lowered car! That’s dope, dope!!

 

 

 

3.  to give out:  meaning ‘to provide someone something’

ó ‘to stop doing something due to lack of supply’

 

e.g., The volunteers at this downtown shelter house were willing to spare some of their precious time once a month to give out nonperishable food items, clothing, and books for those in need.

ó Sarah’s legs gave out at the end of her first half marathon.

 

 

 

4.  to hold up: meaning ‘to delay’ (mostly in a passive form of sentences) ó ‘to continue to stay in good condition’

 

e.g., I got a call from Tom. He said he’ll arrive a couple of hours late, because his flight was held up.

ó This is my favorite pair of go-to running shoes. They’ve been holding up for years through heinous weather in the brutal Midwest winter.

 

 

 

5.  bomb: ‘the bomb’ means someone/something that is excellent and impressive ó ‘a bomb’ means a complete failure/ fiasco

 

e.g., Joshua’s performance was the bomb! The entire audience gave him a huge round of standing ovation.

ó  The play was a bomb. Most of the actors seemed to have forgotten their lines and actions.

 

 

 

6.  nutty: meaning ‘having a flavor like that of nuts’ ó ‘mentally unbalanced, odd, peculiar, or eccentric’

 

e.g., I love nutty snack such as peanuts or almond candy bars.

ó The newcomer to our basketball team is a nutty kiddo. He makes fun of all the players, and even the coach!

 

 

 

7.  finished: meaning ‘completed’ ó ‘destroyed’

 

e.g., Let’s hang out at the mall when we’re finished with homework.

ó He spent his short vacation in Vegas and lost all his savings. He’s totally finished.

 

 

 

8.  to seed: meaning ‘to plant seeds or sow land with seeds’ ó ‘to remove the seeds of fruits’

 

e.g., My auntie loves gardening. She spends hours and hours in her backyard, seeding and watering. ó Make sure to seed the dried dates before bring them to a boil for tea.

Time to play the Sunday Puzzle from NPR!

Today's answers are a word, name, or phrase that contain only two consonants B and R, repeated as often as necessary. All the other letters are vowels.

Ex. Prickly bush --> BRIAR

 

*Picture  Source: https://stock.adobe.com/images/golden-letter-b-and-r-br-vintage-decorative-letter-logo-icon/286809539

1. Material in an automobile tire

2. Thief

3. Hairstylist

4. Congregation leader at a synogogue

5. Illegal payment

6. Doll from Mattel

7. Elephant of children's literature

8. Singer Justin

9. First lady married to the first George Bush

10. Small donkey

11. Fence or other obstacle

12. Island in French Polynesia with a repetitive name (2 wds.)

13. Cub in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon (3 wds.)

 

Answer Keys

    1.   rubber            

    2.   robber

    3.   barber

    4.   rabbi

    5.   bribe  

    6.   Barbie

    7.   Babar

    8.   Bieber

    9.   Barbara

    10.   burro

    11.   bar

    12.   Bora Bora

    13.   Boo-boo Bear

Let us go over Thanksgiving-related Words!

 Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays for Americans to celebrate with their beloved family or friends in a year. Here are some words and phrases related to Thanksgiving or those you could associate with Thanksgiving day. Hope you all have a warm and peaceful time.

 

   1.  Cold turkey

Meaning: to stop using an addictive substance abruptly and completely to undergo sudden and complete withdrawal from a habitual activity or behavior pattern (*you can use it as a noun or an adverb)

Example: Frank gave up his drug addiction cold turkey.

  

   2.  Gobble up

Meaning: to eat something in its entirety very quickly or to use, buy, or occupy all of something.

Example: 1. Everyone invited to the Thanksgiving dinner gobbled up the 18 pounds of turkey immediately.

               2. American shoppers gobbled up electronics in the stores the day after Thanksgiving.

  

   3.  Turkey Trot

Meaning: a fun long-distance run or race in a turkey costume held on or around Thanksgiving Day in the US.

Example: Are you going to participate in the Turkey Trot this year?

 

   4.  Friendsgiving

Meaning: Friendsgiving is a mashup of the word “friend” and “thanksgiving” that refers to a large meal among friends eaten during the Thanksgiving season.

Example: Joe said he’d work out for 3 hours before going to the Friendsgiving party where he’d have a large feast.

 

   5.  Black Friday

Meaning: Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday of November, and the next day is known as Black Friday. Shops around the world reduce the prices of goods to attract customers. It also signifies the beginning of Christmas shopping.

Example: People tend to get in the long line to buy electronics such as a huge HD TV on black Friday when they could get them at affordable prices, but the next day, they get in another long line to return them.

 

   6.  Tofurkey

Meaning: the combination of the words “tofu” and “turkey,” i.e., a vegetarian version of turkey usually made from tofu (soybean protein) or seitan (wheat protein) with a stuffing made from grains or bread.

Example: All my friends are vegetarians, so instead of turkey, they eat tofurkey on Thanksgiving.

 

   7.  Cornucopia

Meaning: a large amount or supply of something; a horn of plenty, a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with fruits, vegetables, flowers, or nuts;

Example: As soon as Harry graduated from college, he had cornucopia of job opportunities.

 

(*source from https://preply.com/en/blog/english-words-and-phrases-for-thanksgiving/ & https://milady.cengage.com/blog/thanksgiving-even-in-a-pandemic)

The latest Sunday Puzzle from NPR!

For each of these given words or phrases, change exactly two letters to name a country. Hint: You never have to change the first letter of my word.

Ex. SOLARIA --> SOMALIA

1. ALGEBRA
2. NORMAL
3. TUSKED
4. MEDICS
5. CANARY
6. RUSTIC
7. GRIEVE
8. HANGARS
9. TUNES IN
10. SEVERAL
11. PAPAYA
12. CAME UPON

 

 

<Answer Keys>

1.   Algeria

2.   Norway

3.   Turkey

4.   Mexico

5.   Canada

6.   Russia

7.   Greece

8.   Hungary

9.   Tunisia

10.                 Senegal

11.                 Panama

12.                 Cameroon

(*Picture Source: http://alphabetpassport.com/letters.php)

NPR Sunday Puzzle aired today!

 I'm going to give you some categories. For each one, take the last two letters, reverse them, and use those as the starting letters of something in the category.

Example: Direction --> North

1.   U.S. coin

2. Sport with a net

3. City in Texas

4. Sculptor

5. Sign of the zodiac

6. Egyptian queen

7. Sea

8. Historic ship

9 English poet

10. Brand of soap

11. Brand of sneaker

12. Ice-cream flavor (2 wds.)

 

 

Answer Keys

1.   Nickel

2.   Tennis

3.   San Antonia

4.   Rodin

5.   Cancer/ Capricorn

6.   Nefertiti

7.   Aegean sea

8.   Pirate ship

9.   Tennyson

10.  Palmolive

11.  Reebok

12.  Rocky Road