Monday, June 26, 2023

Let's go over some slang expressions!

If you’re in the field of education or a student planning to study in the States, you must be more exposed to academic English. Yes, that’s what you definitely need to work on. Well, but when you are living day-to-day life, especially if there’s youngsters under your roof, you might want to get updated about THEIR language for better communication. 😉  Here you see some of the often-used slang in America.

 


    1.  It’s giving (something): Popular expression on social media platforms among young ones. It is often used to describe a situation or experience that is particularly intense, dramatic, or over-the-top. (It could be used as either a positive or a negative connotation.) It’s giving” can be attributed African American Vernacular English (AAVE), which features unique phrases and slang terms from the Black community that have been adopted and popularized by other communities.

 

    2.  to touch grass: This term is used when someone’s spent too much time online and has lost touch with reality. For instance, if your friend never gets out, but stays cooped up inside, playing video games, you could say “Hey, go and touch grass or something! You need some fresh air and sun light!”

 

    3.  cheugy: Popularized in the fashion industry to describe something that’s the opposite of trendy or someone who is out of date or trying too hard.

 

    4.  finna: To express your intention to do something. It is used as a substitute for words like “gonna” or “going to” and is an abbreviation of the Southern term “fixing to” (meaning “about to”). I’m finna teach you a lesson if you keep talkin’ like that.

 

    5.  to live rent-free: This expression means that the person or thing is having a significant impact on the individual's thoughts or emotions, often in a negative way. For example, if someone continues to bring up an argument or negative experience from the past, someone else might say, "They're living rent free in your head".

 

    6.  mid: Saying something is “mid” is to say that it’s mediocre, just the average, or not that good.

  

    7.  bet: It is used to say “Okay” or you are in agreement with someone/ something. For example, if your friend asks you “Are you coming to Jeff’s housewarming party?”, you could say “Bet. Want me to give you a ride?”

 

    8.  Cope (harder): To cope with something means to deal with some difficult or horrible situation, but this expression sounds sarcastic, like they don’t think you are handling a difficult situation well at all. For example, if you wish to pass a high-stake exam without prepping for it at all, your friend might say “Cope harder. If you made it, I’d buy you a nice car.”

 

    9.  stan: To be a stan is to be an undying fan, supporter, or advocate for your favorite celebrities, sports teams, tv shows, and just about anything you can think of — some might even call it being a stalker or something like that.

 

    10. Cap: Refers to “a lie,” “falsehood” or “to deceive” If your brother says he had dinner with President Biden, you might say  “That’s cap.” or “I’m calling cap on that.”

 

 

Are you ready to use what you’ve learned? Let’s give it a try!

1.   Amy: The concert last night was out of this world! It’s ______________!

Sally: Well, what else could you say about it? I know you’ve always been a big _____________ of boy band’s.

 

 

2.   I don’t get the hype about that Tex-Mex diner in my neighborhood. I found their specialty Carne Guisada just ___________.

 

3.   Tim: I’m _____________ show you how I ask out Jess tonight.

 

Ryan: Haha…. Just ______________ harder. But if you say you made it tomorrow, I won’t call it ______________ on that, bro.

 

4.   Are you sure you’re wearing that old dress to the party tonight? You look a bit ________________.

 

5.   Sam: You wanna check out that new Soup & Salad place tomorrow?

 

Mia: ______________. Let’s meet up at noon there tomorrow.

 

 

6.   If you bring that up once more, I won’t ever talk with you. Stop thinking about what she did to you, or she’ll living ____________________ in your head forever!

 

7.   You’ve been at home binge-watching Netflix shows for the past five days?!!!! You literally look like a zombie. Gosh, just go and ________________________!

 

 

 

 

Answer Keys

    1.  (It’s) giving!, stan

    2.  mid

    3.  finna, cope, cap

    4.  cheugy

    5.  Bet

    6.  rent-free

    7.  touch grass

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Let's play Sunday Puzzle from NPR on-air challenge!

I'm going to give you two five-letter words. Change one letter in each word to get two new words that are opposites. Note: The position of the letter you change in one word will be the same position you change in the other.

 

Ex. FLESH SCALE --> FRESH, STALE

 


1. BLANK WHILE

 

2. ANGER DEMOS

 

3. INTER HEAVE

 

4. SHARK HOARY

 

5. APPLE SLANT

 

6. FLOWN STILE

 

Answer Keys

    1.  black & white

    2.  angel & demon

    3.  enter & leave

    4.  share & hoard

    5.  ample & scant

    6.  frown & smile

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Time to play this last Sunday's Word Puzzle from NPR!

In honor of Father's Day, the theme of today's puzzle is POP. Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts PO- and the second word starts P-.

 

Ex. Bit of indoor greenery --> POTTED PLANT



1. Republican or Democratic

2. His, hers, or theirs

3. Official who presided over the trial of Jesus

4. Vatican leader from 1963 to 1978

5. Latke

6. Shirt attachment where a nerd keeps pens

7. Cartoon character who says "Th-th-that's all, folks!"

 

Answer Keys

    1.  political party

    2.  possessive pronoun

    3.  Pontius Pilate

    4.  Pope Paul VI

    5.  potato pancake

    6.  pocket protector

    7.  Porky pig

Monday, June 12, 2023

June Bugs and Herbs

Summer is a great season for outdoor activities. Are you guys outdoorsy but hate bugs in the fields and mountains? As soon as we step outside, bugs have a way of finding us. Some use the carbon dioxide that we exhale to locate you, others go by scent, body heat, vibrations, or even the colors we wear. For instance, deerflies are attracted to CO2, warmth, motion, and dark colors. One way to make yourself less attractive to insects is to avoid using fragrant soaps, lotions, perfume, hairspray, or aftershave. Instead, use scents that block their receptors, making you harder to find.

 


Can you fill in the following blanks with proper bugs?

    1.   ___________________ hate citronella, lemon eucalyptus, basil, and garlic.

    2.   _______________ and flies dislike mint, basil, and bay.

    Tiny 3. ___________ are repelled by citronella, lemongrass, and rose geranium.

    Ticks and 4. _______________ avoid lemon eucalyptus and granium.

 

If you can make tea, you can make these concoctions to keep bugs or herbs at bay:

     Steep 2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh 5. ______________, basil, and lavender leaves in 1 cup boiling water until cooled. Strain, add 1 cup witch hazel and shake. Lavender has a strong scent that can repel 6._______________, flies, fleas, and mosquitoes.  

    7.  ________________ may prevent flies and mosquitoes from ruining a cookout. If the bugs are really bad, throw a few sprigs of rosemary on the grill and the aromatic smoke will help drive the mosquitoes away.


 

Answer Keys

    1.  mosquitoes

    2.  ants

    3.  gnats

    4.  lice

    5.  mint

    6.  rosemary

Monday, June 5, 2023

Can you find words with the accented syllable of "TOR" somewhere inside? Let's try new set of puzzle from the on-air challenge of NPR!

When you're done with today's puzzle, I hope you can say you tore through it. Every answer is a word or name with the accented syllable "tor" somewhere inside.

 

Ex. Like important things from the past --> HISTORIC

 


1. Kind of college that selects the U.S. president

2. 19th-century English queen

3. Opinion piece in a newspaper

4. Class with one-on-one instruction

5. Well-known for something bad

6. Person who gets all bent out of shape

7. Math function signaled by an exclamation point

9. ___ Guinea (Central African country)

10. Administrative capital of South Africa

11. Use of force or threats to get money

12. Large room for a school gathering

13. Chicken ___ (Japanese dish)

14 Kind of question that's not meant to have an answer

 

Answer Keys

    1.  electoral

    2.  Victoria

    3.  editorial

    4.  tutorial

    5.  notorious

    6.  contortionist

    7.  factorial 

    8.  Equatorial

    9.  Pretoria

    10.  Extortion

    11.  auditorium

    12. Yakitori

    13.  rhetorical

BRAINTEASERS

Care for some silly but fun, brain-teasing riddles?   E.g., What gets shorter as it grows older?   => answer: a candle       1.  ...