Try to find the French-original words or phrases using the anagrams! (The latest NPR Word Puzzle)

Every answer today is a word or phrase that comes from French but is also commonly used in English. See if you can get them from their given anagrams.

 

Example: TOPED / Train station   -->   DEPOT

 

1.   BRIDES / Scattered pieces of waste

    2.   ROSE UP / One who pretends to be something he's not

    3.   BEARCAT / Nightclub

    4.   EURONET / On the way (2 words)

    5.   CONTOUR / Bit of toasted bread in soup or a salad

    6.   IT'S CHEAP / Artistic work that imitates another

    7.   BEARS OUT / One who deliberately wrecks something for military gain

    8.   QUITE SOUR / Bluish green

    9.   RUNESTONE / Confidentially (2 words)

    10. HOTEL SUITE / Dark outline of something against a light background

    11. CENTRAL BEACH / Complete freedom to act (2 words)

 

ANSWER KEYS

1.  debris

2.  poser

3.  cabaret

4.  en route

5.  crouton

6.  pastiche

7.  saboteur

8.  turquoise

9.  entre nous

10.      silhouette

11.      carte blanche

Do you want to learn some English vocabulary?

Every once in a while, you might want to check with your vocabulary while studying English. Here I am giving you sentences with blanks so that you can complete by filling in with proper words to make sense of each, using the given hints.

 

1.   After a long nap, he found himself wake___________ (*meaning wide awake) deep into the night.

 

2.   Joe always follows the weather forecast to learn about the air quality day in and day out. He’s worried about his asthma since there will be a huge ha____________ (*meaning sandstorm) throughout the next couple of weeks in his neck of the woods.

 

3.   Gabrielle Zevin is one of my favorite authors who makes the profundity of _________cape (*meaning essence or inner nature of someone/ something) in life easy to understand.

 

4.   People in South Korea are fed up with the Constitutional Court’s long-__________-out (*meaning protracted; lasting a very long time) process of verifying the impeachment of the President Yoon.

 

5.   I am trying to get the world news updates more from legitimate news outlets rather than social media det_________ (*meaning any disintegrated material or debris).

 

6.   No matter what, trust yourself and your la____________  ability (*meaning present but not visible; existing as potential) to forge ahead in life.

 

7.   Let’s just stop all these petty______________ (*meaning insignificant or petty) arguments! They’re only stalling the investigation!

 

8.   Whoa! Check out these guys from America’s funniest home video!! How are they so good at bir___________ (*meaning spinning/rolling) the log?

 

9.   A: So, how was the movie?

 

B: Hmmm…..let me just say in Merry Poppins’ way. I felt the movie was super_____________________lidocious! (*meaning extremely good or wonderful, which was created from Disney film Merry Poppins)

 

10.       I love this painting in your dining room. It looks like Ely__________ (*meaning paradise/ Heaven)

 

 

Answer Keys

    1.  wakerife

    2.  haboob

    3.  inscape

    4.  long-drawn-out

    5.  detritus

    6.  latent

    7.  pettifogging

    8.  birling

    9.  supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

   10.              Elysium

TIME TO PLAY the NPR PUZZLE with given clues of categories & alphabetical orders!!!

I'm going to name some things that are in categories -- like days of the week or U.S. states. Each one I name is second alphabetically in its category. You name the one that's first.

 

Ex. Five  -->  Eight  (alphabetically the first two digits)

 

1. August

 

2. Sight

 

3. British Columbia

 

4. Astros

 

5. Columbia

 

6. "Antony and Cleopatra"

 

7. Huron

 

8. Brooklyn

 

Answer Keys

    1.  April (category: month of the year)

    2.  hearing (category: 5 senses)

    3.  Alberta (category: Canada)

    4.  Angels (category: Major League Baseball)

    5.  Brown (category: Ivy League Schools)

    6.  All’s Well that Ends Well (category: plays by Shakespeare)

    7.  Erie (category: lakes)

    8.  Bronx (Category: Boroughs of NYC)

Health Series # 30. LENTILS

It is natural to become physically weaker as one ages. However, it is possible to stay younger and healthier than your physical age by what you eat at your table every day. More and more medical research and studies have shown the medicinal properties and benefits of herbs and healthy diet.

As of the year of 2024, we have been looking into a variety of herbs one by one, their nutrition facts, and healthy diet so that we are able to lead a life with more aplomb even if we happen to deviate from the optimal state of health.

 

# 30. Lentils

Are you a big fan of legumes? Lentils are high in 1. pr____________, which helps build and maintain your muscles, bones and skin. Because of this nutrient, it has also been reported that lentils help you manage your appetite and support weight loss because it makes you feel fuller than other nutrients.

 

Eating lentils along with whole grains would be a perfect equivalent of 2.__________, which is especially helpful if you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet. Lentils are also 3. g__________-free, making them a great option for those with celiac disease.

The plant-based compounds called 4. poly____________ in lentils have especially powerful effects, such as 5. anti-inf________________, fighting cell damage and 6. ne___________protective function that maintains brain health.

7. Fo___________ in lentils protects your heart and supports the formation of red blood cells. It’s especially important for your baby’s development in case you’re pregnant.  Also, lentils may improve 8. cho______________ levels in people with diabetes.

Lentils are versatile, richly textured legumes that give any meal a boost of nutrition and heartiness. They could jazz up plain soup or salad. Their high-protein value and many nutrients make them worthy of being a cupboard staple for good health.

Answer Keys  

   1.  protein 

   2.  meat   

   3.  gluten

   4.  polyphenols

   5.  anti-inflammatory

   6.  neuroprotective

   7.  Folate

   8.  cholesterol

     (*source from Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic)

 

 

Acrostic poem using LENTIL by Jean J. Lee

Lighten up with these dried seeds every day

Ebullient colors would make you healthy and happy

Nutty taste is a nice kick to your bland salad bowl

Tender, loving, care are the promise of these legumes

Inspire vegan cooks with

Laudable ingredient that you’ll fall in love with!

 

If you’re interested in consulting your health with awesome professional pharmacists, check this out!

Santa Ana Tustin Compounding Pharmacy

Name the famous people using the initials from the clues! (NPR SUNDAY PUZZLE)

I'm going to give you clues to some famous people past or present. The first two letters of each clue are the initials of the answer's name.

 

Ex. Master boxer  -->  Muhammed Ali

 

1. Award-winning pop artist

 

2. Appeared in "Scarface" and "Dog Day Afternoon"

 

3. Eminent French president

 

4. Inventor of calculus

 

5. Brought fame to the Yankees

 

6. Married to Louis XVI

 

7. She was a 10-time world figure-skating champion

 

8. Jocular host of HBO's "Last Week Tonight"

 

9. Backed the British traitorously in the Revolutionary War

 

10. Artful NPR host

 

Answer Keys 

    1.  Andy Warhol

    2.  Al Pacino

    3.  Emmanuel Macron

    4.  Isaac Newton

    5.  Babe Ruth

    6.  Marie Antoinette

    7.  Sonja Henie

    8.  John Oliver

    9.  Benedict Arnold

    10.  Aisha Rascoe

St. Patrick's Day Jokes/Riddle

March 17^th is St. Patrick’s Day, which commemorates Saint Patrick and the beginning of Christianity in Ireland. It is also the celebration of Irish heritage. If you celebrate St. Patrick’s day, you must be wearing green not to get pinched by a leprechaun on this day! Here’s some fun jokes and riddles to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day. Think of an answer for each.

 

1.   How can you spot a jealous shamrock? It might be they are ________________ with envy.

    2.   Why do leprechauns prefer dollar bills to coins?

    3.   Why did the leprechaun turn down a bowl of soup? It is because he already had a pot of _____________!

    4.   Why do leprechauns hate running? It is because they’d rather jig than ___________!

    5.   Why are so many leprechauns florists? It is because they have green ________________!

    6.   Why do leprechauns recycle? It is because they like to go _________________!

    7.   What’s a leprechaun’s favorite cereal?

    8.   What happens if you cross poison ivy with a four-leaf clover? Well, you might get a ____________of good luck!

    9.   A leprechaun who gets sent to jail is a lepre-_____________!

    10.  How are good friends like four-leaf clovers?

 

(*source from imom.com)

 

Answer Keys

    1.  green

    2.  Because they are green

    3.  gold

    4.  jog

    5.  thumbs

    6.  green

    7.  Lucky Charm

    8.  rash

    9.  con

    10.  Both good friends and four-leaf clovers are hard to find.

Find compound words or 2-word-phrases that have long "I" and long "o" sounds!

Today's puzzle is called "Eye-Oh." Every answer is a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase in which the first part has a long-I vowel sound, and the second part has a long-O one.

 

Ex. Marker every 5,280 feet on a road  -->  MILEPOST

 

1. Emergency craft for when a ship sinks

2. Eastern, Central, Mountain or Pacific

3. It's used to put out a conflagration

4. Rock material used in making the Great Pyramid of Giza

5. Something a daredevil circus acrobat walks

6. Pajamas

7. Femur

8. Sound you hear when you pick up a phone

9. Presentation of photos on a large screen for people to see

10. Very chilled, as the way beer might be served

11. Flower that symbolizes purity and innocence

12. Method of swimming

13. Decoration from a fir tree

14. What the Seven Dwarfs sing as they go

 

Answer Keys  

    1.  lifeboat

    2.  time zone

    3.  firehose

    4.  limestone 

    5.  tightrope

    6.  nightclothes

    7.  thigh bone

    8.  dial tone

    9.  slideshow

    10. ice-cold

    11. white rose

    12. sidestroke

    13. pine cone

    14. heigh-ho

Let's get idioms/ slang down pat!

When it comes to learning English, are you gravitating towards prescriptive grammar or somewhat flexible in using descriptive grammar? Prescriptive grammar refers to upholding the established or existing grammar rules or words and “what we SHOULD use”, whereas descriptive grammar focuses on how people casually use the language in real life regardless that it is correct or incorrect grammar-wise.

Today, I would like you to fill out the following blanks with proper idiomatic or slang expressions based on the clue/ meaning of prescriptive grammar rules.

 

1.   You a____________ (*meaning “have not”) seen nothing yet!

2.   Whoa! Check this out! Her dance moves are s__________! (*meaning excellent/ insanely cool/ attractiv)

3.   Oh, c’mon, Miss nerdy! The mid-terms are over. Let’s get ready to party and turn it ______! (*meaning “get wild and have fun”)

4.   So you’re not driving back home after the new year’s eve party, right? Maybe we should cr_________ (*meaning “to stay at someone else’s house”) at Annie’s place tonight.

5.   My mom is not going to allow me to go to Marty’s birthday party. She always worries if it’s becoming an uncontrollable ra__________ (*meaning a wild party that has a lot of people, especially students, and lots of alcohol) full of booze and crazy kids.

6.   “Oh, my gosh! That quiz was so hard, I can’t ___________...!” (*slang phrase implying that something is too amazing, frustrating, surprising, or exciting to handle. It leaves them speechless. They can’t find the words to express how they feel.)

7.   “Dad, I promise I’ll be back home before 10 pm. Le________.” (*meaning to confirm something as being true. Short form of legitimate)

8.   Hey, Mark, just think before you say anything at a meeting! Your boss kept rolling his eyes each time you pitched a crazy idea. He face____________ (*meaning “literally putting your face in the palm of your hand, as an expression of frustration) all along.

9.   You know what! BTS is giving another concert in LA this Summer! I’m super psy_________! (*meaning “very excited/ pumped/ stoked”)

10. All immigrants are expected to have a difficult time when they begin a new chapter of their lives in someone else’s country. It is impossible for them to adapt to the new culture and new people right off the _________.

 

 

ANSWER KEYS

1. ain’t

2. sick

3. turn it up

4. crash

5. rager

6. can’t even

7. Legit

8. facepalmed

9. psyched

10. right off the bat