Let’s Practice English Idioms! X

What’s the biggest obstacle in your journey of exploring English? It could be grammar, pronunciation, or huge amount of vocabulary that seems to be endless. Above all, idiomatic expressions that have hidden, figurative meanings. Without understanding the cultural background or conventional usage of idioms, one can hardly imagine what those words are supposed to mean.

Using the given list of idioms and your imagination, try to choose a proper expression to fill in the blank of each sentence below.

a. (to be) amped about something      

b. beat

c. (to be/get) busted

d. geek   

e. (to be) hooked (on something)

f. looker

g. to be in

h. (to be) ripped        

i. baller     

j. wheels

1. Mom:  What’s with those huge eye glasses? You look like a nerd.

    Son: Mom, hipster glasses are _____________ today. They look chic!

2. Jane’s new beau is a real ________________! I thought he just stepped out of a fashion magazine!

3. I finally bought a ticket to Jay Z’s concert! I am so _____________________ about the show!       

4. Ted: What happened to you? You look so _____________________!

     Frances: I cleaned the whole attic all day. Totally burnt out.

5. My goodness! Look at you! You’re so _______________________! Have you worked out much lately?

6. Marty got ______________________ while cheating on the Mid-terms.

7. Wow, you got gorgeous ________________________! Did you have enough money for such a nice car? 

8. I was so impressed the way he decorated his house for Christmas last year! He got ___________________ skills for jazzing up a dull place!

9. My sister didn’t like her new roommate, because she is totally the opposite type of student to her. In a nutshell, her roomie must be a ______________________ that studies, studies, and studies all the time.

       

10. I’ve been ___________________________ on this TV show since I first watched it.

Clues

a. (to be) amped: (adjective) same as “to be pumped” or to be super excited or you can’t wait for something to happen.

b. beat: (adjective) very tired and exhausted

c. (to be/get) busted: (adjective) to be caught/ arrested        

d. geek: (noun) If you refer to a person as a geek in a negative way, you mean to say that he or she likes to study too much or spends too much time on the computer and not socializes. But if you call your friend a geek it could be in a fun and more playful way.     

e. (to be) hooked on something: addicted to something and you can’t get enough

f. looker: (noun) If somebody says that you’re a looker, you should definitely be flattered – they are paying you the ultimate compliment and saying that they think you’re good looking      

g. to be in: (adjective) to be in fashion, vogue, or trending at the moment

h. (to be) ripped: (adjective) to have great muscles and bodies – probably because they work out a lot at the gym or are into sports

i. baller: (adjective= noun) appealing; cool; favorable; pimp; tight; anything that is good or a person with a swag

j. wheels: (noun) a car

Answer Keys

1. g. in     

2. f. looker

3. a. amped

4. b. beat

5. h. ripped

6. c. busted

7. j. wheels

8. i. baller

9.  d. geek   

10. e. hooked

What type of person are you?

Your life is full of people. Some of them nurture your life, while some others torture yours. What makes people attractive or unappealing? Do you love the ones who are frolicsome? Or are you rather enchanted by sobersides? This week, we would like to work on the English expressions to describe personality or characteristic features of people. It is hard to precisely classify human’s personality, but here’s a list of words that are normally used with positive and negative connotation. 

 

Expression:

frolicsome: (adjective) lively and playful

sobersides: (noun that is used as a singular) humorless and serious person  

Try to fill in the following blanks using the clues below the questions.

  1.   Ted is such a dreamer, and everybody calls him Walter Mitty. Sometimes he becomes way too ___________________, and I keep telling him to wake up and get real.

  2.   Maurice is dating a girl who is very ______________________. She always wants to have a huge get-together with her friends even on the day when she sees Maurice.

  3.   The _____________________ little boy willingly gave his ice cream to the homeless man.

  4.   I’ve been feeling so blue lately. I guess I need some cheerful music at the moment to stay ______________.

  5.   George’s plain dressing and _____________________ attitude has helped to make him extremely popular with the common people, because most people are attracted to modest men like him.

  6.   Her _____________ and sweet smile made me let my guard down.

  7.   My boss is such a pebble in my shoes. He is a very stuck-up man who gives a ________________ glance to his employees.

  

  8.   How could Peter still ask you to lend him money? He never gives back whatever he borrows but still asks for more. Such a ___________________ guy!

  9.   I am not the kind of person who plays it by ear in whatever I do. That is to say, I am not ____________________ with my life.

 10. We wish to have an honest feedback, which is not __________________ at all.

 11. This football team is full of unstoppable, audacious, and _____________________ players only.

 12. Harry says he’s had enough of his ___________________ girlfriend who keeps whining and grumbling over everything.

 13. After all those years of working for Lauren who has shown the ________________ display of superiority and arrogance, Mark eventually decided to quit the job.

 14.  It is quite natural for most little kids to become _______________ to their parents when they first go to school. They have separation anxiety.

CLUES:

PERSONALITY (with somewhat positive connotation):

unassuming: modest, humble, moderate

compassionate: considerate, generous, thoughtful

red-blooded: tough, audacious, indomitable

affable: soft-hearted, amiable, humane

flexible: able to make changes or deal with a situation that is changing

gregarious: very sociable, convivial, and companionable

upbeat: cheerful, positive, encouraging, buoyant

PERSONALITY (with somewhat negative connotation)

overweening: presumptuous, hauty, pretentious, snooty, big headed

scornful: sneering, disdainful, contemptuous

biased: predisposed, unfair

sniveling: often complaining or crying, in a way that is annoying

brazen-faced: shameless

delusional: deranged, unrealistic

clingly :wanting to be with another person all the time in a way that is annoying

Answer Key:

  1.   delusional

  2.   gregarious

  3.   compassionate

  4.   upbeat

  5.   unassuming

  6.   affable

  7.   scornful

  8.   brazen-faced

  9.   flexible

 10. biased

 11. red-blooded

 12. sniveling

 13. overweening

 14. clingy

     

How to stay safe in the violence-infested world

We have not been ever more nervous or anxious about sudden attacks or terrors occurring throughout the world than today. It is devastating to know that there’s no such thing as a perfectly safe zone in anywhere in the world, and violence has even become a norm. Sometimes it even feels as if we were being deceived or tricked by thimblerigs among power nations. Although it is difficult to ascertain all different kinds of hidden agenda behind terrors and random brutal attacks, let us share tips/ guides on how to keep your family 'safe from terrorism'. May God watch over us all and let there not be any kind of life-threatening atrocity on earth.

(source from http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/809648/manchester-bombing-how-to-stay-safe-terrorism-attack-threat-UK-critical)

*Expressions

thimblerig: (noun) a swindling trick in which a small ball or pea is quickly shifted from under one to another of three small cups to fool the spectator guessing its location

1. Invent a code word and shout it to help find your family members.

The experts say: "Sit around the table and choose a word. Pick something unique - everyone will be shouting 'mum' or 'dad'. "In the event of an attack, don't just say it once. Shout it loud and clear several times, repeating that same one word."

2. Have a torch app on your phone to help you see in the event of an attack.

The experts say: "If you are in a building and there is an explosion it will take the electricity out and there is nothing worse than rubble coming down around you. "A torch will be a comfort and help you manoeuvre out of that area."

3. Wear appropriate shoes, particularly on the way to work or school and when using public transport.

The experts say: "You can look glam when you get to the office. Have trainers on and carry your heels in your bag so you can run away. "Stay away from flip flops. If you are dazed they might fall off and you could stand on debris or glass, adding to your injuries."

4. Carry a door wedge to keep an assailant out in the event of a Paris-style attack.

The experts say: "Keep the wedge in your bag wherever you go and if you find yourself in a restaurant like in the Paris attack and are running away, you can use it. "Grab chairs as you're passing through and create a barricade against a door. If you have got a wedge put it under the door to stop the assailant getting in."

5. Carry a whistle to attract attention.

The experts say: "Sound will be heard by everybody and acts as a deterrent. "Strap a whistle to your bag close to your mouth. If you blow it, it brings people to attention and somebody will come to help. It is better than shouting."

6. Be aware of your surroundings.

The experts say: "Use your eyes and ears. Everyday when you are walking to work or school, look at places you could take cover behind or run to."

7. Check the government website for advice on countries to avoid when travelling.

The experts say: "Do your research. It is so important to know hot zones where attacks are more likely to take place. "The government will put bans on certain countries if they feel it is necessary."

8. Read people.

The experts say: "If a terrorist is about to carry out an attack, they will be acting strangely. They will be frightened and scared and sweating. "Keep an eye out for little things. If it's a hot summer's day and the individual has got thick jumpers on, that is going to raise concern. "You might be able to identify that as a guy who has a suicide vest on."

9. Report anything suspicious using the anti-terrorist hotline.

The experts say: "Make sure you have the number for the anti-terrorist hotline - 0800 789 321 - saved to your phone and if you see something suspicious, report it. "Don't trouble your conscience. Nobody is going to tell you off for it."

10. Keep your phone fully charged.

The experts say: "Keep emergency numbers and contact details on your phone. "Make sure it is fully charged. That way, the key details can be accessed."

Life

Life

By Jean Lee

Tossed into the light

Loved by parents in delight

Learn to walk and talk

Sometimes stop and balk

Grow up and live

Find some ways and gather much to give

Make a lot of mistakes and hope for pardon

Reached midlife, feel blessed to be in my sunny garden

Pray for another day with ailing mom and pop

Realize that the end doesn’t prepare you for a teardrop

Come back to your good old chair

Breathe in the age-old air

Sing a song of lamentation from yesterday

and of faint memories that are not so gray

Ready to patiently sit

Reading the words of wit

Feel alright looking back

Grateful that I’ve been on the right track

Holding nothing much left in my pocket

But relieved to survive this lunatic world of sprocket

Not defined with one simple word

Because my life has many a side unheard

Learn to say with silence

Still sometimes roar in defiance

Hoping to be remembered as a good friend

Even long after my days end

'To err is language learner; to forgive, teachers?!!'

Students make a lot of sentences either in the form of speaking or writing or sometimes body language, and the teacher is busy spotting the wrongful use of grammar, inaccurate pronunciation, or awkward collocations in the students’ output created in the target language they learn. It is not an uncommon scene in a language learning class. However, there is not one best way for teachers to find their students’ errors and correct them throughout the course.

When I first became an instructor for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, one of the major foci in my class was to point out my students’ errors or mistakes. What is the difference between errors and mistakes? Errors are the results from students’ lack of knowledge of the correct norms of target language. Burt (1975) explains that errors interfere with communication and affects overall sentence organization, whereas mistakes are the deviation or processing problem in learner language that happens when they fail to perform their competence. It was always difficult to tell the students’ errors from mistakes in class. In order to help improve the learners’ errors, the method of my pendulum had swung back and forth between Contrastive Analysis (CA) and Error Analysis (EA). CA is the basis for identifying differences between the learners’ first language and the target language to learn. This method was effective in predicting areas of possible or potential errors. On the other hand, EA does not predict errors, but discovers, identifies, and describes or explains errors in learner language to find out what learners really know about the target language.

I believe bilingual language teachers are assets, because the shared knowledge of the learner language truly helps teachers identify the learner errors and explain them psycholinguistically as well. They can make the best use of CA through which the errors are effectively predicted. I have seen quite a lot of Korean students misunderstood by native English speaking teachers because the learner errors (both global and local errors) did not make sense at all to those teachers, and in the end the students were even viewed as rude or clueless to the teachers. Frustrating.

Alexander Pope said “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” Well, “To err is every language learner; to help, teacher!”  Making mistakes and errors in language learning should never be seen as a sin or something to be criticized. It is a natural phase through which one can improve their fun-filled journey of language learning!

Expressions

Target Language: (noun) a foreign language that a person intends to learn

pendulum: (noun) used to refer to the tendency of a situation to oscillate between one extreme and another

Contrastive Analysis (CA): (noun) Method of identifying differences between learner’s first language and the target language they learn. According to Contrastive Analysis hypothesis, learner errors are bidirectional between their first language and target language.

Error Analysis (EA): (noun) Error analysis discovers and describes (NOT predict) the errors. Teachers use EA to find out what learners know about target language.

global errors: (noun) According to Burt (1975), global errors affect overall sentence organization. These errors interfere with communication or comprehensibility of a text.

local errors: (noun) According to Burt (1975), local errors are errors affect single elements in a sentence. These errors do not hinder communication.

e.g., “I angry”

Money Idioms

Some may say money is the root of all evil, while others argue that money talks. Some would agree that money can’t buy happiness, whereas others’ ultimate goal in life is to become a multi-millionaire. Regardless of what your take on moolah might be like, living in a capitalistic society – especially in the States where consumption is encouraged more than any other countries in the world – keeps us think about the value or worth of money in life. 

This week, let us work on some interesting idiomatic expressions which contain or are related to money.

(*source from https://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/moneyidioms.html and http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idiom-categories/money/money2_deep-house.html )

Fill in the blanks to complete the following sentences with a proper expression for each (using the clues given below the questions)

1.   I love this house because it gives me a sense of coziness, but the other _________________________ is that it is very old.

2.   Roger had already been in deep debt, but took another loan to pay his employees, robbing __________________________________.

3.   Due to the recent crisis in this town, there are more people __________________________ than ever before.

4.   Jody got a part time job at a candy store, but it was just ____________________________.

5.   You can bet ______________________________ that Ted will be come to the party tonight. He NEVER EVER goes even to a small ice cream social on campus.

6.   Laura has recently been given a _____________________________ from the company where she’s worked all her life. She will use some of the money to travel abroad.

7.   If you got some ______________ in your savings, just save it for rainy days.

8.   Well, you may not have thought much of this actor at first, but he ________________________________________ with his latest film! He even won the award for the best actor of the year at the Oscar!

9.   Oil prices are the biggest of all ________________________.

10. Frank had ___________________________________ and got caught at the international airport before he came to flee. He was eventually sent to prison on charges of embezzlement.

<Clues>

dough: (noun) slang for money

to laugh all the way to the bank: (verb) to be amused and gratified by a victory where a defeat was predicted   or    to make a lot of money very easily, often because someone else has been stupid

a cash cow: (noun) a business or a part of a business that always makes a lot of profit

the other side of the coin: (noun) the opposite view of something

(to be) on the breadline: (phrase) to have a very low income or barely enough money to survive.

to rob Peter to pay Paul: (verb) to borrow money from one person to pay back money you borrowed from someone else

to have hand (or one’s fingers) in the till: (verb) to steal money from the place where you work/ to embezzle

to bet your bottom dollar: (verb) to be absolutely certain of something

chicken feed: (noun) an amount of money considered small or unimportant

golden handshake: (noun) a generous sum of money given to a person when they leave a company or retire (sometimes given to encourage early retirement)

<Answer Key>

1.   side of the coin

2.   Peter to pay Paul

3.   on the breadline

4.   chicken feed

5.   your bottom dollar

6.   golden handshake

7.   dough

8.   laughed all the way to the bank

9.   cash cows

10. hand in the till/ or his fingers in the till

What It Means to Bid Farewell to the Loved Ones in This World. Is It the End of Life or the Transitional Point of life?

There are some topics that have been tabooed to talk about in public. Depending on cultures, it could be religion, political inclination, prostitution, some diseases like AIDS, and asking women’s age in public to name a few. Above all, the subject of “death” makes most people feel emotionally charged and frustrated. If anyone (who is in the right mind or does not have a totally aberrant idea about life or death) happened to learn about someone’s death, they would stop for a second and feel their heart welling up with sorrow. What makes people get serious or uncomfortable about death? How should we respond to the end of one’s life? Are we supposed to prepare for the finale in a somber mood? Otherwise, could it possibly be somewhat festive or convivial?

I have personally seen deaths of my close family and friends both in my home country and here in the States as well. As most of you may already know, when the family says their final farewells at the funeral home, the pallbearers will be asked to wait outside until the family has exited. When the family leaves, the pallbearers will be ushered in to lift the casket onto a wheeled device called a “church truck” and roll the casket out of the building to the hearse. This is the very moment when everyone present are surrounded by the unbearable feelings of deep sorrow and congested with complicated emotions. How would you describe the way you feel or respond facing the death of someone in your life? I was lost for words in that bleak moment. Empty. Blank. Consumed. Feared. Depleted. Lonely. ……..and totally separated from the ones I was saying goodbye to. However, as times went by, I found myself in the process of reminiscing the good old memories that I had shared with the ones I lost. It was more of celebrating and reconnecting with their past lives rather than of painfully grieving the loss of my precious people. The beautiful moments shared at some points in my and their lives would remain unperturbed even by many a vicissitudes after they left me for good.

It would probably take forever for us to let all the miscellaneous things in our lives fill the void caused by the absence of our beloved family members or friends. With hopes that someday we will reunite with them elsewhere, I would like to view their demise not as the tragic, frustrating end of life. It could be seen as the transitional point of one’s life, which is leading them to another world that we have yet to know. It is true that death physically do us part, but cannot easily get us emotionally separated with one another, because our time with them has not been over yet.

Expressions

be tabooed to do…: be prohibited to do…/ to urge us to avoid …. resulting from social custom or belief

aberrant: deviating from accepted standard

well up with…: to rise/ spring/ gush ….

somber: dark and depressing or dismal

convivial: related to feasting or lively

funeral home: a ​place where a ​dead ​person is ​prepared to be ​buried or ​creamated, and where ​relatives and ​friends can ​see the ​body

pallbearers: a ​person who ​helps to ​carry a ​coffin at a ​funeral or who ​walks at the ​side of the ​people ​carrying it

hearse: a ​vehicle used to ​carry a ​body in a ​coffin to a ​funeral

congested with: too ​blocked or ​crowded and ​causing difficulties

bleak: cold and empty/ unpleasant

unperturbed: not ​worried about something, ​especially when this is ​slightly ​surprising  

e.g., It is hard to stay unperturbed when you have to make a speech in front of hundreds of thousands of people.

vicissitudes: ​changes that ​happen at different ​times during the ​life or ​development of someone or something, ​especially those that ​result in ​conditions being ​worse

for good: forever

demise: the death of a person

do us part: make us separated