Live and Learn English with Jean Lee

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...

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 ...

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)  *

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 ‘t...